Her Sister's Shadow, His Family's Downfall

Her Sister's Shadow, His Family's Downfall

Ariel Bruckman

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For seven long years, I built my life in Las Vegas, brick by careful brick. I was Ava, Marcus Thorne' s shadow, his loyal dog-cold, calculating, and feared. But it was all a lie. My true name burned deep inside: avenger. My half-sister, Sarah, loved Marcus. His family-wicked and powerful-took her. A whispered ritual. A sacrifice. Sarah, my sole childhood kindness, was brutally stolen. I endured Marcus' s cruelties, cleaned his messes, and fought his women, all while he saw only Sarah' s ghost in my reflection. I even staged public meltdowns and self-harm, meticulously crafting a dangerously obsessed image, solidifying my crazed devotion. Why Sarah? Why my kind sister for their unspeakable rituals? The Thornes' dark whispers forged my grief into a precise, cold fire of revenge. Her profound injustice and their unshakeable power fueled my every move. I became pure darkness, plotting patient destruction. I would burn their entire world down, as they burned mine. Marcus Thorne, seeing his dead love in my eyes, would unwittingly light the match. He just didn' t know it yet. Seven years was a long wait. For Sarah, I had eternity. My trap is set, and they are already marching into the flames.

Introduction

For seven long years, I built my life in Las Vegas, brick by careful brick.

I was Ava, Marcus Thorne' s shadow, his loyal dog-cold, calculating, and feared.

But it was all a lie.

My true name burned deep inside: avenger.

My half-sister, Sarah, loved Marcus.

His family-wicked and powerful-took her.

A whispered ritual. A sacrifice.

Sarah, my sole childhood kindness, was brutally stolen.

I endured Marcus' s cruelties, cleaned his messes, and fought his women, all while he saw only Sarah' s ghost in my reflection.

I even staged public meltdowns and self-harm, meticulously crafting a dangerously obsessed image, solidifying my crazed devotion.

Why Sarah?

Why my kind sister for their unspeakable rituals?

The Thornes' dark whispers forged my grief into a precise, cold fire of revenge.

Her profound injustice and their unshakeable power fueled my every move.

I became pure darkness, plotting patient destruction.

I would burn their entire world down, as they burned mine.

Marcus Thorne, seeing his dead love in my eyes, would unwittingly light the match.

He just didn' t know it yet.

Seven years was a long wait.

For Sarah, I had eternity.

My trap is set, and they are already marching into the flames.

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Thanksgiving was supposed to be a day of gratitude and family. I' d worked double shifts, saved every penny to buy my mom, Maria, a warm winter coat. I even clung to a fragile hope that maybe, just maybe, today would be different, that she'd finally see my efforts. But my brother, Caleb, saw a massive banner for a 'Gratitude Exchange' TV show, offering a new PSX-Pro console. Maria didn't hesitate. She looked at me, then at the gaming system, and declared, "Why spend money when you have all that gratitude? It's not like it does anyone any good." My heart shattered as she forced me to sign a contract, agreeing to trade "my gratitude for her" for a video game. On live television, they hooked us up to a memory scanner. Maria and Caleb twisted my past, painting me as an ungrateful, destructive monster to the whole country. They exposed selective, ugly moments, cheering as the 'Approve Trade' vote soared, while I stood there, voiceless, watching my own mother publicly erase me. How could she? How could my own mother weaponize my memories against me, fabricating a monstrous version of her daughter for a new gaming console? Was my entire existence, my endless sacrifices, truly worth less than a toy? But then, it was my turn. As my memories flashed across the screen, the real story unfolded: my sacrifices, their manipulations, their true cruelty revealed to the world. And as the public' s outrage turned the vote decisively in my favor, I knew exactly what I had to do. This wasn't just about a console; it was about freedom.

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