The wind was cold against my skin. It howled through the mountains, carrying the scent of wet earth. The sky was painted in orange and purple as the sun slowly disappeared. Below the cliff, the valley stretched far and wide, peaceful and beautiful.

But I felt nothing.

I stood at the edge, my long black hair whipping in the wind. My hands trembled as I held the silver dagger. The blade was sharp, cold—just like the world I had lived in.

I was Raven Everette, the daughter of Duke Everette.

A child no one wanted.

Since I was young, I had longed for love. I wanted my mother to hold me, to smile at me. I wanted my father to care. But my mother was always angry, and my father was always distant. No matter how hard I tried, I was invisible to them.

Then Aiden Velcroth entered my life.

The crown prince. My fiancé.

I thought he would love me. I thought he would see me, choose me, hold me.

But he never did.

Because his heart was never mine.

It belonged to her.

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

Alicia.

She was not my real sister, but she was the only person who ever smiled at me like I mattered. She had golden hair, bright blue eyes, and a kind heart. She was the perfect daughter. The perfect sister. The perfect woman.

My father adored her. My mother cared for her.

And Aiden...

Aiden loved her.

I should have hated her.

But I couldn’t.

Because I loved her too.

But love was not enough.

Not when I had lost everything.

I clenched the dagger tighter. Tears rolled down my face, warm against my cold skin. My heart ached so much I could barely breathe.

I just wanted the pain to stop.

I wanted to disappear.

Then—

"Raven!"

A voice called my name.

I turned slowly.

There they were.

Alicia. And Aiden.

They stood a few steps away, their faces pale, their eyes filled with fear.

"Don’t do this," Aiden begged. His voice was desperate. "Come back."

Alicia’s hands trembled. "Sister, please…" Her voice cracked as tears ran down her cheeks.

I looked at them.

Now they cared

Now that I was standing at the edge of death, now that I was breaking—did I finally matter?

A small, bitter laugh escaped my lips.

"Be happy," I whispered.

Then, before they could stop me—

I stabbed the dagger into my chest.

Pain exploded through my body. It burned, but it still hurt less than the loneliness I had felt all these years.

Alicia screamed.

Aiden's face twisted in horror. "No!"

Blood seeped through my dress, warm and sticky. My strength faded. My vision blurred.

But it wasn’t enough.

With the last of my strength—

I took a step back.

And fell.

The wind roared in my ears as the world disappeared.

The last thing I saw was Aiden.

Crying.

His lips formed the word No! as if my life suddenly meant something to him.

Why?

Why was he crying now, when he had already chosen her?

The pain faded. The cold wrapped around me.

And for the first time

I felt free.