Even without the conflict with my sister, taking care of my mother was already a challenging task. When valuable items began to vanish, accusations began to make their way about. Despite the fact that I believed I knew who was to blame, the truth completely shattered my world. Betrayal came from the most unexpected source, and as a result, I began to question everything and everyone that I had previously trusted.

After yet another long and exhausting day at work, I was hard at work cleaning the kitchen counter, and the faint odor of bleach was still present in the air.

My anger at my younger sister, Jane, increased in proportion to the amount of time I spent cleaning the house that belonged to my mother. She had the impression that she had entirely forgotten that this was also her mother.

Jane was not an outlier in this regard. While she was in school, she acted irresponsibly by stealing money from her mother’s wallet, running away, and missing lessons. But she was always forgiven, regardless of the circumstances.