Chapter 2

Jana Doyle POV:

My eyes burned, a physical manifestation of the unshed tears, the unspoken pain that had festered for years. I wanted to leave, to escape the suffocating air of their manufactured family drama, where I was always the villain or the invisible prop. I took a step towards the door, a desperate need for fresh air clawing at my throat.

Axel blocked my path, his large frame a sudden, intimidating barrier. His expression was stern, brooking no argument. "Jana, a moment."

He cleared his throat, his gaze shifting uncomfortably towards Kyleigh, who was now "asleep" in her bed, a delicate picture of frailty. "Kyleigh's fellowship application. Her thesis is due soon, and with her condition... she won't be able to finish it." He paused, letting the implication hang. "You have the same major, the same research focus. You could... help her."

A bitter wave washed over me. Help her. The words were a familiar refrain, a veiled command that always led to my own erasure. I knew what he meant. He expected me to write it for her, just as I' d done countless times before.

My mind replayed the endless parade of "help." High school essays, college projects, even her entrance exams to the prestigious architecture program I had yearned for but stepped aside from. Kyleigh, the perpetually "fragile" one, had always needed a ghostwriter, a shadow to ensure her academic success. She' d even cheated on tests, passing off my answers as her own, because she couldn' t bear for my grades to outshine hers. Her cunning had always been sharper than her intellect.

I remembered the time she' d stolen my meticulously crafted portfolio, a collection of designs I' d poured my soul into, and submitted it as her own for a coveted summer internship. She' d gotten it, of course. My name, my work, always her triumph.

Now, it was her fellowship thesis. A crucial stepping stone in her carefully constructed façade. I knew for a fact she hadn't even started it. Why bother, when her diligent twin was always there to pick up the slack?

"Jana, please," my mother, Joyce, whispered from Kyleigh's bedside, her voice dripping with the familiar, manipulative concern. "She's so weak. Just this one last thing before the surgery. For your sister."

Just this one last thing. How many times had I heard those words? Each time, my chest would tighten, a familiar ache blooming behind my ribs. It was a physical manifestation of the slow, agonizing death of my own identity.

I forced a brittle smile, the effort costing me more than it should have. "Of course," I managed, the word a hollow echo. Will she even graduate after I' m gone? The thought was morbid, yet strangely detached. It didn't matter. Soon, none of this would.

Axel' s face lit up, a blinding surge of relief. "Perfect! I knew you'd understand." He reached into his briefcase, pulling out a thick, bound document. "I brought your thesis. Kyleigh's been so inspired by your work, she wanted to use it as a foundation." He handed it to Kyleigh, his gaze adoring.

Kyleigh, who had been lying perfectly still, suddenly stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, dark and knowing. She took the thesis from Axel, a smug smirk twisting her lips. Then, almost imperceptibly, she stuck out her tongue at me, a childish, triumphant gesture that spoke volumes.

Axel leaned down, his lips brushing Kyleigh' s ear. "My clever girl," he murmured, stroking her hair. Kyleigh giggled, a sweet, innocent sound, and playfully swatted his arm, her cheeks flushing. The scene was sickeningly intimate, a betrayal played out before my eyes.

I watched them, a silent observer in my own unraveling life. If the poison hadn' t already leached the fight from me, if the slow decay hadn't dulled my spirit, I would have roared. I would have screamed until the walls shook, until their manufactured peace shattered. But my wolf, my inner strength, had been systematically poisoned, shackled, and silenced for too long.

I turned and walked out of the room, my steps heavy, each one dragging me further into the abyss. Laughter, light and carefree, followed me from the room. No one called out. No one tried to stop me.

I went home, to the quiet solitude of my apartment, my sanctuary from their relentless demands. The cozy living room, once a haven of peace, now felt like a tomb. I stared at my belongings-my architectural sketches, my favorite books, the few trinkets that represented me. A sudden, fierce resolve hardened my heart.

If no one cared, if I was destined to be erased, then I would erase myself. I would leave nothing behind for them to claim, nothing for them to twist into their narrative. I systematically gathered every personal item, every trace of Jana Doyle, and stuffed them into large trash bags. My portfolios, my awards, my cherished memories-all gone. I dragged the bags to the curb, a ritualistic purging of a life unlived.

The exertion sent a searing pain through my chest. My lungs burned, each breath a struggle. The rare degenerative disease, the silent killer that had been gnawing at me for months, was advancing rapidly. The poison was almost at its peak. Every movement was agony now, a cruel reminder of the inevitable.

I stumbled back inside, clutching my chest, gasping for air. I really am dying. The thought wasn't terrifying, just a stark, undeniable fact.

I collapsed onto my bed, the world spinning. I needed to rest, to gather the last vestiges of my strength for the final act. Just a few hours.

A sudden, violent crash shattered the silence. The door to my apartment burst open, slamming against the wall. Axel stood in the doorway, his face contorted with rage. Behind him, my parents appeared, their faces grim, Kyleigh clinging to Joyce, sobbing hysterically.

"What have you done, Jana?" Axel roared, his voice shaking with fury and disbelief. "How could you betray us like this?"

Kyleigh wailed, pointing a trembling finger at me. "She's so cruel! She wants to ruin me!"

"Ruined you?" I murmured, my voice raspy. "How?"

"Don't play innocent!" Axel stepped forward, his eyes blazing. "You deliberately let Kyleigh be accused of plagiarism! You set her up!"

My mother, Joyce, her face etched with disapproval, stepped forward. "Jana, how could you hurt your sister like this? After everything we've done for you!" She wrapped an arm around Kyleigh, pulling her closer, as if to shield her from my supposed malice.

Plagiarism? My thesis. They had done it. They had actually done it.

I closed my eyes, a wave of weariness washing over me. This was it then. The final, brutal act of my life.