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Trapped In Shadows

Each time she dared to fall in love or have any romantic relationship with someone, it always ended up crumbling, as every man she loved found solace not in her arms, but in the embrace of her sister. The sting of betrayal left scars upon her heart, making her shut her heart to love, with a promise to never let her guard down around any man. This is a tale of a young girl named Emily, along with her mother and sister, Olivia. Emily's mother runs a modeling agency where her sister Olivia acts as a model. Emily always wanted to work as a model, and there were numerous nights where she spent dreaming of being a model. Her numerous requests to her mother were unsuccessful, as her mother always despised her. Her elder sister, Olivia was always her mom's favorite. Olivia inherited all their mother's charms and was loved by everyone. In high school, guys would always come to her just so they could get Olivia's number but Emily didn't mind. But every time she opened her heart to someone, it always got broken by her sister. Guys would date her just to get closer to Olivia. Emily decided to never fall in love again, after she caught her sister in bed with her boyfriend, Jamie. But what happens when she meets Jake? He's been searching for her for a year and just when he thought he would never find her, he saw her at a restaurant, where she worked as a waitress. He's in town for 3 months and he needs to find himself a wife, or else he'll be forced to marry the girl he's family chose for him. Will he be able to convince her to marry him, in just 3 months?

Raven_Dahlia · Urban
Not enough ratings
5 Chs

Chapter 2

**EMILY'S POV**

Today makes it two months since I caught my sister in bed with my boyfriend dearest. For the past two months, I have been living my life the way I can but it feels like I'm stuck in a time loop. Everything has been on repeat since the incident. I just sleep, eat, read, attend lectures, and repeat the whole process. I guess it's my fault, I was the one who complained to my mom about Olivia and ended up getting grounded because according to my mom, I was making baseless accusations about her precious daughter. She doesn't even believe Jamie and I dated, or she just sees my relationships as irrelevant and thinks that guys aren't even supposed to ask me out in the first place. Making me sometimes wish I was Olivia.

Olivia's beauty seemed to effortlessly command attention wherever she went. She had a magnetic aura that drew people in, leaving them captivated by her charm. While I shared the same chestnut-brown hair, her eyes lacked the vibrant intensity mine had, but I just faded into the background like a forgotten melody. I used to think my hazel green eyes made me stand out but I guess it makes me look like a freak instead.

To the outside world, I have the perfect family. I mean, when you have a mom who's successful like my mom and my sister who's one of the best models, you'll get what I mean. My mother runs a modeling agency, while my sister also works at the agency. I'm pretty sure she'll be taking over ABES (A Beacon Of Elegance And Success) when my mom retires.

Oh, and by the way, that's the name of my mom's agency.

It has been my dream to work with them but I'm pretty sure that would be nothing more than a dream. I remember when Olivia and I were younger, my mom was so sweet to me.

**FLASHBACK**

"Oh my God Mom, you look so pretty." 7-year-old Olivia gushed as her mom prepared for a fashion show. She was launching some new designs and had to look her best.

"Mommy looks like a fairy." 5 year Emily praised.

"Baby, you think mom's that pretty?" Eleanor asked lifting little Emily while she giggled.

"Yes Mommy, I want to be a fairy just like you." Emily touched her mom's hair.

"While I want to be a supermodel when I grow up." Olivia flipped her hair as she spoke, trying to copy the models she watches on TV.

"Mommy, mommy please can I be a supermodel too?" Emily pouted giving Eleanor puppy eyes.

"Yes Mom, we can do it together." Olivia cheered.

"Fine, my angels, but mommy has to hurry up now. You wouldn't want Mommy to miss her big day right?" Eleanor coaxed.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

I have always wondered what I did wrong, how did my mom and sister develop this hatred for me? All I know is, they started treating me differently when I turned 16.

All I want is to know what I did wrong, is it something I said or did? Mom said I was unfit to join the agency because I was not tall enough. I'm 5 ft 5 while Olivia is 5 ft 7.

I don't think I'm as short as my mom says I am. She just doesn't want me around the agency. I've seen her work with people who are way shorter than I am. One time I thought of telling her I was good at making designs for clothes and shoes, just so she would let me join them but then I heard her telling some of her partners that I was as good as not having a daughter because I was good for nothing.

She was on a business call and I guess the person asked why I wasn't in the agency. It was at that moment I decided not to tell anyone of them about all the drawings I had. Knowing my mom, she would probably take them from me and launch them, claiming she made them and I couldn't do a thing if she did. No one would believe me.

•••••

I was currently in my room studying, my final exams were just around the corner. I was still reading when my mom walked into my room. She looked at me as if I was the ugliest thing she'd ever seen.

"Hi Mom" I was happy but also nervous about my mom's presence in my room.

"I see you've become rude, is that how you greet your elders now?" She scowled.

"No Mom, I'm sorry. I was just wondering what you're doing here, I mean you haven't been in here for a very long time. It's just..." I stopped talking as soon as she gave me the 'Would you be quiet' look. Shit, I was rambling.

"Might I remind you who the owner of this house is?" She asked making me face the floor. God, she's so scary.

"Besides you should be happy I even graced this dumpster with my presence." Yeah, narcissist much? No wonder she and my sister get along so well. They only love themselves.

"I'm talking to you." She snapped her fingers in my face. Shit, I zoned out again.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you." I tried my best not to upset her.

"I said, I heard you're about to write your final exams. Which is a good thing by the way, at least then you wouldn't have to keep munching off of me." I couldn't understand what she meant by that.

"Mom, I... I don't understand what you mean." I couldn't even look her in the eyes.

"What are you, 5?" She scoffed. "It's high time you started thinking of getting a job, or better still getting married and leaving my house. You're fucking 21, your sister bought her place at 19." She yelled comparing me with Olivia.

"Mom, Olivia started working at the agency when she was 16 years old, and even then you made sure she had at least $200,000 in her account every month. I don't even get half of that, all you would have your Secretary give me $5,000 and most times I don't even get anything. So how was I supposed to buy my apartment?" I yelled, but I was mentally giving myself a pat on the back for being bold. Who am I kidding, that was the dumbest thing I've ever done. Now I don't get anything at all.

"Need I remind you that ABES isn't the only place in the world where you could get a job? Your sister only gets what she deserves, you think you even deserve the things you get? Well news flash honey, you don't. And for raising your voice at me like that, you don't get any money this month, or ever. You've been cut off. I'll only allow you to live here for now but as soon as you graduate, don't even let me remind you to get the hell out of my house." With that said, she slammed the door so hard as she left my room.

I was so weak right now, was that my mom or someone else? How could she even say that to her daughter? What did she mean by I don't deserve any of this?

All these questions kept haunting me through the night.