Even Nial, who had grown up alongside me, quickly switched sides to support Leta once the truth came to light. Like me, he was the child of the Larsen servants and had faced his own share of bullying at Leta’s hands. Yet, when push came to shove, he chose the path of least resistance, siding with the one who had once tormented us both. I still vividly remember those childhood days when he held my hand and vowed to study hard, earn a fortune and rise above the Larsens so that Leta would never torment me again. His words echoed in my mind like a cruel joke, a promise now twisted by betrayal. How had it all come to this?
I stumbled out of the room, but the more I tried to escape, the more I felt trapped. The stains on my clothes clung to the floor and in a futile attempt to clean them, I only made them worse. Tears streamed down my face as the realization sank in. I should have given up long ago.