“Cancel Your Exam,” My Dad Said. “Your Sister’s Kids Come First.”
My sister Lily laughed as if my future was a joke.
Dad pushed his phone toward me, showing the message to my exam coordinator.
“Cancel it,” he said calmly. “You can retake exams. Your sister can’t retake motherhood.”
Mom nodded. Lily leaned back, certain I would obey.
They had always expected me to sacrifice my plans for her—school events, weekends, important moments. I was the reliable daughter who was never allowed to say no.
But this exam could determine whether I kept my scholarship.
For the first time, I looked at them and realized something painful:
They didn’t see my dreams as important.
And this time, I refused to give mine up.