No Kidney For My Perfect Sister Chapter 2

When Evelyn first became pregnant, she was certain she was having a girl.

She settled on the name "Stella" early on—meaning "star," brilliant and bright. She was at the height of her career, having seen too many miserable families, and she swore she would give her child a brilliant life.

Unfortunately, she had twins.

And she hemorrhaged during the delivery, nearly dying.

Lying in the hospital bed, weak and depleted, her eyes held a shocking resentment.

"One can be Stella, and the other can be Lena," she'd spat out. "She’s just an extra. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have almost died!"

Born second, I carried the burden of nearly killing my mother before I’d even opened my eyes.

In the years that followed, I was always the one who was forgotten.

For the busy Dr. Ruth, just managing one child was overwhelming; the other was to be handled with perfunctory neglect. As a result, Stella would often take my food, knowing that since we looked alike, no one would notice or care.

One night, I was so hungry I crept into the kitchen.

I knew there was half a cup of yogurt left in the fridge. Stella hadn't been able to finish her portion after stealing and eating mine that day, and she'd pleaded with Evelyn to save it for the morning.

"Mom, this is Stella’s portion. You can’t give it to Lena."

She’d stressed the point repeatedly. I remember staring up at Evelyn, wanting to expose the lie.

But before I could speak, I was impatiently cut off: "Lena, we agreed you and your sister each get one. You cannot steal your sister's!"

But I was truly starving. Too hungry to sleep.

I’ll just taste it, I thought. No one will know.

I held the small plastic cup, dipped a finger into the creamy white yogurt, and licked it.

It tasted wonderful.

The next second, Stella, who had followed me, found me.

The ensuing scream brought the house to life.

I stared at the yogurt spilled across the kitchen tiles, paralyzed with shock and confusion.

"Lena! You’re stealing even when you're this young? Didn’t I tell you that was Stella’s? Are you truly that greedy?"

Evelyn held a sobbing, shaking Stella, her eyes filled with only pity for my twin.

Stella spoke up again, drawing out the accusations:

"M-Mommy, she takes my snacks all the time..."

No, she takes mine!

"And at lunchtime, she threw away the steak you made because she didn't like it, and wouldn't let me have it..."

No, you hated it, and you wouldn't let me eat it either!

Evelyn stroked Stella’s hair, her gaze full of protective tenderness.

I panicked.

"It's not true, Mom! It’s not what she said!"

I tried to defend myself, but I was clumsy with words, only managing frantic repetitions of "It wasn’t me," and "I didn't steal."

"Lena, you truly live up to your name. Rotten from the inside out. How did I raise such a toxic, flawed person?"

Beep. The sound pulled me from the memory.

Harper, my friend, had arrived on her little moped.

I was about to climb onto the back seat when Evelyn surprisingly stepped out of her car.

"Lena, you... you’d rather ride on that raggedy little thing than in your mother’s car? It’s cold tonight. Why do you have to be so difficult?"

She reached out to grab me.

My response was to jerk my arm away without hesitation.

"Dr. Ruth," I still used her professional title, keeping a wall between us. "Isn’t everything I am today your creation?"