What do you think love is, Inspector?
Comfort. The urge to meet someone. Desire. The need to possess. Wanting their attention all the time. Wanting them to always be by your side, stroking your hair, listening to every story and every request you make. That feeling you get when you close your eyes, breathing in the warmth of their scent, tasting the sweetness that brushes your lips. Sharing the same breath with them.
I don't know how you define love, Inspector.
But to me, love is nothing more than trust.
I trusted Prince. I handed my heart to him. I believed he wouldn't leave me, no matter what happened.
I know it sounds stupid, Inspector. You can laugh if you want. I'll probably laugh at it myself someday, from inside a prison cell.
How could Prince betray me like that?
He chose to believe Ella's lies over my own words. Where was the love in that? Where was the trust we were supposed to have?
"I don't trust you, Anna."
In the middle of a crowded hallway, surrounded by students, Prince broke up with me.
"I thought you were a good girl. Turns out you're just…"
"I-I'm not like that. Please, just listen to me."
Holding back my tears, I grabbed his arm as he tried to walk away. That arm that once wrapped around me was shaking, as if it no longer wanted to be touched by me.
"You were cruel to Ella. I know everything. You and your sister always bullied her at home. Locking her in the storage room, not feeding her, forcing her to do all the housework. That's horrible, you know!"
I shook my head over and over. "No. That's not true. I never did any of that."
"So you're saying Ella is lying?"
The air around me felt suffocating. The stares and sneers from the people watching made my chest tighten. I wasn't used to crowded places, to being the center of attention. Some of them even stepped closer, surrounding us.
I froze. My voice vanished, swallowed by fear.
Ella was lying. Everything she told you was fake. Not a single word was true.
If only I'd been braver, Inspector. I wanted to say that. I wanted to look Prince in the eyes and ask him.
Who do you love, Prince?
Who do you trust more? Me, or Ella?
But I couldn't.
The looks from the crowd were too intimidating. Every whisper, every glance chipped away at me. I wanted to run. Hide in the library, the restroom, anywhere. I wanted to cry. But all I could do was lower my head, staring at my loosely tied shoelaces.
I had nothing to say in my defense.
It felt like the verdict had already been decided.
I was guilty.
Like Saint Joan of Arc, accused of witchcraft and heresy, forced to sign an abjuration, only to be burned alive at the stake.
Like Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France, accused of incest and blamed for the nation's economic collapse, executed by the guillotine.
And what about me?
With all these accusations thrown at me, would I meet the same tragic end? Would history repeat itself, with me as the next sacrifice?
"That won't happen, Anastasia." Drizella tried to calm me down when we got home. She rolled up her sleeves, showing her small, faint muscles.
"I'm here," she said. "When Ella comes back, I'll talk to her. Mom's not home anyway, so I can be a bit more...."
I shook my head. "I think that's a bad idea, Drizella."
"That girl has crossed the line," she said. "I've been holding back for so long. Ella, Fae, and that loudmouth Alice keep messing with us. I've forgiven them over and over. But now? They're slandering Mom. They're accusing her of being cruel. They're accusing you. Me too. I can't just let Ella do whatever she wants anymore."
Do you think Drizella was right, Inspector?
I know she meant well. But I never liked how rough she could be. When we were kids, we fought a lot. Over TV remotes, toys, even snacks. When she got angry, her voice was always louder than mine. She never hit me, but a few times, she did push me until I fell.
Of course, the next day we'd apologize and make up again.
Still, I was scared, Inspector.
I was afraid Drizella wouldn't be able to control her anger. When she confronted Ella, she might get rough. She might shove her. Yell at her. Pull her hair. Or even… slap her.
No. I didn't want that to happen.
They were family. They shouldn't be fighting like that.
I couldn't let Drizella confront Ella.
But at the same time, I couldn't take it anymore.
I wanted Ella to stop spreading those lies. I wanted her to treat us better.
I wanted my Prince back.
I wanted him to trust me again. I wanted things to go back to how they were. Talking freely in the library. Eating ice cream together after school. Watching fireworks. Having fun at the carnival. Riding roller coasters and entering haunted houses.
I wanted my first love back. I wanted him to hold me again. That same warm hug I remembered so clearly.
Ella had to give all of that back to me.
But…
"Ella!"
Just as I was drowning in my thoughts, Ella arrived.
She walked straight through the front door without saying a word, her steps fast as she passed the living room. Her eyes were fixed ahead, as if she had only one destination.
"Ella, stop!" Drizella jumped up from the sofa and grabbed Ella's arm. "I said stop."
"Let go of me," Ella whispered. Her thin arm struggled, trying to break free.
Drizella, don't be rough.
I wanted to say that. But once again, my voice refused to come out.
"Why did you lie like that?" Drizella demanded, her eyes wide, her voice rising. "Do you have any idea how stupid that was? What do you even want? Mom has been nothing but kind. Anastasia and I never bothered you, right?"
Drizella's shoulders rose and fell with her heavy breathing. Meanwhile, Ella stood still, like a statue. Her eyes were hidden behind the shadow of her bangs.
I wanted to step closer. I wanted to calm them both down. If I hadn't been frozen in fear, maybe I would have hugged them, like sisters should.
But I couldn't.
I know I'm useless, Inspector. All I can do is cry. I couldn't stop their argument.
"Let me go, Drizella."
The more Ella struggled, the tighter Drizella's grip became.
"I'll let you go if you promise," Drizella said. "You have to tell everyone at school the truth."
Ella stayed silent, her small fingers still trying to pull away.
"You have to clear our names. Tell them we're good sisters. Tell them Mom isn't an evil stepmother."
Then, still looking down, Ella laughed.
A strange, unsettling giggle escaped her lips.
"How could I possibly do that, idiot?"
I wasn't the only one shocked. Drizella froze too, shaking her head in disbelief. It was the first time anyone had ever called her an idiot. And it came from Ella. Our own stepsister.
Sensing Drizella's grip loosen, Ella yanked her arm free. She succeeded, but she lost her balance.
Ella fell, her arm hitting the edge of the table. A bruise bloomed instantly.
And with that injury, Ella's lies became even more believable.