TH'S

heart heavy with confusion. Five years...

he soft fabric of my bedsheet beneath my fingers, hear the distant voices of my f

chance? Or was I being forced t

my door pulled me

. I already knew wha

. Not out of respect, but out of habit. She would demand that I clean th

ed. "C

but instead of Ni

disappeare

crossed, her face filled w

ked, trying to sound normal, though my

, like a predator toying with its prey. "Stay away from

caught in

kn

o one was supposed to know about

g I had no idea what she was talk

play dumb, Judith." She took another step closer

nt a chill d

turned and walked out, l

ind

nocking, not Elena. And second, Elena wa

ow things hap

ng was

-

t N

ldn't

kept repeati

ay from

promised to keep our love a secret unt

she sayin

d, staring at the d

hought crept

chance wasn't to

as to suffer

o

t let tha

Erod. I had to kno

ing – Bef

chest felt tight, like someth

routine in a daze, my min

dining table, eating breakfast. Sh

leave," she muttered, taki

argue. I

tered the kitche

before you leav

in my chest. "You don't have th

he turned back to me

ty to question me in my f

"Well, Emma, this is

fore I could react, she moved clo

y voice echoing thro

ay. My father appeared in the door

pened?" h

ay a word, Emma

head on the wall," she

me, his gaze searc

stepmother walked in, pla

" she asked, givin

er mother and repeated her lie. "She

the slap. I wanted to scream, to tell the truth,

f I spoke now, woul

" my dad asked, looking

was already late for school, and I kne

voiding eye cont

h, be warned," He gives me a li

t, my stepmother'

ed- a wic

my tears. Before I could react, my

ink before you

eam. They walked away, giggling. I wiped my te

uth-today, I was only allowed in the

Emma whispered

g this,"

aring out the window, silent tears rollin

-

k, I hurried to the abandoned clas

et place, hidde

g slightly as I reac

ena was wrong. That nothing had

d the d

world s

and E

ss

My hear

tangled in his hair.

und escaped

made them

his eyes wide wit

it to hear what

around

eyes as I rushed