An Unfortunate Fate That Binds Them All

Aurora

“Do you think she can see us?” Mia’s voice slithered into my ears, laced with mockery.

“Even if she can, she will never be as good as you,” Francis replied, his voice dripping with assurance.

Mia scoffed. “Of course, she can’t. How can a blind, deaf and dumb woman know what’s happening in front of her? And since she’s asleep… let’s make the best of it.”

I watched as she pressed a kiss to his lips, her fingers trailing over his chest. He smirked, but his hunger wasn’t sated. He pulled her closer, their bodies just inches apart. Then, he claimed her lips with greed, his hands roaming over her curves while she melted against him.

This was the man I was supposed to marry tomorrow.

Every girl dreams of a loving family, a safe home, a childhood filled with warmth. Mine? Mine was filled with shadows, cruelty, and betrayal.

I am Aurora Driscoll, the first daughter of the Driscoll family — one of the wealthiest and most renowned families in New York City.

But from the moment I was born, I was unwanted.

I had a twin sister, but she never took her first breath. I did. And for that, my father cursed me.

For twenty-three years, he called me a jinx, a bringer of sorrow. He always said I should have been fed to wild dogs or buried alive.

Then I discovered the truth.

The will as the properties are in my name. And my father’s affair and his other daughter — Mia.

The memories sliced through me like a blade.

I was five when my mother ignored my frantic calls from the office, too busy in a meeting to answer. Desperate, I ran to the driver and begged him to take me to her.

That was the last time I ever saw light.

That was the day my father and his lover tampered with the car’s brakes.

The crash should have killed me. Instead, it left me blind, silent, and trapped in a world where my own family saw me as nothing more than an inconvenience.

“The doctor confirmed she’ll be in this state for the rest of her life,” Francis said nonchalantly, zipping up his pants.

I watched them, Mia and Francis, sipping wine after their betrayal, toasting to their twisted affair.

I exhaled, letting my body sink into the chair inside the limousine. I rolled my eyes — just enough to remind myself that the act wasn’t over.

Let them think I’m broken. Let them believe I’m powerless.

Tomorrow will come, and with it, my reckoning.

---

The morning arrived faster than expected.

I sat still as the makeup artist added the final touches to my face, oblivious to the truth. Mia approached, all smiles, placing a hand on my shoulder.

“You look so horrible to look at,” she whispered, thinking I couldn't hear her.

I merely smiled.

Then she handed me a glass of water. The last thing I would ever accept from her.

I drank it.

Francis entered the room, grinning like a man who had won a war. He strolled toward Mia, grabbing her, squeezing her, staking his claim on the woman he truly wanted.

And then he turned to me.

I tilted my head slightly, expecting a kiss.

He smirked and pecked me instead — mocking me — before sticking out his tongue in amusement.

As we left the room, my father and his wife, Eleanor, stood waiting. Their eyes held nothing but disdain.

I ignored them. I was blind, after all.

Mia led me to the car. The moment I stepped inside, a strange dizziness washed over me. I blinked, trying to focus, but my limbs felt… heavy.

Something was wrong.

The car moved, but soon, I realized we weren’t heading to the wedding venue.

We were going somewhere else.

The driver stopped.

Mia took the wheel.

The car sped up. My fingers trembled as I reached for the door, but my body was failing me. I couldn’t move.

The cliff appeared before us like an open mouth, waiting to swallow me whole.

Mia parked. She turned to me with a smirk, then reached into the safe.

A knife.

She sliced her own arm, wincing as blood trickled down her skin.

“Enjoy your ride to hell, dear sister,” she whispered before stepping out.

The door locked.

A loud thud echoed as she shoved a fallen tree behind the car.

Gravity did the rest.

The car tilted forward.

I closed my eyes.

Heaven has called.

Or maybe — just maybe — hell was waiting for my return.