My step sister's marriage: I am her substitute

fields around me seemed to stretch on forever, blanketed in a soft golden glow of the setting sun. Peace

ave, when I was by myself. The day my fathe

d in me when she passed away. He raised me to be strong, kind, and positive. I clung t

icy road, and his heart stop

yes. While I cried for the last of my kin, she stood beside me, gazing down at me as though

t in that cold, shining office, clinging to the expectation that Dad ha

ir to the Harper estate. The business. The

hing," she said, playing the part of

lice. Don't you worry,

at that meant. I wasn't her stepda

ean the di

ke Clara's

n't you be mor

, and heartless. She thrived under Victoria's regi

stole my inheritance from me. She

d for months. I was going to be a doctor, as Dad always hoped I would. T

clutching her textbooks as if they were shie

eyes slicing through me. "Alice," she said, h

g. But for Victoria,

," she said, as if it was the m

aghast. "I hav

more diligently if you don't. Remember, dear, that I di

tears, but I did what she said I had to do. I marked all my wrong answers

ailure, Alice,"

what they called

ide the house were covered with ice. I slipped and fell down the stairs. Pain shot

nd not being able to get up. Later on, Victoria di

," she

said, with te

take me to the clinic. On the way, I heard her t

ouldn't, Clara told me I was lazy. Victoria agreed. I had learned that my

Victoria said, shoving a bus ticket into my hand. "There's a farmhous

ot even s

move the sting from the cold nights. But at least they were gone. I worked at

very spare moment I had. I had to prove to myself-an

t not out of love. Clara would brag about her new clothes, her trips to town, the men who

tayed away

l to

. I was going to let it go b

y, dear," her

oria had never before wished

you come home? We'll have this little p

, a part of me-a part I hated-wanted to believe she me

got on the bus, and returned to the

I had left it, but colder. Clara broke the silence first, her green eyes

mer, I see," she said, her

s as ever. "You've... developed," she said to me, though

a small cake. I stared at it, confused. Was this

sharp and deliberate. "We hav

er excitement ba

. I hadn't noticed him before. He was tall, with piercing

"is Ryan Bennett. He'

art s

ispered, my

nomous. "Happy birthday, Al