Seven Days to Forget

On the third day, my memories started to decline. I constantly forgot what I was just doing or thinking. There were many times a day when I suddenly froze on the spot.

With much difficulty, I finally remembered that I wanted to keep the Lego set that Raven had destroyed.

Although I no longer had any hope my family would come to accept me, Grandma and I built the Lego set together. It was an important memory I had of Grandma. I would not allow them to throw such memories into the trash.

I frantically headed downstairs to see that the Lego pieces were still scattered on the floor in the living area. It dawned on me that the housekeeper was on a break, so no one was around to clean up.

I found a box and picked up the Lego bricks. It took me a long time since there were too many pieces.

When Mom returned home and saw what I was doing, she yelled with a scowl on her face, "What are you doing on the floor?! Can you be more ladylike? You'll embarrass us if we ever tell others that you're our daughter!

"This is what happens when you're brought up in the countryside! No manners at all! Your grandmother was a bad influence!"

I paused what I was doing. After calming myself down, I continued picking up the Lego pieces.

The Lego set was ruined. There was no way of putting it back together, but I still wanted it as a keepsake, so I tried to pick up every piece I could find.

Mom threw her things on the couch and barked, "Did you hear what I said? Why can't you be more like your sister and cause me less trouble?"

At that moment, I was going to pick up the last piece. Just when I reached my hand out, Mom stepped on the piece and looked at me with a darkened expression.

"Tomorrow is your sister's birthday. You'll make her a cake as an apology. Don't upset her."

She looked at the Lego piece on the floor in disgust as if she had just seen a cockroach.

"It's just a stupid toy. Throw it away. Don't just do nothing all day. Do you think we'll support you for the rest of your life?"

I looked at her stepping on the Lego piece. A huge grief overwhelmed me. I looked at her right in the eyes and chuckled self-deprecatingly.

"Mom, Raven and I are twins. Her birthday is also my birthday."

A pang of helplessness flashed across Mom's face.

I continued, "That piece of Lego that you're stepping on is the only gift you have given me in the past eighteen years. I was raised by Grandma because you and Dad couldn't care for two babies and you threw me to her.

"Grandma wasn't a bad influence on me. She was the best grandmother. I also don't think that I'd be embarrassing to the family."

Mom looked away shiftily and retracted her foot.

I picked up the final Lego piece and placed it in the box. Then, I looked up at Mom.

She was still avoiding my gaze. She said stiffly, "It's just a stupid box of Lego. Go and make your sister a cake. I'll just buy you a new one."

Since my parents became wealthy, a Lego set was nothing to them. It showed how unimportant I was to them.

They would rather buy me a new Lego set than let me celebrate my birthday with Raven.

I closed the box and carried it upstairs in silence.