Soon, my birthday arrived.

Dad gave me a birthday gift I had been yearning for—a violin. It was quite an expense for our family, so my parents had hesitated to buy it. Mom signaled with a smile for me to open it. I took the violin out, keeping my expression neutral, though I couldn't miss the flash of envy in Karina's eyes.

Dad took the opportunity to speak to me sincerely. "Shiloh, we haven't forgotten you. We still love you."

Mom gently stroked my hair. "Yes, Shiloh. See, we got you the violin you've wanted so much. It's just that Karina has been unwell, so we've had to pay more attention to her. You should be more understanding and look after Karina, setting a good example for your brother, all right?”

Before I could respond, Karina gasped, drawing everyone's attention. Realizing that all eyes were on her, she covered her mouth apologetically, her eyes filled with longing.

"Mom and Dad are so good to you, Shiloh. I've never even seen a violin in real life. I've only ever seen them on TV... I really envy you. Unfortunately, no one ever buys me one."

"They always say it's a waste of money for a girl to learn that. I envy you so much, Shiloh."

Karina’s sorrowful expression tugged at my parents' hearts. Just as before, Mom took the violin and handed it directly to Karina. Dad repeated the familiar refrain.

"Since your sister wants it so much, Shiloh, you should be generous and let her have the violin.”

Karina held the violin delicately, her voice tender. "Is it really okay, Shiloh?"

Before I could agree, Mom made the decision for me. "Why wouldn't it be? Karina is part of our family too."

In my past life, that was how Karina had ended up with my violin. My parents insisted I give it up, promising I'd get something better in the future. Back then, I had argued desperately, only to be harshly reprimanded and have my allowance cut.

Why should she get to act innocent and take what’s mine? Didn’t I deserve it just as much?

I lifted my head and asked the question that had been burning inside me. "Why does my birthday gift have to go to her? Can't you get her another one?"

They didn’t seem to have an epiphany, choosing instead to scold me. "The family isn’t rich, and this violin is already a splurge! How can we afford another one? Can’t you share it with Karina?"

"Why are you being so selfish? Karina is already very unfortunate; as her sister, you should be considerate."

I looked at them for a few moments, then nodded slowly. "I understand."

With that, I turned and went upstairs.

Behind me, I heard Mom calling after me and Dad's criticism. "Look at her, behaving like this. She’s learned to throw a tantrum at such a young age."

"She won't understand the value of money until she's handling a household herself!"

At the corner of the stairs, I noticed Layne giving Karina a gift. "Happy birthday, Karina!"

But today was my birthday.

And two months later, on Karina's birthday, the same parents who claimed the family wasn’t well-off didn’t hesitate to host a lavish birthday party for Karina at a luxury hotel just because she fancied inviting all her classmates.

I heard they even ordered a five-tier cake.

As for me, just like before, I was told to stay home. Their excuse was that they feared I’d cause a scene at Karina’s party, embarrassing her in front of her friends.

When they left, Karina wore a Victorian-style dress with a tiara, surrounded by Mom, Dad, and Layne, all chatting cheerfully as they headed to the hotel.

Meanwhile, their own daughter didn’t even get a slice of cake and was left at home with cold leftovers, under the guise of preventing trouble.

I didn’t complain or throw a fit. I quietly sat in my room with a book, preparing for the day I would finally leave this family behind.

The midterm results were out, and I had ranked first in my class. Coincidentally, the school had scheduled a parent-teacher conference. As soon as I walked through the door, I could hear Karina's teary voice.

"Mom, I'm really not smart enough... even Shiloh got first place, and it makes me feel so sad," she said between sniffles.

"Do you think I'm not smart, too? Do you not like me anymore?" she whimpered, desperately seeking reassurance.

Layne awkwardly patted her on the back. "I like Shiloh, but I don't care as much for that other girl," he said, trying to comfort her.

Dad chimed in, attempting to console her as well. "Karina, don't be too upset. Shiloh just got lucky this time. She's not usually consistent with her studies, so it was just a stroke of luck."

