Chapter 18: Fractured Bonds and Silent Truths

[Margaret’s POV] I hadn’t expected to feel this way. A heavy pang of guilt settled in my chest as I watched Elizabeth. For so long, I believed she had it all—the attention, the admiration, and the love. She was the cherished younger sister, always surrounded by people who adored her. I had convinced myself that she didn’t need me. I thought she had everything I lacked. But as I sat beside her now, I noticed something different—a fragility beneath her perfect facade. Her shoulders slumped ever so slightly, and her gaze drifted somewhere distant, as if weighed down by thoughts she couldn’t express. “Elizabeth,” I began hesitantly, “I didn’t realize things were... complicated for you.” She gave me a soft, almost bitter laugh. “Complicated? That’s one way to put it.” I shifted closer, my heart tightening. “I always thought you were happy. With Armstrong... with everything.” Her smile faltered, and for a moment, I saw the cracks in her carefully constructed exterior. “I thought so t