Her curiosity piqued, she hurried to the window. The house was buzzing with energy, the kind of energy you'd expect from a celebration.
She hadn't been told about any party, and her stepmother didn't seem the type to host one.
After all, having a party at the house would make her seem unrefined, especially with a daughter like Mira, who had been born out of wedlock and didn't exactly fit the family's image.
Mira stepped outside, following the sound of music until she reached the poolside. The scene that greeted her made her freeze.
A crowd of people, dressed in nothing but bikinis and boxers, were lounging around the pool, dancing and laughing.
It was a party—and it was set up by none other than Maddie.
"What...?" Mira's voice faltered as she looked around in disbelief.
Maddie appeared out of nowhere, flashing a bright grin.
"Hey, sis!" she said, a hint of amusement in her voice. Maddie was never friendly, always cold and distant, and Mira could feel that something was off.
"But—"
"Oh, don't stand around like that," Maddie interrupted with a teasing chuckle. "It's a party! You should join in, too! Have some fun, for once!"
She pinched Mira's cheek playfully, though the force behind it was anything but kind.
Mira opened her mouth to say something, but before she could get the words out, Maddie grabbed her hand and dragged her over to a group of her friends.
"Let me introduce you!" Maddie announced, a wicked glint in her eyes.
Her friends looked her up and down, their expressions dripping with disdain. "Who's this?" one of them asked, clearly irritated by Mira's very presence.
Maddie just smiled, an unsettlingly sweet smile. "Don't worry, you'll see soon enough," she replied cryptically.
Mira felt her stomach twist in discomfort. The fake smiles, the whispers behind her back—it was all too much.
She could already feel that this wasn't just a party. Something was about to go terribly wrong.
Once they reached the front of the party, Maddie gave Mira a subtle shove toward a chair at the front of the stage.
"Sit here," she instructed, her voice syrupy sweet, as if the whole evening had been carefully orchestrated just for her.
To her surprise, Maddie ordered the maids to attend to Mira, offering her anything she desired with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"You must be thirsty. Drink this," Maddie said, pushing a glass of fruit juice into her hands.
For a while, Mira did her best to play along, though the spectacle around her was nothing short of suffocating.
The music, the laughter—it was all so empty.
She stood up, ready to slip away from the party and reclaim some semblance of peace, but just as she moved toward the exit, Maddie took the microphone.
The crowd fell silent.
"Everyone, welcome to my fabulous party!" Maddie's voice rang out, filled with faux enthusiasm. "You may be wondering why I invited the entire school. But let me tell you, this isn't just about me—I could take credit for planning this event, but the real reason we're all gathered here tonight is for our special guest. Meet my dear younger sister… or should I say, my illegitimate sister, Mira Bluen."
The crowd shifted, murmurs rippling through the air. Maddie continued, her voice cold now, slicing through the tension like a knife.
"Born out of wedlock," she said, her eyes glinting with malice. "Sadly, my poor mother had to endure the shame of being married to a man who cheated on her. And now, we get to meet the child of that affair." The spotlight shifted to Mira, and her heart dropped as it illuminated her in front of the whole room.
Maddie turned her gaze to Mira, eyes full of spite. "Mira, I hope you won't feel shy or ashamed anymore. Your secret's out in the open now. Your burden has been lifted, so there's no need to wonder what to say to the school anymore."
Mira's body froze, her heart pounding in her chest. She turned around slowly, her wide eyes locking with Maddie's.
Her breath caught in her throat, and for a moment, the world seemed to blur. The room was buzzing with gossip, the whispers sharper than ever.
She scanned the crowd, the disgust in their eyes stinging her like venom.
Her secret—her greatest fear—was now laid bare for the world to see.
"Oh my God, she's an illegitimate child…" one voice whispered, the disgust evident.
"I can't believe she has the nerve to act like she's better than us when she's hiding her own dirty little secret," another voice sneered.
"Illegitimate children don't belong here. She shouldn't be in our school!" someone else chimed in, their voice filled with revulsion.
The words cut through her like shards of glass. Her hands trembled as she looked around, desperate to escape the whispers, the stares.
But then, in a haze of humiliation, she stepped backward—only to lose her balance and tumble straight into the pool.
"Help! Help me!" Mira screamed, her voice trembling with panic as she flailed in the water.
She had never learned to swim.
Maddie's world of luxury and privilege had always been kept out of her reach, and now, faced with the cold, suffocating water, she realized just how much she was drowning.
Laughter erupted from the crowd, some of them pulling out their phones to capture her humiliation. Others stood by, too entertained to help, mocking her every move as she struggled to stay afloat.
Just as she felt her strength begin to fade, a figure appeared at the edge of the pool.
The crowd gasped as he dove in, powerful and graceful. Within moments, he emerged from the water, carrying her like she weighed nothing. Mira was unconscious, her body limp in his arms as water dripped from his clothes.
The crowd stood in stunned silence as he made his way to the edge of the pool, his dark hair wet, his black shirt clinging to his toned physique. His piercing blue eyes glowed like pearls in the moonlight, his presence almost otherworldly.
Mira couldn't see his face, but in that moment, it was everything she had ever wanted—a dream, a fantasy. To be saved, to be pulled from the chaos, even if she was unconscious to witness it.
And as he looked down at her, he knew she was someone.