- 4.
A knock came at the door.
It was Tom.
My family was delighted to see him,
welcoming him in like he was a celebrity.
く
He was there to discuss the wedding details
for the redo on the fifth day after the new
year.
He looked around, a bit confused. “Isn’t
Jenny coming home for the holidays?”
Polly’s eyes immediately welled up.
“Jenny must be mad at us for not inviting her,
it’s not like I meant to.”
Tom pulled her into a hug.
“I misspoke, never mind her, it’s bad luck for
her to come back anyways. Baby, don’t be
sad, just focus on being a beautiful bride.”
Polly beamed. “Don’t say that! She’s still my
sister after all.”
<
Her words were so gracious and
understanding that everyone praised her,
while also finding new ways to put me down.
Compared to her, I was always stubborn,
weird, and unlikeable.
Even my hard–won achievements were
tainted by her actions. My family couldn’t give
me a single word of congratulations.
I remember the time I won first prize in a
writing contest.
I asked my parents to come to the awards ceremony so I could share my joy, and the
organizers wanted to interview us for a
newspaper article.
They agreed.
<
But on the day, they called, saying they
couldn’t come.
“Polly was crying, she’s so weak, it must be
her depression, we need to be with her,” my
dad said before hanging up.
I stood alone, clutching the trophy, giving my
acceptance speech, and then apologizing to
the organizers.
Because my parents weren’t there, they had
to rewrite the whole schedule.
They glowered at me, reprimanding me for “being such a problem.”
I didn’t argue, I just held back my tears.
Later, I saw pictures on Polly’s social media.
<
Mom and Dad had taken her to an
amusement park. She was laughing happily on
the carousel, flashing a peace sign.
Is that depression?
Why did she suddenly get depressed every
time I needed my parents?
The one who was really depressed, it was me!
