Breaking Free: How I Found Myself After a Lifetime of Being Treated Like an Outsider
For as long as I can remember, I felt like a stranger in my own home. My two older sisters, Kira and Alexa, were celebrated, adored, and surrounded by affection. I—Olivia—was the one who got the hand-me-downs and the endless chores. My mother poured love into my sisters while treating me with cold detachment. It wasn’t until later that I discovered why—my appearance reminded her of someone she desperately wanted to forget.
Childhood was a series of silent sacrifices. My sisters had new clothes, bedtime kisses, and a mother who praised them constantly. Meanwhile, I was told to scrub the floors, fold the laundry, and stay out of the way. Even my father, who once offered me quiet moments of reassurance, eventually pulled away. The tension in the house escalated over time—small disagreements between my parents became shouting matches. One night, I overheard a painful exchange: my mother yelling, “Of course she’s yours!” and my father shouting back, “How could she be? We’re both brunettes—she’s blonde with blue eyes!” Those words never left me.
Continue reading on the next page…