CRYSTAL.ONE MONTH LATER.The nights were colder in the servants’ quarters.Maybe it was the wind slipping through the cracked window, or maybe it was just me feeling empty, feverish, and forgotten.I was shivering so hard my teeth clattered. I'd been sick for almost a week now, and no one cared about me. No one even came to check on me, except Merilyn, one of the maids. Sweet, kind Merilyn — the only person in that entire house who still looked at me like I existed.She told me she’ll try to talk to Tessa about my condition, hoping she’d tell my parents, but I begged her not to. I didn’t want their pity. I didn’t want their disgust walking back through that door.I’d called them for days — Dad, Mum, even Derek — no one picked up. It was like I’d died, and the world simply carried on without me.The last time I glanced at the mirror, I couldn't recognize myself anymore. My eyes were dull, my lips cracked, skin pale and hollow. I’d lost weight, color, even the little bit of pride I use
Last Updated : 2025-10-29 Read more