My Mother’s “Fairness” Ruined My Life — Novel

About

In a world where love is supposed to be unconditional, Cassie's life is anything but fair. Born into a family bound by promises of equality, she quickly learns that her mother’s definition of fairness comes at a steep price. As the second child bearing the Sawyer name, Cassie feels the weight of her father's neglect and her mother's misguided attempts to keep peace. With every new pair of sneakers her brother receives, Cassie's anger deepens, exposing the fractures in their family dynamic.

When college acceptance becomes a reality, so does the crushing realization that her mother’s love is not enough to cover the cost of her dreams. Trapped in a cycle of disappointment and debt, Cassie feels the walls closing in. What happens when one child is favored over the other? How far will she go to reclaim her worth?

As tensions boil over, Cassie finds herself at a crossroads, her heart torn between loyalty and the desperate need for validation. With a single post, she ignites a firestorm that threatens to unravel everything. Will the truth set her free, or will it tear her family apart for good?

My Mother’s “Fairness” Ruined My LifeChapter 1

Before I was born, my parents made a deal: the first child would take Dad's last name, and the second would take Mom's.

They also agreed that no matter which name a child carried, both would be treated equally.

But the moment I actually took my mother's surname, my father changed his tune.

He poured every ounce of his energy and every dollar he had into my older brother.

And for me, he had exactly one line:

"You took your mother's name. You're her problem."

Dorothy Sawyer fought him over it. She screamed, she argued, she begged. But Dad did whatever he wanted, same as always.

Mom, on the other hand, insisted on treating us both the same.

"I'm a good mother. I'm not going to play favorites the way your father does. Whatever you get, your brother gets too."

Mom only made twelve hundred dollars a month. Supporting two of us on that was already a stretch.

But she still scraped together money to buy my brother new clothes and new shoes.

When it came time for college, she couldn't come up with the tuition.

"Sweetie, if I give you six thousand for tuition, I have to give your brother six thousand too. I just don't have that kind of money."