A PAINFUL REGRET WITH A PERFECT REVENGE

‎In a faraway country, there was a beautiful city known as Brainway. The city was famous for its breathtaking landscapes, luxurious buildings, and thriving art industry. Artists from different parts of the country often traveled there to display their talents and participate in prestigious exhibitions. ‎ ‎Among the many successful families living in Brainway was the family of Charles and Maria Anderson. They were well-known business owners who ran one of the city's largest art companies. Their company specialized in collecting rare paintings, sculptures, and valuable artworks which were later displayed and sold through grand auctions. ‎ ‎Although Charles and Maria were not among the wealthiest people in Brainway, they were financially comfortable. They owned a beautiful mansion on the outskirts of the city, drove expensive cars, and lived a life many people admired. ‎ ‎To outsiders, they appeared to be the perfect family. ‎ ‎However, behind the walls of their beautiful home lay a painful secret that no one knew. ‎ ‎Charles and Maria had two daughters: Laura and Patricia. ‎ ‎Laura was the eldest daughter. She was born two years before Patricia and had been the center of her parents' attention since birth. As a child, she was cheerful, kind-hearted, and always eager to make everyone around her happy. Her bright smile could light up a room, and her gentle nature made people naturally love her. ‎ ‎For the first two years of her life, Laura enjoyed the affection of both her parents. Charles especially adored her and often spent his free time playing with her, reading bedtime stories, and taking her on little adventures around the city. ‎ ‎Maria also loved Laura deeply during those early years. ‎ ‎Everything changed when Patricia was born. ‎ ‎The day Patricia entered the world was supposed to be one of the happiest moments in the family's life. Friends and relatives visited the hospital to congratulate the couple. Flowers filled the room, and everyone admired the beautiful newborn baby. ‎ ‎When Maria looked into Patricia's tiny face for the first time, something unexpected happened. ‎ ‎The baby looked exactly like her. ‎ ‎Patricia had Maria's eyes, nose, smile, and even her facial features. It was almost as if Maria was looking at a miniature version of herself. ‎ ‎From that moment, Maria developed an unusual attachment to Patricia. ‎ ‎At first, nobody noticed it. ‎ ‎They simply assumed she was excited about having another child. ‎ ‎But as weeks turned into months, her affection for Patricia continued to grow while her attention toward Laura gradually faded. ‎ ‎Maria spent nearly all her time caring for Patricia. She bought her expensive clothes, beautiful toys, and anything she desired. Whenever Patricia cried, Maria rushed to comfort her immediately. ‎ ‎Meanwhile, Laura slowly became invisible. ‎ ‎At first, Laura didn't understand what was happening. ‎ ‎She was only a little girl. ‎ ‎All she knew was that her mother no longer hugged her as often as before. ‎ ‎She no longer received kisses before bedtime. ‎ ‎Her mother no longer smiled at her the same way. ‎ ‎Whenever Laura tried to sit beside her mother, Maria would tell her to move away because she was busy with Patricia. ‎ ‎Whenever Laura asked her mother to play with her, Maria would find an excuse. ‎ ‎"I'm tired." ‎ ‎"Maybe later." ‎ ‎"Can't you see I'm busy?" ‎ ‎Those words slowly became a normal part of Laura's life. ‎ ‎One evening, five-year-old Laura stood quietly by the kitchen doorway, watching Maria feed Patricia. ‎ ‎A sad expression appeared on her little face. ‎ ‎"Mummy?" she called softly. ‎ ‎Maria glanced at her briefly. ‎ ‎"What is it now?" ‎ ‎Laura hesitated. ‎ ‎"Did I do something wrong?" ‎ ‎Maria frowned. ‎ ‎"What kind of question is that?" ‎ ‎Laura lowered her head. ‎ ‎"You don't spend time with me anymore." ‎ ‎Maria sighed impatiently. ‎ ‎"Laura, stop being