Fifteen years had passed since Arissa was left on the doorstep, and she now found herself scrubbing the bathroom walls of the same house that had taken her in. Life had been hard, to say the least.
"How can a wall get this dirty?" she muttered to herself, scrubbing at a particularly stubborn stain. The grime seemed determined to stay, just like her position in this household—forever beneath the likes of her spoiled stepsister, Evie.
A voice echoed from upstairs, shattering the brief moment of peace.
"Arissa!!"
Arissa groaned and threw the sponge into the bucket with an exaggerated splash. "Oh my god, she's driving me insane," she mumbled before shouting back, "What do you want now?"
"Get up here! Now!" Evie's voice screeched through the halls, full of entitlement.
With a heavy sigh, Arissa wiped her hands on her worn apron and trudged up the creaky wooden staircase. The house was old, and every step protested under her weight as if trying to warn her to turn back. She entered Evie's room, and for a brief second, envy flared up in her chest. Evie's room was filled with everything she could ever want—designer bags, dresses, an elaborate vanity set—all in a perfectly designed space of pinks and whites.
"How is it fair?" Arissa thought bitterly. "My room isn't even 1% of this." Before she could finish that thought, Evie interrupted her.
"I better not find out you're lying," Evie sneered as she rummaged through her wardrobe.
Arissa blinked in confusion. "Lying? About what?"
Evie suddenly giggled, her mood flipping in an instant. "Me and Papa are going to the King's wedding!" she squealed, twirling around with glee.
"What?" Arissa's voice rose in disbelief. "Why hasn't anyone told me about this?"
Evie stopped mid-twirl and laughed, a cruel sound that echoed off the walls. "Told you?" she snorted, clutching her stomach as if Arissa had just told the funniest joke in the world. "You? A gathering with nobles? Looking pretty? Pfff!" Her laughter spiraled out of control.
Arissa's face flushed with anger. "Just get to the point, Evie."
"Watch your tone, Arissa!" Evie snapped, her eyes narrowing. "You're lucky I'm even talking to you."
Arissa clenched her fists but forced herself to stay calm. "What do you want?"
Evie spun around, holding up three dresses. "Help me choose which one to wear to the wedding!"
The first dress was a long, elegant gown in soft beige with lace outlines and poofy sleeves. The second was sage green, with intricate embroidery and jewels adorning the bodice and sleeves. The third was bright yellow, with a dramatic train and embroidered jewels that sparkled under the light.
"They all look nice," Arissa said flatly, uninterested in Evie's ridiculous display.
"Ugh! I knew I shouldn't have asked you!" Evie shouted, pushing her out of the room. "Get out, now!"
The door slammed in Arissa's face, and her blood boiled. "She wants to play games? Fine. Two can play that game."
As the evening rolled on, Arissa spent hours fuming in silence, but a mischievous plan began to form in her mind. By the time night fell and Evie was fast asleep, Arissa had decided she'd had enough of being mistreated.
Quietly, she crept out of her room, holding a small, flickering candle to light her way. The floorboards creaked under her bare feet as she carefully made her way up the stairs. Each step sounded like thunder in her ears, and she winced every time the wood groaned. The last thing she wanted was to wake her father or Evie.
"Of course Dad's too cheap to fix the stairs," Arissa muttered under her breath. "Everything in this house is falling apart."
She tiptoed down the hall and into Evie's room. The soft glow of her candle flickered, casting eerie shadows on the walls as she approached the wardrobe. She set the candle on the floor, its light barely illuminating the room.
"I hope she doesn't wake up," Arissa whispered to herself, her heart racing as she reached for the dresses Evie had proudly shown off earlier.
Taking a sewing needle from her pocket, she grinned mischievously. Carefully, she flipped each of the dresses inside out and found the seams. With precise movements, she tugged at the threads, making small incisions that would cause the fabric to unravel the moment Evie wore them. She worked quickly but meticulously, targeting the bodices and skirts of all three dresses.
The job was nearly done when the closet door slipped from her grasp and slammed shut.
Arissa froze, her breath caught in her throat.
"Huh? Who's there?" Evie mumbled groggily from her bed, shifting slightly under the covers.
Arissa crouched low, blowing out her candle as quickly as she could, her heart pounding in her chest. She stayed perfectly still, her eyes fixed on Evie's silhouette, praying that her stepsister wouldn't fully wake up.
After a tense moment, Evie yawned and turned over, her voice fading back into sleep. "Must've been dreaming..."
Arissa exhaled a shaky breath of relief and waited a few moments to be sure before slipping out of the room, her heart still hammering in her chest. She closed the door softly this time and made her way back downstairs.
As she sank into her own bed, she allowed herself a satisfied smile. Tomorrow would be very, very interesting.