3
“Fingerprint verification failed.”
The cold automated voice hit me like a punch.
I stood outside the mansion, arm burning,
covered in dust, looking like a homeless
person.
Finally, the housekeeper opened the door,
staring at me.
The mirror in the entryway showed how awful
I looked, next to Haley, who was standing
there with a bunch of presents, looking like a
doll.
く
“Oh, hey. Sorry, I was counting my gifts.
Didn’t hear the bell.”
She paused, trying to look surprised, but
couldn’t hide the delight in her eyes.
“Oh! Mom and Dad are mad at you. They
deleted your fingerprint. I tried to stop them!”
I normally would’ve argued with her.
But I didn’t care.
I turned to go upstairs, but she grabbed my
injured arm, and I yanked away from her.
Haley started crying.
“You hate me, don’t you? You don’t want me
touching you?”
“I know I’m an orphan from the orphanage, so
I can’t be as good as you and Sarah.”
Mom and Dad ran up. “Sarah! What is wrong
with you! It’s Haley’s birthday!”
“Look at her! You hurt her! You have no
manners!”
I stared at them.
Haley kept crying.
“I messaged them, but Sarah and you never
answered.”
“I know you don’t want to celebrate with me.”
<
My blood was boiling. I snapped.
“I didn’t get any messages.”
“And I’m tired-”
Haley wailed louder.
“I know you don’t like me.”
“I was really poor and never had a family.”
“I just wish I was like you and Sarah with a
mom and dad that cared about you.”
Mom and Dad hugged Haley.
They didn’t even glance at me. “She wanted
today so badly! You didn’t come home to
embarrass her!”
Г
“Apologize!”
I lost it. “Today is Sarah’s birthday too!”
“You forgot about your own daughter!”
Mom froze. “Where’s Sarah? Why isn’t she
here?”
She called my sister, but she didn’t pick up.
“She’s too temperamental!”
“We forgot her birthday and she’s being
difficult.
“Go get her!”
I practically spat out.
“Sarah’s dead! She died out there! You’ll
never see her again!”
“Slap!”
Dad punched me in the face, and my cheek
was stinging.
“Stop talking about death! It’s all your sister’s
fault.”
“Fine! We don’t need her! Let her see how
long she can last.”
“Your sisters ruined Haley’s birthday.”
He stormed off.
Mom grabbed a half–eaten cake from the
table
It was a mess.
“Give it to your sister, so she has a birthday
too.”
I looked at the cake, and felt sick.
The adopted daughter ate the real daughter’s
cake.
They forgot that my sister and I were allergic
to icing.
When I was a kid, I stared at the cakes in the
window.
I wanted to have a huge cake like Haley.
Mom and Dad always said no.
<
My sister took her allowance and bought me
a piece.
We hid in the room and ate it.
Even when we got sick later, and spent three
days in the hospital.
It was the best thing ever.
But now, they had forgotten.
When I didn’t take the cake, Mom frowned.
“It’s your fault Sarah doesn’t have a cake, not
mine.”
“You were bad today. Go to your room.”
I went back to my room.
Г
I started packing my sister’s stuff.
I wanted to leave.
