1 Chapter One

The living room was bathed in dim lamplight. Ariana stood before her parents, her heart pounding in her chest. Her younger sister, Mia, with her sharp blue eyes gleaming like shards of ice, stood beside their parents as she accused her of stealing and destroying their mother's treasured necklace. The air grew heavy with tension.

"You took it, didn't you?"

"I didn't take it, Mama," Ariana whispered, her voice barely audible. "I swear."

"You stole it, Ariana! Don't ever think your lies and pretense will get you out of this one!" Mia's voice cut through the room, sharp and cold.

Ariana's eyes welled up with tears, her voice trembling like a leaf in the wind as she vehemently denied the accusation. "No, Mia, I didn't take it. I swear."

Their father, Joseph, a stern man with weary eyes, stepped forward, his voice carrying the weight of authority. "Mia, why do you think Ariana is responsible for this? What evidence do you have?"

Mia's lips curled with a smirk as she tossed her long golden hair backward. "I saw her near Mama's jewelry box yesterday, and now the necklace is missing. I'm sure she planned to sell it."

Margaret, their mother, disbelief etched across her face, moved closer to Ariana. "Ariana, is this true?"

Ariana shook her head, her chestnut hair cascading over her shoulders like a protective shield. "No, Mama, I'd never do that."

Mia seized the moment, leading their parents to Ariana's room, With confidence radiating from her every step, Mia beckoned her parents, her voice carrying a mysterious urgency.

"Mum, Dad, come with me," she insisted.

Curiosity mixed with concern filled their faces as they followed Mia into the dimly lit bedroom.

Mia led them straight to Ariana's bed, her hand disappearing beneath the pillow. With a triumphant flourish, she unveiled her discovery.

"Look at this," Mia declared, holding aloft the shattered necklace fragments she had found.

Her parents' jaws slightly dropped in shock, staring at the broken jewelry, disbelief etched into their expressions. Margaret, their mother, gasped as recognition dawned.

"That's my necklace!" she exclaimed. "But how on earth did it end up here, of all places?"

Beside the bed, Ariana stood stammering,

"I... I have no idea how that got there," Ariana protested. "I didn't put it there, I swear!"

Mia, emboldened by her discovery, turned her accusing gaze toward her sister.

"You see, Mom?" she pressed. "I told you. She had the necklace hidden right here!"

Their parents, torn between love and suspicion, shifted their attention to Ariana, their eyes reflecting a complex mix of emotions.

"Tell us, Ariana," their father began, his voice heavy with concern. "Is Mia telling the truth? Did you take the necklace?"

Ariana, her voice shaking with emotion and her wide eyes brimming with tears, vehemently defended herself.

"No, Mama, Papa, I promise you," she insisted, her words laced with desperation. "I didn't put it there, and I would never take something so precious from you."

In the dim room, the broken pieces glinted mockingly. Ariana, her eyes widening in disbelief as she searched for words to defend herself.

The damning evidence lay exposed like a judge's gavel pronouncing Ariana's guilt. Ariana's tears flowed, her words caught in her throat.

, "How could you, Ariana?" Mia hissed, "You're a thief!"

Margaret's face twisted in anger and disappointment. She slapped Ariana's cheek with a stinging blow. "You ungrateful child! I can't believe you'd do this to us!"

Tears streamed down Ariana's cheeks "I didn't, Mama. Please, you have to believe me."

Margaret's fury raged like an inferno, "I've never been so repulsed in my life. You're a disgrace, Ariana, a wretched thief, and I despise the very sight of you."

Ariana's voice quivered, tears blurring her vision as she desperately tried to make her mother understand. "Mama, please, listen to me, I-"

But Margaret's rage was an unyielding force.

"I can't believe I bore a daughter like you. You're a vile thief, a stain on our lineage, and I curse your very existence"

Joseph's voice turned icy as he looked at Ariana, the disbelief in his eyes cutting through her like a knife. "If you didn't take it, then who did? How do you explain this?"

Ariana didn't know how to answer. She couldn't explain how the broken necklace ended up under her pillow. Her mind raced, and before she could utter a word, Margaret's curses rained down upon her like a heavy downpour, each word more devastating than the last. "I regret the day you were born. You're nothing but trouble."

Joseph finally intervened, struggling to maintain his composure, his voice strained as he delivered the verdict. "That's enough, Margaret. We'll deal with this within our family."

Turning to Ariana, his disappointment obvious "You'll pay for this Ariana. You will replace the necklace with your own money. And we will decide your fate later."

That night, Ariana found herself alone in her room. She sat on her bed with her tear-stained face buried in her hands. Mia shared the same bedroom but found pleasure in her sister's misery.

Ariana's heart ached with tears staining her soul as she considered Margret's words. She couldn't fathom why her parents always took Mia's side, no matter the circumstances.

She wondered why her parents seemed to favor her sister, Mia but treated her like a nobody no matter what she did. She longed for their love and understanding but had come to accept that she might never receive it.

The door to the room creaked open and Mia entered, her steps purposeful and filled with malicious intent. The soft glow of the room's dim light revealed her triumphant smile as she beheld her older sister, Ariana, sitting on her bed, still wiping away tears.

Mia's voice dripped with scorn as she taunted, "Well, well, look who's here, the timid little thief."

Arianna turned her head away, not wanting to engage with her sister's cruelty. But Mia wasn't going to let her off the hook that easily.

"Can't sleep, huh?" Mia continued "I guess it's hard when you're a thief and a liar"

Ariana looked up, her eyes red and swollen from crying, and pleaded, "Mia, please, I didn't do it. You have to believe me."

Mia's laughter was cruel, a cruel laughter filled with mockery. "Oh, Ariana, always playing the innocent victim, aren't you? Mama and Papa will never see through your act." Circling the room like a predator,

"I've always known you were jealous of me. Always trying to steal my spotlight, trying to be as perfect as I am. But this? This is a new low, even for you."

Ariana's voice quivered as she implored, "Mia, I'm telling the truth. I didn't take the necklace."

"You see, Ariana," Mia taunted, her voice dripping with malevolence, "your 'good girl' act couldn't save you this time. Mama and Papa will always take my side."

Ariana, her tears a testament to her torment. "I didn't do it, Mia. Something happened, something I can't explain."

Mia laughed. A haunting melody that echoed in the room. "You're nothing but a coward, Ariana, always playing the victim. No wonder they favor me."

"Mia, please, we're sisters. We should stick together." Ariana pleaded.

Mia's laughter rang out again, cutting through Ariana's plea. "Sisters? Don't make me laugh. You're nothing but a burden, always holding us back."

Mia's voice turned venomous, and she leaned even closer to Ariana, her face inches from her sister's. "Well, Ariana, get ready for a rude awakening. I'm going to make your life a living hell. You'll regret ever coming into this family."

Ariana trembled under Mia's threats, her heart heavy with the realization that her own sister could be so mean to her.

As Mia left the room, she took a final, venomous look at Ariana. "Your misery has only just begun."

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