Butterfly with broken wings
Chapter One
I never thought in a million years I’d see my
sister, Beth, walk into the kitchen.
Not after sixteen years of being a vegetable.
I’ve been her personal slave for sixteen years.
Every little thing, even turning over in bed,
that was me.
But now, she’s playing dumb.
“Jess, you’re totally imagining things.”
“Besides, I’m like this because of you.”
L
I was about to tell her off, but Mom slapped
me so hard my teeth rattled.
Mom’s eyes were bugging out.
“Ruining your sister’s life wasn’t enough for
you?”
“Now you gotta make her out to be a liar?”
“Why couldn’t you be the one who ended up
paralyzed?”
Okay, she wants to play sick?
Fine, I’ll make sure she really gets sick.
There were three of us kids, and I was the
middle child.
<
Beth, my younger sister, was six years
younger.
Mom always drilled it into my head: “You
gotta help out your brother. You gotta take
care of your sister.”
But honestly, I was treated worse than Beth’s
mutt, Digger.
There was never a spot for me at the table.
I got the chipped plate, and I had to wait until
Mom, Dad, Mike, and Beth were done eating.
Then I could dig in.
Me and Digger, eating scraps together.
<
Mom said it was “character building.”
Dad worked construction out of state and
would bring back candy and little gifts.
But not for me.
Never any candy.
Never any gifts.
I’d see Beth batting her eyelashes, begging
for candy.
I’d tug on Dad’s sleeve, hoping for just one
piece.
Dad would shove me away, wiping his hand
on his pants like I was dirt.
r
“You don’t deserve it.”
Mike and Beth were showered with love and
attention.
I always figured I wasn’t doing enough.
So, I busted my butt doing chores.
Laced every test, straight A’s every year.
They never even noticed.
I was stuck up in the drafty attic.
When I was sixteen, Mike got married.
His wife, Sarah, gave me and Beth each a
doll.
<
One was red, the other blue.
Beth grabbed the red one.
I clutched the blue doll like it was a winning
lottery ticket.
I even slept with it.
A few days later, Beth’s red doll went
missing.
She threw a total fit, demanding my blue one.
I wouldn’t let go, even though her fingernails
were digging into my skin.
“Fine, if I can’t have it, neither can you!”
She grabbed a pair of scissere off the table
<
She grabbed a pair of scissors off the table
and snipped the head off my doll.
Cotton stuffing went everywhere.
I burst into tears and slapped her.
She fell on the floor, clutching her cheek and
wailing.
Dad came running, saw what happened, and
kicked me so hard I went flying.
I cracked my head on the corner of the table.
Blood started gushing.
“You think you can lay a hand on your
sister?”
L
“You’re a real piece of work!”
Mom scooped up Beth, cradling her.
Then, without a word, I was locked in the
attic.
None of us knew that Beth wouldn’t get up.
She swore she was paralyzed, stuck in bed.
She needed help with everything.
Mom and Dad were freaked out, constantly
yelling at me.
“You ruined your sister’s life, you know
that?”
5
<
Mike fanned the flames.
“We should sell her to pay for Beth’s medical
care.”
I started shaking all over.
I grabbed Mom and Dad’s hands, begging.
“I’ll be good, I promise I’ll take care of Beth.
Just don’t sell me…”
Beth refused to see a doctor, wouldn’t even
get checked out.
My parents always spoiled her.
They just let her have her way.
