Redeeming Dignity

I look through the glass at the lively party inside. It's my brother's fifteenth birthday-gifts piling up, greetings flooding in. A complete contrast to my own birthday yesterday.
No gifts, no party, and worst of all, no greetings.
Well, damn life. A simple "happy birthday" would've sufficed, but I guess girls don't really matter in this family.

In this household ruled by Faustino, I'm a nobody to anybody. Not even the house helps bother to notice me.
It's as if I don't exist. I doubt anyone even remembers that I do.

Jealous? Nah. I made peace with that a long time ago.
I stopped wanting. I stopped expecting.

Life is cruel-but not as cruel as the people here.
I thought my messed-up life couldn't get worse. Well... spoke too soon.

I just found myself involved in a drug scandal.

No one prepared me for the wrath of the family-not just my family, but the whole Philippines. They stripped me of the tiniest dignity I had left.

With all this chaos, is it still worth trying to redeem my dignity?
And if it is... then how?

Disclaimer

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

The views and opinions expressed in this story do not necessarily reflect those of the author. This story may contain themes and situations that could be sensitive to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.