The Twin Temptations

CHAPTER ONE

ELENA’S POV

Crash

I stood with my head bowed, as remnants of what was supposed to be my dinner flowed down my head in waves.

My eyes turned red, as the pepper threatened to make its way into my eyes. I shut my eyelids tightly, as I readied myself for my nightly dose of bashing.

“You can’t do anything right, can you! You’re useless…useless!” my father spat, as his lake green eyes turned fiery.

His fiery red hair bristled as they stood straight in anger. I didn’t have to look up to see the disdain on his face as he addressed me.

It was something I had gotten used to over the years, ever since my mother passed.

“Look at your sisters! The very epitome of prim and proper. Why can’t you be like them?” he continued, as his tone grew soft at the mere mention of my sisters.

I didn’t have to look in their direction either to see the gloating looks on their faces.

I find it hard to remember when they became so obnoxious. Faint memories of the times they chased me around, gradually became blurry as this became our new reality.

“Do you have anything to say to yourself?” he finished as his words died down. “You can’t blame her father, not everyone can follow your teachings properly.”

I didn’t have to look up to recognize Lily’s obnoxious voice. She used to sound so sweet, but now, her voice was grating if anything.

“Hehe,” and Milly, like her loyal companion, giggled at her words. “I’m sorry sir. I’ll do better,” I replied in a deadpan tone, as I had grown weary of refuting him.

He waved me away, and I knew that to be my sign to go back to my seat. And eat, even with the mess on my head.

I faced my meal, as the last thing I wanted to see was the painful reminder of the fact that I didn’t belong.

Lily and Milly were carbon copies of my dad. Sporting his fiery red hair, down to the green of his eyes. It wasn’t a surprise he adored them.

I had been ostracized for as long as I could remember. An action I attributed to my out of the ordinary black hair and blue eyes.

Things were better when my mum was still around. But now, it feels like every day was a living hell.

Tears streamed down my face as I continued eating. I couldn’t tell anymore if the tears were due to my fluctuating emotions, or just the sting of the sauce.

Either way, it seemed to grant me some respite as my father’s cold voice rang out. “Get out of my sight. Filthy thing.”

He spat. And I didn’t spend a single second longer as I gave him a deep bow before running off to my room.

The run could be considered an exercise when you stay in a mansion built to house dozens of people.

But it didn’t feel magical like one would have hoped. Instead, it was suffocating, even with all the space.

It felt more like a prison. The panic attacks I had regularly served as a cold reminder of my living situation.

My steps grew weary, as I gradually left the bright lights of the large mansion behind, as I walked up to a shack that stood right behind.

It was crooked and destitute. More like a place that housed manure than a living environment.

And that was exactly what it was. Well, before my father decided I was better off there.

I pushed the shack door open. Scrunching my nostrils as a putrid air wafted into my nose. It aggravated the tears that spilled previously.

Tears streamed down my face as I walked woodenly towards the patch of hay I put together in the form of a makeshift bed.

“I miss you mom,” I croaked out in between tears, as my gaze drifted towards a lone picture frame that seemed out of place amidst the dreary brown of the shack.

My mother could light up any room she walked into. Even if she wasn’t physically present.

It’s been over a decade since I lost her. Since I lost any importance in my father’s eyes. Her death came so sudden, that it all seemed too mysterious to be true.

I reached out under the stack of hay to pull out a worn out copy of Cinderella.

I traced my fingers across the wrinkled pages as I couldn’t even remember when I got it. But the thought of my very own fairy godmother coming to save me was the only thing that kept me going.

But I had grown up to realize the painful truth. No one was coming to save me. And it was up to me to actually do something about my situation.

My gaze gradually grew resolute at the thought. I gripped the book harder as I wiped the tears off my face.

I walked towards my already packed luggage as I stood still. I had reached this point many times in the past.

But I was still never brave enough to actually do it. There wasn’t much a fifteen-year-old girl could do on her own. But it was high time I threw that thought behind me.

I grabbed the bag, as I walked towards the entrance. My figure paused as I heard footsteps outside the door.

A wave of terror washed over me as I pictured what could happen if my father caught me.

He has never hit me before, but I wasn’t about to see if he would really go to that extent.

“Big sis, are you home?” Lily’s obnoxious voice rang out, before the shack door was rudely thrown open.

She walked in with her pristine white dress, with Milly trailing in behind her, clutching her favorite teddy bear in hand.

I took deep breaths as I was secretly thankful it wasn’t my father that barged in.

I hastily threw the luggage aside, but it appeared that I wasn’t fast enough as I watched Lily throw a mocking gaze at me.

“Going somewhere big sis?” she asked, not hiding the derision in her tone. I had to wonder where she got her attitude from.

She was barely a day above twelve, but it felt as though she was older. I had a feeling her mannerisms seemed familiar, but I just couldn’t place a hand on where.

“I was just arranging my things,” I replied with my head bowed as I wondered what they could possibly want with me.

“Oh? But it seems to me like you’re going somewhere,” she let out with a sweet smile. “Isn’t that right Milly?” she asked, turning towards Milly, who replied with an eerily similar smile.

“That’s right Lily,” she said, before walking towards the table where I kept the picture frame. I clenched my fists as I prayed, hoping that she wouldn’t try anything.

But it seemed as though my prayers were for naught.