Never Home Again

My sister, Nancy Wood, wanted to be the family's only child, so my mother had my name changed and handed my identification documents over to my grandmother. She even told me I had to pay for everything if I wanted to live under their roof. The change and coupons Nancy got from her shopping were the sole source of allowance I'd get. If she saved 30 dollars from her shopping trips, I would get 30 dollars next month. It was the last day for all students to enter their applications for college. I begged my sister to let me use her computer. She extended her hand. "You have to pay me 20 bucks." I fished all the money out of my pocket. I only had 19 dollars. So, I hastily blurted in a panic, "I'm only one dollar short. Please!" Nancy arched her eyebrow at me and shook her head. "Don't even think about it! It's 20 bucks and not a penny less! If you can't afford it, then don't use it! It's not as if someone's pointing a gun at you for you to go to college!" My mother watched at the sidelines impassively. Then, she took Nancy's side. "She's right. You remember the rules. You can't use our stuff for free!" Time was running out. I barged into my room to scrounge for money. Fortunately, I finally found a dollar in the corner of my bed. Then, I charged right at the computer, ignoring Nancy's sullen mood. The notification froze me to my bones. "Application time is up." It expired just a minute ago. My eyes were glued to the screen, my blood turning to ice under my skin. I could distantly hear my mother comforting Nancy. "She's just some distant relative. You shouldn't get worked up over her." A surge of bitterness welled up inside me as I sent a message to my teacher, "I'll go to Lorantia." After all, I was nothing but a relative. So, I should know my place and stop troubling them any further. Chapter 1 Yvonne's POV Right after I sent that text, my sister, Nancy Wood, started screeching, "Yvonne's got a secret stash of money, Mom! I saw it! She hid it somewhere in her bed!" I rushed out to explain, but my mother, Karen Carter, was already frowning in displeasure. "What? You're hiding money?" I waved my hands as I blurted, "I didn't! I only had 20 dollars left. It's just that one of them got stuck in the bed by accident!" I tried my best to explain, but Karen didn't believe me. I quickly went back into my room and opened up the ledger. Every transaction I'd made was recorded there as clear as day. "It's really my money." Karen scanned the ledger, and her face fell. Then, she clicked her tongue and demanded, "Why do you have a record of this?" I was stunned. "I just want to prove—" "Prove what?" Karen barked impatiently. "That we're treating you badly? That we're unfair to you? Have you forgotten that you're not even supposed to live here? You're only staying here thanks to Nancy! Apologize to her right now!" She was so pushy that there was no room left for negotiation. Nancy crossed her arms and looked at me imperiously. "This is the Wood household, and you're a Riverson now. What you own—your room, your clothes, and even your money belong to me." I felt my heart squeeze while my eyes burned with unshed tears. However, I couldn't voice my grievances. Instead, I forced my back to bend low and apologize. "Right. Now, clean up and get ready for dinner," Karen ordered as she swanned away, pretending as if nothing had ever happened. I couldn't resist getting a shot in as I sniped, "I didn't get to put in my application, Mom." She looked at me and said coolly, "So? It's your fault for paying the fee so late. Besides, we've already done our due diligence by paying for your high school fees." Nancy sneered and shoved me away. Then, she went into the kitchen to search for food. Karen quickly stopped her. "Don't. It's still hot." Then, she glared at me. "Come on, don't just stand there! Serve the food already!" My heart twisted at the differential treatment. I didn't know why I was still feeling that way. After all, I've known since forever that I'd never be the one they cared about. For starters, they only ever cooked Nancy's favorites. My father, Robert Wood, kept piling food on her plate, while my mother would ask her if school was tiring her out. I sat quietly and ate. The rules said I could only have plain pasta. Just then, Karen pretended to finally acknowledge that I was there by throwing a shrimp onto my plate as if she was showering me with great generosity. "Eat. This one's on the house." I looked at the shrimp but didn't touch it. Karen's face fell from the perceived insult. So, she grabbed the shrimp and tossed it to the dog. Roundy happily ate it and barked at my mother. She remarked sarcastically, "Even the dog knows how to show gratitude, but you? Hah!" I said quietly, "I'm allergic to that." Karen's face froze at my response. Nancy rolled her eyes. "Gosh, you are such a princess! It's not like you'd die eating one little shrimp!" I hung my head low and murmured quietly, "I actually will die if I have one shrimp." That same amount of money spent on Claritin could cover four of my meals or four days of rent. So, I could never afford that. Robert slammed his fork down. "How dare you make a fuss at dinner! What right do you have to keep talking back to Nancy? Look at what you did! You've upset everyone over one single dollar!" He glared at me with impatience in his eyes. "I don't care how much Nancy saves. You're only getting a dollar next month!" Chapter 2 Robert stormed off right after that. Meanwhile, Nancy