chapter 23

Julie

As the day unfolded, the weight of guilt pressed upon me, a result of my actions with Alex. I couldn't bear the thought of betraying my sister as she had been doing for years. It was a strange cocktail of emotions – a potent mix of shame, guilt, and a twisted satisfaction that Sara, who had played a part in my misery, was now getting a taste of her own medicine. Karma, as they say, is a bitch, but I never envisioned myself becoming that bitch.

Contemplating a conversation with Alex, I considered proposing that we remain friends without crossing any more lines. Yet, a snarky voice in my head reveled in the irony of my newfound role as the seductress. It felt like poetic justice, a way to turn the tables on Sara and assert my own power. The fact that I had become the very thing I accused her of being provided a warped sense of satisfaction.