Introduction

I was the golden girl, the champion equestrian, adored by my father, cherished by my brother, and deeply in love with my high school sweetheart, living a perfect suburban life.

Then, on my 18th birthday, everything shattered when my father brought home Maria, a "troubled teen" he adopted, and suddenly, I ceased to exist.

My father, brother, and even the boy I loved, Ethan, turned their backs on me, falling for Maria' s fragile, manipulative act, consistently choosing her over me, climaxing with them missing my college graduation for her regional play.

When I confronted them about their abandonment, my own father struck me, my brother coldly told me to "get out," and later, after I cooked a meal to try for closure, they accused me of poisoning Maria, believing her fabricated allergic reaction.

Utterly broken and disowned, I fled in a thunderstorm, leaving behind the only family I'd ever known, not realizing it was just the beginning of my rebirth.