In a luxury apartment in Manhattan, Olivia Carter stood by the window overlooking the city at dusk. At 42, she was a respected investment analyst on Wall Street.

On her desk lay a wedding invitation. It was for her own wedding with her fiancé, Ethan. Olivia took a deep breath as she looked back on her past.

Marriage was a word that evoked joy, but also long-suppressed conflicts with her family. Especially complex was her relationship with her sister, Sophia.

From childhood, Olivia and Sophia’s relationship was colored by competition and jealousy. Sophia was the desired child, while Olivia was the unexpected gift born 10 months later. At least, that’s what their grandmother Martha used to say.

Olivia traced back to her childhood memories, the days when her parents, James and Eleanor, clearly favored Sophia.

In family photos, Sophia would be seated in the center while Olivia was positioned at the edge. On family trips, they would take only Sophia, often leaving Olivia with her grandparents.

One summer day, when Olivia was seven, she overheard that her parents were taking Sophia to Disneyland. Her little heart leapt with joy, but that joy did not last long.

“Sorry, Olivia,” her mother Eleanor’s words still echoed in her ears. “This time, we’re only taking Sophia. You’ll get your turn next time.”

Olivia struggled to hold back her tears. “But I want to go too.”

Her father James said sternly, “Olivia, just stay quietly at your grandparents. Sophia needs special consideration.”

The words “special consideration” deeply engraved themselves in Olivia’s heart.

Why was Sophia always special? Why was she always second?

However, that next time never came. Olivia spent the time alone at her grandparents, looking at family photos. The loneliness of that moment left a deep scar in her heart.

As she grew older, around six or seven, Olivia began to acutely feel the unfairness of her treatment. Gradually, loneliness and anger started to sprout in her heart.

For Olivia, the only solace was the time spent with her grandparents. Her grandfather George and grandmother Martha showered her with unconditional love.

“Olivia, you are special,” Martha’s kind voice echoed in her memories. “But sometimes, that can be a burden. Be strong.”

George introduced her to the joys of mathematics and science. The times he taught her became a safe haven for Olivia. There, she could study and explore freely, away from her parents’ and sister’s scrutiny.

One day, her grandfather showed her an old telescope.

“This was passed down from my father,” he said nostalgically. “Looking at the stars, you realize how small our problems are.”

That night, Olivia and George observed the stars on the rooftop. Amidst the vast universe, she felt her own insignificance, but also sensed infinite possibilities.

“Knowledge is power, Olivia,” George often said. “It’s a treasure no one can take from you.”

Olivia escaped reality by reading books. She tried to prove her worth by solving math problems. But in her parents’ eyes, she was just a good girl, never special.

“Why can’t you be more outgoing like Sophia?” her father James’s words stung. “Go outside and make some friends.”

But for Olivia, the outside world was always a threat. Her classmates called her weird and made her a target of ridicule. Sophia, popular as she was, never protected Olivia. In fact, she sometimes joined in the teasing.

One day during a school break, Olivia was reading a book in a corner of the library. Suddenly, her classmates surrounded her.

“Look, she’s reading alone again,” a girl laughed. “Don’t you have any friends?”

Olivia blushed and was at a loss for words.

Just then, Sophia passed by. For a moment, Olivia thought her sister might help her.

However, Sophia looked at Olivia coldly and said, “Leave her alone. My sister is a bit special.”

Olivia’s classmates burst into laughter. Olivia, clutching her book, ran into the bathroom and cried. The pain of being betrayed by her sister hurt her more deeply than the words of her classmates.

During high school, the relationship between Olivia and Sophia became even more complex. Olivia excelled academically, while Sophia was sociable and popular.

Every time Olivia answered correctly in class, her classmates sighed and muttered, “There she goes again.”

While she was proud of her talent, Olivia was tormented by loneliness. She immersed herself in libraries and labs, finding her worth through knowledge absorption.

One day, during a chemistry experiment, Olivia made a remarkable discovery. Her results challenged textbook theories. Excited, she reported to her teacher, who praised her talent.

But the joy was short-lived.

Sophia suddenly appeared and said, “Are you trying to draw attention with your weird experiments again? I’ll tell Mom and Dad.”