THE INVINCIBLE DAUGHTER
1651 Words
As the years passed, the difference in the way Laura and Patricia were treated became more obvious.
Although they were sisters and attended the same prestigious school in Brainway, they lived completely different lives.
Patricia was treated like a princess.
Laura was treated like she barely existed.
Every morning, Maria would spend nearly an hour helping Patricia get ready for school. She would carefully choose her dresses, style her hair, and make sure every detail of her appearance was perfect.
"Look at my beautiful daughter," Maria would say proudly.
Patricia would smile happily as her mother showered her with attention.
Meanwhile, Laura stood quietly in the corner, dressing herself.
No one helped her.
No one complimented her.
No one asked how she felt.
Most of the clothes Laura wore were old compared to Patricia's. While Patricia always had the newest shoes, bags, and accessories, Laura learned to manage with whatever she was given.
At first, Charles tried to make things fair.
Whenever he bought something for Patricia, he bought the same for Laura.
Unfortunately, whenever Charles was busy at work, Maria always found ways to make sure Patricia received the better items.
Laura noticed it.
But she never complained.
She was afraid.
Afraid that speaking up would make her mother dislike her even more.
The family driver usually took both girls to school every morning.
As they arrived, Patricia was often greeted by groups of excited friends.
She was one of the most popular girls in school.
Her expensive clothes, confidence, and social status made her the center of attention.
Students admired her.
Teachers praised her.
Everyone seemed to know her name.
Laura, however, walked through the school corridors almost unnoticed.
Most students barely acknowledged her existence.
Some even assumed she was from a different family.
The sisters looked alike enough to be related, but their lifestyles were completely different.
One afternoon during lunch break, a group of girls sat with Patricia in the school cafeteria.
Their conversation soon shifted toward Laura.
"Patricia," one girl asked curiously, "is it true that Laura is your sister?"
Patricia immediately felt uncomfortable.
She glanced across the cafeteria where Laura sat alone, eating quietly.
"Yes," Patricia answered reluctantly.
The girls exchanged surprised looks.
"Really?"
"You two are sisters?"
"You don't even look like you belong in the same family."
The girls laughed.
Patricia forced a smile.
Although she knew the comments were cruel, she secretly agreed with them.
She hated being compared to Laura.
Over time, she had become ashamed of her older sister.
Unknown to them, Laura had heard everything.
She lowered her eyes and continued eating silently.
The words hurt.
They always hurt.
But she had become used to swallowing her pain.
After all, she had spent years doing exactly that.
School dismissal was often the hardest part of her day.
When classes ended, Patricia would walk confidently toward the school gate where the family's luxury car waited.
Laura followed behind.
However, she was not allowed to enter the car immediately.
Maria had created a very crazy and wicked rule.
Laura was required to walk several streets away before joining the vehicle.
No explanation was ever given.
It was simply another way of making her feel unwanted.
At first, Laura questioned it.
Later, she accepted it.
Eventually, it became normal.
One hot afternoon, as she walked along the road, sweat trickled down her face.
Her school bag felt unusually heavy.
Meanwhile, the family car drove slowly ahead with Patricia comfortably seated inside.
Laura could see her through the window.
Patricia was laughing while scrolling through her phone.
For a brief moment, Laura wondered what it felt like to be loved that way.
To be chosen.
To be someone's favorite.
The thought quickly disappeared, because she knew it might not happen any day. She just decided to keep trying.
She had long stopped asking such questions.
When she finally reached the designated point and entered the vehicle, Maria barely looked at her.
Patricia continued chatting happily.
Laura sat quietly in the corner.
Invisible.
Just as always.
Yet despite everything, Laura never stopped trying to earn her mother's love.
Every day she searched for ways to make Maria happy.
She cleaned the house.
She helped with chores.
She obeyed every instruction.
Whenever Maria needed something, Laura was the first to volunteer.
Deep inside, she believed that if she worked hard enough, her mother would eventually love her again.
Unfortunately, Maria only became more manipulative.
She quickly realized how desperate Laura was for approval.
And she used it against her.
"Laura, clean Patricia's room."
"Laura, arrange Patricia's books."
"Laura, wash Patricia's shoes."
"Laura, help Patricia finish her project."
Laura never refused.
Not because she enjoyed it.
But because she hoped each task would earn her a little affection.
A little recognition.
A little smile from her mother.
A little love.
Yet no matter how hard she tried, it was never enough.
One evening, when Laura was around fourteen years old, she was quietly studying in her room when Maria suddenly knocked on the door.
Laura immediately stood up.
"Mum?"
Maria entered the room.
For a brief moment, Laura's heart raced.
Her mother rarely visited her room.
Perhaps today would be different.
Perhaps today she would finally show concern.
"Do you need anything?" Maria asked.
The question surprised Laura.
For several seconds, she simply stared.
In truth, she needed many things.
Her shoes were worn out.
Her school bag had begun tearing.
Several of her clothes no longer fit properly.
But years of rejection had taught her one thing:
Never ask for too much.
Because every request was usually followed by criticism.
She remembered previous occasions.
"You always want something."
"Can't you be grateful?"
"You're becoming selfish."
The memories still hurt.
So Laura forced a small smile.
"No, Mum. I'm fine."
Maria nodded.
"Good."
Without another word, she turned around and left.
The door closed.
Silence filled the room.
Laura remained standing for several moments.
Then she slowly sat back down.
Tears formed in her eyes.
Not because she needed new shoes.
Not because she needed a new bag.
But because a part of her had hoped her mother would notice.
That she would ask again.
That she would care.
Instead, the conversation ended before it truly began.
As the years continued, loneliness became Laura's closest companion.
She felt isolated at school.
She felt unwanted at home.
The only person who consistently showed her love was her father, but Charles's growing responsibilities at work kept him increasingly busy.
Whenever he was around, Laura felt safe.
But those moments became less frequent.
The loneliness inside her continued to grow.
Then one day, she discovered something that changed her life.
Painting.
It began accidentally.
One afternoon, while helping organize supplies in her father's art company, she found an old canvas and a few unused paintbrushes.
Curious, she decided to try painting.
At first, her work was simple.
Nothing extraordinary.
But as she continued, she realized something.
Every emotion she couldn't express with words somehow found its way onto the canvas.
Her sadness.
Her loneliness.
Her hopes.
Her dreams.
Everything flowed through her paintbrush.
For the first time in years, she felt understood.
The canvas never judged her.
It never rejected her.
It never compared her to Patricia.
Whenever life became painful, Laura painted.
When she felt lonely, she painted.
When she cried, she painted.
Painting became her escape.
Her comfort.
Her secret world.
As the years passed and she entered high school, her talent continued growing.
Unknown to everyone around her, Laura was developing a gift that would one day change her destiny forever.
A gift that would eventually make the entire world notice the girl everyone had ignored.
And when that day came, the people who had treated her as invisible would be forced to see her.
Whether they wanted to or not.
- Writer
