The Only One Left BehindChapter 2: Demands

"Enough, Clement." My father waved him down and slid the tickets into an envelope. "You're a college graduate, Theodora. Be the bigger person. Claire's only been with us for five years and hasn't had a lot of worldly experience.

"You're the older sister. Be more gracious."

Oh, yes. She'd just joined our household in five years. Yet, this girl managed to take my room, my recommendation letter, and now, my birthday trip at that time.

To add insult to injury, my father would always say, "You're the older sister. Just let her have it" whenever she did.

I said nothing more and went back to my damp, 80-square-feet store room. I dragged my canvas bag out from under the bed and stuffed my ID and my degree in it.

I could hear Claire's muffled laughter coming from outside my room. "Does this sun hat look good, Clement?"

"Yes. You look gorgeous no matter what you wear, Claire. I'll buy a bag for you in Syldan tomorrow."

The living room was already in a slight state of chaos the next morning. I opened the door and saw my mother helping Claire button her shirt up.

"You woke up just in time." My father tossed the car key onto the table. "Move that crate of strawberries in the basement to the trunk. Clement needs it to quench his thirst on the way."

I didn't move.

"Are you deaf?" Clement wore his sunglasses and yelled at me, "Hop to it! If we miss our flight because of you, there'll be hell to pay!"

"The basement's covered in water. My joint's aching, so I can't move."

My mother turned around. "Your joint's aching? At your age? Please! You're just trying to slack off. Claire packed her things until late at night, and her wrist is still sore. Yet, you can't even help out with such minor chores?"

I looked at Claire. She wasn't the one who packed until late at night. It was Clement. He packed every single dress he had into a bag to keep the dust from sticking. He even wiped the soles of her shoes with wet wipes.

I had been living in that damp storeroom for three years and was in a constant state of sickness because of the terrible environment. Yet, my mother thought I was just a slacker. "Do it yourself if it's so minor."

Clement strode over and grabbed my wrist, and his grip was strong. He was grabbing my right joint, the one that had been inflamed since forever. Perhaps I was hallucinating, but it felt as though that pain had stabbed through my heart just then.

"Must you annoy us today out of all days? Dad and Mom are taking us on a trip, and you're giving us attitude?"

"Not us. You." I swatted his hand away. "I'm not part of the equation."

"Enough!" my father interrupted. "Clement, you move the water. Theodora, there's 200 on the table. It's your birthday today. Get a little cake for yourself."

My mother came and placed a list on the table. "Theodora, Claire wants these seafood and fruits. Memorize them, and order them online while we're gone. That way, we can have them fresh right after we come home."

I scanned the list. Expensive lobsters, king crabs, and imported fruits. It would cost at least three grand for everything.

"I don't have the money," I stated bluntly.

"You just got paid for your part-time job." Clement came in holding a crate of water and slammed it down on the ground, breathing heavily. "You definitely have 3,000. Claire's your sister, and you can't even treat her to a meal?"

"That tutoring job pays me 2,800, and that money pays for my dorm next semester. I have no money."

"Use your secondary card, then!" Clement urged impatiently. "It's not like Mom and Dad won't pay your bills."

My father coughed. "Just pay it for us. I'll pay you back after I get my bonus next month."

They had been saying the same thing for three straight years, but they would always use the "we're family" excuse when I wanted them to actually pay the bills.

When Claire's air con went bust, I had to pay for a new one with my scholarship money. When Clement messed up and smashed his classmate's phone, I had to pay for the damages with my wages.

They took my money for granted and thought of me as their portable family's bank, but they couldn't even get me an economy class flight ticket to a trip I desperately wanted to go to.

"The card was stopped two days ago." I tossed the card onto the table. "Here's four dollars and 50 cents. You can get the seafood yourself."