My Family’s Regret After Choosing My Twin Sister

When the email from the company came in, I rushed into the living room, bursting with excitement. "Mom, Dad, Ethan, Tyler, I got the job at MT!" But the living room was eerily silent. Out of habit, I glanced at the couch. Four dolls sat there. One was Dad, one was Mom, one was my brother Ethan, and one was Tyler Brooks, the boy I'd grown up with. The dolls' button eyes stared back at me, their stitched mouths pressed shut. My chest ached, and I had to admit what I'd tried so hard to forget. I'd been kicked out of the house a long time ago. The day we turned 18, my twin sister cried until she fainted. She said I tried so hard at everything that I made her look like a loser. She couldn't take the pressure. So everyone kicked me out and told me never to show my face around my sister again. When I first moved here, some thugs followed me home. Late that night, they pounded on my door. I hid under the table, terrified, and called Mom, Dad, Ethan, and Tyler again and again. They hung up every time. All I got were four identical texts. "Adele, stop calling. If Maria sees, she'll get upset. Once she's feeling more stable, we'll come get you." I clutched a baseball bat as they hammered on the door, too scared to even let out a sob. In the end, the noise woke my landlord, Frank. He chased the thugs off with a gun. After that, I made four dolls that looked just like Mom, Dad, Ethan, and Tyler. The dolls sat with me at meals and slept beside me. I used to hold them and imagine how happy I'd be when my family finally came to take me home. But now, standing in that suffocating silence, I felt utterly exhausted. I finally had to face reality. I stopped hugging the dolls and talking to them. There was no point pretending I was loved. I took out my phone and applied for the company's voluntary transfer to London. Chapter 1 I stood, wiped my tears, and whispered to the dolls. "In a week, I'm leaving this place. I'm leaving you." The dolls, of course, said nothing. The only sound in the quiet living room was the bathroom faucet dripping. I sank onto the couch and stared at the ceiling. Cobwebs covered it, and gray mold spread through the corners. I'd lived here for two years. When I was first kicked out, my savings only covered the rent. At night, I'd be too hungry to sleep, so I'd turn on the faucet and drink glass after glass of water. All that water left me shivering, so I'd wrap myself in my only thin blanket and sit up all night. But my family wasn't poor. When Maria got sick, she went to the best hospital, and she had fancy steak every week. She loved the piano, so she even had her own music room at home. But when it came to me, Mom and Dad brushed me off. "Adele, you've always been independent. We're sure you'll do just fine without us, so we won't give you any money. "Once Maria's feeling more stable, we'll bring you home." Two years had passed. They'd never once come to see me or bring me home. I let out a bitter laugh and was about to put the four dolls away. Just then, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Mom. "Adele, come home tonight. Let's celebrate the new job." My heart pounded with a secret thrill of joy. I'd texted them to say I was getting ready for interviews. I never got a reply, so I'd assumed they didn't care. Now Mom had invited me home. I couldn't help thinking that maybe they still cared about me a little after all. I couldn't wait. I rushed out the door. My rented room was in the suburbs, on one of the city's most remote streets. I wanted to see my family so badly that I walked faster and faster until I was running. I ran along the route home I'd imagined so many times. I pictured them celebrating with me and almost cried. At last, breathless, I reached the house I hadn't seen in two years. I smoothed my hair with shaking hands and pushed open the door. The living room was buzzing. Mom, Dad, Ethan, and Tyler were all there. Maria stood at the center of it all in a pretty party dress, her makeup flawless. When she saw me, she tilted her head and smiled. "Sis, did you come to congratulate me on my new job too?" I froze in the doorway. Every eye in the room landed on me. Mom frowned at my empty hands. "Didn't I tell you to come celebrate Maria's new job? Why didn't you even bring a gift?" Ethan scoffed. "You were a pain two years ago, and you still are." Tyler took off his jacket and draped it over Maria's shoulders. "Adele, shut the door already. You're letting the cold in, and Maria's going to get sick." Dad cleared his throat loudly and gave me a disapproving look. "Get in here. What are you doing standing in the doorway like that?" It felt like I'd been hit by a sledgehammer. All the hope and joy I'd