Spoiled family affection.
Chapter 1
It’s been six months since my brother, Jake,
died.
Then my husband, Mark, up and proposed to
Jake’s widow, Sarah.
My folks are blowing up my phone, begging me to come home, saying I shouldn’t hold a grudge against Sarah, who’s got a weak heart and can’t have kids. “We’re all family,” they
keep saying.
Too wrapped up in wedding plans to notice
the news.
They missed the story with my picture.
L
That’s how busy they were.
Black and white.
See, the day they kicked me out, I died right
along with Jake.
1
Mark and Sarah’s wedding reception is in full
swing.
My parents are blowing up my phone, trying
to call me again and again. They want to
force this weird, happy family reunion on me.
Too bad their calls go straight to voicemail.
So they start texting me.
く
Dad: “Mark doesn’t love you, honey. He loves
Sarah. Sarah can’t have kids, and you’re just
lending your womb. Don’t be selfish.”
Mom: “Your brother and his baby died
because of you. Just give Sarah a husband
and a kid. You owe her that. Please, just don’t
make a scene.”
Yeah, right.
It was my fault Jake died!
At my freaking graduation ceremony, all I did
was shout out “Hey, Jake!”
That was all it took to send him straight to
hell.
Everyone’s decided I’m the one to blame.
<
At Jake’s funeral, my family just unloaded on
- me.
My dad screamed, “You knew he was an
undercover cop! How could you blow his
cover like that? Why couldn’t it have been you
who died? Why Jake? Just die! Go die!”
My mom was a mess, sobbing so hard her
voice was cracking. “You always were jealous
of your brother. Jealous he got good grades,
jealous he was handsome, jealous Mom and
Dad gave him all the love. Now he’s dead.
You happy now? It’s like you can’t wait to
throw out his stuff.”
“How could you be so heartless?”
Tears streaming down her face, she clutched
Jake’s belongings, shaking all over.
<
כיוס ;פטישון
It still wasn’t enough to let out her grief.
She started hitting me, pushing me.
I was terrified, too guilty to fight back.
I didn’t realize how much damage a single
push could cause. I ended up tripping and
knocking into Sarah, who was pregnant.
Sarah went down hard.
They both hit the floor in a pool of blood.
My parents panicked.
They rushed Sarah to the hospital, but it was
too late.
She lost the baby.
Jake’s only kid.
Again, all my fault.
I became the family’s punching bag. Under pressure from my parents, I started doing
penance, trying to make up for what I did to
Sarah.
I gave her my room.
Every single dollar I made went straight to
her.
I cleaned the house, did her laundry, cooked
her meals.
Still, my parents thought I owed them, owed
く
Every time Sarah teared up, I got yelled at.
Every time she choked up, I had to grovel.
Every time she wanted something, I had to
hand it over, no questions asked.
Everything from a cheap hair clip to my own
husband, Mark.
I met Mark at the factory where I worked.
He was a nice looking guy.
He was quiet, but good.
If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I never
would have believed my husband would get
together with my sister–in–law.
In Jake’s room.
On Jake’s bed.
Getting it on like rabbits.
