He Chose Her Over Me So I Chose Myself Chapter 14
I didn’t look at Grant again. Instead, I turned to my adoptive parents.
“In high school, one of my pieces won a state art gold medal. You didn’t come to see it. When you got home, all you said was that compared to Camille’s math medal, it was nothing.”
My adoptive father frowned. My adoptive mother pressed her lips together, unashamed.
“I never had a birthday party that was truly mine. Every year, you said the sisters would celebrate together, but the cake was always Camille’s favorite chocolate flavor. My name was on the invitations, but not once did anything I liked appear.”
I clenched my fingers, then slowly relaxed them.
“I worked hard for awards. I worked hard to be well-behaved. I worked hard to become the kind of adopted child you thought deserved to be chosen. But in your eyes, the only person who could ever bring glory to the Mercer family was Camille.”
My adoptive father finally spoke. “June, it isn’t like that.”
“Then what is it like?”
No one answered.
I looked at the two people I had exhausted myself trying to please, and the last shred of expectation drained away.
“If that’s how it is, then you can pretend you never adopted me at all.”
My adoptive mother’s face went cold. “The more accomplished child gets more resources and attention. That’s just common sense. What, were we supposed to pretend Camille’s achievements were on the same level as yours?”
So even now, she still thought it was all perfectly reasonable.
I turned to Grant.
“Do you think that, too?”
He avoided my eyes. “June, I’ve been looking for you for a long time. Let’s go back to Boston, and we can talk about the rest later.”
“Don’t change the subject.”
I stared at him and asked, word by word:
“Do you also think I’m not as good as Camille, and that I deserve to be the second choice forever?”