carried here shattered. So the celebration I'd thought was for me had been for my sister all along. I held back my tears and closed the door, my fingers still numb from the cold. Once I was inside, I noticed the banner hanging in the living room. It read "Congrats on the New Job, Maria." The bright red banner seemed to tell me I didn't belong there. Just minutes earlier, I'd stood at that door, nervous and hopeful. What a clown I'd been. Chapter 2 Party poppers burst, showering us with colorful confetti. I stood silently off to the side. Mom, Dad, Ethan, and Tyler gathered around Maria to celebrate. I was the only one who didn't belong, like a stranger who'd wandered into someone else's home. Ethan ruffled Maria's hair, looking pleased with himself. "Maria, you'd better thank me first. I took a whole week off to do mock interviews with you." "No way," Tyler cut in. "I'm the one Maria should thank first. For the past two years, I've been coaching her one-on-one in communication and workplace skills." The two of them argued over who Maria should thank first until they were both red in the face. Maria stood between them, giggling behind her hand. Mom raised her camera to capture the moment and accidentally stepped on my foot. She looked up, startled, as if she'd only just noticed me. "Oh, you're still here. How have you been?" I was about to answer, but she cut me off. Mom waved it off. "Never mind, that's not important. We called you here today because we have something to tell you. "Maria's starting at a new company, so she'll need us while she settles in. You'll keep living on your own." I bit down hard on the tip of my tongue, and the pain slowly spread. In the two years since I'd moved out, no one had once asked how I was settling in or said a word about bringing me home. Now, for Maria's sake, they were choosing to abandon me all over again. I looked up at Dad. He nodded in agreement with Mom. Then I looked at Ethan. He was cutting cake for Maria and didn't spare me a glance. Finally, I looked at Tyler. He looked away, unable to meet my eyes, but his voice was firm. "Adele, you've always been strong. You can live on your own. "But Maria can't. She needs us to take care of her." I tasted blood. I'd bitten my tongue hard enough to make it bleed. Strong. I'd heard that word my whole life. Maria and I were twins, and I was the younger one. But whenever anything happened, she cried louder than anyone. So Mom, Dad, and Ethan always went to her first. They'd kiss her tear-streaked cheeks and give her whatever she wanted. Later, I learned to cry when things got hard too, but Mom and Dad still didn't pay me any attention. They'd tell me, "Adele, you need to be strong, so you can take care of Maria later." So I stopped crying. I thought that if I became what they expected, maybe I'd get a little love and attention. When Maria broke my toys, I learned how to fix them. When Mom and Dad were too busy with Maria to feed me, I learned how to use the microwave. Even when we were both sick, Ethan would carry a wailing Maria to the hospital. I had to drag myself around the house to find something for my fever and take it on my own. But nothing got better. Then Tyler moved in next door. At first, he couldn't stand Maria's crying. He was only kind to me. After I told him everything, he frowned. "Just because you're strong doesn't mean people get to ignore what you need. You deserve to be loved." But later, his attention slowly shifted to Maria too. Once again, I was the one nobody noticed. Still, I couldn't help falling for him. He was the first person who'd ever told me I deserved to be loved. Now he stood with the others, telling me to face everything alone. The living room went quiet. The only sound was Maria eating cake. Ethan gave me an impatient look. "Adele, stop being difficult." I lowered my head. My bitten tongue throbbed, but it was nothing compared to the ache in my chest. I nodded and gave in. I didn't say a word. My mouth was filled with the taste of blood. I turned and walked to the door. Mom hesitated, then followed me. "Why don't you stay for dinner?" she asked, but none of them looked at me like they wanted me to stay. I shook my head. My eyes stung, and I hurried out before I could cry in front of them. Back in my room, I finally let myself sob. I'd already planned to leave. But hearing every one of them tell me to go still hurt terribly. The four dolls I'd made so carefully sat on the couch, watching me in silence. As if I were a joke. My phone buzzed. Maria had sent me a message with a photo. "Now that you're gone, you little pest, we can finally enjoy dinner." In the photo, Mom and Dad were serving Maria food, and Ethan was pouring her red wine. In the corner, I