He tried talking to me a few times, mostly
complaining that I was being cold and not
“understanding” enough.
But I shut him down.
Finally, Dad started banging on my door.
“Ashley, you’re getting spoiled rotten! Your
mother’s not feeling well, and you’re acting
like this?”
“We’ve been giving you everything, since you
were a baby! Your mom and I know what’s
going on with you every second! Now your
mother not feeling well, Dad doesn’t even go
to work just to take care of Mom, but you?
You stay lock up in the room every day. What
do you want to do!”
“I’m trying to do well in school, Dad. Next
week is our final exam. The teacher sent
everyone a message about it. You just didn’t
respond.”
I flung the door open and said calmly.
Dad had been too busy worrying about Mom,
filling his phone with messages about baby
stuff and daycare, to even notice a simple
message from my teacher.
His face flushed red, like he’d been caught
doing something wrong, and he just stared at
- me.
Then he saw my piggy bank, cracked open on
He seized on that like he’d found some dirt
on me.
“Where did all that money go? I knew you
were hiding something! Did you use it for
video games or trashy novels? Tell the truth!
Lying isn’t good!”
I looked at him, baffled by how quickly he
could jump to conclusions.
If I was the cherished child they always said I
was, why did he automatically assume the
worst about me?
“It was for school. I had to pay for my books
last month. You didn’t respond to the
teacher’s message. I had to break open my
piggy bank to pay her. Dad, I just want to
study. Can you please leave me alone?”
ᄀ
My voice was even, but my nails were digging
into my palms.
It was the only way I could stay calm on the
outside.
“Ashley, what kind of attitude is that? I’m just
concerned with you…”
I slammed the door shut in his face, blocking
out the rest of his words.
“Ashley! You get out here right now!”
Dad started pounding on the door, like he
was ready to ground me for life.
I leaned against the door, feeling a bitter
smile tug at my lips.
<
I knew Mom and Dad could be two–faced, but
experiencing their coldness and cruelty again
still hurt.
After that, there was this invisible wall
between me and Dad.
Then Mom went into labor and Mikey was
born.
He just went right back to putting all his
attention on them.
Nobody cared that I had aced my final exams.
Nobody seemed to notice that there was a
nine–year–old in the house as they happily
welcomed the new baby.
it was Mikov’s first birthals
<
Soon, it was Mikey’s first birthday party.
It was also my tenth birthday.
The little baby started crying in his crib.
Mom scooped him up immediately, patting his
back and telling Dad to get stuff.
“Don’t forget the bottle! Get it from the
sterilizer. We need to be careful about germs
for the baby.”
“And the diaper and the toys, don’t forget his
little yellow duck! Mikey loves that thing, he
can’t stop smiling whenever he sees it!”
“And baby wipes! We need to clean his mouth
later, or he won’t be a pretty boy, will he?”
<
The baby calmed down, and Mom gave his
nose a loving tap, glowing with pure,
unfiltered motherly love.
To be honest, it felt foreign.
I was their first kid, but ever since I could
remember, they said they wanted to
encourage my independence, so they gave
me my own room early on.
If I cried or made a fuss, they’d scold me.
“Ashley, that’s not a good girl, Mom and Dad
don’t like kids that are bad.”
“Are you going to be bad?”
I was terrified back then.
I thought that if I was good enough, Mom and
Dad would love me more.
But now I could see that real love didn’t come
with conditions.
At least, with Mikey, it didn’t.
Dad was running around like crazy, doing
everything Mom told him to do, but he didn’t
seem to mind at all.
He gathered up all the baby stuff and shook
his head, smiling.
“I guess I’m stuck with you two for life.”
Then he checked his phone, grabbed Mom’s
hand, and hurried towards the door.
L
“Let’s go, the driver’s been waiting for ten
minutes. It’s not polite to keep people waiting
like this.”
The door slammed shut behind them without
a second thought.
They’d left me behind.
That’s when I remembered that it had been
the same last time too.
Nobody remembered that Mikey’s first
birthday was also my tenth.
I threw a fit.
I smashed plates and broke glasses.
く
But that just made them even angrier.
I accidentally woke up Mikey, and Dad
slapped me.
The whole memory just flashed before my
eyes.
I got up quietly and made myself a bowl of
noodles.
If making a fuss didn’t work, I might as well
give up on those unrealistic dreams.
Mom and Dad finally came home late that
night, their faces flushed with excitement.
When Mom saw the noodles in the kitchen,
she finally remembered that it was my
birthday.
く
She came upstairs to try and explain.
“Ashley, honey, we didn’t mean to forget. It’s
just that the baby’s still so little, and his first
birthday party is important…”
I cut her off.
“I know. It’s Mikey’s big day. I need to be a
good girl and understand.”
Mom froze, and then nodded stiffly.
“Good. It’s late anyway. When Mikey’s a little
older, you can celebrate together. Mom will
get you a big cake then.”
I laughed a little, because it was actually
funny.
