My Family Chose My Sister Over My Love And I Disappeared Chapter 02
Mom was the first to jump in.
Diana: 【I’ll call her in a minute. I’ll tell her I’ve got a pumpkin pie for her and she needs to pick it up at the UPS Store.】
Diana: 【A client sent me a box a couple of days ago. It got squished in shipping. Perfect thing to hand off to her.】
Diana: 【That girl’s always been a sucker for food. Give her something to eat and she’ll forget all about you guys.】
A second later, Mom’s message hit my phone.
The box in the photo was crushed in at one corner. Inside was a whole pumpkin pie.
Diana: 【Sloane, I know it hasn’t been easy taking care of Nana.】
Diana: 【Mom got you a pumpkin pie. Go pick it up at the UPS Store out past the edge of town.】
I couldn’t help the bitter laugh.
The round trip from Nana’s place to that UPS Store was six hours. By the time I had the pie in my hands, the wedding would be long over.
I didn’t reply. My eyes stayed on that pumpkin pie.
Pumpkin pie is loaded with eggs.
I’ve had a severe egg allergy since I was a kid. Even one bite would send hives across my whole body.
When I was little, to make Mom happy, I would force it down every single time.
All I ever got in return was, “You just can’t say no to food, can you.”
She never knew about the allergy. She never knew I don’t even like pumpkin pie.
I forced the tears back and typed a reply.
Sloane: 【Thanks, Mom. I’ll send a DoorDash for it.】
She detonated instantly.
Diana: 【DoorDash? What, you don’t have legs? You have to throw money away like that?】
Diana: 【Your father and I raised you. When did you get so ungrateful?】
Ungrateful.
I don’t even know how many times I heard that word from my parents growing up.
When Julian brought home highest grades in his class, Dad walked out and bought him the newest PlayStation that same day.
When Sienna landed at the bottom of the class, Mom went and got her a limited-edition Barbie as a pick-me-up.
I once handed my mother a test with a perfect score, hoping she’d finally get me the glasses she’d promised.
She just tossed a line at me.
“You need glasses already? At your age? Do you have any idea how hard your father and I work? Why do you have to be so ungrateful?”
Whenever we had roast chicken, if I didn’t automatically take the smallest drumstick, I was ungrateful.
After we moved and rooms got tight, if I didn’t volunteer to sleep in the attic, I was ungrateful.
The truth was, I was never ungrateful.
They just thought I didn’t deserve better.
Fine.
Then I really was done being the good one.
Sloane: 【Never mind. I don’t want the pie. Return it.】
Mom hadn’t expected that. She started blasting me in the group chat, calling me heartless.
A second later, Madison called.
The instant I picked up, her voice came through, cracking with sobs.
“Sloane, my ex is back. He’s outside my apartment right now. I’m really scared.”
Something inside my chest went cold and still.
Three years ago, that ex of hers had shown up drunk and started harassing her. I was the one who stepped between them. I came this close to getting cut open on an artery.
She had sworn that day, in tears, that she’d have my back for the rest of her life.
Now she was using that history to help someone else lie to me.
“Oh. Then call the cops.”
I hung up.
Right after that, Julian and Dad took turns calling, each with a different excuse.
I didn’t fall for any of them.
The family group chat lit up. All of them, in one voice, coming down on me.
Message after message, vicious, needle-sharp, each one like another needle driven into my chest.
This time, I couldn’t invent a single reason to defend their favoritism anymore.
I choked the tears back down and called my boss.
“Mr. Whitaker. The Lisbon posting you mentioned. Is that spot still open?”