Unloved Daughter
From as far back as she could remember, Emily felt like she didn’t quite belong in her own family. Once, when she was left alone at home, she took the opportunity to rummage through documents, searching for an adoption certificate. All she found was her birth certificate, confirming that her parents were indeed her biological mother and father.
One would think she’d be relieved, but instead, it only deepened her confusion. She couldn’t understand what was wrong with her.
Emily was the eldest child, and three years later, her sister, Mary, was born. Naturally, Emily didn’t remember much before her sister arrived, but she had plenty of memories from after Mary came into the world.
Mary was the apple of her parents’ eyes. They bought Mary the best clothes and toys, while Emily often wore hand-me-downs from a cousin. When Emily came home with a bad grade, she was reprimanded and punished by losing privileges like watching TV or going out with friends. In contrast, if Mary got a poor mark, their mother would comfort her by saying grades weren’t everything.
Emily’s most loathed phrase was “Mary is younger,” always followed by instructions to give Mary the toy or let her have the last piece of candy.
As they grew older, Mary also noticed the uneven distribution of parental affection and shamelessly exploited it. She was a natural actress, able to cry on cue or charm their parents with sweet words. Emily lacked these talents and could only slam doors in frustration at the injustice.
Emily didn’t get into university on a scholarship, so she had to enroll in a college program. Her parents claimed they couldn’t afford to pay for her education. It made sense, considering all their money went towards Mary’s tutors and saving for her future schooling.
After her first year, Emily started working and quickly moved out, renting a small room. Living with her parents and Mary had become unbearable.
Mary, realizing that she could get away with anything, neglected her studies and spent much of her time out socializing. She knew she’d have her university fees covered, so why bother?
Before Emily moved out, Mary would regularly help herself to Emily’s clothes and makeup without asking. Once, she even lied to their parents, blaming Emily when a pack of cigarettes was found. Naturally, her parents believed Mary over Emily.
Once Emily moved out, she kept her distance, as visits home only ended in praises for Mary and baseless criticisms of herself. Those criticisms were often fabricated, just as the accolades for Mary were exaggerated.
Emily completed her college program and landed a good job. She upgraded from a room to a spacious apartment, met a wonderful man named James, and began seeing a therapist. Emily understood that her childhood issues held her back in life. She longed to create a loving family of her own. However, she was convinced she’d have only one child, fearing she might repeat her parents’ mistakes, despite a psychologist’s reassurances.
Soon, James proposed, and they quietly married without a grand wedding and, importantly, without Emily’s parents. Interestingly, Emily had formed a great relationship with James’s mother. She once shared her family’s treatment with her mother-in-law, who comforted her.
“Don’t take it personally,” she smiled. “You’re fine as you are. Some people have limitless love, and others have just enough. Your parents belong to the latter category. It’s their flaw, not yours. And remember, you’re my daughter now.”
Gradually, Emily and James built a life together. They took out a mortgage for a new place, adopted a cat, and shared a happy life. Emily kept in touch with her parents occasionally, just to ensure their wellbeing. She didn’t keep up with Mary, knowing she was in her third year of university.
One evening, while Emily and her husband were watching a TV series, the phone rang. It was her mother, a rare occurrence since they usually waited for Emily to call.
“Did something happen?” she asked after pausing the show.
“Darling, it’s an emergency!” her mother exclaimed.
“Is it Dad?” Emily inquired fearfully. Regardless of everything, they had raised her, and she did love them, albeit in a complicated way.
“No, it’s about Mary.”
Emily felt no warmth for her sister, only anger and resentment. If Mary behaved differently, the disparity in their parents’ affections might not have been so glaring. But Mary exploited the favoritism, knowing she’d always be believed over Emily.
“What happened?” Emily asked out of courtesy.
“There’s a bit of a situation…” her mother muttered.
Emily was intrigued. Had Mary been hospitalized? Expelled? But a ‘situation’…
“Apparently, Mary hit someone with a vehicle.”
“Mary has a license and a car?” Emily asked, surprised. Although she wouldn’t be shocked if her parents had bought her a car at her first request.
“No,” her mother paused, “It was a friend’s car, but I don’t believe Mary could be at fault.”
Emily couldn’t help but scoff. Saint Mary, indeed.
“And what now?”
“They say she was drunk, and the person is in the hospital. It’s terrible! She could face jail time and expulsion. Something must be done, Emily.”
Emily wanted to tell them that their parenting failures had led them here and that consequences can be the best teacher. But she knew her mother wouldn’t hear this, so she simply asked:
“What do you want to do, Mom?”
“Your father and I discussed it and decided to pay off the police and compensate the victim to prevent charges.”
For a moment, Emily thought she’d misheard.
“Do you understand what you’re saying?” she asked sharply. “You’d break the law, knowing your daughter drove drunk without a license and hit someone?”
“Yes, she made a mistake,” her mother replied tersely. “But we must forgive mistakes. We forgave yours.”
Emily chuckled bitterly.
“What mistakes? Losing house keys or forgetting to buy bread?”
“That’s not the point,” her mother snapped. “Anyway, we all need to chip in. You mentioned saving for a car. You should use those savings to help your sister. You can always save again, but her life hangs in the balance.”
At that moment, Emily realized she no longer desired a relationship with her family. She had a new, loving family with her husband and his mother, and that was enough.
“I won’t give you the money. I’ll be content if Mary pays for her actions. That’s what she deserves.”
“How can you say that?” her mother screamed. “We didn’t raise you like this!”
“No, you raised me as the second-rate daughter,” Emily replied, voice steady. “I can’t recall ever feeling loved by you. You always forgave and overlooked the mischief Mary got into. Now deal with the consequences yourselves. The younger daughter’s gone astray, and the eldest no longer wishes to know you.”
With that, Emily hung up. James, having heard the conversation, held his trembling wife as she broke down in tears on his shoulder. When her tears ran dry, Emily felt a sense of release. She realized she could indeed live without her parents and no longer needed to prove herself to them.
Over time, she learned through the grapevine that Mary received a short sentence. Either their parents couldn’t raise the money, or their plan to bribe failed.
Emily soon became pregnant and, after giving birth to a beautiful daughter, decided she wanted more children. With the support of her husband and mother-in-law, who frequently reassured her of her great parenting, she overcame her fears.
Driven by hormones, Emily eventually informed her parents that they had become grandparents. Their response? That they had only one daughter now, one who wouldn’t abandon the family during tough times.
Funny enough, Emily wasn’t upset. She felt relieved. No longer burdened by denying her child grandparents, she had given them a chance, and they chose not to take it. In some strange way, it seemed easier for everyone involved.