dramatic. Your sister is younger than you. She needs more attention." ‎ ‎Laura nodded slowly. ‎ ‎"I'm sorry, Mummy." ‎ ‎The little girl walked away quietly. ‎ ‎That night, tears rolled down her cheeks as she lay in bed. ‎ ‎She genuinely believed she had done something wrong. ‎ ‎From then on, Laura made it her mission to become the perfect daughter. ‎ ‎She cleaned her room without being asked. ‎ ‎She helped arrange the dining table. ‎ ‎She assisted the housekeepers whenever she could. ‎ ‎She obeyed every instruction given to her. ‎ ‎In her innocent mind, she believed that if she behaved perfectly, her mother would love her again. ‎ ‎Unfortunately, things only became worse. ‎ ‎Maria quickly realized how desperate Laura was for her approval. ‎ ‎Instead of feeling sympathy, she began taking advantage of it. ‎ ‎"Laura, clean Patricia's room." ‎ ‎"Laura, organize Patricia's toys." ‎ ‎"Laura, bring Patricia some water." ‎ ‎"Laura, help Patricia with her homework." ‎ ‎No matter how many tasks she received, Laura never complained. ‎ ‎She simply nodded and obeyed. ‎ ‎All she wanted was a smile from her mother. ‎ ‎A word of praise. ‎ ‎A small sign that she was loved. ‎ ‎But it never came. ‎ ‎As Patricia grew older, she also began noticing the difference in treatment between herself and her sister. ‎ ‎Maria openly favored her in everything. ‎ ‎If Patricia made a mistake, Maria laughed it off. ‎ ‎If Laura made the same mistake, Maria scolded her harshly. ‎ ‎If Patricia wanted something expensive, she got it immediately. ‎ ‎If Laura requested something simple, she was often told no. ‎ ‎The unfairness became more obvious with each passing year. ‎ ‎Fortunately, there was one person who still treated Laura with love. ‎ ‎Her father. ‎ ‎Charles loved both daughters equally. ‎ ‎He never showed favoritism. ‎ ‎Whenever he bought gifts for Patricia, he bought the same for Laura. ‎ ‎Whenever he spent time with one daughter, he made sure to spend time with the other as well. ‎ ‎He believed every child deserved equal love and attention. ‎ ‎One Saturday afternoon, Charles returned home from work carrying two gift boxes. ‎ ‎"Girls!" he called happily. ‎ ‎Laura and Patricia rushed downstairs. ‎ ‎Charles handed each girl a box. ‎ ‎Patricia squealed excitedly. ‎ ‎Laura smiled brightly. ‎ ‎"Thank you, Daddy!" ‎ ‎The joy on Laura's face warmed Charles's heart. ‎ ‎Unfortunately, it irritated Maria. ‎ ‎She watched from across the room with narrowed eyes. ‎ ‎Later that evening, after the girls had gone upstairs, Maria confronted her husband. ‎ ‎"Why do you always treat them the same?" she asked. ‎ ‎Charles looked confused. ‎ ‎"What do you mean?" ‎ ‎Maria crossed her arms. ‎ ‎"Patricia deserves more attention and care." ‎ ‎Charles frowned. ‎ ‎"They are both our daughters." ‎ ‎"But Patricia is special." ‎ ‎"Laura is special too." ‎ ‎Maria's expression darkened. ‎ ‎"You don't understand." ‎ ‎"No, Maria," Charles replied calmly. "I think you're the one who doesn't understand. Laura needs her mother." ‎ ‎Maria remained silent. ‎ ‎Charles continued. ‎ ‎"Have you noticed how hard she tries to please you? She's just a child." ‎ ‎For a brief moment, guilt flashed across Maria's face. ‎ ‎But it disappeared almost immediately. ‎ ‎Instead of reflecting on her actions, she became annoyed. ‎ ‎The more Charles defended Laura, the more resentment Maria felt toward her eldest daughter. ‎ ‎Deep inside, Maria had begun seeing Laura not as her child but as a rival for affection and attention. ‎ ‎And that dangerous mindset would eventually change the lives of everyone in the family. ‎ ‎As the years passed, Laura continued growing into a kind and gentle young girl despite the lack of maternal love. ‎ ‎She remained hopeful that one day her mother would accept her again. ‎ ‎What she didn't know was that the road ahead would be far more painful than she could ever imagine. ‎ ‎The wounds of rejection were only beginning. ‎ ‎