From fragile to fierce

Episode 1

Bella’s POV

The morning sunlight peeked through my curtains, forcing me awake. I groaned, turning to the other side, wishing I could sink back into my dreams where things made sense, where I wasn’t just existing. But reality had other plans.

I stretched, yawning loudly as i listened to the muffled sounds coming from downstairs. Laughter. Excitement. Voices overlapping. I didn’t need to guess why the house had been like this .

Ella’s wedding was in two days.

Ella, my twin sister. The perfect daughter. The one everyone adored.

I sighed, swinging my legs off the bed. It wasn’t jealousy, at least not anymore. I had long accepted my place in this family. I was the extra, the unwanted, the one people barely noticed until something went wrong.

My stomach rumbled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten since yesterday. I stepped out of my room and headed downstairs, hoping to grab something quick before anyone could notice me.

As I reached the kitchen, I heard my mother’s excited voice from the living room.

“Oh, this dress is absolutely stunning!”

I rolled my eyes.

Of course, she sounded thrilled. She always did when it came to Ella. I couldn’t remember the last time she had spoken about me like that.

Shaking off the thought, I opened the fridge, looking for something to eat. Just as I reached for a carton of juice and bread , the door slammed shut with a loud thud.

I froze. Then, slowly, I turned.

Aunt Lucy.

Her arms were crossed, her sharp eyes scanning me with that familiar look of disapproval. She had never liked me, and the feeling was mutual. As a child, I used to cry whenever she scolded me. Now? I didn’t have the energy to care.

“You’re not taking anything from the fridge,” she said.

I blinked at her, confused for a moment, then let out a short laugh. “And why not?”

“Because I said so.”

I sighed, shutting my eyes briefly before opening them again. “Aunt Lucy, can you please move?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

She didn’t budge. “When did you become so disrespectful?” she snapped. “This is exactly why no one likes you.”

I clenched my jaw, my fingers curling into fists.

I didn't need anyone to like me, I thought. People's opinions and their approval,none of it mattered anymore. I had survived without their validation long ago, I only know and love myself, and anything else doesn't matter.

I calmed myself as Aunt Lucy's words sank in.

“Look, I’m hungry. I just want to eat,” I said, keeping my voice low but firm.

“I said no,” she repeated, as if she had any real authority here.

A bitter chuckle escaped me. “Last time I checked, this isn’t your house. You don’t get to tell me what to do.”

The room went silent. By now, people in the living room had noticed the argument. I could feel their stares, their curiosity.

Aunt Lucy’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Did you just talk back to me?”

I met her gaze, unflinching. “Did you want me to repeat myself?”

A shocked gasp came from somewhere behind her. I knew how this looked, I was supposed to be the quiet, obedient one, the girl who never spoke up. But I was tired. Tired of being treated like nothing.

Before Aunt Lucy could reply, my mother stormed into the kitchen. I barely had time to react before her palm collided with my face.

The sting burned instantly, but I refused to flinch. I had felt this pain before.

“You ungrateful brat,” she spat.

I already knew what she would say next, so I decided to save her the trouble.

“And you regret having me. You hate me. You’ll never forgive me,” I recited, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

My mother blinked in surprise, as if thrown off by my words.

I smirked. “Isn’t that what you were going to say?”

She opened her mouth, then closed it. But her eyes burned with the same hatred I had seen all my life.

Before I could say anything else, a rough hand grabbed me by the throat, shoving me back against the wall.

“You bastard,” my father hissed, his fingers tightening around my neck.

I coughed, forcing out a chuckle. “Funny. Last time I checked, you were the one who made me.”

He shoved me harder. My head slammed against the wall, and a sharp pain exploded at the back of my head. Warmth trickled down my neck. I reached back, touching it. Blood.

I barely reacted. Pain was nothing new.

“Are you okay?” Ella’s voice was soft, filled with concern as she knelt beside me.

I swatted her hand away. “Do I look okay to you?” I snapped.

She flinched but didn’t argue. she will always act timid when everyone is around but when we are alone ,her real character comes out.

The room was dead silent now. No one spoke. No one moved.

I pushed myself up, straightened my clothes, and walked out of the house. No one stopped me. They never did.

Outside, the evening air was cool, the sky painted in soft shades of orange and pink. I inhaled deeply, letting the fresh air calm my nerves.

I love how calm and peaceful the environment is. I was enjoying every bit of it when my phone rang.

I pulled it out, seeing “Mom” flash on the screen.

I debated ignoring it but answered anyway.

“Ella hasn’t come home since she went looking for you,” my mother’s voice came through, sharp and accusing. “If anything happens to her, I’ll never forgive you.”

Then the line went dead.

I scoffed, shaking my head.

Of course.

Ella wasn’t a child. She would come back when she was ready. But why had she gone looking for me in the first place? she had never done that before .

Rolling my eyes, I turned and started walking back home.

But as I moved through the empty streets, an uneasy feeling settled in my stomach.

Something didn’t feel right.