My parents ran a grade-based allowance system every month. I always thought my sister got the money. Until I ended up at Station 2 in the campus dining hall. Interviews were paying seven bucks an hour, hiring only one person, and there she was. Her voice was raspy as she uttered the most shocking words I had ever heard. “Is this a joke to you, Nora?” “Just to humiliate me, you came to steal this job even with an eight-hundred-dollar monthly allowance?” I froze. The words spilled out before I could stop them: “What eight hundred dollars? Didn’t Mom and Dad give all that money to you?” Pathy went dead silent. And right then, something clicked in my head. Unless… that money was never meant for either of us from the start. 01 My twin sister and I were raised by two of the city’s most celebrated educators. They had shelf-loads of state honors, featured constantly in local educational press. Their golden rule was simple: “Pressure drives competition, competition drives effort, and effort brings success.” So, from the moment we were born, Pathy and I were pitted against each other. For other babies, rolling over, sitting up, and crawling were natural milestones. For us, they were points on a scoreboard. Whoever learned first got the point. If you earned five points a day, you got milk. If you failed, you went hungry for twenty-four hours. For over ten years, Pathy and I lived in a relentless warzone. We treated each other like bitter rivals, fighting purely for a plate of food. Until the day our acceptance letters to a top-tier university arrived. Our parents made us a solemn promise: “Once you start college, we will give each of you eight hundred dollars a month for living expenses.” Pathy and I burst into tears right there. We thought our nightmare was finally over. Then came the night before move-in day. They placed two identical exam packets in front of us. “We custom-made these tests covering everything from high school. Finish them, hand them in, and we’ll grade them.” “Take it seriously. This determines who gets the college allowance for the first month.” I couldn’t help asking, “What do you mean, Dad?” They answered with smooth, reasonable composure: “We looked into it. College is when kids ruin themselves most easily. For your own good, we will issue a specialized exam at the end of every month.” “The highest score gets the eight-hundred-dollar monthly allowance. The lower score gets zero.” Pathy and I stared in disbelief. We protested together. “That’s crazy! You promised us! You said eight hundred each once we got into college! How can you go back on your word?” Dad’s face darkened instantly, his voice dripping with intimidation. “Who are you to question us? I am your father. You live under my roof and eat my food, so you follow my rules.” “Besides, isn’t this for your own good? If you’re going to be this ungrateful, neither of you gets a single cent.” Once again, Pathy and I backed down. A college student with zero allowance is like a fish out of water, bound to suffocate. 02 When college started, I had zero dollars. “Nora, you scored two points lower than your sister,” my parents told me. “So, no allowance for your first month.” I begged them not to be so cruel, but they didn’t care. I had to dig out the eighty dollars in birthday money I had hidden under my bed just to survive. To stretch every cent, I lived on cheap stale bagels, only allowing myself a single hard-boiled egg in the morning. Going hungry brought sharp stomach pains, and stomach pains meant needing medicine, which I couldn’t afford. Day by day, my face grew pale and hollow. My roommates quickly noticed. They asked gently, “Nora, are your parents not giving you allowance? Why are you eating so little?” “You’re going to ruin your health like this.” I managed a bitter smile and briefly explained the twisted competition rule at home. My roommates were horrified, looking at me with deep sympathy. “Did you apply for financial hardship aid?” I shook my head. “My parents won’t let me.” If people found out two award-winning educators had a daughter applying for hardship aid, they thought it would bring shame to their reputation. From that day on, my roommates constantly found excuses to feed me. “Nora, this milk expires soon and I hate it, drink it for me.” “Nora, this sandwich has eggs and I’m allergic, take it.” “Nora, these plums from my garden are way too sour, please finish them.” My chest felt warm and aching at the same time. The warmth I had never felt at home, I was receiving here. 03 Eighty dollars, no matter how carefully spent, couldn’t last a whole month. A little over two weeks in, I had ten dollars left in my wallet. I was completely out of options. In desperation, I considered applying for