Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Marlie's POV

Flashbacks

Sleep has eluded me for several days. Whenever I attempt to close my eyes, I find myself confronted by the ghost of Charlie, my deceased sister.

Am I to blame for her death? It perplexes me as to why my sister's spirit has not been fair to me, or perhaps I have not been fair to myself.

For some time now, she has been tormenting me since her passing, which is quite exasperating.

I had advised our parents against allowing her to marry into that particular family, but they disregarded my warning. They always brushed aside my concerns, insisting, "Marlie, why are you envious of your sister?"

Those words always served to annoy me. And the worst part was, that Charlie would not heed my advice.

She was so stubborn. Who, in their right mind, would marry someone as rigid and self-centered as Chad? Yes, he is undeniably handsome, but even gazing upon his photograph in a magazine sends shivers down my spine.

That family hides a sinister secret unknown to outsiders. How did I discover this? Well, I am aware, but whenever I tell my family that, they always demand evidence. So, the rumors have it!

Each time I share such thoughts with my family, I appear charmingly absurd. My statements are met with scoffs from my mother and disregard by my father.

"Fine! Let her marry THAT man. I will not risk exposing myself just to unveil the dark underbelly of that family," I muttered to myself.

"Marlie, you have never liked him since high school. So, I'm not surprised that you oppose his marriage to me," Charlie would often say in her endearing and innocent voice.

Though older than me, my sister is far too naïve for her own good. Damn it!

"Why would I not want to marry him?" Charlie taunted with a smile, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her.

"Was it his fault when you slipped on the banana peels in front of the library?" She chuckled as she spoke.

Was it truly my fault, then? He should have been the one to trip on that damned banana peel, not me. Well, I had set that trap for him, but he managed to annoy me so much that I forgot about my own trap and fell into it myself. Damn that guy!

I only wanted him to lose the air of arrogance he always carried around campus, as if he were a god.

Although he was my sister's boyfriend, he managed to capture the attention of all the girls in school. But I have no interest in him, definitely not.

Undoubtedly, he possessed a striking handsomeness, but what actually annoyed me the most was all the girls would gossip and drool over him as if he were some ancient Greek god... Ewww.

He displayed an immense sense of self-importance and egotism. What a jerk!

One statement that I deeply regretted making to him was "Chad, I love you."

Don't get me wrong, it was not a deliberate act on my part. Rather, it was the unfortunate result of my friends daring me to utter such words to him. Since then, I have found those words repulsive.

How can I possibly forget that day? Chad remained unfazed, wearing his usual emotionless expression with cold, piercing eyes. I cannot deny that his gaze sent shivers down my spine.

I was convinced that internally, he was celebrating, witnessing my humiliation in front of his friends. Eventually, he lifted his head and fixed me with a wicked smirk. What a fool I was!

Regret overwhelmed me. He was someone I desired to keep far away from me and my sister, and yet, by uttering those words, had I not inadvertently given him the perfect opportunity to rid himself of me as well.

Indeed, since then, my life has turned upside down in chaos. I incessantly worried about how to face my sister. Why on earth did I agree to that? I was such a fool.

But he would not dare. It would be detrimental to both of us, especially considering he kissed me the following day.

Charlie is my sister, and she would forgive me for that fake confession, but him?

Well, by doing so, he would be fulfilling my wish and breaking up with my sister.

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Throughout the night after that absurd confession, I struggled to sleep soundly. I felt immense guilt over my actions, and I wished I could turn back time just so I could knock some sense into him instead. But that was not possible.

I had to avoid Charlie at all costs, simply because I could not bear to meet her gaze. It was decided: I would reveal the truth to her the next day. After all, it was just a fucking Truth and Dare game I played with my friends, nothing personal.

Whatever the consequences may be, I would summon the courage to face them, for I am a fierce tigress who fears no adversity.

Those were the words I repeated to myself, attempting to comfort my cowardly inner self.

So, the following day, before that dense Chad could kiss me, I made my way to the library after school. It was the last place Charlie would visit before heading home.

Summoning the strength and confidence that still resided within me, I decided to approach Charlie to have a conversation. However, as I reached the door, it felt as though I was about to enter the principal's office. Anxiety began to consume me.