recognized Tyler's hand, gently fastening a bracelet around her wrist. Every dish on the table, even the pasta, had onions in it. That was how Maria liked it. Suddenly I was a little glad I'd left. Not one of them remembered I was allergic to onions. If I'd stayed, I'd only have been asking to be humiliated. Another message came in, this time from the company. They'd booked my flight to London for the following week. I let out a long breath. Chapter 3 I packed my suitcase the next morning. Then I headed to the convenience store a block away for my usual shift. I'd survived the past two years by working four part-time jobs. The convenience store was the first one I'd found. Since I was leaving for London, this would be my last shift. Hank, the store manager, looked sorry to see me go. "Adele, you're the hardest-working, most responsible employee I've got. I'm going to miss you. "But congratulations on starting your new life. I hope everything goes great for you." Hank handed me a pretty glass mug. "A little something for your new job." I bowed to thank him, and my tears fell one by one onto the floor. Two years ago, when I first got here, I couldn't find a job. To keep from starving, I sold my plasma. I took the money to the convenience store for a sandwich, but passed out from hunger at the register before I could pay. When Hank heard my story, he felt sorry for me and offered me this part-time job so I could get by. Hank reached out and helped me straighten up. A sudden shriek came from behind me. "What are you two doing?" I turned around. Mom was glaring at me, her face full of fury. Behind her stood Dad, Ethan, Tyler, and Maria. Ethan and Tyler were carrying a pile of gift boxes. I didn't need to guess. They were for Maria's new job. Mom's voice turned shrill. "I let you live on your own, and this is what you do? Fool around with some old man?" I wiped away my tears and protested. "I'm not. I work here part-time to make money." Ethan stormed over and jabbed a finger in my face. "What kind of part-time job has you hanging all over a man? Adele, when did you get so disgusting?" Hank jerked his hand away and rushed to explain, "It's a misunderstanding. I was just helping Adele up. She was thanking me." But nobody listened to him. Dad looked at me like I was something dirty. "Adele, how did you turn out like this? It's not as if we never gave you an allowance." At the mention of my allowance, bitterness rose in my chest. "The allowance you gave me only covered the first month's rent." Mom looked a little guilty, but she still raised her voice. "You should be grateful we gave you anything. We don't owe you." Tyler stepped forward, disappointment written all over his face. "If you need money, ask your parents instead of taking shady jobs." The look in his eyes stung. I opened my mouth to explain, but the words stuck in my throat. When I'd needed money, I'd called and texted my parents, but they'd never answered. Before I sold my plasma, I'd gone home to borrow just enough money to get by. But when Dad opened the door and saw me, his smile vanished instantly. Before I could open my mouth, he snapped, "Maria still isn't stable. Don't come back here and upset her." Then the door slammed in my face. I could have told them all that. But if I did, would Mom, Dad, Ethan, and Tyler feel sorry for me? They'd only call me ungrateful, accuse me of neglecting Maria, and say I was throwing a tantrum. A wave of helplessness washed over me. I waved them off. "I already told you, I'm working an honest part-time job. Please stop getting in my way." At the words "getting in my way," Maria rushed at me and shoved me hard. "I'm disgusted to have a sister like you, Adele. Nobody will ever love you!" I'd gone without dinner the night before and still hadn't eaten, so I was already a little dizzy. Maria's shove sent me stumbling into the shelf behind me. A pile of cans came crashing down, and one split my forehead open. The glass mug slipped out of my hand and shattered on the floor. Blood streaming down my face, I looked up at the people lined up against me, still blaming me. They were all frantically checking whether Maria was hurt. Seeing the state I was in, Hank grabbed his phone in alarm. "Stop it. If you keep this up, I'm calling the police." Only then did they look at me. Not one of them showed any concern. Ethan shielded Maria behind him and murmured, "Don't be scared. I know you didn't mean it." Tyler covered Maria's eyes. "Don't look. You're such a scaredy-cat, and you know you can't stand the sight of blood." Mom and Dad stepped forward and started barking orders at me. "Adele, we'll let this go. You made this mess, so clean it up. Don't let this man call the police." Blood kept running