online loans, but legitimate platforms rejected me due to my lack of credit history. Driven into a corner, I called my mother for help. First call, unanswered. Second call, rejected. Third call, she finally picked up. Before I could say a word, her sharp, irritated voice snapped: “Are you out of your mind?” “Don’t you know your father and I are busy at work? Calling nonstop, are you trying to drive me crazy?” I kept my voice as low as possible, pleading with pathetic weakness. “Mom, I don’t have money to buy food.” “Please, just give me a little bit of allowance.” “I really can’t make it through the month.” I thought no matter how cold parents were, hearing their child starve would soften their hearts. I was wrong. Her tone was icy. “If you can’t make it, figure it out yourself. Who told you to score lower than your sister?” “If you want money, beat her at the end of the month. Otherwise, don’t even dream about it.” Click. She hung up. At that moment, all the bottled-up pain surged over me. Standing alone in the stairwell, heavy tears spilled down my cheeks. I had never felt so utterly helpless. I couldn’t understand it. Why did other parents worry about their children going hungry, while mine watched me starve without batting an eye? 04 I walked back to my dorm with red, swollen eyes. Seeing me like that, my roommates immediately gathered around. I told them everything. They instantly offered to lend me money, but I refused. Even though I was broke, I didn’t want to tarnish this pure friendship with financial debts. Helpless, my roommate offered another idea. “Why don’t you try borrowing from your sister? You’re twins, she can’t be completely heartless, right?” “Yeah, your parents gave her eight hundred dollars. Asking to borrow fifty bucks isn’t much.” I hesitated. “But… Pathy and I don’t get along.” Ten years of ruthless competition had made us treat each other like enemies. My roommate encouraged me, “Just try. Maybe she’s not as cold as you think.” I gritted my teeth and dialed my sister’s number. 05 The moment the call went through, Pathy spoke with total impatience. “Spit it out, don’t waste my time.” My roommates were right beside me, hearing every word. My face burned with shame, but I forced myself to whisper, “Pathy, could you lend me fifty dollars?” “I promise I’ll pay you back next month.” The next second, Pathy exploded. “Borrow money from me? Have you lost your mind, Nora?” “You blew through your own cash and now you come begging to me?” “Have some damn pride!” Before I could respond, she slammed the phone down. A stinging sensation filled my nose as I tried to hold back tears. My roommates blew up in rage. “What the hell! Is your sister crazy? If she doesn’t want to lend it, she doesn’t have to be so nasty!” “Unbelievable! She gets eight hundred bucks and won’t even lend fifty to her own twin!” “And calling you a big spender? Is she blind? You’ve been starving on dry crusts for days!” I stayed silent, feeling both furious and deeply hurt. To be honest, Pathy’s reaction didn’t really surprise me. She had been like this since childhood, attacking me before hearing the full story. We were used to treating each other this way. A moment later, my roommate showed me a screenshot of a part-time job. “This local diner needs weekend help. It pays daily, fifteen bucks an hour.” I grabbed onto it like a lifeline, hugging her tightly while whispering endless thanks. She smiled and patted my back. “Just help me with the group projects later.” 06 Two days of grueling work earned me a hundred and twenty dollars. With that money, I dragged myself through another two weeks. It was brutally hard, counting every single penny just to eat. During a break between classes, our advisor posted a list of work-study campus jobs in the group chat. On-campus positions! Long-term! Overjoyed, I registered immediately, grabbing contact details and sending private messages. Every single one turned me down. The higher-paying ones were taken instantly. The flexible ones clashed with my heavy class schedule. Rejection after rejection broke my spirit. Just as I was about to give up, a new posting appeared in the chat. Dining Hall Assistant. Seven dollars an hour. Includes free lunch and free dinner. The only downside: only hiring one person. Seeing the words “includes free meals,” my eyes burned red. This was my only way to survive. Without wasting a single second, I added the manager’s contact, terrified someone else would snatch it. “Hello, I’d like to apply for the Dining Hall Assistant position.” Five minutes later, the reply came: “Sorry, another student just messaged me a step ahead of you.” My throat constricted with panic. I messaged back furiously, pleading: “Please give me a chance! I work really hard and I’m not afraid of tough work. I promise I won’t slack off or cause trouble!” After a long silence, the manager finally replied: “Come to Dining Hall Station 2 tomorrow after class for an interview.” 