ASHES TO EMPIRE

The Jealous Sister

Lily's POV

I run down the stairs as fast as I can, my heart beating with excitement.

This is it. This is the moment I've been planning for six months. Everything is about to fall into place perfectly.

I burst through the back door into the party, and quickly put on my best crying face. Tears pour down my face as I stumble toward the crowd of guests.

"Help!" I sob loudly. "Someone help me!"

Everyone turns to stare at me. Perfect.

Mrs. Henderson runs over first. "Lily! What's wrong, dear?"

"It's Zara!" I gasp between fake sobs. "She's gone crazy! She attacked me upstairs and ran away!"

The crowd gasps. Mom appears at my side instantly.

"What happened?" Mom orders, grabbing my shoulders.

I let my whole body shake like I'm scared. "She... she found out that I know about the money she's been stealing from Dad's business. She got so angry and pushed me down. Then she screamed that she was going to ruin the whole family!"

More gasps from the crowd. I see Dad pushing through the people, his face white with shock.

"Stealing?" Dad whispers. "Lily, what are you talking about?"

This is the best part. I pull out my phone with trembling hands and show him the fake bank records I've been working on for weeks.

"I found these last week," I cry. "Look at the withdrawals, Dad. All with her autograph. She's been taking money for months!"

Dad looks at the phone screen, and I watch his face crumble. He believes it completely.

"Fifty thousand dollars," he whispers. "She took fifty thousand dollars?"

"I tried to talk to her about it," I sob. "I wanted to help her. But she got so angry! She said if I told anyone, she would make sure I got blamed instead. She's been threatening me for days!"

Mom pulls me into a tight hug. "Oh, my poor baby! Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"I was scared!" I cry. "And I love Zara! I didn't want to get her in trouble. But tonight, when Marcus went to talk to her about it, she completely lost it!"

Marcus emerges behind Mom, looking sick and confused. Good. He's playing his part perfectly without even knowing it.

"Where is she now?" Marcus asks quietly.

"I don't know!" I cry harder. "She ran outside screaming that she was going to disappear forever and leave us all to deal with the mess she made!"

The crowd starts grumbling. I hear whispers of "How terrible" and "That poor family" and "I always thought Zara seemed too perfect."

Dad looks like he might throw up. "The business... if she took that much money..."

"We'll figure it out, James," Mom says strongly. "Right now we need to find Zara and get her help."

Help. I almost laugh out loud. The only help Zara will need is a good lawyer when everyone finds out she's a thief and a liar.

Marcus pulls me away while Mom and Dad talk to the guests.

"Lily," he says, "are you sure about those bank statements?"

I look up at him with my biggest, most innocent eyes. "Marcus, I would never lie about something this important. I love my sister, but she's sick. She needs help."

He looks at me for a long moment, and I can see him trying to figure out if I'm telling the truth.

Time for the final push.

"Marcus," I say, touching his arm, "I know this is hard, but you saw how she's been acting lately. All those strange phone calls. All those late nights at the office. The mood swings. This explains everything."

He nods slowly. Poor Marcus. He wants to believe the best about everyone, but the proof is right there on my phone.

"What do we do now?" he asks.

"We protect the family," I say strongly. "And we get Zara the help she needs, even if she doesn't want it."

The mayor walks over to us, looking worried. "Is everything alright? People are asking about the news."

Marcus looks lost. "I... we..."

"There won't be an announcement tonight," I say quickly. "Zara is having some personal problems and needs time to get better. Marcus is being so understanding and helpful."

The mayor nods sympathetically. "Of course. Family comes first."

As the mayor walks away, I grab Marcus's hand and squeeze it.

"Thank you," I whisper. "Thank you for sticking by our family during this difficult time. Zara is so lucky to have someone like you who won't give up on her."

Marcus squeezes my hand back, and I see something in his eyes that makes my heart race. Gratitude. Trust. And maybe something more.

For nineteen years, I've watched everyone love Zara more than me. She's the smart one. The responsible one. The perfect girl who could do no wrong.

But not anymore.

I've been stealing money from Dad's business since January, copying Zara's signature exactly. I've been saving every withdrawal slip, every forged document, making the perfect case against my perfect sister.

Then I started flirting with Marcus. It was so easy. He was bored with perfect Zara and excited by risky me. I made him feel like a man instead of a boy trying to live up to everyone's standards.

The affair was just extra fun. The real plan was always about the money.

Now everyone thinks Zara is a thief and a lie. Marcus thinks I'm the innocent little sister trying to protect the family. Mom and Dad think I'm the victim.

And the best part? When Zara tries to protect herself, it will just make her look more guilty.

I watch Mom and Dad stop the party, sending guests home with apologies and promises to let everyone know when Zara is "feeling better."

Marcus stays to help clean up, shooting worried looks toward the back gate where Zara disappeared.

"She'll come home when she's ready," I tell him softly. "And when she does, we'll be here to help her."

But I'm lying.

Because in my purse, I have one more thing that will destroy Zara totally.

A suicide note.

Written in her handwriting.

Confessing to everything.

Tonight, when everyone is asleep, I'm going to put it in her room. Tomorrow morning, when she still hasn't come home, I'll "find" it.

Then everyone will think that Zara Winters, the perfect daughter, couldn't live with her crimes and chose to end it all.

They'll search for her body. They'll hold a beautiful funeral. They'll remember her as an unhappy girl who made terrible mistakes.

And I'll be the heartbroken sister who tried so hard to save her.

Marcus will comfort me. Mom and Dad will need me more than ever. The business will become mine when Dad leaves.

Everything that was meant to be Zara's will be mine instead.

Marcus touches my shoulder gently. "Are you okay? You look... different."

I smile up at him, and for just a second, I let him see the real me. The girl who planned all of this. The girl who won.

"I'm perfect," I whisper.

And I am.