Chapter 1: The Marks
The first time I saw the marks across my sister’s back, the whole world seemed to disappear.
The bridal boutique went silent around me, but not in an ordinary way. It was the kind of silence that settles over a courtroom seconds before a verdict changes everything.
Mara stood on a small platform beneath the chandelier, wrapped in ivory satin while a seamstress adjusted the fabric around her waist. The dress was breathtaking.
My sister was not smiling.
“Turn around, sweetheart,” the seamstress said gently.
Mara obeyed.
When the woman lowered the zipper, I saw them.
Dark, fresh lash marks ran across Mara’s back, cruel and unmistakable, like someone had written violence into her skin.
My breath stopped.
The seamstress gasped and stepped back.
“Oh my God.”
Mara saw my face in the mirror.
Every bit of color drained from hers. Continue Reading ⬇️
