Chapter 3

Lying in bed that night, I tossed and turned.

Amber and I are twins, but Mom had favored her from the day we were born.

Because I was the healthier twin in the womb, Amber was born premature and sickly. Mom convinced herself that I had stolen Amber's nutrients, deciding I owed my sister a lifelong debt.

Whenever I didn't yield to Amber's whims, Mom would berate me.

The best food, the treats, the extra snacks—everything went straight to Amber. I was only allowed her leftovers.

Eventually, Amber hit a growth spurt and ended up half a head taller than me. Yet Mom went around telling relatives that I stayed short because I was a picky eater who starved myself trying to diet.

Later, I got into a top university, while Amber barely finished a local vocational program. The moment I graduated, Mom demanded I send monthly allowances home.

She claimed she had raised me for years, and now it was my turn to pay them back.

When I asked if Amber had to contribute, Mom snapped self-righteously, "Your sister didn't go to university! You did, so you have to give more! You're the older twin!"

The truth was, I paid for college through student loans and part-time jobs. Mom had told me bluntly that she had no obligation to support an adult child.

After graduation, I stayed in the metropolitan city to build my career, while Amber lived comfortably at home with our parents.

Whenever my career came up, Mom would sneer, "What good is being smart? Moving so far away... when your father and I get sick, you won't be around anyway!"

"If I had known, I never would've let you go to college!"

Thinking about all the money I had wired home over the years, and the farce tonight, my chest tightened painfully.

I knew she favored Amber, but I never realized she despised seeing me succeed this much.

Unable to sleep, I got up to use the restroom, only to notice the light slipping under Amber's door.