The truth is a bitter pill to swallow

The expanse stretches endlessly before me, an unbroken sea of white, like a canvas devoid of colour and life. It feels as if I am suspended in a dreamless void, where the air hangs thick with an oppressive stillness that chokes my thoughts. I walk through this desolate place landscape, my thoughts swirling in a tempest of rage and betrayal. 

Memories claw at the edges of my mind intensifying my anger. Recalling Sunny's vile expression as she spoke on the phone I kick the air releasing my frustration. When I remember the sight of her wrapped tightly in my husband's arms, I snort coldly. Anger ignites within me. It burns hotter than any flame ever could. How dare they? How dare they plot against me and my child?

I stride forward, or perhaps it's more accurate to say I drift aimlessly across this vast expanse, each step weighed down by the spectre of rage that clings to me like smoke. My voice echoes through the emptiness as I scream into the void.

"Stop playing with me! Where is the entrance to hell... or heaven?" My words shatter against nothingness, reverberating until they fade into silence. It was a cruel reminder that no one was here to hear them.

As frustration seeps deeper into my bones, I collapse onto this barren ground in protest. How long could I continue wandering?

I let out a heavy sigh. "I quit." The words slipped from my lips as whispers caught between sobs and resignation. My limbs fall slack beside me. It feels almost comforting to surrender to despair.

"Just scatter my soul and be done with it," I murmur softly, yearning for peace amidst this chaos swirling within me. "I don't even want to reincarnate if that exists." 

But just as resignation begins to settle in my bones like frostbite, there is a loud BAM Jolting through the silence like thunder splitting night skies open. My head jerks up instinctively. Curiosity stirs within me despite the heaviness weighing on my chest.

There on the floor is a large brown book lying askew, its cover cracked and weathered by time yet ominously inviting all at once. My brows furrow as I rise slowly to investigate it further and approach cautiously. 

The title catches my breath. Fighting for Sunny's Love it says. A sinister chuckle escapes from my lips, a sound both menacing and hollow, as disbelief washes over me like cold water cascading down my spine. 

"This better be a joke," I say aloud while crossing my legs beneath me on the barren ground. 

I reach out, my fingers trembling slightly, and open it. A bright light bursts forth, blinding me momentarily. Then, like a floodgate opening, everything written in the book pours into my mind.

Tears spill down my cheeks as I grapple with the realisation that I was never the protagonist in my own life. Rather, I was merely a shadow lurking behind Sunny's brilliance, a villain in her happily ever after.

In this ethereal space where time ceases to exist, I am forced to relive every moment etched in those pages. The book reveals the story of our lives, painting me as the spoiled second child of the Wright family. Everyone thought our parents treated me like a princess while Sunny was sidelined, almost as if she wasn't their child.

But I knew the truth. While everyone saw me as the spoiled second child, I was basking in parental neglect like an orphan draped in silk gowns. Sunny, on the other hand, was raised strictly, always told to watch her image. She learned to play the piano, mastered six languages, attended etiquette classes, and was constantly told what to wear and how to behave in public. 

In everyone's eyes, the way our parents doted on my whims while they demanded excellence from Sunny at every turn made it seem like they favour me. They could care less what trouble I got into while Sunny bore the weight of expectations like chains around her delicate wrists. And it was all because she was engaged to Roan, the future heir of the Kingsley family. We were raised in the same house, by the same parents, but we were polar opposites.

I remember Orson, my high school sweetheart from another affluent family. I loved him deeply, but he dumped me over a text message saying he couldn't be with someone so reckless anymore. I was heartbroken, and Sunny comforted me. She held my hand and told me everything would be okay. 

But now, from this book, I learn that Sunny was the reason Orson left me. She had fallen in love with his free spirit and started a relationship with him behind my back. He fell for Sunny's poised spirit instead of mine, and they had a secret affair that I didn't even know about till death. 

A sinister laugh escapes my lips. How was I the villain when Sunny was the one who took my boyfriend? 

And then there's Roan, the man who I was chained to for the rest of my life after waking in his hotel room after the bachelorette party and it was all orchestrated by none other than Sunny herself!

She loved Orson and hated being engaged to Roan, so she planned everything. Yet, I was demonised for stealing Roan from her. Even Roan called me a spoilt jealous brat who wanted a life that never belonged to her. Ah, how I wish he knew that his white moonlight, the woman he pined over for years never wanted to marry him and set them up just to get away from him. 

My body trembles with anger. Years of apologising, of trying to make up for my so-called mistake, were all for nothing. 

I see myself, pathetic and broken, after being caught in that hotel room with Roan. My parents' faces twisted in disgust, my mother's hand striking my cheek over and over. No one wanted to hear my side of the story. Sunny sat there, tears streaming down her face, looking every bit the wronged sister.

While Sunny ran off with Orson, I was left to pick up the pieces. My parents forced me to become the perfect in-law in just two months. I had to change everything about myself—the way I carried myself, the way I dressed. They made me cut my hair, learn to play an instrument and attend etiquette classes. Our lives were now reversed.

I had to get on Roan's good side before the wedding. I brought him food and gifts, visiting him at his office. The Kingsley family company was a tech giant, so I started working there, trying to be the perfect wife. But Roan was cold, his eyes filled with resentment. He blamed me for making him lose the love of his life.

Every day was a struggle, trying to win over a man who despised me. I remember the countless nights I cried myself to sleep, wondering how my life had turned into this nightmare. The book shows me all of it, every painful detail.

Years of trying to make things right, of living a lie, all for nothing. The truth is a bitter pill to swallow, but it also brings a twisted sense of clarity. I was never the villain. I was just a pawn in Sunny's game.