All my life, I had been in second place. No matter how hard I tried, I was never enough for my parents. I brought home straight A’s, kept my room spotless, and did everything I could to make them proud.
But none of that mattered. Stacy, my younger sister, was their shining star. While I was quietly succeeding in school and doing chores without being asked, Stacy was breaking records at swim meets.
My parents treated her like a celebrity and spent every spare moment focused on her success. I felt invisible.
The only person who ever truly saw me was my grandmother. She would often take me to her home, where I felt warmth and love that I never felt at my own house.