At that moment, all I could do was pray. I had to seek divine assistance.

So I clasped my hands together and silently prayed, "Oh merciful God, please guide me so that my sister may understand and forgive me."

I wanted to leave it at that, but I also felt compelled to let God handle that little devil, Chad. A feeble soul like myself could only rely on the Almighty.

"And God, please protect my sister from that sinful hand... No, that repugnant demon. Send a storm to rid Charlie of his presence. Amen."

Thank goodness that helped. Praying to God provided some solace and eased my nerves, or should I say, leaving the devil in the hands of God helps.

After the prayer, I bravely grasped the door handle and silently opened it, as if I were a stealthy intruder. Despite my lingering nervousness, the hallway appeared deserted, devoid of any visible presence. A wave of relief washed over me as if I had narrowly escaped a treacherous fall from a cliff.

My mind wandered, wondering about the whereabouts of my sister. Surely, she wouldn't have left me behind and returned home alone?

An intrusive thought raced through my mind, "I can only hope that she hasn't fallen victim to some unfortunate fate."

With that in mind, I embarked on a search for Charlie, only to come up empty-handed. Just as I contemplated leaving, a peculiar sound, reminiscent of shattered glass or a broken bottle, brought me to a halt.

The noise emanated from the rooftop of the library. Usually, I wouldn't have been curious enough to investigate, but a sense of impending danger engulfed me, leading me to urgently rush towards the source, determined to save my older sister.

As I approached within two feet of the doorway, I was abruptly halted by the sound of unfamiliar voices. None of them resembled Charlie's distinctive tone.

Relief washed over me as I discerned that a woman and a boy were engaged in conversation. At least my sister was not in immediate peril.

It seemed like the ideal opportunity to make my exit. Yet, a lingering desire to eavesdrop led me to remain in my current position.

But then my curiosity quickly transformed into sheer horror as I overheard something unsettling. The boy was accusing the woman of his father's murder.

Rather than refute the accusation, the woman responded with a derisive laughter that sent shivers down my spine. She admitted her capability to eliminate anyone who dared obstruct her path.

Instantly, fear took hold of me, rendering me utterly paralyzed. I grappled with the dilemma of whether to enter and rescue the boy or hastily seek assistance. After all, what if the woman were to harm the defenseless child?

To my astonishment, the boy possessed knowledge of the woman's actions, yet chose to conceal the truth, driven by an inexplicable loyalty to her. How could he, as the witness to his own father's murder, allow the perpetrator to go unpunished?

His insistence that no one should ever learn about the truth struck me as utterly unscrupulous. The realization that I nearly jeopardized my own well-being in attempting to intervene sent shudders down my spine.

And to top it all, he called that woman, mother?

What a terrifying family they must be, steeped in the ways of deceit and murder.

By this point, I found myself trembling by the door, overcome with a mix of emotions. Never before had I encountered such malevolence in someone's words.

The shock was too much to bear, prompting tears to stream down my face as fear consumed me. I couldn't help but shake uncontrollably, hastily placing my hand over my mouth to prevent any inadvertent noise that might give away my presence.

Though, in my disoriented state, I couldn't properly identify the voices I heard, I yearned to escape. However, my legs felt rooted to the spot, immobilized by an overwhelming weight that made it impossible to move.

I guess my reaction was overboard, yet hearing such a conversation has that impact on me.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps drew near, growing closer to the door.

With a mysterious surge of energy, I managed to retreat and take cover behind the door. Avoiding any interference was my utmost priority.

Emerging from the shadows, one of them made an appearance. Though the face remained concealed from my view, the sight of their meticulously groomed shoes indicated it was the young man.

"Aha! I recognized those shoes...they belong to..."

A sense of fear washed over me as I contemplated the identity of this enigmatic young man. Surely, it couldn't be him, right?

I cuffed my mouth harder and shook my head in disbelief. I didn't know which part of my body to hold firm to prevent giving my location away.

But, without warning, his name slipped out of my mouth, "CHAD!"

This hindered his movement, causing him to turn and direct a chilling, demonic stare in my direction.

I was horrified... Pure terror gripped me.

What should I do?