d I knew the first thing he wo

ail. Five minutes after that, I heard a car pull into t

ailing behind her like a thundercloud. Scarlett was with them, her fa

en say hello. "Liam just called me, utterly distraught. He said you were cruel to him and re

al and disdain. "Your sister has been through so much. This opportu

ly, my voice devoid of emotion. "A

"I'm sorry," she whimpered. "I told Liam not to ask. I knew

mance. I had fallen for i

Oh, sweetie, it's not your fault. Chloe is just being difficult."

l dad, who died when I was twelve. Before he got sick, our house was full of love. He was an archite

er in my own home. Brenda, desperate to please her new husband, poured all her affection onto Scarlett. Scarlett got new clothes; I wore hand-m

acting poison that had rot

"Please. Just this once, can you be on my side? Th

we have now. Richard has done so much for us, and this is important to Scarlett. Liam is a wonderful boy, a good

the desperation I felt in my past life

ice cold and final. He pulled a pre-written document from his jacket pocke

I whis

s hiss. "Or you can get out of this house. Don't think fo

it had broken me. The thought of being all a

t life. I had been alone ev

he sound of chains breaking. The last dregs of love I held

but instead of picking up the pen, I grabbed a duffel ba

u doing?" Br

at them. "I'll take the internship.

y crashed down on me all at once. My chest tightened painfully. My breath caught in my throat,

umbling and grabbing the back of a cha

y louder. "Oh, look what you've done! You've upset Chlo

cooing and comforting her. "It's okay,

hoked out, my vision

They were leading a 'distraught

her's voice, full of excitement. "Don't you worry, Scarlett. Once she's gone, t

that took m