Empathy.It was something many people claimed to have, though often failed to use.They would call themselves empaths. Walking around with a kind smile and doing little deeds that would allow them to claim the title of being a good person, and they would wear it like a crown. Acting as though they were special- royalty as they stalked the streets and played to the fragile reputation they had built themselves, crafting their kindness out of glass and carrying it carefully as they strolled with fumbling fingers, and at the first test they would trip, dropping the ball and hearing it shatter. And their persona would crack, showing the cruel human hiding beneath. And they were exposed.Liviana always prided herself on being kind. She truly was an empath. She was kind, caring, considerate. And she relied a lot on her instincts. Her impressive observation skills and her high emotional intelligence- not to mention her unmatched intuition.She could read body language. Watching her people and
Liviana had always taken pride in her independence.From a very early age, she was taught how to take care of herself- or more so; she had no choice but to learn. So, she taught herself. And by ten years old, she was confident she could live all on her own.She could cook, clean, and look after herself without a hitch in her day. Bathing, brushing her hair, laundry, school, homework- it was no big deal to a young Liviana. She never understood what the fuss was. It was easy.And then she grew up.And she realized that those were only the basics of life and maintaining a healthy routine. There was so much more to holding up a healthy life. So much more to leading a healthy life. And it only took Liviana to the age of twelve to figure that out.Within two years of believing she had it all figured out, once she reached the third year of independence, she was humbled in the blink of an eye. She turned thirteen and the world around her changed as she began to blossom into a young lady. And
Liviana was always admired for being such a good kid.She was patient, kind, caring, respectful, quiet, and, most importantly, obedient. She was smart and had a pretty face- a rare combination of brains and beauty. And she was well liked.She was easily controlled, and she never complained, cried and whined. She never threw fits like the other kids, and who didn't want an easy way to raising kids? They were a handful enough alone, never mind the trouble they caused.Liviana never was much like the other children. She was always more mature due to being held at a higher stander that just grew taller and taller, which each passing day, getting closer and closer to impossible. But Liviana never stopped striving to reach it.She did everything she could to grow- wanting nothing more than to please her parents. And the only way she knew how to do that was by putting on a convincing act, one so good that not even Drusilla and Alonso could see through. Sometimes even Liviana grew blind to wh
Liviana Castelli grew up in chaos.In a quiet house with loud people, she was raised in a constant contradiction. Being told to be kind by the people who treated her as though they had never even heard the word. Taught to behave yet watched her parents make mischief every chance they got. Hearing everyone say that humility was good- that one should remain humble, because wealth wasn’t the most important thing in the world. And it was always the same people who were more materialistic, bragging at everyone's opportunity.Being raised in that game of back and forth where everything always went against itself somehow, Liviana grew up believing that balance wasn’t so common. For a long time, she thought that any two things that co-existed were set to fight, battling for a stronger ground to stand on. Nothing was 50/50. It was 60/40, 70/30, 80/20, sometimes, rarely, 90/10. Anything but 100 percent, or the even cut of it being split down the middle. You wouldn’t think this would be too impa
Liviana was a survivor.Drusilla and Alonzo had four kids, none one of which they ever treated as their kids. Instead, they treated them like vermin, as though these poor souls that they chose to bring into the world were simply put there to steal their happiness and ruin their lives. Though things had always seemed to work the other way around.Surviving in the Santora household took an expert. It took someone who grew up in the home and knew all of its secrets. Someone who knew everything from which floorboards creaked and which employees would be willing to help them had they ever been caught in their secret shenanigans and the ones who would turn them in without a second thought. It took the children who grew up in that hell to know how to survive in it. And the Santora siblings were survivors. They learnt all there was to know- the floorboards, the employees, how to manipulate and how to deceive, how to lie. They learnt it all. But through all the skills the siblings had picked u
From the moment Tino Santora was born, he had a built in best friend. A protector, a mentor, a partner-in-crime, a confidant, a friend to last a lifetime, his sister; Liviana Castelli.The two, being the youngest siblings, had shared a bond. An understanding of what it was like trying to live up to their older siblings, being cast to their shadows and played against each other as they tried to dance and fill each step just right. They knew the pressure each other was under and just how heavy it all was. The attention that often turned to neglect the moment their older siblings stepped into the spotlight. How their gazes felt as though they were burning through their entire being every time it was their turn in the spotlight. The knowledge of simply being the backups that gnawed at their hearts, killing them with the reminder of just how disposable they really were.Their existence was meant to please their parents and be a pawn on Drusilla and Alonzo’s chess board, being used to fight
