Lily stopped beside the fountain, looking up at the ornate statue. “This is a beautiful garden,” she said softly. “These gardens have been tended by our finest botanists for centuries,” I replied. “I’ll admit, though, I don’t come here often.” “Why not?” she asked, casting me a sidelong glance.

“As long as I can stop at home and change, the cafe sounds perfect.” … The raspberry danish tasted beautifully sweet as I took another bite, followed by a sip of my frothy cappuccino. I leaned back in my chair, chewing slowly and savoring the perfection on my tongue. “Thank you for this, Leona

I trailed off, feeling myself choke up with the tears that burned at the backs of my eyes and the bottom of my throat. My palms began to itch, and I clamped my fingers even tighter around the chair as if that would somehow help. Slowly, Chris turned back to face me. His anger was still there, but

Ava I stumbled through the front door of my cottage, slamming it shut behind me with a resounding thud that reverberated through the walls. Tears stung my eyes and streamed freely down my cheeks, searing hot trails of shame and humiliation that showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. Repulsive

Chris Watching Ava run away with tears in her eyes made my blood boil. And what made my blood boil even more was knowing that my sister’s vile words and actions were the reason for it. “Was that really necessary?”I bit out through gritted teeth, struggling to keep my voice level. “Have you lost