{"id":663,"date":"2025-03-07T13:37:58","date_gmt":"2025-03-07T13:37:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/?p=663"},"modified":"2025-03-07T13:37:58","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T13:37:58","slug":"663","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/?p=663","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"
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I\u2019m Nick, the middle child caught between two sisters. Brit is my older sister, and Mia is our younger one. Mia was the sun in our parents\u2019 universe. She was their miracle baby, the one who \u201cwasn\u2019t supposed to survive\u201d due to an illness. Luckily, she made it. And Brit? She was just\u2026 there.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A newborn baby | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I grew up watching the imbalance, but as a kid, I didn\u2019t have the words for it. I just knew that when Brit got an A+, my parents barely looked up from their phones, but when Mia won \u201cParticipant of the Week\u201d in soccer, they bought her a cake.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cLook what I drew, Mom!\u201d Brit\u2019s excited voice echoed through the kitchen one afternoon, holding up a detailed sketch of our family. Mom glanced at it briefly, muttering a distracted, \u201cThat\u2019s nice, dear\u201d before turning back to Mia\u2019s soccer schedule.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Brit loved to draw, but when she asked for an art set, my parents said it was \u201ctoo expensive.\u201d Mia decided she liked art a week later. Guess who got a full set of professional-grade supplies?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A girl painting a picture on a paper | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I remember Brit looking at me once when we were kids, her voice trembling. \u201cAm I invisible, Nick? Sometimes I stand in front of the mirror just to make sure I\u2019m still here.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I was 10. I didn\u2019t know how to answer that. All I could do was hug her tight and feel her tears soak into my shirt.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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By the time we were teenagers, Mia\u2019s obsession with being \u201cbetter\u201d than Brit had gone from petty to straight-up psychotic. She stole Brit\u2019s crush \u2014 just because she could. She cut Brit\u2019s hair in her sleep once, giggling the next morning like it was some harmless prank.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Cropped<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Cropped shot of a woman cutting someone\u2019s hair | Source: Freepik<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s just hair, Brit,\u201d Mom had said dismissively when Brit came down sobbing. \u201cIt\u2019ll grow back. Mia was just having a bit of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cFun?\u201d Brit\u2019s voice cracked. \u201cYou call this fun? She waited until I was asleep! She \u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cOh, don\u2019t be so dramatic,\u201d Dad cut in. \u201cYour sister would never hurt you intentionally.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Brit swallowed her tears for years. And in college, Mia stole her boyfriend.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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That was it. Brit was DONE. She cut all ties, walked away, and built a life without them\u2026 and without us. She found happiness with Patrick, though everyone just called him \u201cPit.\u201d He was the kind of guy who would fight a bear for her if he had to.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Grayscale<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Grayscale shot of a woman walking away | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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She was finally free. Until she got pregnant. And suddenly, our parents wanted to \u201creconnect.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Brit hesitated but agreed to a family dinner. She told me she was cautiously hopeful.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cMaybe, just maybe, they\u2019d finally changed,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I wanted to believe that too. I should\u2019ve known better. Because Mia saw Brit\u2019s return as an opportunity to twist the knife one last time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Cropped<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Cropped image of a pregnant woman holding her belly | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Dinner started civil enough that evening. Brit was guarded, Pit was tense, and my parents were laying it on thick. \u201cWe\u2019re just so happy to have you back, sweetheart,\u201d Mom kept saying, smiling way too wide.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Mia was sitting there, twirling the stem of her wine glass, watching\u2026 and waiting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cSo, Brit,\u201d she drawled, her voice dripping with false sweetness, \u201chow\u2019s the pregnancy going? No complications, I hope? Though with your\u2026 history of anxiety, I imagine it must be so stressful.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman smiling | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Pit\u2019s hand tightened around his fork. \u201cShe\u2019s doing wonderfully, actually.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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And then, right when the conversation felt safe, Mia struck.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She stood, lifting her glass, her voice oozing with fake sympathy. \u201cBrit, I know it must be hard for you, seeing your ex as my husband, but thank you for the blessing. Competing with me must have been exhausting, but I applaud your bravery for showing up.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Brit was horrified.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A stunned woman | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Pit\u2019s jaw clenched. I could see the restraint in his shoulders and the way his fingers curled against the table. He was about to say something. But before he could, someone else did.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Our cousin, Helen, stood first, raising her glass.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cActually, I\u2019d like to toast Brit.\u201d She turned to her, voice firm. \u201cYou\u2019ve been the best cousin anyone could ask for. You helped me through college, gave me a place to stay when I had nowhere to go. Remember that night I called you at 3 a.m., having a complete breakdown? You drove two hours just to sit with me. Brit, you\u2019re incredible!