My parents forgot my birthday for the fifth year in a row, but held a lavish birthday party and unexpectedly gave my younger sister a new car. That night, I quietly stepped out of the role of the “strong child” in the family, and what followed changed me forever.

The difference between her birthday and mine was like night and day.

My parents went all out, booking a private room at a fancy restaurant and inviting dozens of family members and friends. They even hired a photographer to capture the evening.

I was not planning to go at first. After being forgotten yet again, the last thing I wanted was to sit through a celebration that would only remind me of how little I mattered to them.

But Emma called me the night before, practically begging me to come.

“Please, it would mean so much to me,” she said. Emma and I had always been close despite the glaring favoritism from our parents. It was not her fault they treated her like the golden child, and I did not want to take my frustration out on her.