07 The next day, I waited eagerly for class to end. Right before the final bell, our advisor dropped a message in the chat: “Don’t leave after class. We are having a mandatory class meeting. Class president, organize everyone.” I froze in shock. I wanted to run, but I didn’t dare. Our advisor was notoriously strict. Getting caught skipping meant standing in the office for a week reciting English vocabulary. Throughout the meeting, I sat on pins and needles, checking my phone constantly, my mind in chaos. My roommate kept whispering, “It’s fine, don’t panic, it’ll end soon.” In the end, it dragged on for far too long. The second it ended, I grabbed my books and sprinted toward the dining hall. Twenty minutes late. My heart sank. It was over. The job was gone. I walked up to Station 2, my voice trembling. “Excuse me, ma’am, I’m here for the work-study interview. Who should I speak to?” The cafeteria worker looked me up and down. “Take a seat over there, sweetie. The manager is interviewing someone else right now.” I sat on a chair, my palms soaked in cold sweat. Despair crept over me. A few minutes later, the manager walked out from the kitchen, followed by another student. I looked up, and my eyes widened in total shock. It was my twin sister, Pathy. 08 Our eyes met, both of us frozen in disbelief. The manager looked at me. “Are you the student who messaged me about the interview?” I nodded quickly. He led me into the back kitchen for a quick chat. Because I had rehearsed answers with my roommate, I answered every question smoothly. Finally, he asked, “The pay here is really low. Are you sure you can accept seven dollars an hour?” I nodded aggressively. “As long as meals are included.” The manager looked at me with a complicated expression, sighing softly. “What is wrong with kids these days…” “Working so hard just for a meal. Do your parents not feed you at home?” I didn’t understand what he meant, nor did I have time to ponder it. He led me back outside and spoke to both Pathy and me. “Wait here for a moment while I decide who to hire.” 09 The moment the manager stepped away, the tension exploded. Pathy suddenly shoved me hard. Losing my balance, I slammed into the ground. Furious and confused, I scrambled up. “Are you crazy, Pathy? What did you shove me for?” She stared at me, her eyes brimming with tears. My heart skipped a beat as I remembered drama tropes of girls faking injuries. I took two steps back nervously. “Hey, don’t try to play the victim! You pushed me first, I didn’t touch you!” Instead, her voice broke, raspy and choked with emotions, delivering the most shocking words of my life. “Is this a joke to you, Nora?” “Just to humiliate me, you came to steal this job even with an eight-hundred-dollar monthly allowance?” I froze completely, my mind going blank. I stared at her in utter disbelief and blurted out: “What eight hundred dollars?” “Didn’t Mom and Dad give all that money to you?” Pathy’s rage flared up instantly. “Stop acting! How can you keep lying to my face?” “I know you’re smarter than me. No matter what test Mom and Dad give us, you always score higher.” “But do you have any idea? Because of you, I’ve been starving in this school for almost a month!” “Every day, all I think about is saving money, eating cheap one-dollar bagels from the breakfast cart for every meal!” I was rendered speechless. Pathy grabbed my hands, her voice breaking into a plea. “I’m begging you, Nora. Can’t you just let this go for once, for the sake of being sisters?” “I desperately need this job. I am so, so hungry every single day.” A chill ran down my spine. “But Mom and Dad told me they gave the entire eight hundred dollars to you,” I stammered. Pathy completely lost control, screaming with bloodshot eyes: “How could they have given it all to me? If I had eight hundred dollars, why would I be living like a dog?” “Besides, if I actually had that money, even as much as I hate you, I would have lent you fifty bucks when you asked!” I tried to explain, “But I really didn’t get a cent! I’ve been starving for a month just like you, living on nothing but dry bread!” Pathy shoved my hands away, bordering on hysteria. “Are you trying to trick me again? If Mom and Dad didn’t give the money to you or me, who else could they possibly give it to…” Her voice abruptly cut off. The air turned dead silent. And right then, something clicked in my head. Unless… that money was never meant for either of us from the start.
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