LILA
My psychology class flashed through my mind—duper's delight, they called it. That involuntary flash of pleasure a liar feels when they think they've successfully deceived someone. It was quick, barely perceptible, but it was there. And in that moment, I knew.
Whether she was lying about the pregnancy or simply reveling in the pain it caused me, one thing was clear: Trisha was enjoying this far more than any remorseful sister should.
She left the room.
The hours ticked by, each minute an eternity as I lost myself in my thoughts, trying to devise a plan of escape from this suffocating existence. I couldn't keep living like this, a prisoner in my own home, a pawn in my stepmother’s twisted games. I needed to find a way to break free, to claim my independence and my life as my own.
A
