They Celebrated the Wrong Daughter

The day our SAT scores came out, my boyfriend Wesley Shaw and I were on the high-speed train home from our graduation trip. My foster sister, Cassidy Richards, had come with us. Cassidy wanted the window seat, so Wesley sat beside her. That left me alone for the entire ride. "Daphne, Cassidy and I need to talk about college and what we're planning to major in. You probably didn't score that well anyway. Just sit over there and watch something." They spent the whole ride laughing and talking, never once giving me a chance to join the conversation. So much for the graduation trip Wesley had been promising me for the past three years. At 10 a.m., our SAT scores finally appeared online. Cassidy threw her arms around Wesley. "We did it! With scores like these, Westhaven University is practically guaranteed. We can apply to any program we want!" Wesley hugged her back with a grin. "Check the family group chat. Everyone's already congratulating us." From the seat behind them, I listened as they played a voice message from my parents. "Wesley, Cass, you both did so well! We're so proud of you!" Wesley's parents chimed in next. I lowered my head and opened the chatting app. I wasn't even in the family group chat, and no one had bothered to ask about my score. It didn't matter. They had already chosen the future they wanted. Now, it was time for me to start building mine. Chapter 1 It wasn't until the train attendant came through with the drink cart that Wesley Shaw seemed to remember I was there. He chose a bottle of watermelon juice, carefully twisted off the cap, and placed it in front of my foster sister, Cassidy Richards. Then, he handed me a bottle of water. "I wasn't sure what you liked, so I just got you water." He remembered Cassidy's favorite drink, yet he didn't even know what his own girlfriend liked. My nose began to sting. The excitement I felt over my unexpectedly high SAT score disappeared in an instant. I didn't take the water. Instead, I flagged down the train attendant and bought myself a bottle of watermelon juice. Wesley's hand remained suspended between us. Annoyance flickered across his face. "You're the one who insisted on taking this graduation trip. I seriously don't understand why you've been giving me the cold shoulder these past few days." Three years ago, he promised that if I went to the same high school as him, he would take me to Coral Bay after graduation. For three years, I had looked forward to seeing the ocean with him and riding a scooter together to catch the sunrise. Now, somehow, it became a trip I forced him to take. I didn't even know Wesley had invited Cassidy until the day we left. On our first day at the beach, Wesley took the travel guide I had stayed up several nights drawing by hand. Cassidy leaned over with an apologetic look. "There's a lot on the itinerary, and these shoes really aren't meant for walking all day." Wesley immediately canceled every plan I made, then he casually tossed my carefully prepared guide into the nearest trash can. "Daphne, we're on vacation. Just relax. You don't have to plan every little thing." We went to Coral Bay's most famous tourist attraction. Cassidy looked at me with a faint blush. "Do you mind taking a picture of Wesley and me? It feels awkward posing alone." Before I could answer, Wesley shoved the instant camera into my hands. "Don't worry about how I look. Just make sure Cass looks good." A quiet, bitter laugh escaped me. I didn't even have the energy to refuse. I had spent weeks practicing photography because I wanted Wesley and me to finally take a picture together at the beach and make our relationship public. Instead, I ended up capturing a romantic memory between my boyfriend and someone else. Cassidy's movement pulled me from my thoughts. She quickly took the bottle of water from Wesley's hand, then gave his arm a light, playful smack. "Daph's probably just upset because her SAT score wasn't very good. You're her boyfriend. Can't you be a little more understanding? Now apologize." Cassidy was always so kind and thoughtful. Ever since she came to live with my family during high school, the two of us had been assigned opposite roles. She was sweet, obedient, and adored by everyone. Whenever I stood beside her, I somehow became the difficult one who could never do anything right. My parents used to say they loved my personality. After Cassidy arrived, the words I heard most often were, "Why can't you be more like Cass?" Even Wesley, my childhood best friend, had fallen under her spell. He stood and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Sorry, Cass. I got worked up. I shouldn't have snapped like that." He apologized, but not to me. For a moment, I couldn't even tell what he thought he was apologizing for. Cassidy walked over and crouched beside my seat. "Daph, don't listen to him. You can always retake the SAT and apply next year. Wesley and I will be waiting for you at Westhaven University." Wesley immediately joined in. "Yeah. Your fundamentals are a little weak, but if you spend another year studying, you'll definitely get into Westhaven University. Cass and I can help tutor you." I didn't respond. I simply lowered my head and continued scrolling through my phone. I had exceeded everyone's expectations on the SAT, scoring much higher than I ever had on a practice test. With that score, I could apply to any program at Westhaven University. But I didn't want to go anywhere with them anymore. I was done playing the supporting role in someone else's story. Chapter 2 When we got off the train, Wesley walked ahead, pulling Cassidy's suitcase behind him. I followed several steps back until we reached the crowded elevator near the exit. The second I stepped inside, the elevator hit capacity. Cassidy was still standing outside. Wesley shoved my suitcase back