Centuries Later—Present Day

"How dare you treat your stepsister in this way?" My father's voice booms, and his hand connects with my cheek in a stinging slap.

I feel the heat radiate across my face as my stepmother clutches Brielle, who's sobbing uncontrollably in her arms.

“She’s sleeping with my boyfriend!” Brielle wails, her voice cracking. “I walked in on them, and they didn’t even stop.”

"You're sleeping with your sister's boyfriend?" My stepmother spits, her voice venomous. But my gaze locks onto Brielle, and my heart sinks.

This isn't about me; it's about Adrian and Brielle's secret. I caught them having an affair, and now she changes the story and makes me the villain in front of my father?

FYI; Adrian is my boyfriend, but we're secretly dating. Everyone in school knows Adrian is dating but doesn't know who the girl is.

"No, that's not true. She’s lying." I try to explain, but my father's furious face cuts me off.

"Don't lie to us!" he thunders. "Brielle has proof."

My eyes meet Brielle's, and for a moment, we just stare at each other. Then Brielle's eyes drop. This girl is pretending, but how will I make my father believe me?

Brielle's lips curve into a sly smile, and she pretends to sob even louder. My stepmother wraps her arms tightly around Brielle, cooing, "My poor child." I feel a surge of anger and betrayal.

"It's not true," I try to explain again, but my father's anger only intensifies.

"Don't play innocent like you always do," he growls. "We have evidence. Brielle wouldn't make this up."

I look at Brielle, and for a moment, our eyes lock again. I see a flash of triumph in hers, and my heart sinks even further. Why is Brielle doing this to me? This is calculated, and the chilling part is—my father believes her without question.

“You’ve always had a wild streak,” my stepmother snaps. “And now you’re trying to ruin your own sister’s relationship? You disgust me.”

“No i'm not and, Yes, she’s making it up. I also have proof. I have a recording of their affair.” I say, bringing out my phone from my pocket and about to hand it over to my father.

Brielle crying seizes, and I see fear and shock, written all over her face. She looks at me. Panic flickers across her face. I’m sure she wasn’t expecting me to have a backup plan.

As I stretch my hand forward, my stepmother slap the phone from my hand, and it falls drastically on the floor and breaks.

“Who cares about your proof?” Her voice is venomous and cold. “You might have made that up just to tarnish the image of my precious child.”

“No,” I heaves looking at my phone. The screen is already broken. “No. You shouldn’t have done that.” I cry.

"You're grounded, young lady," my father's voice is firm, his anger still simmering. He doesn’t even care about the phone that my stepmother broke."Go to your room and stay there until further notice."

I feel tears pricking at the corners of my eyes as I look straight into my fathers eyes. He never takes my side. He doesn’t care about me.

I look at Brielle, and the grin that spreads across her face makes my stomach twist. How I wish my mother was still alive. She would have taken my side.

“Why are you still standing? I said to your room!” My father repeats, his voice devoid of emotion. “Now!” He screams.

I turn to head to my room. The injustice of the situation overwhelms me, and I burst into tears as I run up the stairs. I slam my bedroom door shut behind me and collapse onto my bed, sobbing uncontrollably.

As I cried, my mind wandered back to the days when my mother was still alive. My father was always strict, but he was fair and loving.

After my mother's passing, everything changed. He became stricter, more distant, and often seemed to be looking for someone to blame. That was since he remarried that witch called my stepmother.

I try to remember the last time he smiled or showed me affection, but it's been so long that I've almost forgotten what it's like.

The pain of being misunderstood and accused of something I didn't do feels like a heavy weight on my chest. I let out a loud wail, feeling lost and alone in my room.

I open my laptop and log into my social media, my fingers trembling. As the WiFi connects, my notifications start pouring in. I scroll through the messages, and my eyes widen.

"Homewrecker," "Sister-stealer," and "Slut" are just a few of the insults hurled at me.

Classmates, acquaintances, and even people I barely know have sent me hate messages. Brielle's rumor has spread like wildfire, and I'm the villain.

I feel a wave of nausea wash over me as I read through the messages. Why is everyone so quick to believe the worst about me? Don't they know me at all?

