People say life is perfect. I say it's quite the opposite. For me, it's a waking nightmare on
repeat—a loop I can't escape. Traumatizing, isn't it?
"Veroooonica!"
There it was again—that shrill, grating voice that belonged to my sister. Elainese. Just hearing her was enough to make my skin crawl. I ignored her screeching, choosing instead to stay cocooned in the only sanctuary I had left: my bedroom window ledge. Curled up with one of my
favorite novels and a steaming cup of French vanilla coffee, I let my eyes drift between the pages and the world outside. Children's laughter floated up from the nearby playground, a sweet
contrast to the chaos inside this house.
"Veroooonnniiiiiccccaaaaaaaa!"
Bang!
My door slammed open, crashing into the freshly painted violet wall I'd worked so hard to perfect. Every cent I'd earned from my shifts at the homeless shelter had gone into that paint job.
I'd even paid someone to do it right. And now, thanks to her, a fresh dent marred the only thing in this house that felt like mine.
"Didn't you hear me calling, you dumb bitch?" Elainese snapped, her voice dripping with disdain.
Don't kill her.
You got this.
Don't kill her.
I repeated the mantra in my head, breathing deeply, trying to keep my rage from boiling over.
My nails dug into my palms, sharp crescents of restraint.
"Elainese," I hissed through clenched teeth, my voice low and trembling with fury.
"Mom said you need to drop me at the mall. ASAP!" she chirped, as if she hadn't just shattered
my peace.
You interrupted my one moment of calm for this?
Oh, Lord.
Deep breaths, Veronica.
Deep. Breaths.
"Can't you drive yourself?" I asked, pressing my nails deeper into my skin.
She rolled her eyes. "Just get your ass downstairs, babe. I'll be waiting. And don't take forever, or I'll tell Mom. You know how she gets when she's mad."
That smug little smirk on her face was the final straw.
Without thinking, I hurled my book at her. She ducked, laughing—until she lost her balance and
slammed face-first into the corner of my dresser. A satisfying thud echoed through the room.
Yes! I thought, a wicked thrill bubbling up.
But the victory was short-lived.
Our parents burst into the room like a SWAT team, her sleazy, drugged-up boyfriend trailing
behind them.
"My baby!" Mom cried, rushing to Elainese's side, inspecting the small bruise forming on her forehead.
"What happened?" her boyfriend asked, his voice thick with fake concern.
Elainese glanced at me, her eyes flickering with embarrassment—then quickly hardening into something colder. Something cruel.
"It was Veronica," she whimpered. "M-mom, she threw the book at me, then kicked me in the stomach and slammed my face into the dresser. Then she ran back to the window to make it look like an accident."
She clutched her stomach dramatically, pointing at the book on the floor like it was Exhibit A in a courtroom.
I gasped. "That's not—"
Crack.
My head snapped sideways, colliding with the wooden window ledge. The world spun. My body hit the floor before my mind could catch up. Then came the slap—sharp, brutal, and blinding.
Pain exploded across my cheek, radiating with every heartbeat. I tried to move, but each twitch of muscle only deepened the ache.
I bit down hard, refusing to scream. Tears spilled anyway, hot and silent, as I looked up through the blur of pain. My father stood over me, his hand still raised. Behind him, I heard Elainese giggle.
I hate you all.
What did I ever do to deserve this?
It's always her lies.
Always my body paying the price.
She's the angel.
I'm the devil.
Why can't you see the truth?
Mom…
Dad…
Why can't you love me the way you worship her?
"You'll take that scholarship and leave this house," my father growled, dragging me from my thoughts. "I don't want you here hurting your sister. You sick piece of shit. Holidays only. And if you never come back, even better. Stay wherever you're going. Stay in hell with the rest of the
demons."
His words hit harder than his hand. They carved into me, deeper than any bruise could reach. My heart felt like it was caving in under the weight of his hatred.
Tears streamed down my face, each one carrying a piece of the pain I couldn't voice. I turned to my mother, desperate for something—anything. But her face was blank. Cold. She didn't even
look at me. She was already helping Elainese up, guiding her out of the room like I didn't exist.
As their footsteps faded, I closed my eyes. A scream clawed its way out of me—raw, guttural, broken. It echoed off the walls, a sound born from years of hurt and betrayal.
And then… silence.
I let the darkness take me, praying it would keep me. Anything to escape this world. This pain.
This family