out with his foot, then reached over and pulled Cassidy into the elevator in my place. "Daph, your suitcase is huge. It's taking up too much room. Just take the next elevator. We'll wait for you by the exit." Before I could respond, the doors slid shut. I stood there alone as a high-speed train roared past. The blast of wind hit my face, cold enough to sink straight into my chest. By the time I made it to the station exit, neither of them was there. My parents, who were supposed to pick us up, were gone as well. The summer weather turned without warning. Rain started coming down hard, growing heavier by the minute. I didn't have an umbrella, so I huddled beneath the station awning and called my parents. It took half an hour before someone finally answered. Dad sounded startled. "Daph? You're not in the car? I'm so sorry. Everything was so hectic, I thought you'd already gotten in." Mom grabbed the phone from him and began scolding him. "This is all your dad's fault! He never pays attention. We're almost home now, so just get a cab." I stared out at the rain pouring down in sheets, my vision blurring behind the curtain of water. There had been four people in the car, but not one of them thought that someone was missing. At some point, I had become invisible to my own family. The newly built train station was far outside the city, and cabs rarely came this way. Night had already fallen by the time I finally managed to flag down a driver who had just dropped someone off. When he saw me soaked from head to toe, he pulled a towel from the glove compartment and handed it over. "Here, kid. Dry yourself off before you get sick. This is the hardest place in town to find a cab. Why didn't your family come get you?" My eyes began to sting again. I lowered my head and shook it. They had come, just not for me. On the ride home, I saw Dad's latest social media post. [Tyler, you can rest easy. Our daughter made us proud.] My fingers tightened around my phone as pain tore through my chest. The photo showed the four of them smiling outside the station. Cassidy stood beside Wesley with a bright bouquet of sunflowers in her arms, her favorite. There was no bouquet for me. Maybe there had never been one to begin with. Cassidy was the daughter of one of Dad's fallen comrades. After her father died, Dad brought her into our home. To help her settle in, he gave her the best of everything. Little by little, his own daughter became the one who was never good enough. By the time I walked through the front door, everyone had finished dinner and was eating fruit. Their easy laughter made them look like the perfect family. Dad scooped out the sweetest piece from the center of a watermelon and handed it to Cassidy. "Here. It's the sweetest. I chilled it just for you." Wesley sliced a few strawberries and placed them in her bowl. "You've had a long few days. Eat some more." Somewhere along the way, the sweetest piece of watermelon and the sliced strawberries had stopped ending up in my bowl. Cassidy stood and came over to me. She took my suitcase, then gently tried to lead me toward the dining table. "Sorry, Daphne. I walked too fast. Please don't be mad." My chest tightened. My legs felt impossibly heavy, as though they had been filled with lead. I pulled my hand away. As I headed upstairs, Dad's voice followed me. "Cass, don't take it personally. We've spoiled Daph too much. I wish she were half as considerate as you." I used the last of my strength to shut my bedroom door. My entire body was burning. Being caught in the rain had left me with a high fever, but no one came to check on me that night. No one asked whether I was cold or hungry. Then, my phone lit up with a new message. For one brief second, hope stirred inside me. [Daph, your dad is right. We've let you get away with too much for too long. Starting tomorrow, we're cutting off your allowance. You need to learn from Cassidy. How are we supposed to trust you to handle college on your own otherwise?] That last flicker of hope went out. I sank to the floor and curled in on myself, completely drained, with nothing left to fight for. Chapter 3 Early the next morning, noise from downstairs woke me. Still groggy, I dragged myself out of bed and looked over the railing. Wesley was already downstairs, dressed and ready to leave. The moment he saw me, he waved. "It's graduation day. Why aren't you ready yet?" The fever had left my head foggy, and I hadn't even checked the class group chat. Before I could answer, Cassidy stepped out of her room. She was wearing the dress I had spent six months teaching myself to sew by hand. I embroidered tiny rabbits and foxes across the fabric to match the outfit I made for Wesley. The clothes looked simple, but I lost count of how many times I had pricked my fingers making them. Cassidy stood there nervously twisting the hem between her fingers. "Daph, I really love it... Your mom said it looks good on me. But if you don't want me to wear it, I'll take it off and give it back right now." She said she would take it off, but her grip on the skirt only tightened. Wesley hurried upstairs and immediately stepped between us. "Daph, you have plenty of nice dresses. Cass only wants to wear this one. Why are you making her take it off?" Mom came out when she heard the commotion. "Daph, do you have to be so petty? I told Cass she could wear it. It's one dress. Just pick another one." My heart hurt so badly that I could barely speak. "I never told her to take it off." But no one cared enough to listen. By the time I rushed through getting ready, they had already left for school without me. At the ceremony, Wesley and Cassidy took the stage as the graduating class speakers. Standing side by side in matching outfits, they looked every bit like a couple. Wesley stayed close, carefully steadying Cassidy by the arm. He was worried she