bare, scraped from the gravel road. Her hair, once carefully brushed to mimic Reese's perfect waves, now hung in messy cl

t question her.

Reese sat curled up on the cream sofa, phone in one hand, sipping from a cup in the other.

Ember, the room er

Oh my god,look at her! You'd th

"No, darling. Sew

orway, lips pale, trembling

say, huh?" Her smile vanished, replaced by fury. SLAP. E

had one job.....one night. You were suppos

g hitched, but s

face closer. "Tell me right now. Did you say something to him?

pa

se's confident glare flick

r no

, voice barely above a whisper

A neces

f and shoved her hard. Ember stumbled

fingers. "My new nail art ruined." She turned to

le dust off her robe. "Honestly, Ember, even ra

unced to the floor. Pills scattered. "Take one. Sleep. And don't

y and gathered the pil

e cooed mockingly

lickering ceiling bulb. Ember sat beneath the shower, fully clothed, letting icy water flow over her as he

was. Inside her. Like somethi

her arms unti

s touch sti

throat. The way he forc

but she bit it back. No more tea

s and pulled out a small leather diary hidden be

I told hi

he didn't r

r beli

d humiliate me.

at I'm not Reese. I don't know how. But he

edge. My o

ir lies until I can use t

By.

diary and h

ered to herself, "I may be their p

t heavier than any scream. Charlotte's laugh still echoed in her ears sharp, cruel, echoing with the confidence of someone who thought they had won. She want

, and with shaking h

e role she wants, just until I find my way out. But I swear, one day, she'll pay for every slap, every

tly, but she caught herself against the wall. The pain was nothing new.she had lived through

a sliver of moonlight slipping through the high windows. From the drawing room down

tered. "If she slips, it's not just our

ce smug. "She's scared of her own s

pa

arlotte asked. "

elf this time. That girl's face is still swollen from t

his was their plan? To discard her like

room, but her heartbeat was thunderous. The f