Ha, it seemed my sister had used the same old trick again. Well, a tiger never changed its stripes. She had always been so skilled at slandering me behind my back.
Ever since I was a child, if any boy showed interest in me, my brother, under my sister’s direction, would spread rumors about me. He would tell them I had a messy personal life, that I always hung out with questionable guys and that I had long since lost my innocence. The slanders were so believable that whether they wanted or not, they finally believed the accusation.
Thanks to their meticulous slander, I became notorious for being a “bad girl.” No one wanted to be friends with me and I was left to navigate life on my own. I became an outsider and a freak.
Of course, this reputation attracted unwanted attention from boys with ill intentions. So, I had to be cautious everywhere.
Meanwhile, those who had once shown kindness to me quickly fell for my sister’s charms and inevitably they ended up wrapped around her finger.
All of these kept on happening to me until I moved to college and met Peter.
The man was gentle and attentive and for the first time, I thought I had found my salvation. I believed he was different, that he would be the one to pull me out of this lonely, loveless existence. That he would be strong enough to brave life with me.
However, just like everyone before him, he too eventually fell victim to my sister and brother’s old tricks.
It seemed no matter where I went, I could never escape the shadow of my sister and brother. They would always be there, the stumbling block of my life, ready to destroy anything good in my existance.
Before long, the lavish meal that my parents prepared was served on the table. They sat around the table with Peter and my older sister. They were laughing and chatting. This kind of lively atmosphere had never happened when I was around.
They were so happy that they did not notice that the neighbor’s dog, Bandit came in. It crept toward the plastic container that was holding ashes and sniffed around because it was intrigued by the scent.
Perhaps it was the smell of my bones that caught its attention. Its eyes gleamed with excitement as it grabbed the container in its mouth and bolted down the stairs.
Meanwhile, the family inside sipped on their drinks, still oblivious about what had happened.
"Woof! Woof!"