laughed at my misery and went back to her room. Finally, Karen turned to me and extended her hand. "Five dollars. Today's rent." I hung my head low. "But I gave Nancy all my money." Karen frowned in displeasure. "That's your problem. No money, no boarding." She pulled the door leading to the balcony open. "Don't make me push you." I went to my room quietly and grabbed my bag. It was filled with all my necessities and a set of clothes. I was used to this. After all, this wasn't my first rodeo out there. I'd just opened the door when Nancy tossed a pile of her clothes onto my bed. "You didn't get into college. Get a job and move out already. I need my closet back." I looked at the room that was already filled with her clothes and said nothing. I picked up my bag and was about to leave. Alas, she grabbed my hand, took the bag, and rummaged through it. "You hid money earlier. You might be hiding something else." She tossed the stuff in my bag to the ground. Then, she turned it around and started violently shaking it. Once she confirmed that it was empty, she nodded happily. "At least you have enough conscience not to steal." I crouched and picked my stuff back up. My mother was still at the balcony entrance, urging, "Move it! It's hot out there! Nancy's going to be worried if the hot air comes in and hits Roundy with a heat stroke!" Roundy was Nancy's pet. That dog had her own clothes, snacks, and even her own spot. On the other hand, I didn't even have the right to sleep on the couch. Sure enough, I'd just stepped outside when the door slammed shut behind me. I turned around only to see my mother locking my room before locking the kitchen. Once she did that, she locked her and Nancy's rooms. It was obvious that she didn't want me sneaking into the kitchen for food, and she definitely didn't want me to sneak into their room for money. To them, I was an outsider, a stranger they had to guard against. The balcony was filled with Nancy's flowers. I sat in a corner holding my stuff. Then, I remembered a question I asked my mother when I was little. "Why does Nancy have everything, while I have to pay for every little thing?" Karen's eyes were filled with disappointment. "She could've been an only child if it weren't for you. She could've had a better life. Remember, everything you have now stems from her kindness." It was then that I realized my existence itself was a sin. My parents felt that they owed Nancy for birthing me. I took the mat beside me and rolled it out like I did a thousand times before. I could still remember the first time I was made to sleep on the balcony, and it happened because I talked back to Nancy. At the time, she had said nothing. However, she stopped using discount coupons for a month and never used coupons for her deliveries, nor did she look out for deals whenever she went out shopping. As the last day of the month rolled by, she used a five-dollar coupon for a drink. She looked at me coldly as she hissed, "Remember, I'm the one who gives you your allowance. It's because of my kindness that you live." I only had five dollars for that month. That was only enough for a day, and I spent the rest of the month sleeping on the balcony. It was the last time I actively ever went against her wishes. My phone's screen lit up. My teacher, Lorine Smith, texted me, "I'll handle the flight ticket and scholarship application. We're leaving in five days." I held my phone and leaned on the door, feeling slivers of cold air from the AC slip through the cracks. A tiny smile appeared on my lips as I thought in relief, 'I'm finally leaving this place.' Chapter 3 When morning came, I went into the bathroom only to find my one and only scented soap missing. Before I could voice my shock, I heard Karen say, "Nancy used it to clean Roundy's clothes. Her clothes are quality fabric and have to be hand washed with scented soap. You can make do with regular soaps. I'm giving it to you for free." After a beat, she added, "And make it quick. Free water only lasts for five minutes, and I'm counting." I kept my mouth shut and washed myself faster. Once my five minutes were up, she started urging me to make myself scarce. So, I quickly changed into the bleached clothes and left in a hurry. It was my last day working as a home tutor. I could get my pay after the day was done. It didn't pay a lot, but I could afford a new phone and a set of new clothes with the money. I could go overseas looking presentable. My employer just got off a call when I knocked the door open. She said coldly, "Leave. We don't need you anymore." I was stunned. "Why? I haven't even started classes today." She sneered. "You know why. You didn't even get into college! You don't get to tutor my child, you liar!" I quickly explained, "It wasn't…" She interrupted, "Wasn't what? I can't believe you'd lie and tell me you were a college student! It's a good thing your parents told me the truth!" I stood there, utterly frozen as my mind filled with white noise. I heard hurried footsteps come from outside. Sure enough, there stood my 'family'. Karen yanked me to her side and glowered at me. Then, she simpered, "I'm dreadfully sorry my daughter is such a liar. We didn't mean to trouble you." I wanted to explain, but she raised her voice over mine, yelling, "Must you be this vain? I can't believe you're tutoring someone else when you can't even get into college! And you told them you could study abroad?" She was red with fury as she hissed, "We