Taleesa has spent her life in the shadow of her younger sister, constantly striving to win the affection of a family that only adores the weak and fragile sibling. All she wishes for is an escape-someone who would love her for who she is. When a mar...
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Sometimes, the strangest things happen, and not all of them have a clear explanation - mine certainly does not.
I stare at my reflection in the mirror, my mouth agape and fingers tracing the contours of my face in disbelief. This is no dream; it is reality.
The problem is staring back at me - I am younger, so much younger than I was mere moments ago. This is not the face I had grown accustomed to seeing ten years prior. Instead, it is the visage of my nineteen-year-old self that I now behold. Realization dawns upon me - I have somehow traveled back in time, regressed to the very moment when it all began.
I gasp as I rise to my feet, hurrying to check the date. To my utter bliss, it was the day before I had accepted the devil's proposal, the day before I had sealed my fate.
Just then, the door bursts open, and my mother strides in, my younger sister close behind her. Their signature honey-blonde hair swings with the urgency of their movements, and their sky-blue eyes - my mother's in particular - gleam with unwavering determination.
"Taleesa, how long will you keep the Marquis hanging? You've already gone on dates to confirm if he's someone you'd like to spend the rest of your life with. Don't you think you're being too much?" Mom says irritatedly, her words laced with a tinge of exasperation. My heart skips a beat, for these are the exact words she uttered on that fateful day.
Emiliana's voice then chimes in, her tone laden with a hint of envy. "If you don't want him, stop playing with him and give him to someone who's ready to have him."
From the moment my mind was capable of storing memories, I have struggled to understand the reasons behind my parents' excessive favoritism towards my younger sister. I would ponder if it was due to my appearance, only to dismiss that notion as an inadequate explanation.
After all, I am blessed with a breathtaking face - beautiful and soft platinum blonde hair that cascades down past my knees, a rare sight among my people. My bright violet eyes sparkle with the intensity of stars, and my lips are naturally painted in a captivating shade of red. My curves are situated in all the right places, accentuating my feminine allure. Truly, how much more beautiful must I be to warrant their undivided attention?
I am confident in my beauty and my talents, and I know that if the names of the most beautiful women in the entire empire were to be called, mine would surely rank among the highest.
After years of comparison, I came to the bitter realization that I am far superior to my younger sister, Emiliana, yet she remained the most precious and favored by everyone around me.
Living under someone else's shadow is never an easy burden for a growing child to bear. I spent my life tirelessly striving to please my parents, utilizing my abundant talents and remarkably adept management of my father's territory. Yet, despite my unwavering efforts, I continued to fall short in their eyes. Emiliana was always deemed the best, no matter what I accomplished.
