My parents forbade me from celebrating my 18th birthday because my sister didn’t feel special enough. So I moved out that night. A year later, their golden girl saw how successful I’d become, and her jealous meltdown shattered the family.

second ring.

“I got the presidential scholarship,” I blurted.

“What?” he said. “That’s incredible. I’m coming to get you. We’re celebrating.”

He took me to dinner at the Italian restaurant I’d wanted to go to for my 18th birthday. The irony wasn’t lost on either of us.

“To the girl who saved herself,” Marcus said, raising his glass of sparkling cider.

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