"Yes, don't worry about following her example," Mom added. "Karina, you're doing just fine as you are. No need to wear yourself out with too much studying."

"Your health is more important."

They prided themselves on being fair, yet here they were, dismissing my achievement to make Karina feel better. If they weren't my actual parents, I might have sarcastically complimented their brilliant parenting techniques.

Standing at the doorway, I smirked incredulously.

Karina wiped her tears and, barely holding back more sobs, asked, "Will you send me back to the orphanage if you don't like me? I'm so scared; I don't want to leave you."

Mom quickly wrapped her arms around her, reassuring her, "Of course not. Karina will always be part of our family."

"And remember, good grades aren't everything. If Karina decides she doesn't want to focus on studies, that's her choice."

"I'll take care of my sister in the future!" Layne chimed in with his innocent promise, making everyone chuckle.

Karina looked up, hopeful, turning to our parents. "So, will you come to the parent-teacher conference for me?"

"Of course, we'll both be there," Dad assured her.

Only then did Karina seem to notice me, softly saying, "Hi, sis."

The mood in the living room shifted, growing tense. I pretended not to hear her and continued into the room.

"The school is having a parent-teacher conference. Who's going to attend for me?" I asked as I walked in.

Dad erupted unexpectedly, his voice laced with anger. "You're getting more disrespectful by the day! Not even a simple 'hello' to your parents?"

I was baffled by his sudden anger. Mom tried to calm the situation, apologetically explaining, "Shiloh, your father and I will be at Karina's conference. As for yours..."

I cut her off, lifting my chin defiantly. "Does it really take two people to attend a single meeting?"

"Why can't you be more understanding? Karina isn't in the best of health and needs support," she said, sounding frustrated. "You always act so distant toward her, and now you’re making a fuss about this?"

Even though I knew how this would end—just like before—I couldn't help but hope for something different, only to find myself disappointed once more.

I turned away and walked to my room, blocking out the noise behind me. My heart felt more frozen than ever.

My thirteenth birthday had arrived.

When I got home from school, the house was empty and unsettlingly silent. Just as I reached for my phone, I got a call from Mom. I answered to the sound of chatter and what seemed to be a bunch of kids in the background.

"Shiloh, sweetheart, we're taking care of you and Karina this year. You know how Karina's been unwell and in and out of the hospital. Things are a bit tight right now, so we won't be able to get you a birthday gift."

"I’ve sent you some money via WhatsApp, so make sure you grab yourself something nice to eat, okay?"

"We won't be home tonight, so don't stay up waiting."

I heard Karina calling for Mom, and before I could say anything, she hung up quickly. I glanced at my phone, saw the money she sent, and couldn't help but smile bitterly. I chose not to accept it. It wasn't more than $30, and frankly, it didn't seem worth it. Luckily, I wasn't truly a scared thirteen-year-old anymore; otherwise, spending the night at home alone would be nerve-wracking.

After making a bowl of instant soup and sitting down to start some homework on my phone, I happened to notice Karina's latest post on Instagram. I had nearly forgotten. In my past life, my birthday had been just like today. Karina had wished she could go to a theme park like her classmates, and Mom and Dad had immediately bought tickets and taken her.

It wasn't until later that Mom remembered it was my birthday and sent me the money. I thought they were working late, so it didn't bother me.

I sat on the couch waiting for them to come home, and when I saw their enthusiastic faces when they finally did, I couldn't help but throw a tantrum. Karina cried, and Dad ended up making me apologize to her, pushing my head down.

Pulled back to the present, I opened Karina's Instagram story. She was dressed in a Snow White costume, flashing a big peace sign at the camera. There was even a family photo, taken in front of the theme park gates.

Yes, their family photo.

Without me.

They were all smiling so brightly. They even had a feast inside the park.

They said they had to care for Karina, so money was tight, and they couldn't get me a gift. Yet, on my birthday, they took Karina to the theme park.

In both lives, it was the same.

A wave of disgust suddenly washed over me.