felt my stomach churn with rage. I had spent my entire childhood playing second fiddle to Jessica. She was the golden child, the one who got the new car at sixteen while I was told to save up for my own. She got her college tuition paid in full while I worked nights and took out loans. She got a down payment for her first house while I was scolded for asking for help with rent during a rough patch. And now, at the end of it all, my parents had drawn a line in the sand. They were done pretending. It was her. It was always her.

I pushed back my chair and stood. “Fine,” my voice was eerily calm. “If that’s how you feel, then I have nothing more to say.”

Jessica smirked. “Oh, don’t be like that.”

I turned to her, my jaw tight. “I hope ten million dollars is enough to buy you a conscience.”

And with that, I walked out.