Stripped of her medical credentials and forced to return to school, Lena felt a profound sense of misery. She slumped on the living room couch, reaching for her phone to call her big brother Dorian.
“Dorian, when are you heading back? Without you, I’m like a fish out of water in this house.”
“Are Mom and Dad giving you a hard time?” came Dorian’s deep, indulgent voice from the other end.
Lena huffed. Her voice was brimming with grievance. “Mom and Dad are all about my sisters now. She’s the golden girl, and I’m... just the runner-up. What if they kick me out? Dorian, I’m freaking out over here.”
“Lena, what are you afraid of? You’re the little sister I grew up with. Who’s gonna throw you out? As long as I’m around, no one’s gonna mess with you, not even our parents. I’ll be back in a few days, and I’ll bring you a present. What’s on your wishlist?”
Her mood instantly lifted. Lena blurted out, “Dorian, my sister has these gorgeous gemstone necklaces, but I don’t have any…”
“I’ll get you one.”
A wave of relief washed over Lena. “Thank you, Dorian. You’re always the best to me.”
After this shot of emotional medicine, Lena made another call, this time to her second brother Reid. “Reid, when are you coming back?”
Her voice was pitiful and tinged with sorrow, as if she had just been bullied, a little damsel in distress.
Reid, concerned, asked, “Did she bully you again?”
“Reid, even if she picks on me, I won’t fight back. She’s my big sister, the real daughter of the family. Even if she hits or yells at me, I won’t hold a grudge. Who am I but the spare? When Calix came back, he brought her so many gifts. Calix isn’t just mine anymore.”
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