My parents always made it clear who the favorite was. Melissa could do no wrong, and I learned young that I’d always be an afterthought—unless I was a convenient scapegoat.

Birthday parties were hers, even when it was my name on the cake. Vacations? She picked the destination. Arguments? I lost them before they even began. By thirteen, I’d mastered the art of staying silent—ducking under the radar where it was safer.

But silence doesn’t make someone love you. And it certainly didn’t protect me when Melissa turned on me in high school. With her popularity fading, she redirected all that venom toward me. Accused me of stealing money. Of lying. Of cheating. And our parents? They believed her every time.

I stopped fighting. Focused on my grades. Quietly applied to colleges. And when the acceptance letter came with a full scholarship, I locked myself in the bathroom and cried. Not because I was sad—but because I was finally free.

College gave me everything home never did: peace, independence… and Ryan.

We met in the library, both reaching for the same book. He made me laugh within five minutes. Within a year, he made me feel like I actually mattered. When he proposed in our tiny apartment, I said yes without a second thought.