The Bloody Bathtub and My Cousin

After my uncle's family died in a tragic accident, my cousin Gia moved into our house.

To make up for the loss of her parents, my mom and dad treated her like a princess.

Everything Gia owned was off-limits to me. I wasn't even allowed to dream about touching her things.

One summer break, I stared at the new designer bathtub my parents had just bought for her. I only looked at it for a second.

Gia immediately had a total breakdown and started sobbing.

"Raina, you can have all these things if you want them. Just... please, can you give me my parents back?"

Hearing that, my parents' faces twisted with guilt and rage. My mom rushed over and slapped me hard across the face.

"Why are you so wretched? Have you never taken a bath in your life? Why do you have to eye your cousin's things?"

My face burned with a stinging pain.

From that day on, I didn't even dare to glance at anything that belonged to her.

Then came the day Gia actually invited me to take a soak in her tub.

I was so excited that I stepped in with one leg, moving as carefully as I could.

But the warmth I expected never came. Instead, a bone-chilling cold shot up from my toes to my hips.

I tried to pull my leg back, but Gia gave me a violent shove from behind.

She slammed the bathroom door and locked it from the outside.

"Since you love other people's things so much, you jealous brat, you can soak in there until you're satisfied!"

I lost my footing. My head slammed against the sharp edge of the tub. A warm liquid began to trickle down my forehead before being swallowed by the freezing water.

I don't know how much time passed before I felt myself floating.

Outside the door, I heard Gia starting her act.

"Uncle, Auntie, Raina took over my bathtub! She's hiding in there and won't come out!"

At the front door, my parents had just finished work. Their faces were etched with exhaustion.

When she heard Gia, my mom's expression turned monstrous.

She didn't even bother taking off her shoes. She stomped through the living room to the bathroom door and started screaming.

"Raina Shaw, can't you give me a single moment of peace? You're always trying to steal from your cousin. Have you no shame?"

Mom hammered on the door so hard it sounded like thunder.

I was standing right next to her, shaking my head like a toy.

Mom, I didn't. She invited me in.

Gia's eyes were rimmed with red.

"It's okay, Auntie. Raina is still young. It's only right that I give her everything."

She wiped away a tear and let out a small sob.

"It's my fault for being an outsider. If I weren't here, all these things would be hers."

My dad frowned and rushed to Gia's side.

"Who said you're an outsider? Who told you that?"

Gia's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth as if she'd accidentally let a secret slip.

"Uncle, Auntie, it wasn't Raina. Please, don't blame her."

My parents exchanged a look. The fire in their eyes grew even hotter.

"Raina, get out here right now! Don't you dare play dead in there!"

"How did I raise someone so classless? How could you call your sister an outsider?"

"Let me tell you something. In this house, you're the one acting like an outsider! You have no right to speak to her that way!"

The only response was a heavy, dead silence.

Inside the room, my eyes were wide open. I was lying in the tub I had dreamed of using just once.

Beneath me, the water had turned a deep, sickening crimson.

My parents tried to force the handle.

"You actually locked the door? Just you wait!"

They turned around to find the spare key.

As they reached the door with the key in hand, Gia suddenly let out a loud cry.

"Uncle! Auntie! Please don't be mad at Raina. In this house, you're all Shaws. I'm the only Shaun."

"If I'm not an outsider, then what am I?"

My parents were startled by her sudden outburst.

The key slipped from my mom's fingers and fell right into the trash can next to the door.

Terrified of Gia being hurt, Mom pulled her into a tight hug.

"Gia, honey, I haven't been thoughtful enough. Don't worry. Tomorrow, I'm taking you to the office to legally change your last name!"

Dad chimed in immediately.

"Gia, in my heart, you will always come first!"

A flash of disgust crossed Mom's face as she looked back at the bathroom door. She spoke through gritted teeth.

"Raina, I never thought you could be so cruel at such a young age. Your cousin has worked so hard to fit into this family, and you treat her like trash. I can't believe you're my child!"

Dad let out a cold snort, his voice rising.

