The narrator, Cora, recounts her tumultuous childhood and relationship with her sister, Ana. Their parents' constant fighting and eventual divorce set the tone for the sisters' animosity towards each other. As they grew older, their rivalry intensified, with Ana becoming the popular cheerleader and Cora feeling like an outcast.
When Cora's best friend, Mandy, stands up to Ana, Cora is grateful but also witnesses Mandy's subsequent humiliation. Meanwhile, Cora's interactions with Eric, Ana's ex-boyfriend, lead to a romance and an eventual proposal.
At a family Christmas dinner, where Cora announces her engagement, Ana and Cora get into a physical fight, but for the first time, their parents intervene. After a heart-to-heart, Cora reveals that she had secretly given Ana money for her beauty salon.
On Cora's wedding day, Ana surprisingly appears, apologizes, and makes amends. The sisters share a heartfelt moment, and Ana also apologizes to Mandy. The story concludes with a sense of closure and new beginnings for the sisters.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The narrator's name is Cora, and she lives in New York.
2. Cora's parents fought frequently when she was a child.
3. Cora's parents got divorced, and her father remarried.
4. Cora's mother asked about her father's new wife when Cora visited him.
5. Cora and her sister, Ana, fought frequently when they were children.
6. Ana was popular in high school, and Cora was not.
7. Ana was the cheerleader captain, and Cora was a member of the team.
8. A girl named Mandy joined the cheerleading team, and Ana bullied her.
9. Mandy befriended Cora, and they became close.
10. Ana's behavior towards Mandy and Cora caused tension and conflict.
11. Cora and Ana had a physical fight at a school dance.
12. Ana moved in with their father after the fight.
13. Cora cut off all connections with Ana after high school.
14. Ana dropped out of college and started a hair business.
15. Cora became a doctor and started practicing.
16. Cora met Eric, her sister's ex-boyfriend, again, and they started dating.
17. Eric proposed to Cora, and she accepted.
18. Cora invited her family, including Ana, to a Christmas dinner to introduce Eric.
19. The dinner was awkward, and Ana and Cora had a confrontation.
20. Cora and Ana had a physical fight again at the dinner.
21. Ana apologized to Cora on the day of Cora's wedding.
22. Ana also apologized to Mandy, and they hugged each other.
23. Ana was trying to change and make amends with her sister and others.