into my eyes, and their figures started to blur. My chest hurt so much that I could barely breathe. Without waiting for my answer, they hurried Maria away. Hank kept sighing as he helped me up. "How can parents favor one child like that?" Yeah. How can parents favor one child like that? I swallowed the lump in my throat and apologized to Hank again and again. He waved it off and handed me a first-aid kit. For the next few days, my family and Tyler didn't come looking for me again. They assumed I'd clean up the mess they'd made. The cut on my forehead left a scar. I gave Hank a week's pay to cover the damage. I smiled bitterly at my reflection. I was thin and gaunt from too many missed meals. I'd planned to use the money from this job to buy myself a proper work outfit. Now I'd have to go abroad in my old clothes. But I didn't regret it. Hank had been good to me, and I couldn't leave him to deal with the trouble they'd caused. This would be the last time I cleaned up their mess. From now on, they had nothing to do with me. Before I left, I looked at the four dolls on the couch. Their button eyes still stared at me in silence. I picked them up and threw every one of them in the trash. Before the plane took off, I got a text from Mom. "It's Maria's birthday today. She's letting go of what happened the other day, and she's invited you to celebrate. Come home." I scoffed. They still thought I was their little shadow, ready to come running whenever they called. Maria had hurt me, yet she was the one forgiving me. Her birthday was my birthday too, but nobody cared. This time, I didn't reply. I turned off my phone and boarded the plane. I gazed out the window. This was what freedom looked like. Mom, Dad, Ethan, Tyler, I'm never coming home again. Chapter 4 Third-person POV: At the same time, Maria was at home celebrating her birthday. Under the lights, the crystal tiara Tyler had placed on her head with his own hands sparkled brilliantly. Ethan aimed a camera at Maria, the shutter clicking nonstop. "You look gorgeous, sis. You're like a real princess." Linda stood to one side, beaming at Maria with pride. Paul brought out a bottle of red wine he'd been saving. "Maria got a great job, and it's her birthday. Let's celebrate." He set out five wineglasses on the table, one after another. He poured the dark red wine into each glass, releasing its rich aroma. Linda came over and handed him one more glass. "Adele's coming tonight too. Let's set another place." Paul snorted loudly. "After all the trouble she caused us, she has the nerve to show up. "Tonight she has to apologize to every one of us!" Nobody said anything. They all silently agreed with Paul. They assumed Adele would dutifully come to Maria's birthday party. They were sure she still cared about this family and would apologize and beg for forgiveness. But even after a whole bottle of wine was gone and every slice of pizza on the table had been eaten, Adele never showed up. Linda grew uneasy. Adele had always replied to her texts or called back right away. But it had been so long now, and she hadn't heard a single word from Adele. After a moment's hesitation, Linda called her. It went straight to voicemail. She had it on speaker, so everyone heard. The living room fell silent. Ethan frowned and spoke up, irritated. "What's Adele throwing a fit about now? She won't even answer her phone." Maria lowered her head, looking hurt, her voice small. "My sister must still be mad at me. Why else would she miss my birthday?" Paul, who'd been savoring the last of the wine, scowled. "She's got some nerve being mad. She's the one who was out there all over some man, giving people the wrong idea." But Maria kept her head down, looking pitiful and innocent. Linda hurried over and hugged her tight. "Don't cry, Maria. You're breaking my heart. This is all Adele's fault. You didn't do anything wrong." Tyler pressed his lips together. He wanted to say he could call Adele and find out what was going on. But when he saw Maria's red eyes, his heart softened, and he changed his mind. "Adele's definitely sulking. We'll call her in a few days." Ethan raked his hand through his hair impatiently. "That's what I hate most about Adele. She never acts her age. "Nobody call her for the next few days. She'll come running back in tears, begging us not to ignore her, just like always." No one in the living room argued. They all went along with it. Whenever they decided Adele had done something wrong, they punished her with silence. No one would talk to Adele. They'd treat her like she was invisible. After a few days, she'd come to them in tears and apologize. But this time, a whole month went by, and Maria started her new job. Still, there was no word from Adele.