No More Scraps From My Sister

Even when my fianc was picking out my wedding jewelry, he still bought two pieces and let my sister choose first.

One was a pink diamond necklace he had tracked across three cities, paying a fortune for it at a luxury auction.

The other was a cheap black onyx brooch that came as a free promotional gift. It didn't match a wedding dress at all.

For the first time in my life, I pointed to the necklace before she could.

"Can I choose first this time?"

Ryan ruffled my hair, his tone patronizing.

"Victoria is competitive, Gina. If she isn't the first choice, she'd rather have nothing. You've never been picky, and the other piece isn't bad."

I didn't say anything, but my chest felt completely hollow.

Growing up with Ryan for twenty years meant I was always the one picking up Victorias scraps.

Every summer, when the watermelon was sliced, Ryan would hand the platter to Victoria first. She would take the center pieceseedless, sweet, and vibrant red. Then, Ryan would push the remaining pale, seed-filled rind toward me.

"This one is ripe too, just a little less sweet. It'll do."

When he got a new car, he let Victoria claim her spot. She picked shotgun, claiming she was prone to car sickness. Ryan pointed to the back.

"The back seat is a little cramped, but either side is fine for you."

Later, it was the same with love. He had loved Victoria, but she chose to chase her PhD and her academic ambitions abroad. Left behind and heartbroken, Ryan turned around and proposed to me.

To Ryan, Victoria was always the first choice.

I looked at the cheap black brooch and gently pushed it back.

"Give both to Victoria, Ryan. I don't want to choose anymore."

I didn't want to choose from the leftovers.

Ryan let out an exasperated sigh.

"Gina, a cheap promotional piece like this doesn't suit your sister."

I looked him dead in the eye.

"Then why does it suit me?"

Ryan froze, then laughed it off.

"Come on. When you two stood together as kids, everyone said you looked like her little shadow. You can't carry off a loud color like pink diamonds. Black is low-key. It doesn't demand attention."

The little shadow.

Victoria and I are twins, but I never measured up. In school, she was always straight-A, while I pulled all-nighters only to scrape Bs. My mother would pinch my temple and sigh, "You came out of the same womb, how are you so slow? Whatever, we only need one genius in the family."

I followed Victoria around, carrying her bag, peeling her apples. I was the shadow for ten years.

I had told Ryan more than once how much I hated that label. He would always promise, "Okay, I won't say it again." But the second Victoria was in the room, those words slipped out of his mouth anyway.

I looked at him, my voice flat.

"Ryan, we're over. Let's call off the wedding."

Ryan stared at me, smiling like I was a child throwing a tantrum.

"Alright, if you don't like the brooch, we'll get you something else. No need to say things like that. We'll go to the mall right now, and you can pick whatever you want, okay?"

Victoria slid the pink diamond necklace toward me.

"Gina, take it. You're getting married, don't act like a child."

But Ryan stopped her hand.

"I bought that specifically for you, Victoria. Gina can't pull it off anyway. It'd be wasted on her."

So much for letting me "choose" first. It was always meant for her.

Ryan pulled me by the shoulder toward the door. But at the mall entrance, Victoria mentioned she wanted to check out a new designer perfume. Ryan immediately nodded.

"We'll look at Victoria's perfume first, then get your gift. No rush."

Always the same.

Victoria spent forever at the counter, torn between two scents. Ryan noticed her hesitation.

"Just get both. Use one now, and give the other to Gina. You two can swap whenever you want."

He paid and handed me the extra bottle.

"There, gift solved. Your sister has great taste, you should be happy."

I didn't take it. I looked at the bottle, finding it almost funny.

Didn't he say we came here to let me choose?

"I'm packing my things from your apartment tonight. I'm not coming back."

Ryan's hand froze mid-air. His face hardens.

"Gina, stop playing games."

That night, he called my parents over. The moment my mother walked in, she jabbed my temple.

"Have you lost your mind, calling off a wedding? Do you know how lucky you are to have Ryan? You're average-looking and slow. If your sister wasn't so focused on her career, do you honestly think he'd look at you?"

My head throbbed. I had heard this my entire life. I was slow, I was plain, I was not Victoria.

Ryan stepped in front of me, smiling to smooth things over.

"Don't say that, Mrs. Miller. Gina is sweet. She's not unworthy of me."

My mother beamed at him.

"Look how he defends you! Where else will you find a man this good? If you break up with him, don't bother calling me your mother."

Yes, such a good man. I should be deeply grateful.

I sniffled. "Okay."

Everyone sighed in relief, like a petulant child finally behaving.

