On my 22nd birthday, my younger twin drew the princess card again. I drew the knight card, just like always. Mom and Dad clapped and laughed. "Even heaven knows your sister was born to be cherished." According to our family's game, the princess could make one wish of the knight. My sister glanced at the engagement ring in my hand and suddenly smiled. "Molly, I want your engagement." The private dining room fell silent. My late grandfather had arranged that marriage for me. After everything my sister had taken over the years, it was the only thing I still had. I instinctively pulled my hand back. Mom immediately pressed down on my shoulder. "Your sister only wants your fiancé. It's not like she's asking for your life." Dad slid the ring toward her. "A knight gives the princess what she wants. That's how you've lived since you were little, so don't break the rules now." My sister put on the ring and winked at me. "You don't mind giving him up, do you?" I suddenly remembered how she had demanded my trophy, my dresses, and even my bedroom when we were children. Every time, Mom and Dad said she deserved the best. All I had to do was step aside. I looked down at the role card in my hand. I had crushed the word knight into a web of deep creases. This time, I would be my own princess. ***** "Molly, this ring is gorgeous. You're not mad at me, are you?" Sadie nestled against Mom and held up her right hand. Lights streaked past outside the car window, flashing across the diamond on her ring finger. The glare made my eyes sting. I looked away and lowered my gaze to my own b**e hand. "No." Mom visibly relaxed and patted the back of my hand. "I knew my Molly would be sensible. Ever since you were little, you've always given Sadie whatever she wanted. This time is no different." Dad glanced at me through the rearview mirror as he drove. "Exactly. The Keatons' eldest son is a workaholic. Sadie's outgoing personality will balance him perfectly. You're too quiet. You'd only suffer if you married into that family. I'll set you up with someone better next week. The police commissioner's son is divorced and has a child, but he's an honest man. He'd suit someone steady like you." I stared at my reflection in the window. "Okay." Sadie giggled and leaned over to loop her arm through mine. "I knew you loved me most. I'm going to help Wade choose his suit tomorrow. Come with me, okay?" I pulled my arm free. "I have something to do at school tomorrow. I can't go." Sadie's smile froze. Her eyes instantly filled with tears. Mom frowned. "Your sister invited you out of the goodness of her heart. What's with that attitude? It's just an engagement. Do you really have to be so petty? We raised you all these years. Does that mean less to you than a man you've never even met?" I stared at the skirt spread across my knees. "I really do have plans." Dad slammed on the brakes. "Enough. Why are we fighting when we're family? Molly, your sister is the princess and you're the knight. A knight protects the princess. That's only right." I didn't answer. I just watched the shadows of the trees slide backward outside the window. I had heard those words for 22 years. At our birthday card game every year, Sadie was always the princess and I was always the knight. When we were little, Sadie wanted my doll. Mom said the knight had to let the princess have it. She promised to buy me a new one the next day. Later, Sadie wanted the guaranteed place I had earned at an elite prep school. Dad said the princess needed to be looked after. My grades were good enough for me to get in on my own. Then she wanted my bedroom. Now she wanted my engagement. Every time the cards were drawn, I was forced to give and give without limit. Every time, they told me I was the knight and had to be good. Good children were supposed to get candy, but I had never received even one piece. When we got home, the living room coffee table was buried beneath catalogs from major luxury brands. Mom pulled Sadie down beside her on the couch and eagerly flipped through them. "This pink one is beautiful. It'll look lovely with your complexion. This gown is nice too. It makes a real statement." I headed straight for the stairs. "Molly, go cut up some fruit in the kitchen," Mom ordered without looking up. I stopped. "I'm tired. I want to go to bed." Mom's hand stilled on the catalog. She looked up, studying me. "Are you still blaming us for giving Sadie the engagement? Molly, you can't be so selfish. "Your sister has always been delicate, and we raised her with the very best of everything. The Keatons are wealthy. She'll have a wonderful life if she marries into their family. Besides, you were the one who drew the knight card. You can't blame anyone else." My fingers tightened around the banister. I couldn't stop hearing what I had overheard outside the study the night before. Dad had asked, "Did you mark it? Sadie has to get this engagement." Mom had answered casually, "Don't worry. I rounded the edges of the princess card. Tomorrow, I'll guide Sadie's hand toward it first." They had gone to all that trouble to give Sadie every ounce of their love, then made me pay the price. "I understand." I turned and went upstairs. The moment I shut my bedroom door, Sadie's sugary voice floated up from below. "Mom, maybe we should give the engagement back to Molly. I don't want her to be unhappy." Mom immediately comforted her. "Don't be silly, sweetheart. That engagement should have been yours in the first place." I walked to my desk and opened the drawer. A plane ticket to Bellmere lay inside. The flight was in 3 days, the same day Sadie and the Keaton family would formally set the wedding date. I took out my phone and texted Wade back. "Fine. See you in three days."

