Chapter 2

"I'm leaving," I said, the words feeling solid and real in my mouth. "And I'm taking back what's mine."

"You have nothing!" Alice shrieked, her carefully composed face twisting into a snarl. "Everything you have is because of us! This roof over your head, the food you eat!"

"The food I buy," I corrected her, my voice dangerously calm. "With the money from the two jobs I work while Kristen interns at her fancy firm for 'experience'."

"Don't you dare speak about your sister that way!" the Colonel boomed, taking a step toward me. He jabbed a finger in my face. "Kristen has class. She has a future. You have a chip on your shoulder and a history that makes people uncomfortable."

"You mean a history you're ashamed of," I shot back.

He grabbed my arm, his fingers digging into my skin. "You ungrateful little brat. After everything we've done for you."

"Let go of me."

"You will show your father some respect," Alice hissed, her eyes gleaming with malice. "We should have left you where we found you."

The words barely registered. I was numb to them now. It was like listening to strangers talk about someone else.

"You value money and status," I said, looking from her face to his. "That's all you've ever valued. You don't care about family. You care about appearances."

I wrenched my arm free from my father's grasp and turned toward the large, ornate vase sitting on the hall table. It was a gift from the Griffins. A symbol of their new alliance.

Without thinking, I swept my arm out and sent it crashing to the floor. It shattered into a thousand pieces.

The sound was liberating.

Alice screamed as if I had struck her. "That was a Ming dynasty replica! It cost a fortune!"

"I'm sure Kristen's dowry will cover it," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

The Colonel's face was purple with rage. He raised his hand as if to strike me. I didn't flinch. I just stared back at him, challenging him.

Just then, the front door opened.

Kristen walked in, a dreamy smile on her face. She was practically floating.

"Mom? Dad? What was that noise?" she asked, her eyes wide and innocent.

In an instant, my parents' expressions changed. The rage vanished, replaced by fawning concern.

"Oh, honey, don't worry about it," Alice cooed, rushing to her side and fussing over her dress. "Just a little accident."

"Did you have a wonderful time?" the Colonel asked, his voice now gentle and paternal. "Did Jason get you home okay?"

"It was perfect," Kristen sighed, holding up her hand so the diamond flashed under the light. "Absolutely perfect. His parents are already talking about venues. They gave me this, too."

She handed my mother a velvet box. Alice opened it. Inside was a pearl necklace.

"Oh, Kristen! It's beautiful!" Alice gushed. "You deserve all of this. You've made us so proud."

Kristen finally seemed to notice me standing amidst the wreckage of the vase. Her smile tightened almost imperceptibly.

"Faith? What are you doing here? I thought you were working."

"She was," Alice said, shooting me a venomous look. "And now she's having one of her episodes."

"Oh, Faith," Kristen said, her voice dripping with fake sympathy. She came toward me, all soft concern. "What's wrong? You look so upset."

She reached out to touch my arm, and I recoiled.

"Don't touch me," I said through gritted teeth.

Kristen's eyes welled up with tears. "I don't understand. I thought you'd be happy for me. Jason said... he said he told you."

"He sent me a text message," I said flatly.

"Oh, no," Kristen whispered, putting a hand to her mouth. "That's not how it was supposed to happen. He was going to talk to you. He told me he felt so guilty. He said you two just weren't compatible. He said... he said your past was too much for his family to accept. They were worried about... you know... your stability."

The words were perfectly chosen, each one a sharp, deliberate cut. She was quoting her new fiancé, twisting the knife my parents had already plunged into my back.

"He said that?" I asked, my voice hollow. I knew it was a lie, a performance for our parents, but a small part of me needed to hear it.

"He said he cared about you, but he couldn't build a future with someone so... broken," Kristen continued, her voice trembling with crocodile tears. "He said you deserved someone who could handle your issues."

The pain was a physical thing, a crushing weight in my chest. I looked at my twin sister, the perfect copy, and saw a monster.

A twisted, bitter smile stretched across my lips. "Wow. You're good. You're really, really good."

"I don't know what you mean," she sobbed.

"That's enough, Faith!" the Colonel barked. "You're upsetting your sister on the happiest night of her life!"

"She's right, dear," Alice said, stroking Kristen's hair. "Faith is just jealous. She can't stand to see you happy. We've done our best to raise her right since she came back, but you can't erase a decade of damage."

"Maybe... maybe we can both be with him," Kristen said, her eyes wide with feigned earnestness. "I wouldn't mind sharing. We're sisters, after all. I just want everyone to be happy."

The sheer audacity of it, the incredible, insulting hypocrisy, was breathtaking. I stared at her, then at my parents, who were nodding along as if this were a reasonable suggestion.

Laughter, raw and unhinged, tore from my throat.