my name is Erica and I'm the oldest of three children my father runs his own business while my mother works part-time at some Trading Company then there are the twins Lisa and Charlie who are six years younger than me they were always the golden children the ones who could do no wrong in our parents eyes from the moment the Twins were born my role in the family changed dramatically I wasn't just a big sister I became their living Nanny housekeeper and personal assistant all rolled into one while other kids my age were enjoying their childhood I was picking up the twins from school helping them with their homework and dragging them to various after school activities the house was my responsibility too cleaning cooking grocery shopping you name it I did it meanwhile Lisa and Charlie didn't lift a finger they'd come home drop their backpacks wherever they pleased and leave a trail of mess behind them like it was their job one particularly frustrating afternoon when I was about 15 I finally gathered the courage to confront my parents about this Arrangement Mom Dad I said during dinner trying to keep my voice steady why am I the only one who has to do all the housework Lisa and Charlie never help with anything mom put down her fork and gave me that look the one that made me feel like I was being ridiculous for even asking Honey that's just how things work in families the old oldest child always has more responsibilities but that's not true I protested I've been to Sarah's and Jessica's houses and their families split the chores equally between all the kids those families are raising their children wrong Mom snapped her face hardening is that what this is about you've been getting ideas from your friends the twins exchanged knowing smirks across the table they loved it when I got in trouble later that week I tried talking to Lisa and Charlie directly about helping out more why don't you guys ever help with the housework I asked them while we were doing their homework Lisa rolled her eyes mom says we need to focus on our studies and activities that's our main task yeah Charlie chimed in with a smug grin you're supposed to do all that stuff mom told us so but it wasn't just about the chores the twins seemed to take pleasure in making my life harder they deliberately mess up rooms i' just cleaned or break things and blame it on me sometimes they'd lie to our parents claiming I hadn't helped them with their homework or forgotten to buy something they'd asked for my senior year of high school should have been exciting a Time filled with college applications campus visits and dreams of the future instead it became yet another reminder that in my family I would always come second to the twins I remember the evening clearly I was sitting at the kitchen table surrounded by college brochures when my parents came home they had that look on their faces the one they always got when they were about to deliver bad news to me Erica we need to talk about college dad started not quite meeting my eyes Mom jumped in her voice matter of fact we've been looking at our finances and we just don't have the money for your college education all our savings need to go toward the twins future education the words hit me like a physical blow I sat there staring at the brochures that now seemed to mock me with their Promises of Bright Futures and New Beginnings but I've been working so hard I managed to say my voice barely above a whisper my grades are good I could get scholarships the decision is final mom cut me off we have to think about Lisa and Charlie's future what about my future I asked fighting back tears you're resourceful honey dad said patting my shoulder awkwardly you'll figure something out that night I lay in bed listening to the twins laughing in their room down the hall they already knew I could tell by the way they'd been smirking at me during dinner once again they were getting everything while I got nothing but something snapped in me that night instead of breaking down I got angry really angry the next day I started job hunting within 2 weeks I had lined up a position at an entry-level corporate job it wasn't glamorous but it paid enough for me to rent a tiny apartment the day after graduation I moved out the years that followed were hard but I worked my ass off I took every training opportunity my company offered volunteered for extra projects and slowly climbed a corporate ladder while I didn't have a college degree I had something better Real World experience and a fierce determination to succeed meanwhile the twins got their college education just as planned mom and dad found plenty of money for their tuition housing and expenses they graduated with fancy degrees and even fancier attitudes about it the irony Lisa can't hold down a job for more than 3 or 4 months she's always got some excuse about why each position isn't the right f for her talents and Charlie he's working as a warehouse supervisor a job that definitely doesn't require the expensive degree our parents went into debt for but oh how they love to bring up their college education at every family gathering well as someone with a degree in Business Administration Lisa will start giving me that sideways look she's perfected over the years you know back in college Charlie will chime in not to be outdone I just sit there sipping my wine and thinking about my salary that's more than their combined incomes sometimes I have to hide my smile behind my glass when they start bragging about their degrees while living paycheck to paycheck one day I was mindlessly scrolling through my feed during my lunch break when I saw my cousin Sarah's post there she was standing in this gorgeous emerald green dress beaming at the camera the caption read can't wait for Aunt Margaret's big celebration I froze my sandwich halfway to my mouth my mother's birthday wasn't for another few weeks and I hadn't heard anything about a celebration maybe I was jumping to conclusions perhaps it was for something else entirely my fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment before I typed beautiful dress what's the celebration for Sarah's response came almost immediately for Aunt Margaret's 55th birthday party it's going to be amazing how haven't you started planning your outfit yet I felt like I'd been dunked in ice water my mother was planning a big birthday celebration and I her eldest daughter knew nothing about it my hands were shaking as I pulled up my phone contacts and called my mother she answered on the fourth ring Erica what is it I'm rather busy right now Mom I said trying to keep my voice steady I just saw Sarah's post about your birthday party why haven't I heard anything about it there was a pause on the other end of the line then a small sigh when she spoke again her voice had that familiar condescending tone I'd grown up hearing oh that well Erica I didn't invite you because I don't want you there I actually pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at it for a moment sure I must have misheard what do you mean you don't want me there I'm your daughter yes well she cleared her throat the thing is Erica this is going to be quite an upscale event there will be a lot of important people there people from high society