It never stopped. And worse, no one ever believed me when I tried to tell the truth. I was always the liar. The ungrateful one. The burden.
Maybe it had been a mistake, choosing to leave behind the couple who raised me with love, the ones who tucked me in at night and kissed my bruises for my real parents. But they were gone now.
I thought coming back to my blood family would mean I belonged somewhere. I was wrong.
Patricia crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. “I need you to do something,” she said, voice crisp. “Don’t attend the gala tomorrow.”
I blinked. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” She walked closer, pulling an envelope from her coat. “There’s a ticket here. One-way. To the province. I booked you a resort for a week. You like quiet places, don’t you?”
She set the envelope down on my dresser like it was some peace offering. “You don’t need to be at the gala. You’ll only ruin it. And you should stay away from Denver while you’re at it. You’re not fit for him, Alicia. Never were.”
There it was. Her real voice. Cold. Entitled. Cruel.
“I know what you saw,” she added softly. “And it doesn’t matter. You’re still married… for now. But it’s only a matter of time.”
I looked at her—really looked at her. And for the first time, I didn’t flinch. I didn’t fold.
“You don’t have to worry,” I said, voice even. “After tomorrow, you’ll never have to see me again.”
Her eyes flickered. “Good.”
I walked out without another word.
That night, I took a long bath. Soaked in lavender, let the steam blur the mirror and my mind. I was exhausted. Not from the errands or the decor prep. From pretending. From staying silent.
When I stepped out, wrapped in a robe and toweling my hair, the door slammed open.
It was my mother. Without warning, she threw something at me. A gown. Beaded, emerald green.
“What the hell is this?” she snapped, tossing a delicate velvet box at me. The lid flipped open on impact, revealing a broken gold chain and shattered emerald pendant.
I stared at it, stunned. “Is that your necklace?”
She crossed her arms. “Patricia said she saw you near my room. Did you do this?”
I blinked, still staring at the broken emerald pendant, my voice soft. “No. I didn’t even go near your room.”
She scoffed. “Liar. Patricia said she saw you. You’ve always been jealous of what isn’t yours. And now you’re breaking things?”
“I didn’t—” My breath caught in my throat. “I swear I didn’t do it.”