The silence in the living room was thick, a suffocating blanket woven from unspoken animosity and a lifetime of resentment. I stood rigid, a statue carved from anxiety, watching Belle and the newcomer. This "Doctor!"
He extended a hand, a practiced charm radiating from his too-perfect smile, and addressed Belle."Hi. My name is Arson. And I am a doctor." I don't know why but Belle was too attracted to him. His looks, was nothing out of ordinary, his voice was not attractive but something about him striked her that she was totally head over heels for him.
Belle, my stepsister, the bane of my existence, blossomed under his attention. She smiled, a sickeningly sweet, innocent expression plastered on her face. It was a performance, one she'd perfected over the years, a disguise for the viper that lurked beneath.
I couldn't help the sneer that twisted my lips. Belle, a girl whose heart was blacker than coal, was playing the dewy-eyed ingénue. And Arson… something about him felt wrong. Not overtly malicious, just…off. His smile didn't quite reach his eyes, and there was a subtle tension in his posture that screamed insincerity. My gut screamed at me, warning me that this man was no good. He was planning something under that mask of his.
"Whatever," I muttered under my breath, turning on my heel and retreating to my room, my sanctuary from the constant drama and petty cruelty that my step mother and step sister thrived on.
My room was small, crammed with textbooks and notebooks, a testament to the only thing I had control over: my education. My only escape. I slumped onto my bed, the weight of my situation pressing down on me. Belle had always been jealous, always sought to undermine me, to steal anything that brought me even a modicum of happiness. But I am happy that atleast they let me study and go to college.
The door creaked open, and Belle sauntered in, practically radiating smugness. Her eyes glittered with a triumphant gleam that sent a chill down my spine.
"See, Ella?" she purred, her voice dripping with sugar-coated malice. "I'm marrying a doctor! We fixed our engagement for next Sunday." She feigned concern, a cruel twist to her lips. "I'm truly happy. But I feel bad for you, my dear Ella. Unfortunately, Arson likes me. I know he was supposed to be your future husband, but... I'm taking him, just like I've taken everything you owned from you."
My blood ran cold. They hadn't even known each other for a day, and now, Belle was already engaged to him? It was insane, a whirlwind of manipulation and desperation that left me reeling.
I forced a bitter smile, pushing down the rising panic. I couldn't let her see how much this affected me, but more importantly, I couldn't let her walk blindly into a potentially dangerous situation, even if she reveled in being cruel to me. She was my stepsister, and despite everything, I felt a responsibility to protect her.
"Belle," I said, trying to keep my voice calm and even, "I know you hate me, but you should listen to me. Don't marry that man. He's... not right."
Belle burst into laughter, a shrill, mocking sound that echoed in the small room. "Oh, my dear sister, if there's anything 'wrong' with my future husband, I can bear that. Don't be too concerned for me, okay?"
"But…just listen to me this once," I pleaded, the desperation leaking into my voice. "There's something about him..."
Belle cut me off, her eyes hardening, the veneer of sweetness completely gone. "Don't think I'll cancel this marriage. I will marry him and be with him instead of you. He is marked as mine and that's all that matters."
She sashayed out of the room, leaving me to grapple with the sickening certainty that I knew something she didn't, something dark and unsettling about Arson. And she, in her blind desire to hurt me, was willingly walking into whatever trap he was setting. I had to find out what he was planning, and somehow, I had to save her, even from herself. The only question was, how? Will my stepmother allow that? Will they listen to me if I try to prove something?