your father's business associates my friends from the country club and frankly I'd be embarrassed to introduce you you don't have a college degree Erica what would I say when people ask what you do it would be uncomfortable I sat there phone pressed to my ear listening to my mother essentially tell me I wasn't good enough to attend her birthday party so Lisa and Charlie are invited I asked already knowing the answer of course they are she replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world they college graduates they understand how to conduct themselves in sophisticated company I thought about Lisa who couldn't hold down a job for more than a few months and Charlie who worked in a warehouse but they had degrees so apparently that made them sophisticated enough for Mom's party I see I said my voice sounding strange and distant to my own ears so that's really how you feel about me oh don't be so dramatic Erica this is exactly why I didn't want to have this conversation you always make everything into such a scene I'd always known my mother loved the twins more than me but this was different this wasn't just preferential treatment or casual neglect this was my mother explicitly stating that she was ashamed of me that I wasn't worthy of being seen with the family in public I barely slept that night my mother's words playing on repeat In My Head by morning I'd convinced myself that my father couldn't possibly agree with this he'd always been more reasonable even if he did favor the twins I needed to hear his side of things I drove to my parents house the next morning rehearsing what I'd say in my head when I pulled into the driveway I noticed both Lisa's and Charlie's cars were there too great the whole family was home for this showdown mom answered the door with an exasperated look like I was a door-to-door salesperson interrupting her day Erica what are you doing here I need to talk to Dad I said pushing past her into the house they were all in the living room dad and his usual armchair the twins sprawled on the couch like they owned the place dad I started my voice already shaking with emotion did Mom tell you about our conversation yesterday what do you think about it he shifted uncomfortably in his chair not quite meeting my eyes I think your mother's right it would be better if you didn't come the words hit me like a slap I looked around the room at these people who were supposed to be my family all of you feel this way obviously Lisa rolled her eyes nobody wants you there Charlie nodded for once can't you just accept something without making it into a huge deal I couldn't believe what I was hearing so none of you see anything wrong with excluding me from a family celebration don't you realize how unfair this is it's been like this my entire life the twins are the favorites and I'm pushed into the background you don't even see me as part of this family anymore see Lisa jumped up pointing at me accusingly this is exactly why we don't want you there you're such a drama queen Erica always making scenes always reacting negatively to everything every time something good happens to us you try to ruin it with your attitude you're just jealous because Charlie and I made something of ourselves while you that's enough I cut in my voice Rising made something of yourselves you can't keep a job for 3 months and Charlie's working in a warehouse the only thing you've made of yourselves is a joke Erica mom gasped clutching her pearls like I just committed some horrible social faux paw I turned to my father Desperately Seeking some sign of support but his face had hardened I think it's time for you to leave he said firmly this conversation is over leave our house immediately I stormed out of the house slamming the door so hard the windows rattled as I got into my car I could see them through the living room window probably already criticizing Mike dramatic exit but I didn't care anymore they'd finally shown their true colors all of them they say revenge is a dish best served cold but sometimes life hands you an opportunity that's too perfect to pass up that's exactly what happened 2 weeks before my mother's birthday I was grabbing lunch at this little cafe downtown not my usual spot but my regular place was packed as I waited for my order I glanced around the room and that's when I saw her my mother was sitting in a corner Booth trying to be inconspicuous in a wide brimmed hat but I'd know that perfect posture anywhere she wasn't alone sitting across from her was a man I'd never seen before he was probably in his early 40s well-dressed in a business suit and definitely not my father as I watched he he reached across the table and touched her hand and she giggled actually giggled like a school girl my phone was in my hand before I even realized what I was doing I pretended to be scrolling through social media while carefully angling the camera their way click Another Touch click a shared laugh click after about an hour they got up to leave I waited a few moments Then followed they got into his car a sleek black Mercedes and I followed in mine keeping a safe distance the car stopped at a red light and I managed to get several clear shots of them kissing passionately completely oblivious to the world around them the Mercedes pulled up to the Grand Plaza Hotel I parked across the street and watched as they walked in hands clasped together like teenagers in love I got it all on video their entrance the way they checked in how they couldn't keep their hands off each other as they waited for the elevator back at home I started planning a quick internet search of the man's license plate number led me to his social media profiles he wasn't hard to find Richard Thompson successful real estate developer office in downtown married three kids I spent the next few days preparing everything first I had the photos professionally printed in large format the one of them kissing in the car came out particularly well the hotel entrance footage went onto a USB drive along with several other Clips I'd managed to capture I bought the most elegant gift box I could find cream colored with gold trim each photo I carefully rolled into a tube and tied with a silk ribbon very classy very sophisticated just like my mother always insisted everything should be the greeting card was the final touch I wrote MrThompson full name and address and my best calligraphy along with a small note thought you might want to know who your husband really is that one was for his wife who I was sure would be at the party mom had mentioned her specifically when talking about her sophisticated guest list I closed the box and tied it with a beautiful golden Bell it looked exactly like what you'd expect an expensive birthday present to look like nobody would suspect what was inside until it was too late the day of my mother's birthday party arrived I'd arranged everything perfectly The Courier was scheduled to deliver the package at exactly 8:30 p. m. when I knew they'd be starting to open gifts I sat in my apartment that evening nervously checking my phone every few minutes The Courier confirmed delivery at 8:32 p.
m. now all I could do was wait I didn't have to wait long the next morning my phone rang at 7:00 a. m.
