Unloved Daughter
From a young age, Natalie suspected she was adopted. Once, when she was left alone at home, she started rummaging through various documents, hoping to find an adoption certificate. Instead, she found her birth certificate, which clearly stated that her parents were indeed her biological mom and dad.
This discovery should have been reassuring, but it only left her feeling more confused about what was wrong with her.
Natalie was the eldest child in her family. Three years after her birth, her parents had another daughter named Sarah. Naturally, Natalie didn’t remember much of her life before her sister was born, but she remembered plenty afterwards.
Sarah was doted on. She got the best clothes and toys, while Natalie often wore hand-me-downs from her cousin. At school, if Natalie brought home a bad grade, she was severely reprimanded and lost privileges like watching TV or hanging out with friends. If Sarah came home with a poor grade, their mom would console her, saying grades weren’t everything.
The phrase Natalie hated most was “Sarah is younger.” This was usually followed by something like “give her the toy” or “let her have the last piece of candy.”
As the girls grew up, Sarah also began to notice the uneven distribution of parental love and took full advantage of it. She became an accomplished actress, able to cry on cue or flatter their parents. Natalie lacked these skills and could only bang doors loudly when faced with another injustice.
Natalie didn’t qualify for university funding and had to attend college instead. Her parents claimed they couldn’t afford her tuition, having spent everything on Sarah’s tutors and saving for her future education.
After her first year, Natalie got a job and used her first paycheck to rent a room, moving out of her parents’ house. Living with them and her younger sister was becoming unbearable.
Sarah, knowing she could get away with anything, abandoned her studies and partied frequently, understanding her education would be paid for regardless.
Before Natalie moved out, Sarah would take her clothes and makeup without asking and once even lied to their parents that the cigarettes they found were Natalie’s. Of course, her denials fell on deaf ears, with the parents believing Sarah.
Natalie finally moved out, but the hurt and confusion lingered. She tried to speak to her parents and sister as little as possible because every visit home ended with Sarah being praised and Natalie being criticized for fabricated reasons.
After graduating from college, Natalie landed a good job and started earning well. She moved from a rented room to a spacious apartment, met a wonderful young man, and began therapy. She realized that childhood insecurities were holding her back from living a fulfilling life. She wanted to create a loving family, though she was resolved to have just one child, fearing she would repeat her parents’ mistakes.
Soon, her boyfriend Chris proposed, and they had a quiet wedding without a big celebration, and crucially, without Natalie’s parents. Interestingly, Natalie developed a strong bond with Chris’ mom, who, upon learning about Natalie’s upbringing, reassured her.
“Don’t take it personally,” she smiled. “You’re perfectly fine. Some people have an endless capacity for love, while others have just a limited amount. Your parents are the latter. It’s their mistake, and I want you to know you are now my daughter too.”
Gradually, life improved for Natalie and Chris. They took out a mortgage for a flat, got a cat, and lived happily. Natalie occasionally contacted her parents, just to make sure they were well. She had no relationship with her sister, only aware that Sarah was in her third year at university.
One evening, while Natalie and her husband were watching a show, the phone rang. It was her mother, which surprised Natalie since she usually did the calling. Her parents rarely reached out on their own.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, pausing the show.
“Darling, it’s an emergency!” her mom exclaimed.
“Is it dad?” Natalie asked, alarmed. Despite everything, they raised her, and she loved them in a strange, resentful way.
“No, it’s Sarah.”
Natalie only felt anger and resentment towards her sister. If Sarah had behaved differently, Natalie might not have noticed the disparity in their parents’ treatment so acutely. But Sarah exploited it and frequently threw Natalie under the bus, fully aware she’d always be believed.
“What happened?” Natalie asked out of politeness.
“There’s some messy situation…” her mother mumbled.
Natalie was intrigued, expecting to hear of an accident or expulsion. But a “messy situation”…
“It seems that Sarah has hit someone with a car.”
“Sarah has a license and a car?” Natalie asked in surprise. Though she wouldn’t be shocked if their parents bought her a car on a whim.
“No,” her mom replied after a pause. “Apparently, it was a friend’s car. But I don’t believe Sarah is at fault.”
Natalie scoffed. Of course, Sarah could do no wrong.
“And?”
“They said she was drunk, and the person ended up in the hospital. It’s terrible! She might go to jail and be expelled from university. Something has to be done, Natalie.”
Natalie wanted to respond that it’s high time life taught Sarah lessons her parents never did. It would be fair if she faced the consequences of her actions. But she knew her mom wouldn’t accept these words. So she simply asked:
“What do you want, mom?”
“Well, your dad and I discussed it, and we thought about bribing the police and paying off the victim to drop the charges.”
For a moment, Natalie thought she misheard.
“Are you serious?” she asked softly. “You want to break the law, knowing your daughter drove drunk without a license and injured someone?”
“Yes, she made a mistake,” her mother replied rather sharply. “But we need to forgive mistakes. We overlooked yours, didn’t we?”
Natalie let out a nervous laugh.
“What mistakes of mine? Losing house keys? Or forgetting to buy bread?”
“That’s not the point now,” her mom cut her off. “We all have to pitch in. You said you were saving up for a car. You should use that money to help your sister. You can save up for a car again, but this could ruin her life.”
That moment, Natalie realized she wanted nothing more to do with her family. She found a new, loving family with her husband and his mom. That was enough for her.
“I won’t give you any money. In fact, I’ll be glad if Sarah goes to jail. I believe she deserves it.”
“How can you say that?” her mother yelled. “We didn’t raise you like that!”
“That’s right. You raised me to be the lesser daughter. I don’t remember ever feeling loved by you. Yet, the second daughter had everything forgiven, her insolent behavior overlooked. Now face the consequences. The younger one is out of control, and the elder no longer wants to know you.”
With those words, Natalie hung up. Chris, having overheard the conversation, hugged his trembling wife, and she sobbed into his shoulder. Once the tears were gone, Natalie felt a sense of liberation. She truly could live without her parents. She wouldn’t prove anymore that she was good, smart, and kind. She wouldn’t seek their attention again.
Time passed, and through relatives, Natalie learned that Sarah received a short sentence. Either their parents couldn’t gather the money or the bribe failed.
Natalie soon became pregnant, and when a beautiful daughter was born, she realized she wanted another child. She knew she wouldn’t be like her parents, thanks to her husband and mother-in-law, who every day showed her through words and actions that she was a wonderful mother.
After her baby was born, driven by hormones, Natalie informed her parents they were now grandparents. The answer they received was that from now on, they had only one daughter who wouldn’t turn her back on family in difficult times.
Interestingly, Natalie wasn’t hurt by this. Instead, she felt relief. She wouldn’t carry the burden of denying her child grandparents. Natalie had given them a chance, which they didn’t take. Somehow, she thought this might be easier for everyone.
