Chapter 2

The relatives turned their attention elsewhere.

"If you always appreciate those I abandon, then you have no right to be choosy, do you?"

I clutched the handful of orange peels that lay in my palm and flung them into Charline's hand.

Without a word, I rose and walked away.

"I was just teasing. Madeline, you wouldn't take it to heart, would you?"

Charline took my jest seriously, embellishing the tale and recounting it to my parents with dramatic flair.

As the last of the relatives departed, the stage was set for a trial, where I was the accused.

At this juncture, Charline, of course, distanced herself, descending the stairs to bid farewell to her boyfriend, leaving me to face the inquisition alone.

"You're an adult now; can't you take a joke within the family?

"Everyone's here to celebrate your birthday, yet you seclude yourself in your room, refusing to join the festivities.

"Look at how considerate Charline is; she's been outside, dutifully entertaining our guests."

A memory surfaced unbidden. A month ago, it was Charline's birthday.

She had coyly dissuaded my parents from inviting over the relatives, preferring a private celebration with just the family.

"I just want to spend my birthday alone with you," she had cooed.

Thus, my family, including my parents and my brother, embarked on a trip with Charline. They never once inquired if I wished to join.

Yesterday, I proposed a private birthday celebration with just the family. However, my mother rebuked me for growing increasingly distant from our kin as the years passed.

"You're still in your twenties. How can we rely on you in the future if you shun family gatherings?"

This was the injustice of favoritism.

I couldn't muster the energy to argue, so I nodded a few times, feigning attentiveness.

Finally, my mother, her gaze briefly darting towards the door, voiced her concern while Charline was still absent.

"You probably don't like Charline's boyfriend, do you? If you can't find a boyfriend, we might introduce one to you. Charline had a tough life; don't bully her.

"How I wish Charline were my own daughter," she sighed.

I had grown numb to it.

The door swung open. My mother emerged with a fruit platter in hand, her face lighting up at Charline's return.

"Charline, you're back; I've prepared fresh fruits for you."

I glanced at the small piece of apple on the fork in my hand, resigned to my role as an afterthought, and thought, "Fine, I'll just eat it."

Charline's room adjoined mine, yet she feigned that her relationship with me was anything but sisterly. She relished recounting her romantic escapades to me before bed.

"Charline, every time you start dating someone new, you feel the need to give me a play-by-play," I mused aloud.

After all, each boy was somehow connected to me.

It was reminiscent of our school days when I approached a male top student for help, only to have Charline intervene.

And whenever I shifted my focus, she was quicker than I to move on, bidding farewell to the old and embracing the new.

"I can't help it, Madeline. I find the things I steal more intriguing," she confessed. "Especially when they once belonged to you."

"Then you'd better have the stamina to keep stealing," I replied.

The following morning, as I prepared for work, Charline lay abed because of her unemployment.

"Mom, didn't you ask me to help find a job for Charline?" I inquired.

"I secured a receptionist position at a company; the pay was modest, but the workload was light. I had to plead for ages before they agreed," I recounted.

"Don't mention it to her; I fear it would bruise her pride," I added.

My mother embraced me warmly for the first time. "Madeline, you've truly matured."

I stood stiffly, and my hands were awkwardly suspended in the air. A forced smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.

"Charline, your gift is on its way," I thought to myself.

[She's already started working.]

My phone vibrated in my pocket. It was a message from my best friend, Selina Morris.

[Understood. Please take good care of her.] I replied.

With my intervention a few days prior, Charline's job had become a breeze compared to her colleagues.

She reveled in the notion that she could earn a paycheck without breaking a sweat.