On the day of our college graduation, my parents held up their cameras, taking photo after photo of my boyfriend and my best friend. Through the lens, Ethan smiled and kissed Chloe on the cheek. He even dropped to one knee, pulling out a ring to fake a proposal. My parents stood by, watching with warm, indulgent smiles. Yet, I was their actual daughter. And Ethan was the guy I had been dating for four years. Dressed in my graduation gown, I stood alone in the corner. I waited for a long time, but my mom never once called my name. Once Chloe finished her photoshoot, she sighed and complained about not finding a good job yet. Naturally, Ethan forgot all about me, immediately leaning down to comfort her. “Come work at my company. Be my personal assistant. What do you say?” My brother, Marcus, walked over with a cold bottle of water. He only handed it to Chloe, then wrapped a possessive arm around her shoulders, giving Ethan a sharp glare. “Chloe, come to my company instead. Be my personal assistant!” Two men, fighting over my best friend. My parents laughed, saying we were all just one big family anyway. I stood to the side, my fingers tightening into fists. It felt as though Chloe was their real daughter, and Ethan was her boyfriend. Since that was the case, I would sign the job contract for the place furthest away from home, and never come back.
An email notification popped up on my phone. It was from the company Chloe had interviewed with. They rejected her. Chloe’s eyes welled with tears instantly. “Am I really that useless? I can’t even get a basic job.” My mom immediately pulled her into a comforting hug. “What nonsense are you talking about? Maybe Natalie is useless enough to not find a job, but not you.” “You’ve been perfect in everything since you were a kid, Chloe. How could you not find a job?” After saying that, she glanced back at me. “That company just lacks vision. Don’t worry, sweetie, we’ll take our time finding a better one.” I stood there, having done absolutely nothing, yet once again being used as the foil to prove Chloe’s superiority. Growing up, I had doubted countless times whether I was the one who was adopted, and if Chloe was their biological child. But unfortunately, the DNA test I secretly took showed no issues. Later, I thought it was because of my personality. Maybe I wasn’t smart or charming enough. So, I worked myself to the bone to prove my worth. Yet, by the time I finally achieved things that should have made them proud, I realized their favoritism toward Chloe had already become a deep-rooted habit. Just like now, they were used to ignoring me. They knew I’d always find my own way home anyway. I stood there, watching Ethan whisper sweet nothings to comfort Chloe. Meanwhile, my dad was on the phone, calling the HR manager of Aegis Group on the spot. After hanging up, he made a confident promise. “I’ve sorted it out for you. Your first job is crucial. You can’t just settle. A major corporation like Aegis is the bare minimum.” There was always a safety net beneath Chloe’s feet. The moment she slipped, everyone rushed to catch her. During our freshman year, she failed a core course. My mom pulled strings to find a senior tutor, paying three hundred dollars per session and booking twenty sessions in advance. That same semester, I scored a ninety-five on my final exam. Full of anticipation, I showed my grade to my mom, hoping for a single word of praise. But all I got was criticism. “I thought you said you worked hard? Why did you lose five points?” After that, I stopped sending my grades home. During our junior year, I had a sudden bout of acute gastritis. The pain was so intense I collapsed at the entrance of the lab building, unable to stand. I called Ethan, begging him for the first time to take me to the hospital. But the other end of the line was quiet for a moment. “Chloe has a big presentation tomorrow. She’s really nervous right now and needs me to help her practice.” “Natalie, you’ve always been independent. You can call an Uber yourself, right?” That day, the Uber driver saw how pale I was and personally helped me walk into the ER. A complete stranger knew I needed a hand. Yet Ethan thought I was perfectly fine on my own. Maybe it was because I had been too sensible for too long. When you never complain, people assume you don’t feel pain. It was only much later that my mom casually asked about my job hunt. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could answer, my dad waved his hand dismissively. “With her major, what kind of good job can she get? Just find some random desk job and call it a day.” Marcus glanced at me, frowning. “Yeah, just get a job. Don’t think you’re going to live rent-free at home after graduation.” Ethan even chime in, “If you really can’t find anything, I can ask if our company’s front desk is hiring.” He said it so naturally, as if he was genuinely doing me a favor. I looked down and unlocked my phone, opening the acceptance email. The Cairo Institute of Deep Space Materials. Excellent benefits, highly prestigious, but located over five thousand miles away. For the past seven days, I hadn’t confirmed the offer. I was waiting. Waiting for my mom to ask me where I wanted to stay. Waiting for my dad to make a call for me too. Or waiting for Ethan to remember our promise to stay in the same city after graduation. But with only six hours left on the confirmation countdown, not a single person asked. I tapped “Confirm.” A message popped up on the screen. Welcome to the Cairo Institute of Deep Space Materials, Natalie Sinclair! At that moment, the first sincere welcome I received came from five thousand miles away.
