The Daughter They Couldn’t Spend

I had always known I was the unwanted daughter—the one my family considered a waste of money.

Mom sent me $500. That was supposed to keep me alive for an entire semester. Five months.

Then she turned around and happily sent my “delicate” little sister $400, just for a dress.

Her excuse was always the same. “You’re older. You need to put your sister first!”

For twenty years, I wore my younger sister’s castoffs and paid for college with student loans and part-time jobs.

Every sacrifice I made was taken for granted.