Liviana Castelli was homesick.For weeks- months, ever since the wedding when she and Blaze had left for their honeymoon, the night she was whisked away from the only home she's ever known, she had been sick. It was a longing, an empty feeling in her chest as a piece of her heart went void, being left in the house she grew up in while the rest beat for her new home, and a fresh start.It wasn't that she missed the house itself or even the people inside of it; it was the memories- the moments in time that lived there, the ones that got her through it all. They were the bones that held her up and made the house a home, and she was heartbroken to find that she couldn't bring them with her as she left and the people who had helped craft them. People like her siblings, her little brother; Tino. Livi was homesick for her brother.It was why, despite her shock and slight irritation in his impromptu visit, she couldn't help but start to cry. It was tears of relief, of joy. "T!" Livi yells, r
Liviana wasn’t an angry person.She was a woman all about peace. She believed in that saying ‘treat people the way you want to be treated’, and though she never actually received the kindness she gave back, she continued to give it out like candy on Halloween, passing out handfuls to each person who entered her life, if even for a moment. And though she had tried to do this with Blaze, offering him all she could - all she had - it wasn’t enough. Blaze never had much of a sweet tooth, and though she wished it was the case, Livi was no exception.It was a painful life to live, being married to a man who punished her for her mere existence when she had always dreamt of the husband she would one day have, who was supposed to love and accept her for herself- understand her in a way that no one else did. Liviana wanted a soulmate, someone who bettered her and helped her heal, not a man who looked at her broken pieces and sharpened them into weapons. And that was exactly what Blaze was doing
Strolling through the hedges was difficult - awkward - and the Santora siblings couldn't handle it. They absolutely hated this heavy feeling hanging between them. Never have they ever felt so detached."Where are we going?" Tino asks, glancing around at the tall rose bushes that kept them secluded. "And why is it so freaking far?" He complains, quickening his pace to catch up to that of his nervous sister, who remains silent. "Liv?""Uh," she mutters, glancing over her shoulder at the young man. "Just... follow me," she says, insisting he not question it. Right now, she was only doing what was best for the both of them, and she needed him to trust that. "We need to get away for this, okay? It's important that no one overhears us."She couldn't risk their parents finding out about her betrayal. They would behead her at the first opportunity."Okay..." he trails, eyes narrowing at the back of his sister's head. "But why?""Because..." she shrugs it off, admitting in a whisper, "it's saf
Liviana didn't know what to do with herself.After her argument with Tino, it was as if the thoughts doubled in tenfold and her mind couldn't - wouldn't - stop. All night she was forced to sit with herself, overwhelmed by her endless thoughts and memories while she retraced every inch and wondered, where did it all go wrong?She would look back on her life, spending hours sorting through all the memories, and it was as if every time she did, she could spot a new lie. It didn't take long for her to have a mental list going, and the more she added, the more she wondered, was any of it real? Where did the lies stop? Where did this act she perfected end? When was enough, enough? Nothing was ever enough for Drusilla and Alonzo - Livi scoffs at the thought, turning over where she lies in her bed. And then came the dreaded thought. What about her siblings? One was dead, one disappeared, and the other seemingly despised her. Her eyes water at the thought, and she pulls the blanket over her
The moment Liviana left the restaurant that night, it felt as if she was walking into a world void of air. It was as though all the oxygen had been sucked out of the planet - if not just her lungs - and she couldn't breathe for days afterward. It was all too heavy, and she wasn't sure she could handle it. How does one go about their life knowing that nothing was as it seems? Knowing that, at any God given moment, it could all be taken away from her? How was she supposed to go about her day knowing that each second could be her last? She just couldn't.Liviana was no stranger when it came to living her life in fear. She knew paranoia all too well, almost like an old friend she was introduced to by none other than her parents. Childhood was rough, and Liviana could say with confidence that she was raised in fear. It surrounded her. It became her. She was scared of everything. And that was always her biggest problem.After dinner with the detective, Liviana only grew all the more paranoi