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A delighted woman raising a toast | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Then our aunt. \u201cBrit, you were the first to help when my son was sick. You didn\u2019t even hesitate. You stayed up all night in that hospital room, telling him stories and making him laugh even when the pain was bad. You\u2019ve always been the kindest and most selfless person in this family.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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More voices joined in.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cBrit drove me to job interviews when I had no car.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cShe helped me plan my wedding when I was overwhelmed.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cShe took care of Grandma when no one else would.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cRemember when you found me crying in the bathroom at prom?\u201d our cousin Sarah spoke up, her voice laced with emotion. \u201cAfter my date stood me up? You wiped my tears, fixed my makeup, and danced with me all night. You made me feel like I mattered.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman raising a toast at an elegant dinner | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I felt a lump in my throat as I looked at Brit, her eyes wide and stunned.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I pushed my chair back and stood. \u201cBrit, you were the best sister I could\u2019ve asked for. You always put others before yourself\u2026 even when no one put YOU first. When I was struggling with math in high school, you tutored me every single night, even though you had your own exams to study for. You never once complained.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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One by one, voices filled the room. Brit was showered with praises and a chorus of love and recognition.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A cheerful man raising a toast for a loved one | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Meanwhile, Mia just sat there, frozen. She opened her mouth to protest and reclaim the spotlight. But no one was looking at her. No one was listening. She was nothing more than background noise. For the first time in her life, she was invisible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Mia\u2019s face turned red. She turned to our parents, waiting for them to FIX IT. And my mother did exactly what I expected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She straightened her back, her voice sharp with forced authority. \u201cAlright, enough of this nonsense. Mia is here too! No matter what, she\u2019s special\u2026 she\u2019s our miracle! She\u2019s been through so much, but you remember only Brit.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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An older woman smiling | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThrough what exactly?\u201d Helen challenged. \u201cThrough getting everything she ever wanted? Through destroying her sister\u2019s happiness just because she could?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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My father nodded in agreement with Mom. \u201cShe\u2019s always been the light of this family. She deserves respect too.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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That\u2019s when Pit stood up. His chair scraped loudly against the floor as he placed both hands on the table and leaned forward.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cRespect?\u201d He let out a short, bitter laugh. \u201cYou want us to RESPECT Mia? For what? For stealing everything Brit ever loved? For humiliating her every chance she got? For proving, over and over, that no matter what Brit did, she would take it from her?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Mia\u2019s face went scarlet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A furious man accusing someone | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Pit turned to my father, his eyes sharp. \u201cYou keep calling her the light of this family, but tell me\u2026 who has she ever TRULY cared for? Not Brit. Not you. Not even me, considering how much time she spent trying to flirt with me. Did you know about that? How she cornered me at the Christmas party, trying to \u2018prove\u2019 she could take me from Brit too?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThat\u2019s not\u2026 I never \u2014\u201d Mia sputtered, but Pit wasn\u2019t finished.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYou know what the difference is between you and Brit?\u201d he continued, his voice cutting through her protests. \u201cBrit builds people up. And you? You only know how to tear them down to make yourself feel bigger.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Mia\u2019s jaw dropped.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A stunned woman | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Pit exhaled through his nose and shook his head. \u201cYou both created this. You let her believe she could do whatever she wanted without consequences. And now, she\u2019s exactly what you raised her to be.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A heavy silence fell over the table. My parents looked stunned. My mother opened and closed her mouth, searching for a defense, but she had NOTHING.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Because what could they say? The truth had finally been spoken. And this time, no one was willing to ignore it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Mia shot to her feet so fast her chair tipped over. \u201cYou\u2019re all against me!\u201d she shrieked. \u201cYou\u2019re jealous! I\u2019ve always been the special one! I always WILL be!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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No one reacted or argued. She waited. And waited. But no defense came. For the first time in her life, she was truly alone.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman shaken to her core | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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With a strangled noise, she spun on her heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m Nick, the middle child caught between two sisters. Brit is my older sister, and Mia is our younger one. Mia was the sun in our parents\u2019 universe. She was their miracle baby, the one who \u201cwasn\u2019t supposed to survive\u201d due to an illness. Luckily, she made it. And Brit? She was just\u2026 there. A…<\/p>\n

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