The next morning, my mom dragged us all to the mall. She said since Chloe was joining a big company, she needed a brand-new wardrobe. A six-thousand-dollar designer suit, a fifteen-thousand-dollar work bag, and five-thousand-dollar high heels. Every time Chloe looked at a price tag in hesitation, my mom would smile and tell her not to worry about the cost. “You’re going to be working at a top firm. You need to look the part.” My dad happily handed over his credit card at the register. Marcus, his hands full of shopping bags, asked Chloe if she wanted some designer perfume too. Ethan knelt down, gently feeling the back of Chloe’s new heels. “The leather here is a bit stiff. Let’s try another pair. I don’t want you getting blisters on your first day.” I stood a few paces away, watching his gentle profile. During our four years of college, I had walked miles in ill-fitting shoes just to keep him company. When my heels bled, he only laughed and said I was being dramatic. It turned out he knew shoes could hurt. It was just that when those shoes were on my feet, it wasn’t worth his concern. Passing by a luggage store, I stopped. My suitcase was ten years old, and the corners were cracked. I had wrapped layers of duct tape around it, and the wheels were completely uneven. I picked the cheapest one in the store. One hundred and twenty-nine dollars. Instead of taking it straight to the counter, I walked over to my dad. “Can I get this?” Perhaps, even now, I still held onto a stupid shred of hope. They had just spent over thirty thousand dollars buying luxury clothes, shoes, and bags for Chloe. A hundred-dollar suitcase shouldn’t be too much to ask for, right? Maybe I just wanted to prove that I still held some tiny fraction of a place in their hearts. But my dad only frowned. “Don’t we have suitcases at home?” “That one is ten years old, Dad. It’s broken.” “Just because it’s broken doesn’t mean it’s unusable. Do you think your parents’ hard-earned money is for you to throw away like this?” My mom walked over, scoffing. “Chloe got a prestigious job, so of course she needs nice things.” She glanced at the suitcase in my hand, her tone filled with annoyance. “What kind of job are you going to get that warrants a fancy suitcase like this?” “You’ll probably end up as a receptionist somewhere. Nobody cares what bag you bring. Just make do with the old one.” Marcus chuckled from the side. “She’s just jealous. She saw Chloe buying things, so now she wants to compete.” My hand froze on the handle. Slowly, I put the suitcase back. Chloe stood outside the store, her fifteen-thousand-dollar bag on her shoulder, surrounded by shopping bags. “Natalie, aren’t you buying anything?” “No.” I looked down at my worn-out canvas tote bag. It wasn’t that the family was broke. And it wasn’t that appearance didn’t matter. It was just that whenever it came to me, everything became “unnecessary” and “wasteful.” That evening, my mom booked a private room at a nice restaurant to celebrate our graduation. A massive cake sat in the center of the table. The moment I walked in, the icing caught my eye. Congratulations on Graduation, Chloe! Wishing you a brilliant future! Chloe looked slightly embarrassed. “Helen, did you forget to write Natalie’s name?” My mom didn’t even look up. “She doesn’t like cake anyway. It doesn’t matter.” Actually, I loved cake. She had just never bought one for me. During dinner, my dad handed a recommendation letter to Chloe. “I’ve already spoken to my contact. You can report to Aegis Group next week. The office is close to home, and the pay is great.” Chloe’s eyes turned red. “You guys are too good to me. I don’t know how to repay you.” My mom squeezed her hand. “Oh, sweetie, don’t talk about repaying us. We already think of you as our own daughter.” Watching them hold hands, I suddenly felt like an intruder sitting at the wrong table. The warm, family scene was so blindingly bright that my presence felt like a stain on their perfect picture. When the bill came, my mom paid for Chloe’s share. But a second later, a Snapchat split-bill request of $136.50 popped up on my phone. Sent by my mom. Only I was asked to pay. “Natalie, you’ve graduated now. You can’t keep relying on your parents’ money.” “From now on, you’ll need to pay your share for dinners, rent for your room, and utilities.” I stared at the split-bill request down to the cents. I didn’t say a word. I just quietly clicked pay.
