I am Lisa Powers, the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Powers. My parents adored me, doting on me like I was the center of their universe. With an older brother off pursuing his career, I was the apple of their eye, the one they invested all their hopes and dreams in. My life felt perfect—until Jade entered our lives.
Jade, my cousin, arrived when I was fifteen. After losing her mother, my father, out of obligation and love for his only sister, became her legal guardian. I welcomed her with open arms, excited at the thought of having an older sister, someone I could share secrets and seek advice from. Little did I know, this seemingly perfect sister would unravel everything I held dear.
At first, Jade was everything I imagined an older sister to be—wise, attentive, and supportive. I admired her, trusted her, and followed her advice blindly. She seemed to have the world figured out, while I was just a naive teenager craving guidance. But her influence slowly led me down a destructive path. She encouraged me to spend lavishly, plaster my face with layers of makeup, and skip classes—all in the name of catching Lucas's attention. Lucas, the boy I had loved from afar, had become my obsession.
But Lucas never loved me. He barely spared me a glance, and when he did, it was filled with contempt. My behavior became the talk of the school; I went from the well-mannered rich girl to a spoiled, laughable mess. My parents, once so proud of me, started looking at me with disappointment, their gazes heavy with unspoken disapproval. The only person who seemed to care was Jade. She became my confidant, the only one whose approval I craved, never suspecting the web she was weaving around me.
Jade insisted that if I threw myself at Lucas, he would eventually see my worth. She planted the idea that my efforts would pay off if I fought for his attention. Desperately clinging to her words, I made a fool of myself, fighting off any girl who so much as glanced at him. When that didn't work, I begged my parents to arrange an engagement, convinced it would make him mine. Our families were compatible in status, and my parents, seeing it as a strategic move, agreed. But even after the engagement, Lucas remained distant, cold.
As my final year in high school approached, my life took a nosedive. Drugs were found in my bag, and no amount of pleading could convince anyone of my innocence. My grades collapsed, and my reputation was shredded. My parents were devastated, their trust in me shattered. I became the disgrace of the Powers family, and yet, I still clung to Jade, believing she was the only one who truly understood me.
One night, Jade suggested we go out to a nightclub to forget my troubles. Naively, I agreed, hoping to escape the dark cloud that had settled over my life. That night, I was drugged and violated. The memory is hazy, fragmented, but the humiliation remains vivid. The video of that night was plastered all over social media. My parents couldn't bear the shame and threw me out of the house. I was abandoned, with nothing.
Jade promised to speak to them, assuring me she'd bring me back home. But as I wandered the streets, lost and desperate, I stumbled upon her and Lucas. They were together, laughing and sharing ice cream like the picture of a perfect couple. When I called out to her, she turned to me, her eyes holding no surprise, only satisfaction. She whispered something to Lucas, and he looked at me—this time, not with the indifference I was used to, but with a softness reserved for her.
My heart splintered. Jade and Lucas? I couldn't believe it. Desperately, I asked why she had done this to me. Her response was cold, her words like shards of ice. She had never cared about me. Lucas had always been hers, and my parents had already approved of their union.
Rage blinded me, and I slapped her. Before I could strike again, Lucas grabbed me, shoving me aside like I was nothing. The disgust in his eyes was a knife to my heart. Jade had taken everything—my family, my dignity, my future.
I stumbled into the street, tears blurring my vision. The world felt distant, a blur of pain and betrayal. A car's headlights pierced the darkness, and before I could react, it hit me. The impact sent me crashing down, and as I lay there, bleeding and broken, I smiled bitterly. There was nothing left—no family, no home, no love. Only darkness awaited me.
But as consciousness slipped away, I whispered a silent prayer. If I could just have one more chance, one more opportunity to rewrite my life, I would change everything. I would become someone stronger, wiser—a woman who wouldn't be fooled twice.
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