Mornings with Jack were my favorite. The smell of coffee filled our tiny kitchen, and the sunlight always seemed to find its way through the sheer curtains. Jack hummed to himself as he flipped pancakes, still in his work coveralls from an early call.
A hot cocoa | Source: Pexels
“Do you ever stop moving?” I teased, pouring syrup over the stack he set in front of me.
“Not when I’ve got you to keep happy,” he said, grinning as he leaned down to kiss my forehead.
Our home wasn’t perfect. The chairs around the table didn’t match, the paint was scuffed here and there, and the wallpaper peeled slightly in the corners. But it was ours. It was warm and full of love. That was more than enough for me.
A happy couple having breakfast | Source: Pexels
Of course, Clara didn’t see it that way. My older sister lived in a world of luxury. Her sprawling mansion, endless designer outfits, and her husband, Tyler, who was more like a business partner than a spouse, screamed perfection.
Growing up, she was the golden child who could do no wrong in our parents’ eyes. She had the best grades, the best clothes, and the best friends. I was the quiet one, the “practical” sister who blended into the background while Clara basked in the spotlight.
When she got a shiny red convertible for her 16th birthday, our dad couldn’t stop gushing about how “Clara deserved the best.” I got a hand-me-down sedan that sputtered every time I turned the key.
Clara loved reminding me of what I didn’t have.
A nasty woman | Source: Freepik
Last Thanksgiving, she walked in wearing heels so tall I thought she might tip over. “Jack,” she said, her voice smooth but pointed as her eyes drifted to his hands. “Still fixing cars? That must be… exhausting.”
Jack didn’t miss a beat. “It keeps me busy,” he replied casually, setting the turkey on the table.
Clara tilted her head, a fake smile plastered across her face. “Oh, I bet. But does it ever pay enough to take Kelly somewhere nice?”
A woman cutting a turkey | Source: Pexels
My cheeks burned, but I kept quiet. Jack just chuckled. “Kelly prefers my cooking to anything at a restaurant.”
“Oh,” Clara said with a raised brow. “That’s… sweet. Tyler took me to Paris for our anniversary. It’s nice to celebrate in style, don’t you think, Kel?”
I hesitated. Jack had surprised me with a picnic by the lake with homemade sandwiches, a thermos of hot chocolate, and a blanket under the stars. It was perfect. But I could already imagine Clara’s reaction.
“We… went for a picnic.”
“Oh, come on,” she pressed, tilting her head like I was a child avoiding a question. “It couldn’t have been that boring.”
An unimpressed woman at a Thanksgiving dinner | Source: Midjourney
Before I could respond, Jack stepped in. “It wasn’t boring. It was perfect,” he said, his voice calm and sure.
Clara rolled her eyes. “Perfect? Kelly, you deserve more than PB&Js on a blanket.”
The breaking point came a few weeks later, at our parents’ anniversary dinner. Clara swept in late, dripping in diamonds. Tyler wasn’t with her. “He’s working late,” she explained with a breezy wave. “Big deals to close.”
