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“I was going to sell you” She spells it out forhow du to help otten a pretty penny for you, but you had to mess that up, too”

Tony Her ex

Her horribly abusive ex

The ets louder, and suddenly, I’m back there

On the couch

His warm breath on my cheek

His hand on my lap

Theon the stereo in the room

“He was going to hurtnow It slams into me, harder than the car did “You saved me”

“Saved you?” Erin’s dry laughter pierces the air “I didn’t do it to save you I did it because he was mine, and you couldn’t have him”

The memory of that day plays in my mind

My sister was screa

They fought

Then she pushed him

He fell down the stairs

An accident

She was protectingto in my worst moments—how she’d been there when I needed her most It hy I never left her It hy I kept the loyalty even when she treated me like dirt

I thought she saved me

That she loved me

But now?

Now I know the truth

After that day, we lived in her car We left before the cops came and moved from city to cityuntil Erin met Ronald

“It’s always been you” She reaches forward and slaps ain My head flies back “You have always taken everything from me”

My cheek stings I push it down, croaking out, “He was going to rape me”

“You seduced hied

This is not my sister

This isa monster

“Probably like you seduced ive you my money? It was all supposed to be easy I knew about the account It was supposed to be in ainst her chest

“I never asked for the ic

“When Ronnie went to jail, I thought he would give me access to the money, but he still wielded it like a sword Brad was easy to convince You know that’s the funny part?” She laughs “I saw hi Ronald Tony’s old friend Brad When I found out he was Ronald’s cellot Brad to handle it all”

“Brad killed Ronald,” I finish