I went to my room, locked the door, and called Beth. The tears fell silently.

"Beth, is that spot still open at your pottery studio in Asheville?"

Beth's voice was cautious.

"Aren't you getting married next week? Will your family let you go?"

I looked out into the dark night.

"Beth, what would you say if I left him at the altar?"

She gasped. To her, I had always been the quiet, obedient, non-confrontational girl. But being good never got me loved. I spent my life on tiptoe, trying to get Ryan and my parents to look at me, but I didn't want to be the "good girl" anymore.

The next day, Ryan took me to see the house renovations. I walked toward the passenger seat, but he pulled me back.

"Silly girl, that's Victoria's seat."

Victoria walked up, and Ryan opened the door for her.

"Victoria wants to buy a house soon too, so she's coming to take a look."

I quietly slid into the back seat. "Okay."

At the beautiful townhouse, Victoria's eyes lit up when she saw the master suite.

"The light here is perfect, and the humidity is just right for my lab samples."

Ryan stood beside her.

"If you like it, this room is yours whenever you visit. I'll get my best designer to remodel it for your equipment."

I stood in the doorway. During the entire buying process, Ryan had never cared about the house. "A house is just a place to sleep," he'd say. But now, he and Victoria stood side-by-side by the window, discussing blueprints like newlyweds.

Victoria turned to me with a playful smile. "Gina, you don't mind if I take this room, do you?"

I looked at Ryan. "You know this was supposed to be our master bedroom, right?"

Ryan's gaze was perfectly calm.

"It's just a label, Gina. You don't need scientific humidity levels. Just pick one of the other rooms."

I loosened my clenched fists. "She's my sister. Let her have it."

Ryan patted my head. "Good girl, Gina."

Next was the bridal salon. My three custom dresses were ready. Victoria linked her arm through mine warmly.

"Let me help you check them, baby sis."

She seemed like a caring sister. But while I was trying them on, she got a phone call and looked distressed.

"The gown for my award ceremony gala got ruined, and I can't find a replacement in time..."

Ryan scanned the salon, his eyes landing on my reception dress.

"Victoria has pale skin, this ivory gown would look stunning on her. Let her have this one."

The stylist can't help but speak up.

"Sir, Miss Gina came here thirty times to sketch and adjust the details for this custom dress. And... who wears a secondhand dress for their own wedding?"

Ryan looked at me, taking my compliance for granted. To him, if Victoria needed it, I should give it.

I clutched my chest. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt as much anymore. I changed out of the dress and handed it to Victoria.

"It's fine. It'll look beautiful on you, Victoria."

Ryan looked surprised for a second, then softened.

"Thank you, Gina. I'll help you pick an even better one."

But his eyes remained glued to Victoria in the gown. He knelt down, personally smoothing out the creases in her train.

I used to dream of him doing that for me. Out of thirty visits, he only came once. When the stylist suggested he help adjust my train because "it's romantic," he hadn't even looked up from his phone. "That's dramatic, not romantic. We pay them to do that."

Watching him kneel at Victoria's feet, I finally understood the price of my illusions.

Everyone always preferred Victoria. My parents, Ryan. But I couldn't help loving him because when my parents screamed at me for being stupid, Ryan was the one who slipped me a strawberry candy and said, "Being silly is cute, too."

I hid that love for years. Even when he proposed to Victoria and she rejected him for her career, and he proposed to me in a rebound haze, I said yes. I gave up my art to work as his assistant, forcing myself to read dry data sheets to be more like her. But I could never be Victoria, and he could never love me.

My phone buzzed. Beth: The studio is ready. When are you coming?

Victoria had changed out of the dress. Ryan handed me a simple black gown.

"Just take this one, Gina. Victoria has to run, let's not keep her. This one is simple and elegant. Fits you."

Black again. The color I hated.

I looked down and replied to Beth: On the wedding day. I'm leaving.

That evening, we went to my parents' house for dinner. I realized it was my and Victoria's joint birthday.

Ryan bought the cake.

"You two share a birthday, so one cake is easier."

The cake was beautiful, but it was layered with thick mango cream. Victoria loves mango; I am severely allergic. But no one seemed to notice.

Ryan inserted the candles, placing the birthday crown on Victoria's head.

"Make a wish, Victoria."

I looked at the mango cake, the crown, and Ryan's warm smile.

"Ryan," I said quietly. "You always buy two of everything, but we only have one cake. And why am I always the last one to choose?"

The room went dead silent.

Ryan frowned. "It's always been this way, Gina. What is wrong with you lately?"

