The very thought of all the strangers who would whisper and point about how plain she looked next to Balfour twisted her guts like a knife.
âOh Victoria, please, Iâm begging you. This whole mess is my fault, let me just see that post, will you?
The thing about Balfour, I donât really know him that well. I just⦠I justâ¦â
Mara trailed off, unable to continue her fabrication, because she truly liked Balfour. Saying she hated him was a trio of words that just wouldnât come out.
âJust what? Just that you donât know Balfour and he doesnât know you? I donât know when you started falling for him, but let me tell you. Thereâs a whole line of girls crushing on him, and youâre not the first and certainly not the most special. So donât worry, this post will blow over soon. Besides, itâs not like they caught your face in the shot. No one at our school knows you, so whatâs the big deal? Youâre just going to have to deal with a little heartache, thatâs all.
Since Mara showed no signs of wanting to apologize, there was no reason for Victoria to keep indulging her.
âArgh! What do you want me to do? Youâve always had the upper hand in everything, so why do you have to deny me the right to like him too? Is it just because youâre prettier and more accomplished than me?â Mara shouted.
Victoria stopped in her tracks, ready to leave, and turned around with an incredulous stare.
âWhat are you talking about? Isnât it because you lied, which got me in trouble with Dad? You havenât even hinted at an apology, so isnât that why Iâm punishing you?â
Mara clenched her teeth and said, âI did nothing wrong, so why should I apologize to you? If I have to apologize, then youâve got a lot more to apologize for over the years.â
Victoria actually found it somewhat amusing.
What was Mara thinking?
When had she ever wronged Mara?
âAlright, letâs set todayâs incident aside and hash this out properly. Who owes whom? Letâs clear the air between us. Tell me, where have I wronged you?â
have Maraâs face was stormy as she said, âYour very existence is an insult to me. Do you any idea how much Iâve suffered because of you? Sure, Iâm not ugly, but whenever I stand next to you, no one else sees me! All the compliments are for you, all the criticisms are for me. Why?â
Victoria was flabbergasted. âThatâs how Iâve wronged you? Have you lost your mind? Weâre sisters. If people praise me, isnât that just like praising you too? Besides, could I even control that? Are you just making up excuses because youâre out of arguments? From the moment I was born a few minutes before you, I was destined to be your older sister. All these years Iâve taken care of you for Dad, cooked for you when he wasnât around, helped you with your studies. Have I ever complained once?â
Victoria took a deep breath and continued, âThese were never my responsibilities, yet I was forced to shoulder them. I want my own space too! Just take todayâs incident. I didnât even want to take you to my school. You donât know any of my friends, you wouldnât know a soul there. Why did you insist on following me?â
Maraâs smile was cold. âArenât you complaining right now? You donât want to take care of me, but when have I ever wanted to enjoy your care?â