My Sister's Illness Turned Me Invisible at Home

My sister, Megan Tate, suffers from a bizarre illness. Whenever she sees me, she convulses, vomits and sometimes even brings up blood. From then on, I become the invisible person in the house. I'm forbidden to appear anywhere Megan can see me. At first, my parents and my childhood friend, Kendrick Brown, still feel sorry for me, but as Megan's smiles grow more frequent, they gradually forget I exist. On the day I turn 18 years old, I sneak into the dining room while Megan is taking a nap in her room. Seeing a table full of delicious food and a huge cake, I happily run into my mom, Ellie Baker's, arms. "Mom, I know you guys still love me and won't forget about my birthday." The moment I finish speaking, Mom suddenly grabs my arm and yanks me under the dining table. "Megan is here. Don't come out." I'm stunned. Only now do I realize that all the food and cake on the table are for Megan. Even the pearl necklace Kendrick has brought is for her. And once again, I'm the "jinx" they've all forgotten about. Chapter 1 It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that everyone finally left. My legs were completely numb after hours of crouching and kneeling beneath the table, and it took a great deal of effort to crawl out. As I staggered to my feet, my parents and my childhood friend, Kendrick Brown, returned. My mother, Ellie Baker, casually tossed me a doll about the size of my palm. "Happy birthday." I'd waited years to hear those words from her, but now they felt like a knife to the heart. Kendrick pressed the pearl earrings into my palm. The words "Free Gift" on the tag caught my eye. It felt like a slap in the face. I voiced the wish I had kept buried deep in my heart for years. "I want to sleep in the sunny room on the second floor." My parents' expressions changed instantly. My father, Lionel Tate, looked at me coldly. "No, Megan's room is on the second floor. Seeing you will trigger an episode." My eyes stung. I turned to Mom. "Just because Megan is sick, I've been staying in the windowless storage room for three years. Mom, I don't want to fall asleep to the musty smell every night. I promise I won't leave my room or let Megan see me." I grabbed her hand. "Mom, please. I really wish to see the sun. I want to sleep in a bed that smells of the sun." Before I could finish, Mom pulled her hand away. "No." Her words crushed me. I clenched my fists tight, digging my nails into my palms. "I'm your daughter too! Don't you care about me at all?" Dad slammed his fist on the dining table. "Either you sleep in the storage room, or you leave the house!" Then, he turned and walked away. Mom looked at me, her eyes devoid of any affection. "Can you please stop making things difficult for me?" I froze for a moment. Hadn't I done enough to make things easy for them? Ever since my sister, Megan Tate, got sick, I had done exactly as they asked and moved into the small storage room at the far end of the downstairs floor. Afraid of triggering another episode, I would lock myself in my room as soon as I got home from school. For three years, I hadn't bought any new clothes. Even my underwear had holes in it. I begged Mom multiple times to buy me a new set of underwear, but she refused, saying they needed the money for Megan's treatment. Megan's condition gradually improved, and my parents and Kendrick repeatedly took her to see the places she'd dreamed of visiting in her diary. I was like a thief hiding in the shadows, secretly scrolling through the family photos Megan posted on social media. Unwilling to back down, I clutched the hem of Mom's shirt. "Mom, it's my 18th birthday today. Can I just stay one night in a room with a window? Please? Just one night." Mom pulled her shirt free from my grasp. "No." Chapter 2 Mom's reply crushed every last hope I had. I watched her go, too dazed to react. After Mom left, Kendrick came over. My eyes lit up. "Kenny, can I… stay over at your house for one night? I promise I won't make a mess." Kendrick let out a sigh. After a long pause, he said, "I promised Megan that she'd be the only one welcome in my home. If she finds out you went there, she'll have an episode." He paused before continuing, "Mia, you've always been sensible. Once Megan gets better, I'll let you visit my house, okay? You'll always be welcome there." Sensible? I smiled bitterly. Ever since Megan got sick, "sensible" had become the label I couldn't shake. I looked up and held out my hand to Kendrick. "Please return… the protective charm to me." A flicker of unease crossed Kendrick's face. "I couldn't risk losing it, so I left it at home." I noticed the guilt in his eyes. "Go get it now, then." Kendrick ran a hand through his hair, looking agitated. "I gave it to Megan." I had finally