“Not really. I wanted to tell you that I didn’t appreciate the email that you sent me yesterday, and I just want to say in front of everyone that I’m really fed up with you being jealous of me. Like, I know I’m your younger sister.”
The room is quiet, and I can’t believe that this conversation is happening.
Gina’s eyes widen at Tina’s verbal assault.
“What are you talking about, Tina?”
“I’m just saying, I know you’ve always been jealous of me because I got married and found love, and I have this great career and a great husband, who he just bought me a Mercedes. And we’re going to Tahiti, and we’re going to upgrade to this really nice house, and you barely just moved out.” She looks over at me and sneers. “I mean, now that you’re working with Hunter and you’re friends with him, maybe he can introduce you to some guys, and I?—”
“Excuse me.” I stand up angrily. “That’s enough.”
“I’m just saying, my sister’s a bit of a loser, and she can’t get a guy—at least a guy that wants her. I mean, let’s be real. Patrick sucked.”
“That’s enough,” I growl now. I look down at Gina, and her eyes are wide, and she looks sad now.
“Now, Tina, that’s not nice,” her grandfather says, looking uncomfortable.
“What? If you would’ve seen the email… It was so hateful.”
“Tina,” Gina says softly, “I can’t believe that you would say that. My email was about the fact that?—”
“I’m just saying, leave me alone,” Tina shouts. “Leave me alone, you jealous bitch.”
“Let’s leave.” Gina jumps up.
“Sure.” I grab her hand. “It was nice to meet everyone.” I look at her grandparents and parents, but Gina is already grabbing her handbag and rushing toward the front.
“Don’t leave. Gina, don’t,” her grandma calls, running after her.
“I’m not putting up with this.” Gina’s voice cracks, and she looks over at Tina. “I didn’t deserve that, Tina.” She rushes out of the front door, and I quickly open the car door for her. As soon as we get into the car, she bursts out crying.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry that you saw that. I’m sorry about everything. I never should have brought you. I never should have emailed her yesterday. I knew she wouldn’t take it well.”
“But what’s going on? What did you say to her?”
“I just said to her that she might not want to face facts, but Garth is not a good guy. He doesn’t treat her well. The way she was crying and the things she said to me that night—he has a problem with alcohol. And I know statistics, and I don’t want her to be a statistic. I just sent her some links and some articles, and I guess she didn’t take it well.” She continues to cry. “I don’t mean to be a bad sister. I’m not jealous of her. I just want?—”
She sniffles, and I stroke her back. “I’m sorry. You really didn’t ask to be involved in this.”
“Hey, hey. Do not apologize to me. She shouldn’t have said that to you.”
“All my life, I have felt like I was never good enough. I never do the right thing, and I don’t understand what’s wrong with me.”
“Gina. Oh, darling, you are a good sister. A good person.”
“She wasn’t completely wrong, though.”
“What do you mean?”
“I have been jealous of her. She’s so beautiful, and everyone gravitates to her. She has so many friends, and I just feel like people don’t really see me. I mean, Emma does. She loves me, and she’s my best friend. But I’ve never really had a guy who just wanted me. I’ve never had my family think that I’m amazing. I’ve never had anyone truly love me. Everyone just sees me, and I’m just there. I’ve never been exceptional at anything. Not at love, not at work. I have no good hobbies.”
“Gina, listen to me, you are a good person, you’re funny, and you’re beautiful—but those things don’t define you because you are so special and amazing.”
“I’m not, though. I’ve always wanted to be special. Tina’s special, and she knows it. I know it, and my family knows it.”
“Hey, you shouldn’t feel that way, Gina. You’re amazing.”
“And I always run.” She looks at me like she’s not even hearing me. “I hate that about myself. I hate that I didn’t just speak up to Tina. I hate that I didn’t tell my parents and my grandparents what’s going on. I hate that I didn’t confront Garth. I hate that I didn’t say,look, this is fucked up, andI’m not the fucked up one in this situation—you are. But I didn’t know how to. I didn’t know what to say. I never know how to be in that moment and just excel. I just… Am I a bad person? Maybe I shouldn’t have said that to her. Obviously, she wasn’t ready to see those articles. Maybe I scared her. Maybe I made it worse. Maybe I put her in a position where she won’t call me next time. And if there’s a next time, maybe it’ll be worse. And what if hedoes something horrible to her, Hunter? I would never be able to live with myself.”
