The Woman They Broke, The Queen She Became

Without a word, I walked back into the laundry room, my head hanging low with shame,

All I wanted was just to experience a little joy in my work-filled life, but it felt like I had overstepped my boundaries once again.

“Did she just walk out on us?” I heard Isabelle ask as I resumed taking out the laundry,

“She has changed so much. She mostly has no manners left these days,” Grayson replied,

“Mothers like her at the worst. She just doesn't know how hard it is to put up with her. You could have done better, Dad,” Mason uttered,

Just then, I heard the door flung open,

“Hello, sweet family!” Freya—My younger sister—strolled in, her voice filling the entire room,

“Oh my God, Grandma Freya!” Ethan called excitedly, jumping to his feet and so did the others,

“Oh, my little boy,” Freya beamed at him, then she turned to the serviceman who had walked in after her with a huge bag on his head,

“You can drop it right there…I brought something for all of you,” She announced,

I remained where I was, hearing their excited clapping and laughing filled the air once again,

“There is a gift there for my sister too. Is she around?” Freya asked with the bit of warmth she had left for me,

“She walked out on us because we wouldn't let her go to a concert. She just doesn't know how creepy it would be with her there,” Mason hissed out a reply,

Freya gave a quick scornful laugh, “She has always been like that…greedy, selfish, and wicked. I guess she doesn't know she would only be embarrassing you guys if she dared tag along to a concert,”

“Her selfish personality was the reason why my parents were so eager to get rid of her. I'm so sorry you guys have to be the one to bear the burden,” She kept talking, then she turned to Grayson,

“I know she can be disappointing but I don't think you have a choice. You have to hold it in. She is your shame to carry,” She remarked,

Those words hit me like a brickstone—I was a shame even to my own sister I had helped send to Acting College so she could be the A-list celebrity she was now.

“Okay! Please, let's not spoil our mood with something so insignificant,” Isabelle broke the silence,

“Instead of wasting this precious moment, why don't we just go out to get our concert outfits ready?” She suggested,

“Brilliant idea, Mom! It would be so fun hanging out with a Celebrity…oh I'm excited thinking about it already,” Ethan danced around,

Minutes later, the house fell into utter silence and the sound of their car driving away to have fun shopping…Without me.

I stepped out of the laundry room and stared silently at the Empty living room.

They had all left like that…without even thinking about me…like I really wasn't part of the family,

Maybe I was the problem. Physically…socially…I was nothing compared to my sister.

I was two years older than her, but my hair was already gray-white all over, while hers was still a shining black.

Unlike Freya's model body at her age, I was the total opposite with an overweight body, rough skin, and pimples on my face.

But Freya didn't have anything draining her like this Marriage was doing to me.

She had refused to marry and was taking full glory in being a Celebrity instead. No one was shaming her for being a single woman at her age…but I was being shamed for having devoted almost all my life to being a Wife and a Mother.

I sluggishly walked over to the couch and slumped down on it, my eyes moving to the wedding photo hanging on the wall.

It was my wedding—but I wasn't in the photo.

That was a day I would never forget.

I had been struggling to get a wine stain out of my wedding dress in the bathroom while Grayson was grinning from ear to ear, taking a couple pose with my sister like it was his wedding day with her.

When I confronted him, he remained proud like he didn't see any problem with it,

“You know Freya has no plans of getting married. That's why I took the photo with her. I just wanted her to experience how a wedding feels like for once. And I know I did the right thing. Why are you being so selfish and not wanting to see your own sister happy?”

And despite my discomfort with it, he had proudly hung it in our bedroom and living room as his official wedding photo.

I stared long at the photo, and it dawned on me that I had always been neglected from the start. It didn't just start.

I had lived thirty whole years of my life in a place where I wasn't welcomed.