Only She’s the Princess

When I was five, Dad brought Arya back from Grandma and Grandpa's farm and told me, Mindy, you have to protect Arya. She's the only real princess in our family!

Looking at her, skinny and with dark, shadowed eyes, I barely understood. Dad took the cloth doll from my hand and put it into hers.

Arya's had a tough life. This doll is for her. Dad will buy you another one.

I agreed, giving the doll to Arya.

But I didn't know that for the next twenty years, I'd have to keep giving way, again and again.

The doll was in Arya's hands, and Dad forgot to buy me a new one. In the end, Mom bought me one.

But as soon as I got it, Arya saw it.

She snatched it away, screaming, "That's mine!"

"No, Mom bought this for me!"

I just reached out my hand when she pinched my arm hard. I instantly shrieked in pain.

Grandma rushed over to separate us. Seeing my arm already bruised purple, she angrily swatted Arya's bottom a couple of times.

Dad saw it and immediately pulled Arya into his arms, his face grim. "Mom, how could you treat Arya like that? She wasn't favored at her grandma's, and now she's getting hit here? If you can't treat them equally, then don't come around anymore!"

Grandma trembled with rage. "Didn't you see Mindy's arm? Arya pinched it purple!"

Dad just glanced at it. "So what? Kids fighting is normal. Mom, if you can't be fair, then go back to your country estate!"

Grandma was so furious she left that very day. Arya, still in Dad's arms, shot me a smug smile.

I didn't understand. I had already given her my toy. Why did she still want to snatch mine?

Dad ruffled my hair. "Mindy, Arya grew up in the countryside and had a hard time. We need to make it up to her."

I didn't get it. Why did she having a hard time mean I had to make it up to her?

That evening, Mom came home from work and saw the large bruise on my fair arm. She had a huge fight with Dad.

The next morning, Mom specially made me an egg custard, while Arya got a hard-boiled egg.

I couldn't eat egg yolks, so Mom used this method to give me nutrients. But Arya saw it and threw a tantrum. "I want egg custard too! I want it!"

Dad's face darkened. "Diana, what's wrong with making one more egg custard!"

He directly reached out and placed my egg custard in front of Arya. But he didn't give me the hard-boiled egg.

I watched Arya mash the egg custard into a pulpy mess with her spoon, but she didn't eat it in the end.

The cold egg custard had a fishy smell, and I couldn't swallow it at all.

Mom was angry. She hugged me and took me to daycare.

Thankfully, Arya was three years older than me. She was starting elementary school and wouldn't be in my class.

But good times didn't last. I turned six and it was time to register for school.

Mom bought me a new backpack with a "Sailor Moon" design. I was thrilled and put it by my bed.

But the next morning, I woke up to find my backpack replaced with Arya's old one, covered in watercolor scribbles.

I immediately burst into tears. Mom wasn't home from her night shift yet, and Dad impatiently snapped, "Mindy! What are you crying about! Your sister never had such a nice backpack when she was little. She's the little princess of the house, let her use it first!"

My face was streaked with tears, but I wouldn't agree. Dad twisted my ear and made me stand in the corner. I wailed so loud the whole apartment building could hear me.

Arya stuck her tongue out at me. "Mindy, I'm the princess, you're the ugly servant girl. Where I come from, younger siblings get hand-me-downs from older ones!"

She went to school with my new backpack, and that day I dragged the old one, crying and sweating, and didn't even go to registration.

Mom found out when she came home from work. She immediately rushed out to buy me another one, then came back and started yelling at Dad.

"Mark Smith, you're hopelessly biased! Mindy is your daughter too, how could you be so heartless as to let her cry until her voice gave out!"

"She's so young and already comparing herself! What's wrong with an old backpack!"

Dad forgot that Arya had a brand new backpack when she started first grade.

That day, Mom held me close and slept with me in the small bed, leaving Arya with Dad. She ignored Arya's tearful pleas.

Nestled in Mom's arms, I felt incredibly warm.

Mom coaxed me to sleep. For three days after that, she gave Dad the cold shoulder. Dad simply requested overtime, and they were in a silent war for days.

Eventually, Mom softened, cooking a delicious meal, and Dad came home on time.

I also breathed a sigh of relief, because Mom had been secretly crying every day, and I didn't want her to be sad.

After this, Arya became even more aggressive.

When I was in third grade, Arya graduated from elementary school. On graduation day, Dad bought Arya a princess dress, layers of pink tulle, making her look just like a little princess.

She looked at me triumphantly. "Mindy, do you like it?"

I nodded repeatedly. "I do!"

"Then you can have it when I outgrow it!"

I tugged at the hem of my shirt. Actually, I didn't want her hand-me-downs.

Arya's clothes were always baggy and worn, as if on purpose. Every time she got rid of clothes, they either had holes or stains.

Mom chose to work out of town for extra pay and benefits.

I also didn't want to see her hard-earned money go to waste.

Because whenever she bought me new clothes, Arya would throw a huge fit, even though Mom always bought two of everything.

Mom stroked my head. "When our Mindy graduates, Mom will buy you a dress too."

I smiled through my tears, not seeing the fleeting resentment in Arya's eyes.

But I was happy, because Arya was going to junior high. She told Dad she wanted to go to the best junior high in our city.