Early the next morning, Mom's pounding on my door woke me. As soon as I opened it, several workers marched into my room and began carrying out the bookcase. Mom stood in the hallway directing them. "Easy. Don't scuff the walls." When she saw me, she casually pointed toward the guest room at the end of the hall. "Molly, your sister has too many clothes for her current closet. This room gets the best light, so we're knocking down the wall and turning it into a new dressing room for her. You don't own much. Stay in the guest room for a few days." I watched one of the workers toss my drawing board onto the floor. Sheets of artwork scattered everywhere. "The guest room doesn't have heat." Mom waved me off impatiently. "Spring is almost here. What do you need heat for? Your sister will be getting married soon. This is her last stretch at home. Can't you let her enjoy it?" Sadie stepped out of her room in silk pajamas and yawned. "Mom, why is everyone making so much noise this early?" When she saw me, she gave me an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Molly. I just have so many clothes. If you feel shortchanged, I can give you some of the old things I don't want anymore. You could wear them on your blind date." I crouched and picked up my drawings one by one. "No, thanks. I'll move." I packed my belongings into a few cardboard boxes. There truly wasn't much. Aside from a few changes of clothes and some design books, there were pitifully few signs that I had ever belonged in this house. The guest room smelled stale and moldy from being shut for so long. I opened the window. A cold early-spring wind rushed in, making me shiver. My phone vibrated. Wade was calling. "What are you doing?" His deep voice held a tenderness most people would have missed. "Packing." I looked around the empty guest room. "Do you have a lot?" "No." I lowered my eyes. "Everything will fit in a single suitcase." Wade was silent for 2 seconds. "We can buy whatever you need after you arrive. I've already had the apartment cleaned. It's close to your university." "Okay." His voice softened. "Molly, don't look back." The hand holding my phone grew warm. "I won't." After the call ended, the door opened. Mom came in carrying a steaming bowl of soup. "Molly, I made carrot and beef soup for you. Moving rooms must have worn you out. Drink it while it's hot." The sight of carrots floating in the bowl made my stomach churn. "Mom, I'm allergic to carrots." She stared at me, her smile faltering. "Oh, look at my memory. It's fine. Just pick out the carrots and drink the broth." I looked at her matter-of-fact expression. "I'll still have an allergic reaction even if I pick them out." Her face darkened. "Why are you always so fussy? Sadie has eaten them her whole life without a problem. You're the only one who makes everything difficult." She picked up the bowl and turned to leave, but stopped at the door. "By the way, we've invited some relatives over tomorrow night. We're celebrating Sadie's engagement to the Keatons while they're here. Come home early and help in the kitchen. And stop walking around with that long face. The family will laugh at us." She slammed the door behind her. I stared at the closed door, then slowly sat on the bed. I pulled a mint from my pocket, unwrapped it, and put it in my mouth. Its cool sweetness spread over my tongue, easing the ache rising in my throat. Wade had slipped it into my hand the last time we met. He had told me to eat one whenever life tasted bitter. I lay down on the cold bed and slowly closed my eyes. Soon. Only 2 days left.