reached my breaking point. I stared at him in disbelief. "I got that for you on my 16th birthday. I spent hours on my knees until they were bruised, all just to get it for you… and you gave it to Megan?" Kendrick furrowed his brows. "Megan is sick. I gave it to her for protection. It's just a worthless trinket. Do you really have to make a scene over it?" Worthless trinket? That was when I finally stopped hoping for anything from him. The man who'd once sworn he'd take care of me for the rest of my life had, without even realizing it, begun putting Megan first. I dragged myself past Kendrick, my legs aching with every step. He grabbed my wrist. "When Megan gets better, we'll go get another one together." I pulled away, trying to suppress the bitterness welling up inside me. "No need." "I won't go back on my promise. I…" Before Kendrick could finish, Megan's voice rang out from upstairs, "Kenny, it's story time." A smile appeared on Kendrick's face. "Okay, I'm coming." I watched him disappear upstairs, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of my lips. Back in my room, I rolled up my pants and found my knees covered in bruises. Even the slightest movement sent pain shooting through my entire body. Sweat soon beaded on my forehead. After a slight hesitation, I texted Kendrick, "Can you bring me some ointment? My legs hurt." It was a while before he replied, "Sure. Wait for me." I waited until the early hours of the morning, until the pain had dulled into numbness, but Kendrick never came. After three years of living like a prisoner, I finally saw everyone for who they really were. … Early the next morning, Kendrick knocked on my door. Seeing that I had no response, he pushed open the door impatiently and walked in, his brows furrowing at the musty smell. "Sorry. Megan was having nightmares, so I had to accompany her." I nodded and took the ointment from him. He knelt before me. "Let me help you." I said calmly, "If Megan knows, she'll have another episode. Kendrick, thanks for bringing me the ointment." Calling him by his name left him stunned. "You never used to call me that." I smiled. "I used to dream of marrying you, so I always call you Kenny instead of Kendrick. But now, I realized that wanting to be your girlfriend was nothing more than a silly, unrealistic fantasy I had as a young girl." Kendrick swallowed hard. "I'll bring you breakfast later." I never got breakfast. While they were eating, Megan suddenly decided she wanted to go on a trip. My parents were all for it, and Kendrick offered to be their personal chauffeur. They left without even remembering that I existed. I was still stuck in the storage room, barely able to move my bruised legs as I waited for someone to bring me something to eat. Chapter 3 On the third day, Mom called me. My hands trembled with anticipation when I saw her name. I hoped they had finally remembered me. I inhaled deeply and answered my phone. Mom's voice came through, "We're on our way home. Megan is craving some fried chicken. Prepare some for her. Also, cook her favorite dishes like pan-seared trout, seafood chowder, and roasted ribs as well." Mom paused, and I thought she was finally going to ask about me. But the very next moment, that last bit of hope was shattered. "Remember, after you're done cooking, go back to your room. Don't come out again." I stared at my phone after the call ended and let out a bitter laugh. Not once had Mom asked how I'd spent the past three days. I'd also heard Dad promise to buy Megan a bracelet and Kendrick praising her at her request. During those few minutes on the phone, he never seemed to run out of praise for her. Tears rolled down my cheeks and onto my lips. It turned out that tears of pain tasted just as salty. Not only did I prepare the dishes Mom had requested, but I also made Dad's, Mom's, and Kendrick's favorite dishes. Then, I returned to my room. Before long, my parents returned. I could hear them and Kendrick fussing over Megan. I paused in the middle of packing my things. I didn't have much, not even enough to fill a single backpack. To my surprise, Kendrick actually came and asked me to join them. "Aren't you scared that Megan will have another episode?" He revealed the mask in his hand. "I know this isn't fair to you, but it's for Megan's sake. You wouldn't want her to have another episode, right?" I calmly put on the mask and followed Kendrick to the dining room. It was the first time I had seen Megan in three years. She looked even more beautiful than before, dressed in designer clothes I'd seen in magazines. I didn't recognize the jewelry she was wearing, but it looked incredibly expensive. Mom pointed to a spot farthest from Megan. "Sit there." I did as she told me to. Just as I was about to remove my mask, Kendrick grabbed my