"If she loves soaking so much, let her stay in there. Gia, honey, your aunt and I are taking you to get some McDonald's."

They both looked at the door, expecting a reaction.

Usually, if I heard the word McDonald's, I would have come running out, begging them to take me along.

But now, I couldn't eat a single thing.

Gia gripped my dad's hand with teary eyes.

"Uncle, I'm hungry. Let's go get some fries."

"Raina already snuck a huge piece of strawberry cake earlier. She definitely isn't hungry."

"What?"

Mom's voice hit a high pitch.

"That strawberry cake was your reward from your teacher! Did Raina steal your food again?"

Gia nodded, then shook her head quickly, acting like she was being the bigger person.

"Auntie, don't be mad at her. I let her have it."

I stood there shaking my head. Mom, Dad, did you forget I'm allergic to strawberries?

The front door slammed shut.

The world went completely silent.

I let out a bitter, ghostly laugh. Maybe it really would be better if Gia were their only child.

The clock was striking midnight when my parents returned with a satisfied Gia.

There was still some strawberry marshmallow residue on the corner of Gia's mouth.

It had been a long time since I'd tasted anything sweet.

Ever since Gia moved in, everything good in the house went to her first.

In the beginning, I would cry and fight back.

Mom would hold me close, resting her chin on my forehead, and whisper to me.

"Gia's parents became stars in the sky. She doesn't have them anymore. We're all she has left, so we have to share with her, okay?"

I had nodded back then, trying to be a good girl.

Later, my parents started buying doubles of everything. But whenever Gia saw that, she would burst into tears.

"I'm making you spend so much money. If I weren't here, you'd save half your paycheck, wouldn't you?"

My parents tried to explain, but Gia wouldn't listen.

"You don't actually see me as family. If you did, why would you keep everything separate? Is it because Raina hates me and doesn't want to share?"

Hearing that, the ice cream I was eating slipped from my hand.

It hit the floor with a wet thud.

"I'm happy to share, Gia!" I had shouted, desperate to be understood.

From that day on, everything in the house became a single set.

To keep Gia happy, I was forced to just watch from the sidelines.

But every time my parents came home, Gia would run to them to claim credit.

"Uncle, Auntie, I only took a tiny sip of the juice. I shared the rest with Raina. Am I a good girl?"

My parents would stroke her hair and then buy her a giant drink all for herself.

I would lick my lips, trying to remember the taste of the single sip I'd been allowed to have.

I stopped trying to explain myself after a while.

My parents glanced at the locked bathroom door with annoyance.

Dad slammed the bag of apple turnovers they'd brought back from McDonald's onto the shoe rack.

"Gia was kind enough to think of you and bring back a treat, but look at you. You're so obsessed with stealing her tub that you won't even come out."

Gia tilted her head up and spoke to my dad in a sweet, soft voice.

"Uncle, let Raina soak for a while. That tub has a twenty-four-hour heater and a massage function. She'll be fine in there overnight."

Dad tapped her nose affectionately.

"You're far too easy on her."

They turned and walked into their bedroom.

Before long, the sound of snoring filled the house.

Gia crept out of her room and walked over to the bathroom door.

Her voice wasn't sweet anymore. It was sharp and arrogant.

"Raina, don't think your silence is going to make anyone pity you. This was just a little warning. If you ever try to touch my things again, it won't just be a locked door."

Gia held up one of the apple turnovers.

"Beg me, and maybe I'll let you out!"

Inside, there was only silence.

Gia seemed insulted. She threw the turnover onto the floor and crushed it into a messy pulp with her heel.

The scent of cinnamon and sugar filled the air.

I floated in the hallway, watching her walk away.

Gia, I won't ever try to take your things again.

I've given you my parents. Are you happy now?

The next morning, my parents walked out of their room yawning. When they saw the bathroom door was still shut, Mom finally looked a little worried.

She knocked on the door.

"Raina? Haven't you had enough?"

Dad frowned and started looking for a tool to pick the lock.

Gia ran over and tugged on Mom's sleeve.

"Auntie, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. If I weren't living here, Raina wouldn't be throwing a tantrum."

