The messages about Chloe were still on my screen.
I kept looking at her name.
I tried to remember the last time she had thanked me without immediately asking for something else.
I couldn't think of an answer.
That realization hurt more than I expected.
Then I saw David's name.
My older brother had always been someone I believed needed a little extra help.
He had called me the day before my birthday.
His voice had sounded urgent.
He told me the electricity company was about to shut off his power.
He needed $400.
He said he didn't know what else to do.
I was already scheduled to work.
But I picked up additional hours because I didn't want him sitting in a dark house.
I sent the money.
My birthday passed quietly.
I bought myself a small cupcake from a grocery store.
I ate it alone in my apartment after work.
Nothing special.
I remember looking at my phone that evening and hoping somebody would call.
I didn't make a big deal out of it.
I told myself everyone was busy.
Two days later, David posted pictures of a new gaming computer.
It was an expensive-looking setup.
Several monitors.
Bright lights.
A new desk.
He looked incredibly pleased with himself.
His caption said he had finally upgraded his setup.
I remembered liking the photograph.
I remembered being happy for him.
I had even wondered how he managed to get such a good deal.
Now I was reading what he had said about the money.
Olivia: She actually worked on her birthday just to help David.
Sarah: That's honestly sad.
David: The electricity wasn't even getting shut off.
I stared at that sentence.
The electricity wasn't even getting shut off.
He hadn't needed the money for an emergency.
He had wanted it.
And he knew I would believe him.
Chloe added a short response.
Chloe: She has her priorities.
There were fifteen laughing reactions.
Fifteen.
I counted them because I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
My birthday cupcake suddenly came back to me.
The little plastic container.
The cheap frosting.
The empty apartment.
I remembered sitting there, tired from working, thinking at least David wouldn't have to worry about his electricity.
He hadn't been worried at all.
I put the phone down.
Then picked it up again.
I had reached the point where I couldn't pretend I hadn't seen anything.
The messages continued.
They talked about my appearance.
My clothes.
My dating life.
Even the stories I shared about working in the hospital.
I found a conversation about Olivia's wedding.
She had mentioned the dress I wore.
It had been a simple dress from Target.
I had liked it.
It was comfortable, and I didn't see a reason to spend hundreds of dollars on something I would probably wear once.
Apparently, they had remembered it for another reason.
Olivia: Does anyone remember Lily's dress at my wedding?
Sarah replied with a comment about how I spent money on everybody except myself.
David made a remark about how ridiculous that was.
Then my mother joined in.
Mom: She's always been like that. Bless her heart.
I read those words slowly.
Bless her heart.
My mother had watched me work long hours.
She knew how much I helped everyone.
She knew I rarely bought anything expensive for myself.
And she had joined the conversation to make fun of me.
They laughed about my inexpensive clothes while accepting my money for their expensive lifestyles.
They complained about my little apartment while depending on the same person paying for their holidays and luxuries.
I looked down at my wrinkled scrub top.
I thought about how many hours I had spent working while they enjoyed things I had paid for.
And for the first time, I didn't feel like defending them.
I felt angry.
Not the kind of anger that makes someone shout.
The quiet kind.
The kind that makes you read every word again because you know your life is about to change.
I scrolled farther.
Then I stopped.
There was another message.
One I hadn't seen before.
I read it once.
Then I read it again.
My hand went completely still.
Whatever excuse I had been preparing for them disappeared.
Click here to continue reading: PART 5: The Last Message Made Me Understand That My Family Had Never Seen My Sacrifices as Something Worth Appreciating
At 3:12 in the Morning, One Notification Exposed What My Family Had Been Saying Behind My Back
Part 4 of 20
