They’d put me on blast online; they never
intended for me to be okay.
“Thanks, Jess. Delete the messages so they
don’t see them.”
Jessica and Michael were siblings. Jessica had always been kind to me, protective of me.
As kids, she’d sneak me food. In college, she bought me new clothes.
She’d said, “I won’t let Emily be looked down
L
on by her classmates. She has family who
love her.”
On my first day of college, my mom,
determined to get me the maximum financial
aid, showed up at school and told my advisor
about our family’s “dire” situation.
I didn’t have to pay for room and board
because I supposedly went home every day to
care for Sarah.
I never paid class fees, and I worked in the
cafeteria in exchange for free lunch.
All my clothes were Sarah’s hand–me–downs.
The first new clothes I ever owned were from
L
Jessica.
Most people, outside of my immediate family,
were good to me.
Sometimes, I couldn’t figure out why.
Jessica sent an “ok,” then transferred five
thousand dollars to me.
“You probably don’t have much money. Use
this for emergencies.”
My eyes welled up as I sent the money back.
“Jess, I’m okay. I have money.”
L
Jessica knew me. She knew I wasn’t being
polite. If I said I had money, I had money. She
told me to stay safe and ended the
conversation.
Jessica was the only relative who knew I
wrote fiction, but she didn’t know I
sometimes earned over ten grand a month.
I didn’t tell her because writing income was
unpredictable. One month I could make ten
grand, the next only a few hundred.
During dinner, I saw their new videos online.
Sarah was crying. “Why are you all so mean
く
Saran was crying. wry are you all so mean
to me? I just want a healthy son.”
“Don’t we deserve to have a healthy child?”
“We’re already suffering so much. Can’t you
have some sympathy?”
“Now my mom is in the hospital because of
you all! Are you satisfied?”
“As for my sister, she’s perfectly healthy. We
paid for her college education! She owes us.
“She’s heartless and cruel, and she’ll get
what’s coming to her.”
<
She was blaming everything on me and the
internet.
Before I could even respond, the comments
started pouring in.
“You already have two daughters. They’re the
ones who are suffering. Why bring another
child into this mess?”
“Our mental health matters too! Stop forcing
this on us!”
“You can’t reason with someone who’s
pretending to be asleep.”
<
“Can we stop getting these videos
recommended? I don’t want to deal with
this.”
“Your sister had the worst luck imaginable
being born into your family.”
“Karma? You have cerebral palsy, your
husband has autism, your two kids have developmental issues. Is that karma?”
Sarah was replying to every comment,
engaging in heated arguments.
She wasn’t a fast typer.
<
I suspected Michael was helping her.
Was she trying to go the “hate–follows”
route?
No way. I wouldn’t allow it.
I reported them for soliciting donations under
false pretenses. There were plenty of
screenshots in the comments of people.
donating before they knew the truth.
I knew one report wasn’t enough. I asked Ashley to help me. Dozens of accounts
reported them simultaneously.
L
Their account was quickly shut down.
I posted a video of my own. Starting from
when I was two, barely able to walk, I’d been
doing chores for Sarah.
