At the age of three, her parents forced Lena away from her mother. It wasn't a decision made out of love—it was about convenience. Lena was sent to live with her grandparents while her brother stayed with her mother. This wasn't about giving Lena the love and attention she needed. It was about removing the inconvenience she represented. The absence of her mother's warmth would carve deep holes in her heart.
By the time Lena returned to her parents' care at age six, the damage was already done. The family she had known was no longer a refuge—it was a battlefield. Her brother was always the center of attention. He was the golden child, the one loved unconditionally, the one who was never wrong. Meanwhile, Lena stood in the shadow, the unwanted child, treated like an afterthought.
Her father's love for her never existed, and her mother's love, when it did surface, came with a price. There was no escape from the comparisons, no way to stop the feelings of inadequacy, no way to measure up to her brother, who could do no wrong.
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