The author reflects on a tumultuous childhood marked by their mother’s alcoholism and the resultant chaos that affected their relationship with their younger sister, V. Despite feeling protective over V as an older sister, circumstances like their mother’s neglect and tragic events created distance between them. The author recounts traumatic memories, including V's near-fatal accident, and acknowledges the challenges in forming a strong bond due to the family's dysfunction and their mother’s favoritism. This complex dynamic is painfully evident during V's testimony in a divorce trial, highlighting their fractured relationship.
As the oldest, most outspoken, and daughter of a man our mother openly hated, I was the eternal outsider, while V, as the youngest, was her beloved baby.
I prayed hard that night while V was in surgery, bargaining with a god I wasn't sure I believed in but nonetheless promising to be a better sister.
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