"After you guys fell asleep last night, I saw her sneak out. She stomped all over the turnovers I brought her and threw them on the floor. She said she'd never eat anything I touched."

"Uncle, Auntie, am I really that horrible?"

She sat down right next to the smeared mess on the floor and started wailing.

Hearing this, Dad slammed his fist against the bathroom door.

The sound was so loud it made my soul tremble.

"Raina Shaw! You've gone too far. How can you be so incredibly spiteful?"

Gia sobbed as she hugged Dad's leg.

"Don't blame her, Uncle. I'm just an outsider trying to force my way into your family. I just wanted to be loved."

That was the final straw for my parents.

Mom scooped Gia up into her arms.

"Gia, let's go. We're going to change your name right now!"

The three of them got dressed and left the house.

Dad carried Gia in his arms. They looked like a perfect, happy family.

When my parents weren't looking, Gia looked back at the bathroom door and flashed a mocking, triumphant grin.

They didn't get back until late afternoon.

Gia rushed to the bathroom door, waving a brand-new ID document.

"From today on, my name is Gia Shaw! And you... you can be Raina Shaun!"

It felt like a lightning bolt had struck me.

I flew over to Gia, staring at the paper.

The name Gia Shaw was now listed on the family registry right under my parents.

And I, Raina Shaun, had been moved to a separate file.

It felt like a thousand needles were piercing my heart.

Bloody tears began to leak from my eyes.

Mom rubbed her temples and glared at the door.

"Raina, when are you going to grow up and be as mature as your cousin?"

Dad was just as disgusted.

"This is what happens when you spoil a kid. She's young and already this twisted, obsessed with competing with her sister."

He raised his voice, shouting at the door.

"Raina, I'm giving you one last chance. Come out now, and we might consider changing your name back."

"If you stay in there, you'll be Raina Shaun for the rest of your life!"

Suddenly, a loud thud echoed from inside the bathroom.

It was the sound of the showerhead falling.

But to my parents, it sounded like I was throwing things in defiance.

Dad slammed his hand on the table and pointed at the door.

"Look at her! She stayed in there for a whole day just to keep the tub for herself, and now she's throwing a fit because we called her out?"

"No one stop me today. I'm going to teach her a lesson she'll never forget!"

A gleam of satisfaction shone in Gia's eyes.

She quickly reached into the trash and pulled out the key she had hidden there earlier.

The lock clicked open.

Dad was about to shove the door open when the doorbell rang.

He pulled his hand back.

Two women with professional smiles were standing in the hallway.

The older woman spoke first.

"Hello, we are from Child Protective Services. we're here for a follow-up on Gia Shaun."

My parents quickly invited them in.

Mom served tea while Gia stood by their side, looking like a perfect little angel.

The social worker looked Gia up and down, clearly impressed.

"It's obvious you've been taking wonderful care of her."

"This is just a routine check-in. Gia, sweetie, can I ask you a few questions?"

Gia nodded obediently.

"How do you like living here? Does anyone mistreat you?"

Gia shook her head.

"Uncle and Auntie are great to me. No one mistreats me."

After a few more questions, the social worker turned to my parents with a look of approval.

"We visit a lot of foster and kinship placements. It's rare to see a family that truly treats a child as their own like this."

She made a large checkmark in her notebook.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

As the women turned to leave, Gia suddenly burst into tears.

"Ma'am, can you please help me talk to my sister? She's always so mean to me. I just want us to be a real family."

The social worker frowned and looked at my parents.

Mom's smile froze as she tried to explain.

"Kids just get jealous sometimes. It's normal..."

The social worker cut her off sternly.

"Issues between children are never small. If ignored, they can ruin two lives."

She knelt down next to Gia and spoke softly.

"Where is your sister? Can you take me to see her?"

Gia sobbed and led the woman toward the bathroom.

"She's been hiding in there for a whole day because she won't let anyone else use the tub."

The social worker's face went pale.

She shoved the bathroom door open.

Her notebook hit the floor with a loud slap.

The woman let out a strangled scream, her face turning white as a sheet.