Dad listened to her and went to inquire at the prestigious Central City Academy. It turned out there was an expensive tuition fee.

That money sparked a long argument between Mom and Dad. It was money Mom had been saving to buy a house.

"Mark Smith, the children are getting older. They both need their own rooms. Look at Mindy, she's practically squeezed onto the balcony. How can you be so heartless!"

Dad, however, said, "Arya needs to go to junior high. She's our little princess. You know how good the resources are at Central City Academy."

Mom argued fiercely, "Arya's academic foundation isn't good. She won't be able to keep up at all."

But she still couldn't convince Dad. He took the money, pushed Mom aside, and left without looking back.

Mom knelt on the floor, weeping inconsolably. "Mark Smith! Mark Smith, come back!"

His answer was the sound of the door slamming. My mom, her eyes red, held me close.

Arya stood by, saying, "Mom, am I your real daughter? Why won't you let me go to Central City Academy?"

My mom looked at her, saying nothing, her face ashen.

She applied for an overseas assignment to earn more money.

That same day, Dad came home and told Arya she had been accepted.

"Dad spent a lot of money to get you in, Arya. You must study hard."

Arya was overjoyed, and her gaze at me held an added hint of triumph.

The next day, Dad went out to borrow money to buy Arya a whole new wardrobe.

I pinched the tattered cuffs of my pants, which were fraying into threads, and walked up to Dad. "Dad, I want a new pair of pants too. Mine are all torn."

Dad pushed me hard!

"All you know is spending money! If they're torn, just patch them up. Little girl, you're so picky about what you eat and wear, it's clear your mind isn't on your studies."

I cried. Arya, munching on an apple, watched me. "Dad, she's crying so loud the whole building can hear. People will talk about you again!"

At that, Dad raised his hand and slapped me, shouting, "If you make another sound, I'll kill you!"

Half my face went numb, my ears buzzed, and I watched Dad's mouth open and close, hearing nothing.

I was scared, but I didn't dare cry out loud, tears streaming down my face.

During the summer break, Mom came back to see me. She saw me squatting downstairs, watching ants, and called my name from a distance, but I didn't turn around.

Mom thought I was too engrossed, until she stood behind me and called me, her voice growing louder with each call, before I slowly turned.

Seeing her, I instantly threw myself into her arms. "Mom!"

Mom looked down at me, hardly believing her eyes.

"Mindy, why are you dressed like this?"

The clothes I was wearing were Arya's, and she had drawn on them so much that the original color couldn't be washed out.

My exposed arms and legs were covered in mosquito bites, and I had sensitive skin, so every bite left a scar.

My hair was a messy, haphazard bun.

At first glance, I looked like a little street urchin.

If it weren't for the fact that I was the only child of my age in our apartment building, Mom would barely have recognized me.

She took me home, washed me clean, put me in a new dress, styled my hair into pretty braids, and even gave me hair clips and flowers.

I was so excited, I immediately ran out to find my friends.

From afar, I saw Arya playing jump rope with a group of kids, and I ran over too.

"Mindy looks so pretty today!"

As I got closer, I heard their words. I nodded and said loudly, "My mom's back, and she bought this for me!"

I looked like Mom, with fair skin and an oval face.

Arya resembled Dad, with a rounder face and darker skin; she didn't look as good in a dress as I did.

Hearing this, she rushed over, grabbed my braid, yanked off my hair flower, and then tightly clutched my dress.

I was no match for her. I couldn't help but cry. The neighbors who saw it didn't dare come over to intervene.

Because they had tried before, and Dad had stormed into their homes and smashed things up. Now, no one dared to meddle in our family affairs.

In the end, I was no match for Arya. She cut my hair into ragged pieces with scissors and tore my dress.

She smiled triumphantly at me, "Mindy, I told you, you're only fit to wear my old clothes!"

Back home, Mom was stunned. Her eyes immediately landed on the scissors in Arya's hand. After finding out what happened, Mom picked up a broom and went to hit her.

Just then, Dad came home and snatched the broom away.

"Diana, what are you doing!"

"Mark Smith, when I'm not home, this is how you teach our children? Look what she did to Mindy!"

Dad, however, protected Arya. "Kids fight, what's the big deal! Besides, why was Mindy showing off? Isn't she just vain!"

"I wasn't, Mom, it hurts, and I can't hear anything in my ear anymore!"

I cried inconsolably in Mom's arms. Mom was terrified and took me to the hospital. Dad, though, said, "She's just faking it!"

Mom didn't listen to him. She insisted on taking me to the hospital. After an examination, they discovered I was deaf in my right ear.

"It's a shame. You came too late. How can you parents be so irresponsible!"

"The child's ear injury was caused by external force!"

The doctor's words made Mom cry bitterly. I wiped the tears from her face and told her that Dad had hit me.

"Mom, I don't want to live with them anymore. I want to go with you, even if we have no bed to sleep on!"

My crying broke Mom's heart. She took me home and saw Dad and Arya eating.

She walked directly into the room, only to find that there was no longer a place for me in the room. I was sleeping on a wooden board set up in the living room.

Mom trembled with rage. She walked over, flipped the table over, and slapped Dad hard!

"Mark Smith, we're getting a divorce!"