There was a pause and then he added, "The only reason she’s getting anything at all is because she’s my daughter. Otherwise, she’d get nothing. Now stop arguing with me. And don’t forget to act normal when she comes back. You almost slipped up with that cake last time."
I backed away, my hands shaking as I held the milk tighter. I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
There it was. The truth, laid out so clearly it hurt. I was never really their daughter. Not in the way it mattered. I was just a burden they had to deal with, an afterthought they could pay off with a measly 500 dollars a month.
I stood there, listening to their voices fade into the house and for the first time, I realized something: I didn’t belong here. I never did.
The lawyer pulled out a draft and Dad grabbed it like he couldn’t wait another second. He snapped a quick picture and sent it to Scott, along with a voice message, “My boy, everything’s sorted. You handled the scholarship issue perfectly, exactly what I expected from you.
“That girl shouldn’t draw so much attention to herself. It’ll save her from trouble later. When you graduate, come straight to the company. I’ve already made all the arrangements for you.”
Scott replied almost immediately, “Thank you, Dad! Don’t worry, I’ll make the company even stronger. And Savannah? She’ll never know a thing.”
The lawyer adjusted his tie, all business. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll go finalize the paperwork and have Mr. Harlow sign it.”
As soon as the door closed behind him, I sank back against the wall, my legs barely holding me up. My head spun.
Our life had been one long struggle for as far back as I could remember. My parents were always talking about saving money, about how hard things were. I thought I was helping by being as frugal as possible.
I stopped taking the expensive medicine that actually helped me. I made do with a cane slapped together from scraps. I used old, beat-up textbooks other students had left behind.
Every single day at school was a gauntlet of sneers, whispers and mocking laughter. Nobody wanted to be friends with me.
Forget a boyfriend, I could barely get anyone to sit near me. Even the teachers treated me like I didn’t matter.
But I never said anything. I couldn’t. I knew how much my parents sacrificed and I didn’t want to add to their burdens.