Unloved Daughter
From a young age, Emily felt like she was adopted. Once, when she was left home alone, she began sifting through various papers, trying to find an adoption document. Instead, she found her birth certificate, which confirmed that her parents were indeed her mum and dad.
One might think this would comfort her, but instead, it only upset her more. She still couldn’t understand what was wrong with her.
Emily was the oldest child in the family. Three years after she was born, her parents had another daughter, Lily. Naturally, before her sister was born, Emily’s early memories were vague. But after Lily arrived, they became quite vivid.
Lily was doted on incessantly. She received the best clothes and toys, while Emily often wore hand-me-downs from her cousins. In school, if Emily brought home bad grades, she would face severe reprimands and lose privileges like watching TV or playing with friends. But if Lily got poor marks, their mum would console her, saying grades weren’t everything.
Emily’s most hated phrase was “Lily’s younger.” This was often followed by requests to hand over a toy or let Lily have the last candy.
As they grew, Lily noticed the uneven distribution of their parents’ love and began to exploit it. She became quite the actress, able to cry on cue or flatter their mum and dad. Emily, lacking such talents, would only slam doors in frustration when faced with injustice.
Emily didn’t make it into university on a scholarship, so she had to attend college. Her parents said they couldn’t afford to pay for her education, as their money was spent on Lily’s tutors and future university savings.
After her first year, Emily got a job. With her first paycheck, she rented a room and moved out of her parents’ house, as living with them and her sister became gradually unbearable.
Lily, feeling her parents would let her get away with anything, neglected her studies and socialized frequently. She understood that her university fees would be covered, so she saw no reason to stress.
Before Emily moved out, Lily would take her clothes and makeup without asking, and once falsely blamed Emily when their parents found cigarettes. Naturally, they trusted Lily’s word over Emily’s.
Ultimately, Emily left. But she still carried the weight of hurt and confusion. She minimized contact with her parents and sister, as each visit resulted in praise for Lily and baseless reprimands for Emily.
After graduating from college, Emily landed a good job and started earning well. She upgraded to a spacious flat, met a wonderful young man, and began seeing a therapist. Emily understood that her childhood issues were hindering her life. She wanted to create a loving and caring family, though she was sure she’d have only one child. No matter how good the therapist, the fear of repeating her parents’ behavior lingered.
Soon, Emily’s partner, William, proposed, and they quietly married without a big wedding—and without Emily’s parents. Interestingly, Emily got along very well with William’s mum, who once told her about her parents’ behavior towards her and Lily.
“Don’t take it personally,” she smiled. “Nothing’s wrong with you. Some people have an unlimited supply of love, while others have only so much to give. Your parents are the latter. That’s their mistake, their problem. Remember, you’re now my daughter, too.”
Gradually, things fell into place for Emily and William. They took out a mortgage on a flat, got a cat, and started a happy life. Occasionally, Emily would speak to her parents to ensure they were well, but she had no contact with Lily, knowing only that she was in her third year of university.
One evening, while Emily and her husband were watching a series, her phone rang. It was her mum calling, surprising Emily, as she was usually the one to initiate contact.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, pausing the film.
“Darling! It’s a disaster!” her mum yelled.
“Is it Dad?” Emily asked nervously. No matter what her parents were like, they raised her, and she still loved them, though it was a complicated love, mixed with resentment.
“No. It’s Lily.”
Emily felt nothing towards her sister except anger and resentment. If Lily had behaved differently, she might not have noticed the disparity in their parents’ treatment as much. But Lily always exploited it, readily throwing Emily under the bus, knowing she’d be believed.
“What happened?” Emily asked out of politeness.
“There’s some sort of mess…” her mum mumbled.
Emily was intrigued, thinking Lily might be in the hospital or expelled. But a ‘mess’…
“Well, it seems Lily might have run someone over.”
“Lily has a license and a car?” Emily asked in disbelief. Although, she wouldn’t be surprised if her parents bought Lily a car on a whim.
“No,” her mum paused. “It was apparently a friend’s car. But I don’t believe Lily’s at fault.”
Emily scoffed internally. Of course, Lily could do no wrong.
“So, what?”
“They said she was drunk, and the person is in hospital. It’s a nightmare! She could go to prison and be expelled from uni. We need to do something, Emily.”
Emily wanted to say that since they hadn’t raised Lily properly, life would teach her a lesson. It would be right for Lily to face the consequences and learn that actions have repercussions. But she knew her mum wouldn’t accept this, so she simply asked:
“What do you want to do, Mum?”
“Well, your father and I discussed it, and we think we should pay off the police and the person involved to drop charges.”
For a moment, Emily thought she misheard.
“Do you realize what you’re saying?” she asked softly. “You want to break the law, knowing your daughter was driving drunk without a license?”
“Yes, she made a mistake,” her mother replied sharply. “But we must forgive mistakes. We turned a blind eye to yours, too.”
Emily chuckled nervously.
“What, losing my house keys? Or forgetting to buy bread?”
“That’s not the point,” her mum cut in. “Anyway, we all need to pitch in. You said you were saving for a car. You should give that money to help your sister. You can save for a car later, but her life could fall apart.”
At that moment, Emily realized she no longer wanted anything to do with her family. She didn’t want to interact with them. She had found a new, loving family in her husband and his mum, and that was enough.
“I won’t give the money. I’d be glad if Lily faced justice. She got what she deserved.”
“How can you say that?!” her mum cried. “That’s not how we raised you!”
“No, it’s not. You raised me as the inferior daughter. I don’t recall ever feeling your love. But you forgave everything and allowed Lily’s audacious behavior to go unchecked. Now deal with the consequences. The younger one has lost her way, and the older one doesn’t want to know you anymore.”
With that, Emily hung up. William, having overheard the call, hugged his trembling wife, and she burst into tears on his shoulder. Once the tears dried, a realization struck Emily. She could indeed live without her parents. She no longer needed to prove she was good, smart, and kind. She wouldn’t try to gain their attention again.
In time, Emily learned from relatives that Lily received a short sentence. Either their parents couldn’t gather the funds, or the bribe didn’t succeed.
Not long after, Emily became pregnant. When she gave birth to a beautiful daughter, she realized she wanted another child. She recognized her parents’ mistakes and knew she wouldn’t follow their path, thanks to her husband and mother-in-law, who demonstrated daily that she was a wonderful mother.
Guided by hormones, Emily informed her parents they were now grandparents. They replied that henceforth, they had one daughter who wouldn’t turn away from family in tough times.
Interestingly, this didn’t bother Emily at all. She rejoiced. A weight was lifted, as she no longer felt guilty for depriving her child of grandparents. She had given them a chance, and they hadn’t taken it. And somehow, it seemed simpler for everyone this way.
