The Unfavored Daughter
From a very young age, Emily believed she was adopted. Once, left home alone, she began searching through various documents, trying to find the adoption papers. But all she discovered was her own birth certificate, which confirmed that her parents were indeed her biological mom and dad.
This revelation should have delighted her, yet it only left her feeling more troubled, as she still couldn’t comprehend why things were so strained between her and her family.
As the eldest child, Emily was three years old when her parents welcomed her baby sister, Lily. She could hardly recall life before Lily, but from the moment her sister was born, the memories were clear.
Lily was showered with attention. She received the best clothes and toys, while Emily often wore hand-me-downs from a cousin. In school, if Emily brought home a poor grade, she’d get scolded, and her privileges like TV time or outings with friends were revoked. When Lily received similar grades, their mom consoled her, saying grades weren’t everything.
The most infuriating phrase for Emily was, “Lily is younger,” which would usually precede demands that she relinquish her toys or let Lily have the last piece of candy.
As the girls grew older, Lily too began to notice the unequal distribution of their parents’ affections. She didn’t hesitate to capitalize on this dynamic. She became a master actress, capable of tears on demand, or showering their parents with flattery. Emily lacked such skills and resorted to slamming doors in protest of the constant injustices.
Emily didn’t get into a university on a scholarship, so she ended up attending a college. Her parents claimed they lacked the funds to pay for her education, having spent everything on Lily’s tutoring and saving for her future studies.
After her first year, Emily started working. With her first paycheck, she rented a room and moved out. Living with her parents and Lily was becoming unbearable.
Lily, aware that she could get away with anything, stopped caring about her studies and spent most of her time out socializing, secure in the knowledge that her tuition would be paid, regardless of effort.
Meanwhile, before Emily moved out, Lily had been sneaking Emily’s clothes and cosmetics and once blatantly lied to their parents, blaming Emily for cigarettes discovered in the house. Naturally, the parents believed Lily’s story.
Emily eventually left, but the resentment and frustration lingered. She minimized contact with her family, as every visit home ended with the praise of Lily and unfounded criticisms of herself.
After college, Emily secured a good job and started earning well. She upgraded from a small room to a spacious apartment, met a wonderful man named Kevin, and began seeing a therapist. She realized her childhood insecurities were getting in the way of her life. Moreover, she wanted to build a loving family, though she was determined to have only one child, haunted by the fear of repeating her parents’ mistakes.
Soon, Kevin proposed, and they quietly tied the knot without a grand wedding, and crucially, without Emily’s parents. Notably, Emily forged a strong bond with Kevin’s mother, even confiding in her about her relationship with her own parents and sister.
“Don’t take it personally,” Kevin’s mom said with a smile. “There’s nothing wrong with you. Some people have endless reserves of love, while others have a limited amount. Your parents are the latter. That’s their mistake, not yours. Remember, you’re my daughter too now.”
Gradually, Emily and Kevin found happiness. They purchased a home with a mortgage, adopted a cat, and lived contentedly. Emily’s interactions with her parents were limited to ensuring they were alright, and she had no relationship with Lily, aware only that she was in her third year at university.
One evening, as Emily and Kevin were watching a TV series, her phone rang. It was her mother, which surprised Emily. Typically, she was the one who called; her parents rarely thought of her.
“Is everything okay?” she asked, pausing their show.
“Oh, Emily, it’s awful!” her mother cried out.
“Is dad alright?” Emily asked in alarm. Despite their troubled relationship, she still loved her parents in a convoluted, painful way.
“No, it’s Lily.”
With Lily, Emily felt nothing but anger and resentment. If Lily had behaved differently, Emily might not have noticed their parents’ favoritism as much. But Lily exploited it incessantly, always setting Emily up to take the fall knowing she’d be believed.
“What happened?” Emily asked out of courtesy.
“There’s some sort of trouble,” her mother mumbled.
Emily was intrigued. She thought Lily might be in the hospital or expelled from university, but vague trouble…
“Apparently, Lily hit someone with a car.”
“Does Lily have a driving license and car?” Emily asked, surprised. Though, she wouldn’t be shocked if their parents had bought her a car at her first whim.
“No,” her mother paused. “It was a friend’s car, apparently. But I refuse to believe Lily is at fault.”
Emily stifled a chuckle. Of course, Lily could do no wrong.
“And?”
“It’s said she was drunk, and the person ended up in the hospital. It’s a nightmare! She might face jail time! She could be expelled. We need to do something, Emily.”
Emily wanted to respond that if they hadn’t raised their daughter properly, then life would teach her its own lessons. It would be right for Lily to face the consequences, to understand that actions have repercussions. But she knew her mother wouldn’t accept that perspective. So instead, she just asked:
“And what can I do, Mum?”
“Well, your father and I decided to bribe the police and compensate the injured person to drop the charges.”
For a moment, Emily thought she misheard.
“Do you even understand what you’re saying?” she asked slowly. “You’re suggesting breaking the law, knowing your daughter, with no license, hit someone while drunk?”
“Yes, it was a mistake,” her mother replied sharply. “But we must forgive mistakes. We overlooked yours too.”
Emily erupted in a nervous laugh.
“What mistakes, mine? Losing my house keys or forgetting to buy bread?”
“We aren’t talking about that now,” her mother cut her off. “Anyway, we need to pool together. You mentioned saving for a car. You should use those savings to help your sister. You can save for a car later, but her life could be ruined.”
At that moment, Emily realized she no longer wanted anything to do with her family. She found a new, loving family with Kevin and his mom, and that was enough for her.
“I won’t give my money away. In fact, I’d be happy to see Lily face the consequences. I believe it’s fair.”
“How could you?!” her mother yelled. “We didn’t raise you like this!”
“Indeed, you didn’t. I was raised to feel like a second-rate daughter. I don’t recall ever feeling your love. Yet you pardoned every bit of Lily’s audacity. Now suffer the results. The younger has gone off the rails, and the elder won’t return to you.”
With those words, Emily ended the call. Kevin, who heard every word, embraced his trembling wife, and she broke down in tears on his shoulder. When she finally stopped crying, Emily felt liberated. She realized she could indeed live without her parents, and she no longer felt the need to prove herself as good, smart, and kind to them.
Time passed, and through family news, Emily learned Lily received a small prison sentence. Either their parents didn’t find the money, or the bribery attempt failed.
Emily soon became pregnant, and when she gave birth to a beautiful daughter, she felt the desire for another child. Over time, she realized she wouldn’t repeat her parents’ mistakes, thanks to the constant support and validation from her husband and mother-in-law, who reminded her that she was an excellent mother.
After her child was born, driven by hormones, Emily did inform her parents that they had become grandparents. Their response was that from now on, they only had one daughter, a daughter who wouldn’t turn her back on family in hard times.
Interestingly, this announcement didn’t upset Emily. In fact, she was relieved. There was no longer a burden of guilt about depriving her child of grandparents. She had given them a chance, and they chose not to take it. Somehow, Emily felt that this was easier for everyone.