My eyes sting with tears as I realize I'm alone in this fight. Everyone is against me and my whole classmates hates me. My father doesn't believe me, and now my peers are turning against me.

I want to close my laptop, the screen fading to black, a notification pops up from my school. i push the laptop back open. Fear surges through my body. I feel suffocated by the weight of false accusations and hatred.

I tap the mail, and it opens. The heading of the Mail reads.

EXPULSION NOTICE.

I sit up on my bed, staring blankly at the letter in my hand. The school's logo is emblazoned on the top, and the words "Expulsion Notice" are stamped in bold red letters. My eyes scan the page, reading the words that seem to leap off the page.

"Dear Student,

After a thorough investigation into the allegations of misconduct, including the affair with your sister's boyfriend, the school administration has made the decision to expel you from our institution, effective immediately.

This decision is final and non-negotiable. Your actions have brought shame to our school and set a poor example for your peers.

Sincerely,

[Principal Dickson]"

I feel like I've been punched in the gut. Tears stream down my face as I read the words over and over, hoping they'll change. But they don't. I'm being expelled. No school will want to accept me now. My future is ruined.

I collapse onto the bed, sobbing uncontrollably. How can this be happening? I'm innocent, but no one believes me. The weight of the accusations and the expulsion is crushing me. I don't know what to do next. My life is over.

I'm curled up on my bed, tears still streaming down my face as I stare blankly at the expulsion letter. The weight of my situation is crushing me.

Suddenly, I hear a knock on my door. I shout, "Who is that?! Just leave me alone!" The knocking persists, and I grit my teeth. Who could be so insensitive?

I storm to the door and fling it open, revealing Brielle standing there with a smug grin on her face.

"Hello, sister," she says, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Don't tell me you were crying. Care if I come in?"

"Yes I was!" I glare at her, my anger boiling over. "What do you want, Brielle? I'm sure you can see I'm busy being miserable thanks to you?"

Brielle's grin widens. "Oh, I'm sure you're just devastated about the expulsion letter. Such a shame."

I take a step closer to her, my fists clenched. How did she know?

"You're enjoying this, aren't you? You ruined my life, and now you're gloating."

Brielle's expression remains calm, but a flicker of satisfaction dances in her eyes.

"I'm just telling the truth, sister. You should be grateful I'm looking out for you."

"Looking out for me?" I laugh, the sound bitter. "You're destroying me, Brielle. And for what? So you can keep your precious secret safe?"

Brielle's smile falters for a moment, and I see a glimmer of unease. But she quickly regains her composure.

"You have no idea what's at stake, sister. Just be grateful I took care of the problem."

I seethe with anger, my words barely above a whisper. "You're not going to get away with this, Brielle. I'll make sure everyone knows the truth."

"Ohhhh," Brielle's grin returns, and she turns to wanting to leave. "I'm shaking in my boots, sister. What are you going to do? I'm scared!"

I take a step closer to Brielle, my eyes locked on hers. "You think you're so clever, don't you?" I say, my voice low and menacing. "But I have a surprise for you. I have a backup recording, and it's going to blow everything wide open."

Brielle's smile falters, and she takes a step back. "You wouldn't dare," she hisses.

I smile, a cold, calculated smile. "Try me," I say. "I give you till tomorrow to tell everyone the truth. If you don't, I'll make sure everyone knows what really happened."

Brielle's face twists in anger, but I can see the fear lurking beneath. "You wouldn't dare." she repeats, her voice rising. "You think you can threaten me? I'm not afraid of you."

Just then, her phone rings, cutting through the silence. She looks at the screen and smiles, a sly, triumphant smile. "Hey, Adrian," she says, her voice sweet and flirtatious.

Adrian? My Adrian?

My heart sinks as I watch her, shock passing through my body like a wave. She looks at me, her eyes glinting with triumph, and I feel like I've been punched in the gut. Even Adrian is on her side.

I realize too late that Brielle's secret isn't just about her affair with Adrian; it's about how deeply entrenched he is in her web of deceit. And with him backing her up, my chances of proving my innocence seem to slip further away.

The realization hits me like a ton of bricks, and for a moment, I feel defeated.