wasn't used to walking in heels. The moment they finished their speeches, excited whispers broke out across the audience. "Wesley and Cassidy look so good together! I heard they're even going to the same college. I'm obsessed." "Same! They're both gorgeous and brilliant. How could anyone not ship them?" "Did you see their matching outfits? That's the cutest soft launch ever!" Then someone suddenly said, "Wait... I thought Wesley was dating his childhood friend." The crowd went quiet. The classmates who knew the story glanced at me, their eyes full of sympathy. I said nothing and glanced at the empty seats reserved for my family. One of my friends leaned over. "Daphne, weren't your parents always so proud of you? They didn't come to your graduation?" I looked toward my parents, who were sitting several rows behind Cassidy and Wesley, and shook my head with a bitter smile. "No. They're not coming." And I didn't need them to anymore. After the ceremony, my guidance counselor called me into her office. She looked over my college application list and sighed. "Your SAT score was exceptional. Why didn't you apply to Westhaven University? Oakdale University is an excellent school, too, but it's over a thousand miles away. I think you should give it some more thought." The irony was that since our SAT scores had come out, Ms. Davis was the only person who had cared enough to ask about mine. "I've already made my decision, Ms. Davis. Thank you." Oakdale was more than a thousand miles from Westhaven. And once I left, I never wanted to come back. Chapter 4 After the graduation ceremony ended, everyone began heading home. It wasn't until Cassidy reminded them that Mom, Dad, and Wesley finally remembered me. "Daph, why did you wander off again?" I didn't answer. I simply got into the car and took a seat in the very back. No one paid me any attention. Once everyone was in the car, they launched into an excited discussion about colleges and majors. "Cass, we'll feel much better knowing you're going to Westhaven University with Wesley. He can look out for you there." Cassidy blushed and nodded. Mom and Dad disagreed over what she should major in and began arguing about it. In the end, they decided to let Cassidy choose for herself. "Cass is smart and knows what she wants. She's nothing like Daph. We never have to worry about her." I didn't say a word. We were almost home before Mom finally noticed me sitting in the back and asked, "Daph, what are your plans?" Before I could answer, Wesley answered for me. "Daph didn't do well on the SAT. She's going to retake it and apply again next year. It's fine. Cass and I will go ahead to Westhaven University and learn the ropes. Daph can join us next fall." Mom and Dad exchanged a look and sighed. "Daph, I wish you were half as easy to deal with as Cass." I blinked, and a tear fell onto my phone. The 1580 on the screen blurred beneath it. They had never even asked about my score. One sentence from Wesley was all it took for them to decide I had failed and needed another year. Over the next few days, I sold the jewelry my parents had given me over the years. I also sold every birthday and holiday gift Wesley had ever given me. Combined with the money I had saved, it came to a decent amount. It was enough to cover my tuition and my first few months of living expenses. Once everything was settled, I tucked my acceptance letter from Oakdale University safely away and closed my suitcase. When I wheeled it out of my room, the house was empty. Then Wesley called. "I found an SAT prep program for you. After the party today, I'll take you to get signed up." I stared at the family portrait downstairs. "What party?" "Mine and Cass's college send-off, obviously." The whole family had gone, and no one had even told me. It was just like the family group chat. Everyone was included except me. "Our parents talked it over. Since Cass and I are both going to Westhaven University, they figured we might as well celebrate together." "Okay." I had been disappointed too many times to feel anything anymore, so I said nothing. Wesley must have heard something in my silence, because his voice softened. "We only left you out because we didn't want you to feel bad. You still have to retake the SAT. When you get into college next year, we'll throw you an even bigger party." A sharp ache pierced my chest, leaving bitterness behind. "Wesley, the truth is, I…" "Wesley, it's about to start. What are you doing?" I was about to tell him everything and end our relationship once and for all when Cassidy interrupted me. Wesley hung up in a hurry without hearing the rest of what I had to say. I took one last look around the home where I had grown up, then wheeled my suitcase out the door and headed for the airport. - At the party, Mom and Dad watched Cassidy and Wesley from across the room, their hearts swelling with pride. Dad suddenly said, "You know, Cass and Wesley actually make a pretty good match." Mom sat up straight and smacked him hard. "What are you talking about? You know Daph has always loved Wesley." At the mention of me, they both felt a strange emptiness settle in their chests. "I wonder which SAT prep program Daph plans to attend." Just then, Mom's phone rang. It was my guidance counselor. "Mrs. Campbell, this is Ms. Davis." Mom put the call on speaker and answered with a smile. Ms. Davis continued, "Where are you holding Daphne's college send-off? I'd love to come by and congratulate her." Mom's smile froze, and a flicker of embarrassment crossed her face. "I'm afraid there's been some misunderstanding, Ms. Davis. Daphne didn't do well on the SAT, so she'll be retaking it and applying to college again next year." Ms. Davis fell silent for a moment before asking in confusion, "Are you serious? Daphne scored a 1580 and was accepted to Oakdale University. Why would she retake the SAT?"