Nowhere to Belong

My cousin forgot to log out of her WeChat after using my computer. I was about to sign her out when a group chat notification popped up on the screen. "To celebrate Haohao’s improved exam grades, we’re having a family dinner tonight." Curious, I clicked into the chat. There were only four members in the group: my dad, my mom, my younger brother, and my cousin. My brother replied: "It’s just the four of us. Don’t invite Song Ximeng." "She’s always so petty, even fighting with our cousin over a single apple." I froze on the spot. I had long been an outsider in this family.