Page 55 of Poison Vows

I turn to the left and come face to face with a girl who looks so much like me, it’s almost uncanny to anyone who would meet us for the first time.

This girl, who first reached out to me, selling the hope of reunion with heartfelt conviction that I couldn’t help but feellike everything was finally coming together in my life, is my twin sister.

But nowhere in the realm of possibilities did I think she’d hate me so much that she partnered with a boy I’d been talking to online just to harm me.

I missed and ignored all the red flags.

The way Jackson constantly talked about New York, saying he was waiting for me.

The way he intentionally lured me into a vicious trap, set by my own clever sister.

Melissa clearly knew her father would sell her in exchange for power. So, she neatly decided to act like she just found me, the abandoned child her mother kept in the rear for this very purpose.

But things didn’t exactly go her way…

“Why?” My voice is cold and detached even to my own ears.

“Why what?” Melissa hurls back, her facial features twisted into a mocking frown. “Why are you such a disgrace to the family? An idiot? Undeserving? You have to be a bit more specific.”

“Is that why you did it?”

“What did I do?” She juts out her hip, feigning innocence. “I didn’t do anything, but you on the other hand, you had quite a night, didn’t you?”

I almost gag at the sheer enjoyment glowing in her eyes.

How can anyone be so cruel?

My own sister, clearly enjoying the fact that I was almost raped last night by the guy she used to get close to me.

“How long were you planning everything?” I mutter, feeling sick to my stomach. “How long?!”

“Since I found out Mom’s secret,” Melissa snaps. “She kept your existence a secret for years. Then I found out about Daddy’s deal with ugly olds farts, and well, it wasn’t going to be me, andso here you are! I knew you would one day become useful. I just had to make sure you’d be useful to me!”

I was right.

Melissa thought the arranged marriage would be with some old jerk.

She didn’t think it could be with one of the two most fine specimen of handsome men in the world. But now that she knows, she wants in.

“Useful to you, huh?” I whisper.

“Oh, don’t give me that.” Melissa waves a dismissive hand around like she’s bored. “This world is about survival of the fittest and I refuse to suffer any losses but imagine my surprise when I found out where you grew up.”

Her eyes start blazing with anger and hatred.

“Westbrook Blues! You grew up in West-freaking-brook Blues!” she seethes. “Daddy has tried several times to get close to those illustrious families, but he failed several times, but there you were! Living among them like you’re something special!”

That strikes me as odd for some reason.

“So you worked with your father to get me here?”

“Why would I reveal my plans of escape to him?” she snaps with a strange look on her face. “He still has no idea where you’re from and I won’t tell him! As far as we’re all concerned, you’re just the sick orphan cast away in some bad neighborhood from Los Angeles.”

I scoff. “And yet you’re threatened by me.”

“I’m not threatened by you! You’re nothing!” she snaps. “You’re not better than me! I’m prettier than you! I’m more loved! Unlike you, I actually did go to school with children from upper echelon families, not just watch them from a distance!”

The fuck?

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