Loved ones will never be separated

The year I was raped, Ethan dumped me, calling me damaged goods. Not long after, he married my stepsister, Chloe. I couldn't handle it and tried to kill myself. But that very day, I saw a news report: my rapist had been murdered, and Ethan was the killer. As they arrested him, he looked at the camera, eyes red-rimmed, and said, "I avenged you. Did you see?"

1.

"Ashley, I got this dress for you. I picked it out especially." Chloe’s words snapped me back to reality. I looked up and saw her, my stepsister, looking just as she did three months before the rape. I was reborn. Reborn to three months before my life shattered. The white dress she held was seared into my memory. I’d been so happy to receive it, treasuring it like a precious gift. Chloe had even reminded me to wear it often. So, on a bright, sunny day, I wore the dress. And then, I was raped. The pain and despair had been soul-crushing. He hadn’t killed me, but a part of me died that day. The memory made my stomach churn. I fought back the nausea. If God had given me a second chance, I wouldn't waste it. This time, things would be different.

"It's a beautiful dress," I said, my fingers tracing the fabric, a ghost of the terror I’d felt clinging to it.

"If you like it, keep it. It's yours…" Chloe’s words trailed off as I ripped the dress. "But I don't like white dresses," I said coldly, tearing it to shreds. Fury pulsed through me with every rip, remembering how this dress had led to my assault.

"What are you doing?!" Chloe shrieked, lunging for the tattered remains. I sidestepped, and she fell, landing hard. Her face contorted with rage, but she didn't dare yell at me.

2.

The commotion brought my parents running. Mom rushed to Chloe's side, her eyes filled with concern, then turned a sorrowful gaze on me.

"Ashley, how could you push your sister?"

Dad chimed in, "Yeah, we're family. Ashley, that wasn't right."

I stared at them, my own parents. I’d expected a deeper connection, a bond of blood. But they always favored Chloe, their adopted daughter. After the rape, they hadn’t shown an ounce of sympathy. They’d said I deserved it. That Chloe was so much more mature. In their eyes, Chloe was their real daughter. And I was nothing. Disappointment washed over me. "You didn't see anything," I said. "You just assume I pushed her because she's hurt?" I hit a nerve. They were always like this. Biased. While most parents favored the youngest, they favored their adopted child.

"Ashley, don't be like this," Chloe said, struggling to her feet. "Mom, Dad, it's not Ashley's fault. I just really wanted her to have the dress and I tripped." She feigned regret. "But now the dress is ruined." I tossed the remnants into the trash. "I don't want anything from you. Don't give me anything ever again!" I turned and walked out.

3.

Outside, I breathed in the fresh air, feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin. This was what rebirth felt like. A figure ran towards me. He wrapped his arms around me. "Ashley," he sai...