Chapter 3

Jana Doyle POV:

Kyleigh had done it. She'd taken my thesis, the one Axel had given her, and posted it to the university's online forum, claiming it as her own. She' d been so brazen, so confident in her ability to manipulate everyone around her.

My former mentor, Professor Albright, a brilliant but notoriously meticulous architect, had been the first to notice. He had always seen something in me, a spark of talent that my family had relentlessly tried to extinguish. He' d supported my projects, praised my unique vision, and even offered me a coveted spot in his advanced research lab. He was the one who had gently suggested that my work was too complex, too original, for Kyleigh's usual style.

When the thesis appeared under Kyleigh's name, he'd been suspicious. He'd started asking her questions, delving into the intricate details of the design, the theoretical frameworks. Kyleigh, predictably, stumbled. She couldn't explain the nuances, couldn't defend the innovative approach, couldn't articulate the very soul of the project.

The online community, ever vigilant, quickly caught on. Comments flooded the forum. "This doesn't sound like Kyleigh's work at all." "She can't even answer basic questions about her own thesis." "It's a clear case of plagiarism!"

Accusations spiraled, a wildfire of digital outrage. The university's integrity was at stake.

Axel, his face a thundercloud, dragged me from my bed. My body screamed in protest, a searing pain shooting through my weakened limbs, but he ignored it. He was blinded by his rage, by his fervent need to protect Kyleigh. He shoved me towards my sister, who was still clinging to Joyce, her sobs echoing dramatically in the small room.

"Look at her, Jana!" he snarled, pointing at Kyleigh. "You ruined everything! Apologize! Now!"

I stared at him, at the fury in his eyes, and a single, agonizing question echoed in my mind: When did he become hers?

I remembered the night he found me, five years ago. My parents had just thrown me out, their words a poisoned dagger in my heart. I was broken, adrift, standing alone in the biting wind. Axel, then a promising young businessman, had been there, a beacon in my darkness. He' d wrapped his jacket around me, his eyes filled with a tenderness I' d never known. He' d taken me home, to his apartment, and listened patiently as I sobbed out my story. He was my rescuer, my anchor. He made me believe in love again, in a future I thought was lost.

He swore he' d protect me, that he' d never let anyone hurt me again. "You' re mine, Jana," he' d whispered, his words a balm to my shattered soul. "I' ll always cherish you." He had hated the way my family treated me, hated their favoritism, their casual cruelty. He was my safe harbor, my everything.

But then Kyleigh had started to invade our space, subtly at first. She' d show up at our dates, "accidentally" bumping into us, always looking frail, always needing Axel' s attention. She' d lean into him, whisper secrets, her delicate hand always finding his arm. Their texts became a constant, a silent stream of communication that excluded me, that chipped away at the foundation of our relationship.

My love, my protector, had slowly, insidiously, become the fierce guardian of my tormentor. I thought I was immune to pain now, that my heart was too numb to break. But watching Axel tear me down to build Kyleigh up, it still twisted a knife in my gut.

What did it matter now? I was a ghost anyway, fading fast. My time was running out. I would give them what they wanted. I would perform this last, pathetic act of self-effacement.

"I did it," I said, my voice barely audible. "I plagiarized the thesis. I'm sorry, Kyleigh." The words tasted like bile.

A collective gasp filled the room. Even Kyleigh stopped sobbing, her eyes wide with surprise. My parents stared at me, then at each other, their faces a mixture of shock and bewildered relief.

"Oh, Jana," Joyce sighed, her hand fluttering to her chest. "You finally care about your sister. It's a shame it took so long."

Fred nodded, a smug look on his face. "See? I told you she'd come around. She just needed a push. Always so mature, deep down."

Axel' s eyes softened, a flicker of something akin to guilt passing through them. He stepped towards me, reaching out. "Jana, I... I know this is hard. But we'll get through it. I'll take care of you. You won't have to worry about anything. Even if you can't finish your studies, we'll ensure you live comfortably."

I forced another smile, a grotesque parody of happiness. Comfortably. He spoke of a future I would never see, a life I would never live. The future he envisioned for "us" was already crumbling into dust.

Kyleigh, who had been watching us with a strange, calculating intensity, suddenly brought out her phone. She turned on the camera, a sly smirk playing on her lips. "I want to record this," she sniffled, her voice still dripping with false tears. "So everyone knows the truth."

She pointed the camera at me. "Jana, you thief! You stole my work! You tried to ruin my life!" she wailed, her performance Oscar-worthy. "Say it! Say you're sorry! Say you plagiarized my thesis!"

My parents and Axel watched, their eyes fixed on me, waiting. Demanding.

I looked into the lens, into the cold, unfeeling eye of the camera. "I... I plagiarized Kyleigh' s thesis," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I apologize. It was wrong. I admit it."

A collective sigh of relief swept through the room. They had their confession. Their golden child was absolved.

Kyleigh, her face still streaked with performative tears, quickly uploaded the video. Within minutes, my phone buzzed with notifications. The online world erupted in a storm of condemnation. "Jana Doyle, the plagiarist! Shame on her!" "How could she do this to her own sister?" Messages of hate, insults, and ridicule flooded my inbox.

Kyleigh, meanwhile, played the gracious victim. She posted a tearful message, "forgiving" me, asking for kindness, portraying herself as the epitome of grace under pressure. While everyone else was distracted, she leaned close to me, her voice a venomous hiss.

"Stupid," she whispered, her eyes alight with triumph. "You never had a chance. You think you can compete with me? You think you deserve their love? They're all mine, Jana. Mom, Dad, Axel. They always were. You don't deserve anyone."

The last words were a hammer blow, cracking what little remained of my spirit. I stared at her, at the pure, unadulterated malice in her eyes, and knew, with a certainty that chilled me to the bone, that she meant every word.

The poison in my veins felt like a welcome embrace. It would be over soon.