Meadow’s POV


    For a moment, all I could do was stare at my sister in shock. The expression on her face was so serious.


    Had she-


    All of a sudden, Juniper burst outughing. <b>She </bughed so damn hard, pping her hand down onto t


    the


    desk <b>as </b>tears ran down her face the way they usually did.


    “You should… you should see your fucking face right now, sis. <b>Damn</b>.”


    My fingers dug <b>into </b><b>the </b>edge of the table as I shot her a re.


    “Rx,” she drawled, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye <b>as </b>she <b>shook </b>her head at me like she pitied me. “God, I haven’t had a goodugh in weeks. And you have to admit, that was funny.”


    I swallowed as my chest tightened. The fact that Juniper could make jokes about this situation. I hated


    her so much.


    But I loved her more than I hated her.


    “I’m sure you wish that was true, sis. Hoping to start on a clean te, maybe?” Sheughed again. “The drugs they force down my throat in here will never make me forget what I did to you, Meadow. And you want to know the best part?”


    Her voice was low, and she reached across the table for my hands. I didn’t <b>pull </b>away, even though I


    already knew <b>that </b>she was about to say something that would break me.


    Because that’s who she was.


    “I don’t even want to forget,” she breathed. “I would do it again if I could.”


    A gasp tore from my throat and I snatched my hands away from her grip. “Fuck you, Juniper.”


    Juniper rolled her eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic.” And then her gaze narrowed at the edges. “Although, I am


    curious. Are you still a virgin? Or did that handsome devil break your back yet? You know, since he’s your


    husband and all.”


    I wasn’t sure why, but I remained quiet. I could’ve easily lied, but I just… froze. And my sister noticed.


    Her smirk grew. “You haven’t had sex with him yet, have you?”


    My jaw clenched.


    “Shouldn’t that be teaching you a lesson? Tyler didn’t want you, your billionaire husband doesn’t want


    you as <b>well</b>… who the fuck actually wants you then? Who wants a timid <b>virgin </b>who has nothing going for


    her?”


    My stomach twisted. I wasn’t supposed to see things that way, but Juniper was a master in maniption. <b>And </b>in a way, she was right.


    ric could make all the excuses he wanted, but the truth remained that he didn’t want me and just gave me pity orgasms that he thought I’d be okay with


    “Yeah, because of you, Juniper. Or did you forget that?” My voice trembled, but I <b>didn’t </b>care. “Andst I checked, you don’t have anything going for you either.”


    “Nah,” she replied with another eye roll. “I have my trust fund, remember? The one you want nothing to do with? Plus…” she reduced her voice to a whisper. “I still have a parent who cares about me. Can’t say the same for you, though.”


    I couldn’t take it anymore.


    Feeling the back of my eyelids burn, I rose to my feet, walking toward the door.


    I <b>heard </b>Juniper’s chair scrape against the floor as she rose to her feet, pulling on my hand before I could


    reach the door.


    “No, no, wait, I’m sorry.” Her voice wasced with panic and desperation. “Don’t leave, Meadow. Please.”


    My chest tightened.


    “I’m sorry about what I did to you. I just… You make me so mad sometimes, you know?”


    There it was. The victim–ming.


    “I make you mad sometimes?” I scoffed, turning to look at her. “I didn’t do anything to you, Juniper. I did nothing that deserved to have me mmed against the wall and nearly raped by the man I thought was the love of my life.” I swallowed. “And I definitely did <b>nothing </b>to deserve being yed by you and Tyler just because you wanted to <b>make </b>my life miserable.”


    Juniper stepped closer to me as her grip tightened. She searched my face as she spoke. “Yes, you did. You left me. You were going to live your life without me and I… I couldn’t allow that.”


    I couldn’t believe this.


    I snatched my hands away, staring at her in disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”


    “Can’t I?


    “You’ve tortured me all my life and you won’t let me be free of you for even a little while?”


    “I love you, Meadow,” she whispered shakily, reaching for my hair. “You’re my sister. I just… I hate you more than I love you, but I still love you.”


    My <b>lips </b>parted, but no words came out. What was I even supposed to say to this? I loved my sister more.


    than I hated her, but it was theplete opposite for her.


    ‘Look, I can. I can let this go, alright? Just let me out of here and we can begin on a fresh te, I swear. I can’t be here anymore, Meadow-”


    “Listen to yourself!” I snapped, stepping away from her back to the table. “You keep talking about yourself. You can let this go? What about me? What about me, Juniper? Your sister, who was beaten by


    you and nearly raped because of your


    “But then your husband came to the rescue, didn’t he?” Her voice went cold now.


    Over the years, I’d had an inkling that Juniper was a tad psychotic–just like our mother. But I could never prove it, Not even <b>now</b><b>, </b>as she rolled her eyes at me.


    “And I already apologized. Jesus. What more could you possibly want?”


    “For you to fucking change, Juniper! Fuck! For you to leave me alone if you can’t bring yourself to change.


    If you’re just going to be a stain on my life, I don’t want you in it.”


    She scoffed, stepping closer. “You don’t mean that.”


    I straightened. “I <b>do.</b>”


    Juniper sneered at me. “No, you fucking don’t!” she screamed. And before I knew what wasing, she reached for a cup of water and threw it at me.


    A gasp tore from my throat as the cold liquid spread across the front of my shirt, soaking into my skin. I shivered. The weather was already cold enough as it was


    I dragged my gaze up to my sister’s as my chest heaved. But she only stared at me with her lips parted and eyes wide. “Meadow, I’m so s-”


    I didn’t listen this time. I stormed out of the room, ignoring her cries as she followed me. “Meadow,


    please, just…”


    Luckily, the orderlies were standing just a few feet away. Embarrassment wed at my neck.


    I wondered how much they heard.


    “I’m done,” I snapped, not looking back even as Juniper’s cries intensified. Even as my heart ached.


    And as I stepped out of the facility, my phone in my hand, ready to order an uber, I halted in my steps.


    Because right in the parking lot, leaning against his car, was ric.


    And I didn’t care about the mild anger shing in his eyes, all I cared about was that he was here.


    And when the tears began to stream down my face, he was


    as there to catch me before my knees buckled. 1