When we got home, my mom stopped me just as I was about to go to my room. “Pack up your things. Chloe is moving in tomorrow.” “She starts at Aegis next week. Her family’s place is too far from the office, so she’ll be living with us.” I followed her gaze. In the hallway sat brand-new bedding and a vanity table that had just been delivered. All in Chloe’s favorite baby pink. “Where is she staying?” “Your room, of course. We don’t have any other spare rooms.” I froze. “Then where do I sleep?” My mom paused, pointing toward the storage closet near the entrance. “Clean out the storage room. A folding bed can fit in there. Chloe is our guest, so you’ll just have to deal with it.” The storage room was piled high with old furniture. The window was half-blocked by a cabinet, and there was mold on the walls. When we were kids and Chloe stayed over, I used to give up my bed and sleep there too. Back then, my mom would stroke my hair and say, “Our Natalie is the most sensible girl.” I had always thought being sensible would earn me a little bit of her love. Only later did I realize that the reward for being sensible was being expected to give up everything forever. “No, I won’t do it.” It was the first time I had ever said no. My mom’s face darkened instantly. “Chloe is going to be busy with her new job. She needs proper rest!” “You don’t even have a job lined up. What difference does it make where you sleep?” I whispered, “It’s my room.” My mom laughed as if she’d heard a joke. “Your room? Everything in this house was given to you by us. What’s wrong with you giving up a room for a bit?” I stared at her and suddenly asked, “What if the job I got is better than Chloe’s?” My mom frowned. “Natalie, it’s one thing to have no talent, but don’t lie just because you’re jealous.” I had wanted to tell her that I was accepted by the Cairo Institute. But the words died in my throat. My dad finally snapped in irritation, “If you don’t want to sleep in the storage room, then pack your bags and get out. Nobody is stopping you.” I looked at them and nodded. “Okay.” They thought I was just throwing a tantrum. My mom didn’t even try to stop me. She only warned me to clear my things out completely so I wouldn’t delay Chloe’s move-in tomorrow. I found a cheap hostel nearby. A six-bed dorm, top bunk, thirty dollars a night. Every time the person next to me tossed and turned, the entire metal frame shook. But the moment I lay down, I felt more at peace than I ever had at home. At least this bed was truly mine, paid for with my own money. The next day, I went back to pack the rest of my things. When I opened my jewelry box, I realized the sapphire cross necklace left by my grandma was gone. Grandma Eleanor was the only person in that family who had ever truly loved me. When I had a high fever as a kid, my mom was away at Chloe’s dance recital. It was Grandma who carried me to the hospital on her back. She told me, “Our Natalie isn’t fearless. She’s just too scared to cry because there’s no one to comfort her.” After Grandma passed away, that cross necklace became my only comfort. I marched into the living room, clutching the empty box. “Mom, where is my necklace?” My mom paused her hands while stripping the bedsheets. “It’s just an old cross. How should I know where you put it?” The moment she finished speaking, a photo popped up in the family Snapchat group. My dad had set up a dinner with his friends to introduce Chloe to the executives of Aegis Group. In the photo, Chloe was wearing the new designer dress we bought yesterday. And around her neck was my sapphire cross necklace. I shoved the photo in front of my mom’s face. Seeing she couldn’t lie her way out, she doubled down, completely shameless. “Chloe was meeting executives today. Her neck looked too bare, so I gave it to her.” “You never wear it anyway. Why let it gather dust?” “That was Grandma’s!” My mom’s expression went cold. “I’m your mother. Do I need your permission to take something from this house?” “Besides, your grandma adored Chloe too when she was alive. If she knew you were throwing a fit over a piece of jewelry, she’d think you were incredibly petty.” “Grandma wouldn’t.” Tears fell without warning, and my voice began to tremble. “Grandma was the only person in this family who never forced me to give up my things to Chloe.” I turned to head