The Lies He Told Me (Grace and Antonio)

Part 5:

I was done with life when I decided to jump off the roof with tears in my eves.

And where was my family?

My parents were happy at their adoptive daughter's first day of high school celebration.

My brother was there too, clicking away with the camera and welcoming his new sister to middle school.

As kids. they always had a soft spot for Ashley Schmitt. Being an orphan. she'd always get a bit more of their sympathy and support.

I was the one who got told to back off if I ever wanted to take back a toy of mine. Any fight was just me being a brat.

Ashley, with no parents of her own, was living up the life that should've been mine.

I had family, but they were always around Ashley.

When I finally wised up, I understood that what they called fairness was really just being partial.

Never in a million years did I think I'd get a second chance in life from the universe. So when I was reborn, I decided this time to just not give a damn about anything.

When I saw my folks holding Ashley's hand, leading her up to my brother and me, it hit me. I was back in the past, a five-

memories of

living the same nightmare.

parents had died in a bad car crash a few days before she was brought. They were my mom's best friends, so my mom decided to take Ashley

is your little sister now," my mom had said, smoothing Ashley's hair. "You gotta look out for

our home. She

she'd play the poor little orphan card to snag whatever she

surprised; I did not expect her to be so young and so

clothes, and I'm into your family, too. I'll grab

up with nothing." Ashley would say this to

as a big sister, she wanted to take away

the victim, bawling her eyes out to get my parents' attention. Then she denied everything she'd said, accusing me of framing

Every

apologize to her and then I'd be the

and other times,

it. If she wanted something of mine. I should not be selfish and I should just

that, my new clothes,

handed overto Ashley But that wasn't enough for her. She also took my friends, my

like Ashley said, she'd take it all

such an unfair past, why

I couldn't

now on, Ashley is your sister. Don't worry. We are fair, and we'll love you both the same." That

bigger, happy family now." That was