After My Cancer Diagnosis, I Feel Empowered Defying Everyone

As I was plotting how to reclaim my money, my brother Alexander called.

"Lily, I'm at Mom and Dad's. Come back for dinner. It's been ages since we all got together."

Alexander's name seemed to have been given with high hopes, while mine felt like it was chosen on a whim.

My classmates laughed and said my parents didn't love me, that they were giving all my luck to Alexander. I cried and went home, wanting to change my name, but my mom was furious, "Change your name? Even if you die, you'll be cremated with this name."

"But others laugh at me," I cried, my tears soaking my ill-fitting clothes.

My mom, indifferent to my tears, was only annoyed. "At eight years old, you're still so gullible? I've told you, your fate is bad, you're a burden. Being named Lily is supposed to let you share some of your brother's good fortune. You, a worthless girl, can't have any luck to help others. Your brother is the one with real fortune." She repeated this several times as if saying it often enough would make it true.

Finally, she couldn't be bothered with me anymore. "You're not smart, and you can't get into a good school. This afternoon, wash your brother's clothes. I need to cook for him. He needs to stay sharp."

My older brother Alexander was five years older than me. When I was in elementary school, he was preparing for his middle school exams. Mom was obsessed with his success, constantly making him special meals.

He ended up doing well, thanks to Mom's nutritious meals. He passed the threshold for self-funded schooling, and we spent 50,000 dollars on school selection fees to get him into high school.

Dad bragged to everyone about his son being a "star scholar," destined to bring glory to the family. Later on, despite Alexander's talent and our parents' unwavering support, he ended up in an ordinary technical college. Mom and Dad were still thrilled, convinced that "boys have potential, and our son will definitely achieve great things."

Alexander was quite proud of himself. He frequently mapped out my future, telling me, "You're a girl, so your IQ is naturally lower than a boy's. Even if your grades seem okay now, you'll fall behind in middle school. But girls have it easier; if you don't make it to high school, you can just get married."

I was confused and felt something was off, but I hesitated to argue, thinking maybe Alexander's luck was the reason for his success, and that's why my grades were so poor.

Middle school flew by quickly. My parents decided I was unlikely to amount to much and planned to send me to a factory to work. But since I was underage, I was sent back home. My parents were furious, "How's your brain wired? If people ask your age, just say you're an adult to avoid these issues. You're just trying to slack off and not repay us. You're a burden, not as considerate as your brother."

Maybe Alexander's luck really was that good, because suddenly I became the top student in the city, attracting offers from two prestigious high schools and earning a hefty scholarship.

Mom and Dad were ecstatic, not because of my achievement, but because my success meant they could get some return on their investment...

"Why did we bring her back? I specially prepared seafood today. That selfish girl might steal the food meant for Alexander!" Mom's voice pulled me out of my memories.