don't have that kind of money!" The commotion got the attention of all the neighbors. Nancy glared at me with disdain. "You're a big, fat liar!" It wasn't loud, but everyone heard it. Their noses turned up in disdain as they sized me up with eyes filled with contempt, their tongues wagging as they gossiped about me. I immediately blew my top. "I didn't lie!" Robert yanked my arm unceremoniously. "Enough! You've embarrassed us enough! Let's go!" I grabbed the door frame like my life depended on it. "My pay…" My ex-employer frowned at me with disgust. "I've given that to your parents," she spat before closing the door in my face. That was it. I turned to my parents. "Give me the money!" My parents violently gripped my arm. "As if! We're going home! You've embarrassed us enough!" Chapter 4 Karen tossed me into the house, which made me stagger on my feet. Before I could even find my bearing, I saw Nancy wagging her phone at my face like she was showing off. Sure enough, there was a transaction record of 2,800 dollars on the screen. My bloodshot eyes were glued to the screen. That was my pay. I worked for hours and tutored until my throat was parched just to earn that money. It was supposed to be my first payday. That money was supposed to be my ticket to a new life. "Give it back to me," I rasped hoarsely. Nancy ignored me and opened up her shopping app. "Let me get them shoes. This bag. Oh, and that dress." She kept clicking on the cart, and her phone kept dinging with each successful payment. To my fury, she still looked dissatisfied even after she'd spent the last penny. "2,800 dollars isn't enough. I could barely buy anything with it." My world was starting to spin as I yelled, "Give me back my money!" Nancy looked at me and stated matter-of-factly, "Your money? Please! The only money you ever got came from me. Now that you're making your own money, it's time for you to pay back your dues." I screamed in despair and lunged at Nancy in an attempt to get the phone. Unfortunately, my mother shoved me away. My back slammed into the table's corner, and the agony nearly knocked me out. The pain was so searing that I nearly couldn't stand back up. "Are you insane? Did you seriously attack Nancy over a measly 2,800 dollars? You're far too obsessed with money!" she shrieked. Nancy slid her phone into her pocket and took out a dollar. "Oh, I almost forgot." She snickered. "I was going to use some of those discount coupons, but then I remembered you'd only have a dollar next month. Then again, it doesn't matter even if I saved any money, right? "Here you go, early payday." She put the dollar in my hand. I grabbed her wrist and snarled. "Give me back my money!" Robert strode over and slapped me as hard as he could. His face was stormy as he growled, "Did you just give her lip? Do you really think you can break the rules and earn money behind our backs? The cheek of you to pretend to be an overseas college student!" He charged into my room and dragged out the box I filled with my trophies and achievement papers. Then, he raised the trophies and slammed them against the ground. "That's what you get for posing!" He grabbed the papers and tore them apart. "I've had it with you buying all these fakes. I could live with it, but I can't live with you lying to someone else! You're an embarrassment to the family!" Nancy nodded before drawling, "But she isn't a Wood, now is she? She'll ruin us someday. I think we should kick her out. I'll finally have my room back." Karen frowned in disappointment. "You know the rules, but you broke them anyway. Since you love making money so much, your rent will go up tenfold. You'll also have to pay 100 bucks every time you come in. You know how it is. No money, no boarding." My sister quickly added, "And you're not using a penny out of the money I saved! I'll never use any coupons for you again!" I held my pain down and said calmly, "I'm not coming back." My father didn't like my answer. So, he shot back, "Good, then get out right now! Don't even think of taking anything from us!" I looked down. My bag was a hand-me-down from Nancy, and my phone was another hand-me-down from my mother. Hell, even the socks I had on my feet were something Nancy had thrown out. In the end, the only things that were truly mine were my uniform and ID. When Robert kicked me out, I didn't even have any shoes to wear. … Right after the door slammed shut, I heard Robert calling the renovation team, saying, "Get over here today and merge the rooms into one! Make the smaller one a walk-in closet!" Nancy giggled in delight. "Finally! I'm finally your only child!" My old phone was buzzing nonstop on the table. Karen wanted to take it, but then the phone turned off. So, she left it at that and helped Nancy sort things out. When Ms. Smith came to get me, I was sitting outside the neighborhood, staring at nothing in particular as I held my ID. My feet were still bare. She didn't ask me any questions. Instead, she changed the flight to Lorantia to the earliest one that day. I was silent throughout the entire journey. Soon, we passed the security check and stood before customs. Ms. Smith was already ahead of me, and she was waving at me to join her. I turned back for one last look at the city I'd grown up in. There was a family here. A family that didn't want me there. Still, that was fine because right in front of me was a future I'd been desperately waiting for. I looked away, took a deep breath, and walked past customs.