to the restaurant, but my mom blocked the door immediately. “The executives are still there! If you go now, are you trying to ruin Chloe’s career?!” While we were arguing, the front door swung open. Chloe was back. She touched the sapphire cross on her chest. “Natalie, are you looking for this?” She unclasped the chain and held it out in her palm. “I didn’t know this was from your grandma. Helen told me it was a graduation gift.” I walked over and reached out my hand. “Give it back.” I was still two paces away from her when she suddenly let go. The necklace crashed heavily onto the tiled floor. The blue sapphire in the center of the cross shattered into pieces. Chloe took a step back, tears streaming down her face first. “I’m so sorry… you rushed at me so fast, I got scared…”
I knelt down, gathering the shattered pieces into my palm. The sharp edges of the broken metal cut into my finger, blood seeping into the cracks. On my eighteenth birthday, Grandma Eleanor had placed this necklace around my neck. Her hands had been weak, taking several attempts to secure the clasp. “Our Natalie always gives in to everyone else.” “When Grandma is gone, make sure you keep the things you love. Don’t let yourself suffer anymore.” I had hugged her back then, giggling and saying that as long as I had her, I’d never suffer. But then Grandma passed away. And in this house, there was no longer anyone who saw me as a girl who felt pain, got sad, or deserved to be loved. I couldn’t even protect the last thing she left me. The only love I had left was taken by them to please Chloe, only to be smashed to pieces right in front of my eyes. “Natalie, I really didn’t mean to.” Chloe covered her face and sobbed. My mom immediately shielded her in her arms. “Don’t cry, sweetie. It’s not your fault.” She glared at me. “If she hadn’t rushed at you like a maniac, why would your hands shake?” But I hadn’t even touched Chloe. Marcus sighed in annoyance. “Just take it to a jeweler and get it fixed. It’s not like it’s worth that much anyway.” Ethan pulled out a tissue, gently wiping the tears from Chloe’s face. Nobody noticed my hand was bleeding. Or maybe they did. It was just that compared to Chloe’s tears, it didn’t matter. I tightly clenched my fist around the broken cross. In the past, whenever I was wronged, I would scream and explain myself. I used to believe that if I just explained clearly, they would understand. But at this moment, I didn’t even have the energy to speak. I slipped the broken necklace into my pocket and walked out. My mom screamed after me, “If you walk out that door, don’t you dare come back! You’re an adult and you still have such an attitude! Who would ever put up with you?!” I didn’t look back. She didn’t know that I had no intention of ever returning. I went back to the hostel. My flight to the Cairo Institute was the day after tomorrow. I packed my remaining clothes. At one in the morning, a message from Ethan came through. Chloe cried the entire night. Are you happy now? I stared at the screen for a long time. I wanted to explain, but halfway through typing, I deleted everything. He didn’t care. Just like he never cared why I left. Chloe’s tears required everyone to comfort her all night. My pain only earned me a complaint about my “bad attitude.” I blocked every single one of them. Then, I dragged my broken suitcase to the train station to head to the airport. At the security check, the wheel of my suitcase got stuck. A kind older woman helped me lift it. “Traveling alone, dear? No family to send you off?” I smiled, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. “They have someone more important to take care of.” As the train pulled away from the platform, I looked at the broken necklace in my hand and finally let my tears fall in the silence of the cabin. I wasn’t crying because I missed them. I was crying for my younger self—the girl who had stupidly believed that if she was just a little more sensible, someone would finally love her back. Before turning off my phone, I saw a few incoming texts. They were still demanding that I “be sensible” and come back to apologize to Chloe. But they didn’t know. The Natalie Sinclair who was always sensible, who always waited for their approval, was gone. And she was never coming back.
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