A younger Liviana wrung her hands together as she climbed the stairs, following her mother's bellows all the way to her bedroom door. "Liviana?!"She flinches at the screech of her name, taking a step back to compose herself. "Breathe," she reminds herself, stilling for that of second before she's startled by another shout of her name. "Shit," she curses, rounding the corner into her mother's bedroom and asking, "yes, mom?""Finally!" Drusilla throws her arms up. "Where in God's name have you been?" She demands, asking what had taken her so long. "Didn't you hear me calling?""I'm sorry, mom," Liviana apologizes. "I was outside with-""I don't care to hear your excuses, young lady!" Drusilla scoffs, scolding the girl for her lack of responsibility. "What if I was hurt, hmm?" She questions. "What if I was in danger? Or worse, dying? What would you have to say for yourself then, huh?""I'm sorry-"Drusilla scoffs once again. "Your apologies mean nothing to me, Liviana. Do better!" She
Blaze could practically feel his heart tie itself into a knot in his chest at the sound of another distraction. Would he ever get the timing right? He sighs at the thought, turning around to greet the man, whose voice he recognizes immediately."Bryce," he greets, pushing out of his chair and offering the man his hand to shake. "There you are! We were beginning to think you got lost.""What can I say? I run on my own time." Bryce shrugs it off, giving Blaze's hand a shake before he rounds the table to take the seat across from the 'happy couple.'"That would have been something to mention days ago when we arranged this meeting," Blaze points, and the detective rolls his eyes. "I specifically asked for a time that suited you-""I'm here, aren't I?"Blaze only hums, narrowing his eyes at his 'old friend', and Liviana coughs."Uh- Blaze," she murmurs, reaching to take his hand in hers and giving it a gentle tug with a silent demand- if not a gentle ask for him to sit. "He's here. That's
"Are you sure about this?" Liviana asked, sparing a paranoid glance over her shoulder in worry. She couldn't believe they were doing this."Yep," Emilia nods, marching through their parents' garage with a determination Livi had never seen in her sister until now. And in all honesty, the look in her eyes scared Liviana, and she couldn't help but disagree."I don't know about this," she says, slowing to a stop and looking back at the elevator they had come from, scared of who could follow. "I think we should just go back-""Livi!" Emilia throws her head back with a groan. "Come on, it's fine! Just come look before you leave-""But what if-""What if we live a little?" Emilia cuts her sister off, spinning on her heels to face her sister with the question. "What if we do this and it's the best night of our lives?"Liviana frowns, arms crossing over her chest as she ponders the thought. Would one night be worth it? "What if it's not?""But what if it is?" Emilia stresses. "We'll never know
"I hate them!"A young Liviana startled in her seat when, out of nowhere, her bedroom door is thrown open and Emilia storms into her room with the complaint. "I hate it here," the older sister pouted, kicking the door shut behind her before collapsing onto her sister's satin sheets, climbing into the bed with her to vent. "I can't wait to grow up and leave. I need to get out of here!"Livi frowns, reaching over to gently pat Emilia's back, watching as she takes a moment to bury her face in a pillow and scream. She couldn't help but chuckle as she observed the action, asking the dreadful question only after her sister quieted. "What did they do now?"Emilia pushes herself up, propping herself up on her elbows to face her sister, who frowns at the sight of tears glistening in Emilia's eyes. "They lied," she says. "Again."Head tilting in her confusion, Liviana asks, "what?" She questions softly. "What did they lie about?""The car," Emilia answers, watching as her sister grows all the
It was as if the moment the words left her mouth, the world around them changed. Life was different. Liviana couldn't explain how, as it was a mere feeling- a pang in her heart every so often as she becomes painfully aware of her situation.The realization hit like a truck when the thought first crossed her mind. She didn't want to believe it, but there was a nagging feeling in her gut that told her something was wrong, and she needed to look deeper. It was over the course of a week, after days of trying to ignore that unsettling feeling stirring inside her, that Liviana's demeanor began to crack and the thoughts she had tried so hard to ignore became all she could think about. They consumed her, and soon, they were the only thing on her mind. She should have known it would have come spilling out of her sooner or later- she never had been good at secrets of her own.Liviana hoped that telling Blaze would help. She wasn't sure how as there was nothing he could do- he was a mere listene
The question plagued Liviana's mind, and it didn't take long for the fear and worry to join it.She couldn't stop thinking about it. Why would Emilia run away when it seems as though she already had everything worked out? She had a plan, and Emilia had always been strict with her practicality. What would be grave enough to have her abandoned it all completely? What could possibly be so bad that it would make Emilia abandon her family? Her siblings? Liviana didn't understand. It was all so sudden, and yet, that night, she never thought to question it.Liviana cursed herself for being so thoughtless, though she couldn't hold herself at fault entirely. Back then, she had no reason to question her sister - who had mentioned running away more times than she could remember during their youth. In all honesty, Livi believed it was only a matter of time before Emilia snapped and finally went through with it. And though she missed her sister dearly, she could never blame or resent Emilia for he