The living room blazed with light on the night of the family dinner, packed with noise and laughter. My aunt held Sadie's hand and beamed. "Sadie, you're so lucky to be marrying into a family like the Keatons. You'll be a true society wife soon." Sadie lowered her head shyly. "Don't tease me." Another aunt chimed in. "Sadie has always been so sweet. Molly is nothing like her. She's quiet all day and never says a word. No wonder people don't warm to her." I stood in the kitchen washing a mountain of dishes. Cold water ran over my fingers until my swollen knuckles were red and stiff. Mom came in and dropped another stack of dirty plates beside the sink. "Wash faster." She glanced at my hands. "We have a lot of relatives here today. Behave yourself and don't embarrass me." I turned off the faucet and dried my hands with a towel. "We're out of dish soap. I'll get more from the pantry." As I passed through the living room, I saw Sadie showing our relatives a wooden box. It was mine. Inside was the championship medal I had won at a university debate tournament, the same competition where Wade and I had first met. "What's this piece of junk?" my cousin asked, leaning closer. Sadie pulled the medal out and weighed it in her palm. "I don't know. I found it in Molly's room. It's pretty heavy. She probably bought a fake at some flea market." Her fingers slipped. Clang. The metal medal struck the marble floor. Its glass face shattered, and a deep, ugly dent marred its once-smooth edge. The room went silent for a moment. I stopped and stared at the broken medal on the floor. Sadie covered her mouth with a gasp. "Oops. I dropped it." Mom hurried over and pulled Sadie behind her. "Molly, your sister didn't do it on purpose. It's just some cheap medal. How much could it be worth? I'll buy you one made of solid gold tomorrow." Dad frowned too. "This is a happy occasion. Don't ruin everyone's mood over something so small. Sweep it up before your sister cuts her foot." Our relatives joined in. "Exactly, Molly. Your sister is about to become the Keaton family's daughter-in-law. Be generous. You're the older sister." I looked from one self-righteous face to another and suddenly found the whole thing pointless. Crushing exhaustion washed over me. I didn't even have the strength to be angry. I took the broom from the corner, crouched, and slowly swept the broken glass and damaged medal into the dustpan. A shard sliced my finger, drawing a small bead of blood. I didn't stop. I dumped everything into the trash, then turned toward the guest room. "Where are you going?" Mom called after me. "The fruit still needs to be cut!" I didn't look back. I walked into the guest room and shut the door.

The next morning, I pushed the last jacket into my suitcase and zipped it closed. The suitcase was so light I could barely feel its weight, just like my 22 years in this house. When I opened the door, the house was already buzzing. Dad wore a brand-new tailored suit. Mom had put on the pearl necklace she usually considered too precious to wear. Sadie stood there in an expensive pink Chanel couture gown, every inch the proud princess. Mom froze when she saw my suitcase. "Why are you carrying a suitcase?" My voice remained calm. "My university is running a residential project. I'll be staying on campus for a while." Mom frowned. "Why does it have to start today? The Keatons are meeting us at the hotel to discuss the wedding date. What will it look like if you're not there?" Dad came over, took a bank card from his wallet, and held it out to me. "Take it. The PIN is your sister's birthday. There are 7,500 dollars on it. Consider it compensation. Don't be afraid to spend money while you're at school. And stop wearing those old clothes. You make the Farley family look bad." I stared at the card without taking it. "I don't need it. The university is covering room and board." Dad's face fell. "Take it when I give it to you. Stop being so dramatic." He shoved the card into my coat pocket. Sadie came over and linked her arm through mine. "Molly, are you still mad because I stole your engagement? You don't have to be sad. Once I marry into the Keaton family, I'll ask Wade to find you a good job. Then you won't have to work so hard anymore." I looked at her false smile and slowly pulled away. "I hope you'll be happy." With that, I picked up my suitcase and walked out without looking back. The early-spring sun touched my skin without giving off a trace of warmth. I hailed a cab. "To the airport." As the car pulled away, I took the bank card from my pocket and tossed it into a roadside trash can. The PIN was my sister's birthday. Money meant to compensate me. What a joke. ***** At 12 p.m., the Farley family sat around a table in a private room at the most luxurious 5-star hotel downtown. Their faces were plastered with eager, ingratiating smiles. "Why aren't the Keatons here yet?" Mom c*********r watch anxiously. Dad adjusted his tie. "What's the rush? Important people always make the grand entrance." Sadie examined her makeup in a small mirror. "Dad, what do you think Wade will bring me today? I heard the Keatons pass down a set of heirloom emeralds to the wife of every eldest son." Just then, the door opened. The man who entered wasn't Wade. He was a young man in a black suit carrying several elegant gift boxes.