Sierra thought finding her biological parents meant she had finally found a home. But reality hit hard—the daughter they raised, the one who was never theirs to begin with, would always come first. No matter what she did, she was just the extra one, the outsider. Her kindness and hard work earned her nothing. The one time they paid attention? It was to make her take the fall for a crime. They let her rot in prison for three years, ignored the abuse she suffered, and never once looked back. Three years later, Sierra had moved on. She no longer needed their love. But now? Now, they were the ones crying, drowning in regret. "Sierra, please… can’t you forgive us?" Forgive them? No. Never.

• When the Flame of Love Fades