Betrayal
The day of my wedding, my mom got down
on her knees, begging me to give my fiancé
to my younger sister.
My brother, all exasperated, said, “Can’t you
be understanding for once? Brittany’s got
depression, she can’t handle this stress.”
My dad just slapped me across the face.
“What are you crying about, you little jinx?
Should have been you that died, not the other
one.”
It’s okay. I will die.
But when news of my actual death finally
came, my brother’s cold face briefly flashed
panic. “That’s not real, they’re lying!”
Dad clutched his chest, a look of agony on
his face. “How? She was so capable!”
And my mom, heartbroken, kept repeating,
“I’m so sorry,” over and over again.
But I was already gone.
It was all too late!
Thanksgiving Day
That Thanksgiving, Mom cooked a huge feast.
The whole family was gathered around the
table, all cozy and festive.
At the stroke of midnight, fireworks burst
outside.
ՄԱԿԵ,
My family raised their glasses for toasts.
Wishing my brother, Kevin, success at work.
Wishing Dad a windfall of money.
Wishing Mom good health.
And wishing my sister, Brittany, a happy and
fulfilling marriage.
Not a single word of blessing was spoken for
- me.
And no one remembered that I was missing
from our family.
That is until Mom’s cell phone started ringing.
It was frantic, urgent!
It was me calling.
She coldly rejected the call with a roll of her
eyes, annoyed.
Meanwhile, I lay on the cold, hard earth, all
hope gone.
I was dead.
I died on Thanksgiving night, while my family
was celebrating.
The Ghost Returns
My soul floated back home.
They had finished dinner and were watching a
movie, casually discussing Brittany’s wedding
plans.
Suddenly, Brittany’s eyes glistened with tears.
“I’d really like to invite Mandy to the wedding,
but I’m afraid she’s still mad at me. What
should I do?”
Dad snorted. “Don’t worry about that. We’ll
drag her there if we have to!”
“Yeah, it’s just one guy. Does she have to
make such a big deal out of it?” My brother,
Kevin, said, not understanding.
Mom sighed, looking genuinely sad.
Г
“She always gives me such a headache, you
know? When she was born, she was a twin,
but the doctor said she stole all the nutrients
from her sister in the womb. It’s like she was
born defective…”
There it was. That same old story.
I had heard it so many times.
It was my original sin since birth.
Every time they brought it up, it filled my
parents and brother with resentment toward
- me.
They automatically ostracized me, looking at
me as if I was some murderer.
Even though I was just a kid!
I was always scared, crying, and helpless
because of that scorn and hatred.
I yearned for their love, but all I could do was
watch them shower it all on my adopted
sister.
They called her “Baby.”
They lavished her with the preferential
treatment I never got.
And they demanded that I atone for my
existence by giving her everything.
Anything Brittany wanted, I had to give her.
From a pen, a doll.
Г
To scholarships, competition entries.
Even my own fiancé.
Chris and I were graduate school classmates.
It was love at first sight, instant connection.
We should have been like most couples
–
loving, engaged, and ready to get married
after graduation.
But then, in our third year, Brittany enrolled at
our school, becoming Chris’s classmate.
She always needed “brother–in–law” to help
her with something, always sought him out
when she was upset, never holding back.
She was so dependent on him, idolizing him,
her eyes full of emotion when looking at him.
I saw them getting closer and closer and I
warned them.
They both denied it with practiced ease.
Chris even proposed to me to show his
devotion.
I desperately wanted to have a family of my
own, and I still had feelings for him. So, I said
yes.
But then, on my wedding day, Brittany
appeared.
The Sisterly Betrayal
She came bearing tears and blessings. “Sis,
even though my heart is breaking, I still wish
you and Chris a long, happy marriage.”
I was a little confused.
She called him “brother–in–law” all the time,
but now she called him by his first name!
It was my wedding day. I didn’t want any
drama, so I tried to ignore it.
But then she sobbed and fainted!
My parents were heartbroken.
“Mandy, you can’t get married! Give Chris to
Brittany.”
“Yeah, she has depression. Without love, her
condition will definitely worsen. What’ll she
“You’re the older sister. You should make a
concession. Just say yes!”
They were excitedly trying to persuade me,
just like always. Nobody took my side.
And I was the one who was being wronged.
My eyes were red. “If I had depression, would
you make concessions for me?”
Dad exploded with anger. “What’s that
supposed to mean? Are you making fun of
Brittany? You need to be punished!”
He clenched his fists. If there weren’t other
people around, he probably would have hit
- me.
Brittany suddenly started crying.
She was passed out, but still crying?
Mom’s heart was broken. “Mandy, just let
your sister and Chris be together, I’m begging
you.”
And she went down on her knees in front of
me!
I was so shocked, and I tried to get her up.
But she refused, kneeling there, twisting the
knife in my heart.
Then Chris looked at me, guilt all over his
face. “Mandy, I can’t let anything happen to
Brittany. Let me take her away. I promise I’ll
come back.”
く
I knew him well enough. If he said something
like that, he wouldn’t be coming back.
Tears streamed down my face.
What else could I do? I could only watch them
leave.
I looked in the mirror.
The reflection showed me with makeup,
wearing a beautiful and sacred wedding
dress.
I was supposed to be a happy bride that day.
But now, I was nothing but a clown.
The Wedding Details
Г
There was a knock at the door.
It was Chris.
My whole family welcomed him.
enthusiastically and ushered him inside.
He was there to discuss the details of their
wedding, which was set for next week.
He looked around, a little confused. “Isn’t
Mandy coming home for the holidays?”
Brittany immediately looked sad and
distraught.
“She’s probably still mad at us. It wasn’t my
fault.”
Г
Chris hugged her, full of tenderness.
“I shouldn’t have said anything. Don’t worry
about her. She’s always been trouble. Just
focus on being a bride.”
Brittany giggled through her tears. “Don’t talk
like that! She’s still my sister.
وو
Her kind and understanding attitude made
everyone admire her, and they used it as a
stick to beat me with.
Compared to her, I was always stubborn and
difficult, never likeable.
Even the honors I’d worked so hard for were
often stolen by her, never earning me a single
word of praise from my family.
The most memorable was when I won first
prize in a writing contest.
I wanted to invite my parents to the awards
ceremony to share my joy and the event
organizers wanted to interview our family for
a news report.
They said they’d be there.
But on the awards day, they called and said
they couldn’t come.
“Brittany is crying again, her limbs are weak.
Probably another bout of her depression. We
have to be there for her.”
Then they hung up, not giving me a chance to
beg.
I took my award alone, made my speech, and
then apologized to the organizers.
