u/Careful-Reason-3622

any link pls?

link pls !!

link pls?

Mom almost d--- giving birth to me, and after that, she was never the same. The doctors called it postpartum depression.

Whenever I even breathed too loud, she’d scream and lunge at me, hands around my thr--.

But afterward, she’d crumple beside my crib, sobbing and whispering that she was sorry.

My brother Sam Evans would look at my br-ies and tell me Mom used to be different. He said she used to be gentle, and that I shouldn't blame her.

link pls? I’ve known since I was little what everyone in the Maifa family told me over and over: I was a foundling, a replacement. 

If I smiled at my brother Rafael, he’d snap at me, calling me a . 

When I finally won first place in a piano competition, my parents had the instrument smashed on the spot, saying I was living off the real Principessa Elowen’s blood. 

The whole family walked on eggshells, careful never to be kind to me—terrified I’d one day compete with Elowen for their love. 

So when Elowen came home, I volunteered to go find my real parents. 

They begged me not to, saying I’d always be their daughter and sister if I just stayed in line. 

I believed them. 

Then came a practice exam. Elowen failed. She cried that she could never keep up with me no matter how hard she tried, and

They reported me for cheating on my college entrance exams and had me thrown in prison. They called it my punishment for stealing Elowen’s life. 

I accepted every lie and every cold stare willingly, thinking I was making amends. 

Today was the day I got out. Snow fell heavy and thick, the wind cutting straight to my bones. 

A guard handed me an old coat. “Althea Moretti. You’re free now. Don’t… don’t make the same mistake again.” 

His gaze flicked to my clenched cuffs, and his voice dropped. “And tell your family to get you to a therapist.” 

I stared blankly and nodded, tugging my sleeves down lower. 

Right. My debt was paid. 

I could finally go find my real family.