I was Olivia Miller, the quiet, studious pre-med student from a prominent family.
My stepsister, Izzy, was the dazzling socialite, everyone' s favorite, effortlessly getting what she wanted.
Then, the unexplained began. Dark bruises marred my skin, then alarming hickeys appeared on my neck, though I hadn' t been with anyone.
My family's judgment quickly fell, and Izzy, with sugary sweetness, presented me with an antique silver locket-a "family heirloom for protection."
New marks appeared the very next day.
The humiliation peaked at a prestigious university conference.
Mid-speech, I collapsed at the podium, bleeding inexplicably, as gasps rippled through the auditorium.
Doctors found no cause, yet whispers of a "wild lifestyle" and "secret abortion" turned me from star student into campus scandal.