wrist. "Megan will have an episode if she sees your face." The pain in my wrist made my chest tighten. "Why did you make me come out here, then? So I could sit and watch you enjoy the dinner I prepared?" Dad threw his cutlery onto the table. "You should be honored that Megan asked you to join us." Honored? I chuckled. "She's the one who caused me all my suffering. You can leave that honor to someone else," I said, ignoring the anger on my parents' faces. "Mia, I have something for you." Megan walked over to me. In her hand was the protective charm I had once given Kendrick. There were claw marks on it now, courtesy of Megan's dog. Megan said, "I'm sorry. Lilo accidentally stepped on it." I nodded and took it. Then, I tossed it into the trash. Both Megan's and Kendrick's expressions changed. He stood up and walked over to me. "Why would you throw away something that precious?" I smiled. "Precious? You gave it away without a second thought and even let a dog pee and leave claw marks all over it." Unease flickered across Kendrick's face as he avoided my gaze. After a long pause, he finally spoke, "Forget it. We can get another one some other day." I didn't respond. Dad spoke, "Remember to discuss it with us before submitting your college applications." I raised an eyebrow. "The deadline has already passed." Dad's expression darkened. "Why didn't you talk to us first? You just went ahead and decided everything yourself?" I clenched my fists. Even though my heart ached, my voice was unbelievably calm. "I wanted to discuss it with you, but you were hundreds of miles away, enjoying yourself with Megan. I called you dozens of times and sent you hundreds of messages, but you…" My gaze settled on my parents. "You never answered." Chapter 4 Megan suddenly grabbed my hand. "It's all because I got sick. Otherwise, we could all go on a family trip together. Just give me a little more time. Once I get better, we'll take lots more family pictures together. "I promise to have Kenny take beautiful photos of you so you can experience what it's like to be cherished by our parents and Kenny, okay?" I yanked my hand away. This time, it wasn't Megan who felt sick and wanted to vomit. It was me. The scent of Kendrick's cologne on her made my stomach churn. "Don't touch me." Megan covered her mouth dramatically. "Mia, are you pregnant? How many months along are you? If you're already having morning sickness, you're probably more than three months pregnant, right?" The room fell silent. My parents' and Kendrick's gazes fell on my stomach. Megan looped her arm through Mom's, pretending to defend me. "Dad, Mom, don't be mad. Mia's at the age when girls start having feelings for someone, and since we're hardly ever home, it's not surprising that she'd get involved with a guy. It's just…" Her eyes shifted to Kendrick. "I feel bad for Kenny. He waited for Mia to grow up, only for her to cheat on him." Dad raised his hand and slapped me. He hit me so hard that my head started ringing, and my vision blurred. Before I could even react, Mom rushed over and slapped me too. I staggered, a deafening roar filling my ears. I couldn't hear anything out of my right ear. The hatred in their eyes, as if they wanted to beat me to death, made me smile bitterly. Through my blurry vision, I saw a smile appear on Megan's face. All the hurt I'd kept bottled up erupted into anger, and I charged toward her, grabbing her by the hair. Ignoring her screams, I slapped her with all the strength I had. "This is what you owe me." Everyone was stunned by my actions. Kendrick was the first to react. He gripped my wrist and whispered to me, "Your parents are already furious. Be good. Go back to your room." I jerked my hand away. "It was a major mistake in my life to confess my feelings to you on my 16th birthday. Kendrick, you don't deserve my affection." I turned my gaze back to my parents. "Because of her, I suffered in silence for three years. From now on, I won't let myself live that way anymore." With that, I went back to my room and grabbed my backpack. My parents and Kendrick were gathered around Megan, fussing over her and gently blowing on her face. No one noticed me leave. Half an hour later, Kendrick called me. "I don't see you in your room. Where did you go?" I glanced at the departure screen. My flight would be boarding soon. Kendrick continued, "Mia, I know you're not the type to fool around with guys. Be good, okay? Come back and apologize to Megan now." I sneered. "She deliberately ruined my protective charm and slandered me. A slap is the least of what she deserves. "Kendrick, don't ever call me again. Just hearing your voice makes me sick." I hung up, switched off my phone, and boarded the plane. 'Dad, Mom, I hope we won't see each other again for the rest of our lives!'