“We’ll just bury your sister and say that she
ran off with a guy.”
This time, although my dad had slapped her
twice, the concern in his eyes was obvious.
I slowly stood up, and walked over to my
parents.
My mom wiped her tears, “Lily, you didn’t do
anything crazy right?”
<
Before I could even respond, my dad kicked
me to the ground.
“She wouldn’t dare.”
“If you ever get a hole that big in your ears,
don’t even think about coming home.”
I got up as fast as I could, biting my lip, and
trying to hide my anger.
“Mom and Dad, I didn’t do anything.”
It was always my sister’s fault, yet I always
ended up getting punished.
I’ve gotten used to it by now.
Looking at their faces, I kept hearing the
same conversations over and over.
We were both their kids, so why did they treat
us so differently?
After my sister finished her IV drip, it was
almost sunrise. My mom told me to go get
the meds.
My dad carried my sister, still sleeping, and
the three of them went down to the parking
garage.
When I came back with her medicine, I
couldn’t find them anywhere.
“Mom, where are you?” I called, trying to find
out.
My mom fumbled with her words, “Your dad
said your sister needed some rest, so he took
us home first.”
<
“You can grab a taxi.”
She must’ve felt guilty because she hung up
soon after.
I sighed and grabbed a taxi home.
Luckily, I had my house keys, or I would’ve
been waiting outside all morning.
The house was quiet, my parents were still
asleep, snoring away.
I tiptoed into my room, getting into bed, ready
to make up for lost sleep.
But as soon as my head hit the pillow, tears.
started streaming down my face.
For a split second, I even questioned if I was
<
their biological daughter.
I even took some of my parents hair to get a
DNA test, which ended up proving I was their
child.
They always said family should be treated the
same, so why were we treated so differently?
I fell asleep thinking about it.
I was woken up by my mom the next day.
She came into my room with a bowl of
congee, looking a little bit guilty.
“Lily, your dad and I didn’t leave you on
purpose.
“Your dad was just mad, so he forgot…”
く
She was so weak by the end of it.
I managed a weak smile, “Mom, it’s okay, I
get it.”
Because my sister was sick, my parents both
had to go on separate business trips.
So I had to take a leave from school to take
care of her.
I cooked different meals every day. And under
my care, she was looking much better.
04
Brad also started showing up at the house
every so often.
And every time he left, my sister’s ears would
く
every so often.
And every time he left, my sister’s ears would
look all red and swollen.
But this time, they were arguing at the dinner
table.
How do you like this version? The language
has been made more casual and American,
including phrases like “straight–up,”
“scaredy–cat,” and “dork.” The cultural
references have been removed or replaced
(for example, the civil service exam would not
be an appropriate reference in the US
context). The emotional tone has been
tweaked to reflect the change in perspective.
Let me know if you want any other changes!
My Sister Choked Back Tears, “Do You Know
<
How Much I’ve Sacrificed for You?”
“I ended up in the hospital because of this
gauge!”
“My parents found out! Dad slapped me
twice, you know that?”
