- 10.
Before me was a giant landfill, reeking of decay.
In a cramped two–room apartment right next to the landfill, my cruel sister was sitting on the couch, legs propped up.
I walked in, and she didn’t even lift her eyelids.
Only after Mom and Dad spoke a few words did she lazily get up and greet me.
Just then, a man emerged from the kitchen, carrying a bowl of soup.
“And this is…?”
“Oh, this is our daughter Tiffany’s boyfriend, Mitch! He’s a chef!”
Seeing the somewhat proud expression on Mom and Dad’s faces, I felt like I was in a different lifetime.
My sister had always looked down on everyone.
<
94%
The only men she’d ever consider were rich heirs or successful young professionals from the city.
How could her taste have fallen so drastically…?
As I pondered this, Tiffany haughtily said, “Hey! I don’t have a boyfriend who’s so… common! I only called him over to cook because you said you were having guests tonight.”
As soon as Tiffany spoke, Mitch’s face fell.
The hot soup in his hand sloshed, spilling directly onto Tiffany’s head.
Suddenly, Tiffany screamed and lunged at Mitch, hitting him.
But Mitch didn’t back down, grabbing Tiffany’s hair and cursing at her.
“You b*tch, acting all high and mighty! You’ve been passed around by men, did you think I wouldn’t know? Didn’t you try to seduce your sister’s fiancé back then? If you hadn’t caused so much trouble everywhere, would your parents have had to sell their house and live next to a dump? You ungrateful piece of trash! We already did the deed, and now you’re ashamed of me?!”
I stood by the door, arms crossed, watching the farce unfold with a cold expression.
Suddenly, Dad, who had been standing by, rushed into the kitchen like a madman and
came out with a carving knife.
“You two embarrassing wastes of space, get out of this house, now!!”
Tiffany and Mitch saw the knife, then glanced at Dad’s bloodshot eyes. They pushed and shoved each other out the door.
The cramped apartment finally quieted down.
Dad threw the carving knife to the floor with a clang. Mom sat on the couch, burying her face in her hands, sobbing.
“I think I should head back now,” I said, turning to leave. But Mom suddenly spoke from behind me.
10:41 Sun, 15 Jun
<
“Ms. Miller, please forgive us for making you witness such a scene.”
Having lived two lives,
94%
I had only ever heard Mom’s hypocritical voice, her biased voice, her overbearing voice…
But this was the first time I heard her voice sound so utterly defeated.
My feet felt like lead, stuck to the floor.
Mom continued to ramble:
“You are our family’s benefactor. We have nothing to hide from you. We originally had two
daughters.”
“Our older one had the same name as you, Audrey Miller. The one you just saw was her
twin sister, Tiffany Miller.”
Mom paused, as if it took all her strength to say the next words.
“Their father and I had always been partial to Tiffany, ever since she was born beautiful, while Audrey was born plain. Oh, I, as a mother, deserve to be torn into a thousand pieces… We did too many wrong things and hurt our older daughter deeply. That child no longer acknowledges us…”
I stood with my back to Mom, listening to her words, then lifted my feet and quickly
walked out the door.
I dared not turn around, dared not linger,
Because I was afraid they would see my tear–streaked face and trembling lips.