My mother glared at me. "She's your older sister, and she's accomplished. Of course she goes first. If you were half as smart as her, I'd let you blow the candles first!"

The words died in my throat.

Victoria made her wish, and they sang to her. By the time it was my turn, the candles had melted down to the wax.

Ryan shrugged. "No more candles left. A wish is just a wish anyway. You can make one next year, Gina."

Twenty years. Every year is "next year," but next year never comes. Does an ordinary child not deserve to be loved?

I watched them eat the cake, my mind drifting far away.

The conversation shifted to the wedding. Mom asked me, "How are the banquet preparations?"

Before I could speak, she turned to Ryan.

"Oh, Ryan, since your business partners are coming, Victoria can present her new research product at the reception as a promotion!"

Ryan nodded instantly. "Great idea. We can cancel the slide show of our memories and let Victoria take that slot."

Victoria smiled. "We don't have to cancel it, I'll just speak briefly. I don't want to ruin Gina's wedding."

Ryan looked at her earnestly. "Nonsense, if you do it, do it right. Don't worry, I'll handle the schedule."

The three of them excitedly planned the display stands, the stage timing, the banners. My wedding was being turned into a corporate product launch, and not one person asked for my opinion.

But it didn't matter. There wouldn't be a wedding anyway.

Feeling suffocated, I retreated to my room. Outside, they were waiting for the live broadcast of Victoria's national science competition results.

I packed my things in my old bedroom. There wasn't muchjust an old sketchbook of my childhood drawings hidden at the bottom of a drawer.

Suddenly, a cheer erupted from the living room. Victoria had won first place.

Laughter, applause, and excitement filled the house. Then I heard Victoria's sweet, whining voice: "But the award ceremony is the same day as Gina's wedding. None of you can come with me. It's such an important moment, and I'll be all alone."

Silence fell over the living room.

Then I heard Ryan's voice: "You won't be alone."

A knock on my door. Ryan stood there, his tone pleading.

"Gina, Victoria's award is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement. Can we move our wedding to the evening?"

I wanted to laugh. Is a wedding not a once-in-a-lifetime event?

The housekeeper muttered, "An evening wedding? People only do that for rushed shotgun weddings or quick elopements."

My mother snapped at her. "Nonsense! Don't fill her head with superstitious garbage!"

Ryan looked at me with soft, pleading eyes. "Please, Gina? You're always the understanding one."

I looked at him, remembering when I won a minor art contest as a kid. I begged my parents to come, but they said Victoria's debate tournament was more important. Ryan saw me crying and promised, "Don't worry, I'll be there to watch you get your trophy."

But he ended up at Victoria's debate tournament too. I stood on that stage alone, watching other parents hug their children.

And now, I was still alone.

"Sure. Move it to the evening."

A wedding without a bride could be held whenever they wanted.

They celebrated, and Ryan got drunk.

Looking at his hazy eyes, I asked, "Ryan, are you looking forward to our wedding?"

He didn't answer. The cold wind drafted between us.

"Then why did you propose to me in the first place?"

I knew it was a rebound, but I wanted to hear him say it.

He muttered, slurring his words. "In life... you settle. Finding someone fifty percent similar to her... is the best I could do. And you're her sister. Being with you... means I still get to see her..."

The wind stung my eyes, but the tears had dried up. The truth was cruder than I had ever imagined.

On the wedding day, before dawn, the house was bustlingnot for my wedding, but for Victoria's ceremony. Everyone was picking outfits, doing makeup, and coordinating routes for her big day.

I walked out of my room, fully dressed. "I'll head out first. There are things to prep at the venue."

Ryan didn't even look up as he helped Victoria double-check her luggage. "Alright, go ahead. Don't keep the guests waiting later."

I grabbed my small purse and walked out.

I headed straight to the airport.

As the Uber pulled away, I saw Ryan's car in the rearview mirror. My family happily piled into it, driving toward Victoria's triumph.

The ceremony lasted four hours. By the time it ended, I had landed in Asheville.

My phone buzzed. Ryan: Gina, since the wedding is in the evening, let's skip the family tea ceremony and photos. I'll be late. Victoria gets overwhelmed by these crowds, you go to the venue first. Be a good girl.

I stared at the text, blocked his number, and turned off the phone.

Beth hugged me at the terminal. "Let's go."

Meanwhile, Ryan and my family finally arrived at the wedding venue, only to find chaos.

A friend grabbed him. "I thought the bride was arriving early? Where is she?"

Ryan froze. The wedding planner ran over, sweating. "Mr. Miller, we can't reach the bride. Her phone is off."