Chapter Two

Tears welled up in my eyes, my throat tightening with a sob that I couldn't release. My family—mother, father, brother gone. Every single one of them. And Lisa had been behind it all. My best friend, the person I trusted more than anyone, had orchestrated their downfall. The pain, the grief that followed, it all began with her.

“Why?” I gasped, choking on the word, barely able to breathe as the horror of it set in. “Why would you do this?”

Lisa stopped pacing then, standing over me with that same smile, that twisted, hateful smile. “Because I could,” she said simply. “Because it was fun.”

Fun. Destroying my family had been fun for her.

“And Josh?” I forced the question out, though I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear the answer.

Lisa’s smirk widened. “Oh, Josh. He was such a perfect little pawn, wasn’t he? At first, he didn’t believe me when I started whispering those little lies about you. That you were selfish, that you didn’t care about him. But after a while, I gave him reasons to doubt you. I set up scenarios, made sure you looked like the bad guy, and eventually, he started to believe me. Poor thing. He was so easy to manipulate.”

I closed my eyes, the memory of Josh’s betrayal crashing over me. I had loved him—truly loved him—and yet, he had turned on me, cold and distant. But now I knew why. Lisa had been behind it all.

“But that wasn’t enough,” she continued. “I seduced him, little by little, until he couldn’t resist me. We’ve been together for years now, Anna. Years. Mere months after you guys started dating. And you never knew. The night you caught us? I planned that, too. I wanted you to see it. I wanted to see your face when you realized you lost not just your family, but you were going to lose the love of your life and your best friend. And it was everything I hoped for.”

I remembered that night, the way my heart had shattered when I walked in on them. I had felt like I had lost everything in that moment, and Lisa had been standing right beside me, watching my pain like it was some kind of twisted show.

“Even after all that,” she continued, “you were too scared to leave us. You clung to me, to Josh, because you couldn’t bear to be alone, it was pathetic really. And you know what, Anna? I loved it. I loved watching you grovel, watching you pretend to be okay when you were breaking inside. I loved seeing how desperate you were to keep me in your life.”

I felt the tears spill over, burning tracks down my cheeks as I listened to her confess every cruel, twisted thing she had done. And still, I again asked the question that was burning in my chest. She couldn't have done all these only because it was fun, she hated me and my family so much, there had to be another reason “But why? Why do all of this? Why my family? What did they ever do to you?”

Lisa bent down then, her face inches from mine, her eyes cold and filled with venom. “Because they chose you instead of me.” she says at last.

I blinked, confused. “What are you talking about?”

She had sneered. “Do you remember the orphanage, Anna? The day you were adopted? That was supposed to be my day. I was supposed to be the one leaving with those rich parents. My mother, she ran that orphanage, had promised me that I would be going to a better life. I wore my best dress. But then they saw you.” Her voice turned bitter, dripping with hatred. “They saw you helping that old woman, and they decided they liked you better. You took what was mine.”

The memory flooded back, the day I was adopted. I had been so happy, so excited to finally have a family. I had never imagined that day could have caused so much pain for someone else. But to Lisa, it had been the day I stole her life.

“I never forgot your face,” she hissed. “I never forgot your name and especially the last name that was supposed to be mine . And when I saw you again, all rich and pampered, living the life that was supposed to be mine, I decided I would take it from you, and that I would punish your family for not choosing me. Piece by piece, I would destroy everything you loved. And I did. Your family, your love, your life—they’re all gone now. Because of me.”

I stared at her, my heart breaking all over again. I had lost everything. And now, I was going to lose my life, too.

Lisa had stood up then, pulling a gun from her coat, leveling it at my chest. “I could make it quick,” she had said, tilting her head with a mock pout. “But I want you to feel every last bit of the pain.”

The gunshot had echoed in the small room, and fire exploded in my chest, the impact knocking the air from my lungs. I gasped, the blood pouring fast, filling my throat, choking me.

Lisa had smiled one last time as she turned to leave. “Goodbye, Anna.”

I lay there, in the growing pool of my own blood, my body numb, my vision dimming. I didn’t want to die. I wanted my family. I wanted my life back. But it was too late. It was all gone now.

Why? Why had it all come to this? Why did she get to live, and I had to die? Why did I lose everything because of a single act of kindness, and a mother's greed?

I didn't do anything wrong, I cared for Lisa like my own sister, I never rub my good fortunes in her face, even after her betrayal, I still loved her, so why didn't she let me and my family off, why did she have to kill everyone.

I hate her so much, I wish I had another chance to save my family. the world blurred into darkness. I don’t want to die. I felt as the last string of life snap inside me.

The world went silent.