Chapter 20

Ever stood before her parents. Their disappointed eyes bore into hers. It was a feeling she had grown all too familiar with over few weeks. But today, it felt more heavier. 

Her mother’s voice was sharp as she scolded her. “Ever, this behavior is completely unacceptable. Do you have any idea what you have done? This childish altercation with Emma it’s unbecoming.” Her voice was calm, controlled, but it cut through her like a blade. 

Ever could barely look at her. Her mother’s cold gaze was a reflection of everything she had never been able to say. She had spent days trying to earn their approval, maybe hoping something would go back to the way it used to be. But no matter what she did, it was never enough. 

Emma was now the shiniest star in the family now. She wondered when everything became this unbearable.

“You are acting like a child,” her father’s voice rang out. His tone was reprimanding. “You should know better than to engage in petty arguments. I expect more from you, Ever.” It felt like a slap, one she felt deep.

Emma stood quietly beside them, her head bowed in apparent humility, though Ever could see the faintest flicker of satisfaction in her sister’s eyes. She knew her well enough to recognize that small glimpse, that unspoken victory in Emma’s gaze. 

Her mother’s voice broke through her thought again, strong and unnerving. “You will apologize to Emma, and you will work harder to control your temper.” The command struck hard. 

Ever opened her mouth to argue, but the words caught in her throat. She didn’t bother. They wouldn’t listen to her after all. 

Without a word, she turned and stormed inside her room, leaving her parents' disappointed stare behind her. She slammed the door behind her with a finality that reverberated. 

Once she was alone in her room, she collapsed onto her bed, her fists laid at her side. A flood of emotion washed over her, anger, frustration, and helplessness. But more than anything, there was a deep aching pain in her chest, a pain that had been building for days. 

Why am I always the one who gets nothing? Why? When did everything change? Why am I the one who always has to fight for my place? When did it get to this point?

She had worked so hard for a single moment, for her parents to look at her and see that things have changed and she was their favorite daughter. 

But no! They saw Emma as the perfect, sweet, obedient child. 

Ever couldn’t laid hand on what changed, but she knew that everything changed when Emma came back home. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right. Ever had always been the one who tried to make them proud, but now, she was the one being overlooked.

Her eyes flickered toward the corner of the room where she had hidden a small bottle. The potion she had prepared carefully, with the sole intention of slipping it into her parents’ food, making them see things her way. She had waited for the perfect moment. 

Her heart pounded in her chest as she stood up and hurried to the drawer. Her fingers trembled as she pulled it open, but the bottle wasn’t there. Panic surged through her chest. Her throat went dry as she frantically searched the area, moving aside anything in her way. There it was, lying on the floor near the corner.

She bent down to retrieve it, but the instant her fingers wrapped around the bottle, a sick feeling hit her stomach. The bottle was shattered. The contents were gone. A sharp feeling rose in her chest, and her heart sank with it.

“No!” she hissed inwardly. She had worked so hard to prepare the potion, and now it was all ruined. Her only plan to get back at her sister, to gain her position as the favorite child had slipped through her finger. 

Frustration boiled inside her, but she couldn’t let anyone know.

In a hizzy of anger and despair, she made a decision, if she could not fix things with her family, then maybe she should just waste herself and get drunk. 

And so, without thinking further, she grabbed a cloth, a casual gown, threw it on and stormed out of the house. 

Inside, Emma was feeling unwell. It started when she took her bath and it was just a dull ache in her head and a sense of dizziness. 

 But now, it felt so suffocating. By the time her parents called her down for dinner, she was already burning with fever. 

She felt like she had the weight of the world pressing down on her chest and her stomach churned with discomfort. 

“Mom,” she murmured briefly, her voice fainted. “I don't feel good,” she added as she stepped down the staircase. 

Her mother was immediately by her side, concern was boldly evident in her eyes. 

“Emma, you don't look well at all, let's get you to the bed, then we can call the doctor if it is necessary, okay?” Emma nodded and her mother led her upstairs. 

She could not help but feel that the fever was more than just a physical ailment. Something in her gut told her it was not just coincidence that she was sick now. 

She wondered if something or someone had caused it. The thought made her uneasy, but she pushed it aside, focusing on the immediate concern of her head. 

***

Few hours later, Ever returned to the house, stumbling through the door with the distinct smell of alcohol on her clothes. 

Her eyes were hazy, unfocused, and she could barely stand, let alone form coherent words. The alcohol had nubbled the heartache inside her.

 When she stepped into the living room, her parents turned to her, their faces filled with shock and disappointment. 

“Ever!” her father's voice was sharp and disbelief crept into his tone. “What have you done to yourself?”

She blinked at him, her head spinning. “Why does it matter?” She slurred, her voice thick with drunken defiance. “You don't care about me anyway,”

Her mother's face flushed with anger. “Ever, this is unacceptable. What have you been drinking? You are making a fool of yourself!”