The moment Sarah entered her room and closed the door from inside, the 'sweet-sister' mask fell off her face immediately. Her expressions contorted — somewhere between fury and disbelief.
"She said no," She muttered, her voice shaking in disbelief. "She actually said no!"
Sarah still couldn't believe what happened just a few minutes ago. She went to her room like she always did, sweet-talked her, and offered to brainstorm design ideas together, but she flat-out refused!
Vivienne refused to help her!
For years, she'd always been her shadow, trailing behind her like a little puppy — ready to please her anytime, ready to do anything she wanted.
But what happened this time?
She remembered her expressions during their whole conversation clearly. Vivienne was unexpectedly calm; her body language screamed confidence, and there was something in her demeanor — like quiet resolution.
The calmness, the spark in her eyes — she had seen it earlier too, but only in the women in their elite circle, who knew their worth, knew what they were doing; and this behavior of hers wasn't like usual Vivienne at all!
Not only that — Vivienne's words still rang in her ears. This year, I'm participating in Aureates, too.
Her firm declaration didn't seem like a bluff at all.
'What does she mean by participating in Aureates too? Vivienne, she'll compete against me!'
With that thought only, Sarah's breath caught. "No, that can't happen!"
She started pacing inside the room with slow, erratic steps. "She can't participate in the competition. She was supposed to help me.. like she always did!"
The Aureates Design Awards wasn't just another design competition, it was the competition.
Winning Aureates meant national attention, magazine features, and celebrity endorsements; it was the gateway to getting global exposure opportunities in the easiest way possible. The Aureates winners never had to look back again — this single award led their careers to skyrocket.
Sarah stopped pacing and stood in front of her work desk, her sketchbook lay idly on it. She picked it up and flipped through the pages. Several sketches popped in front of her, some finished, most of them still unfinished. Among them was her current design — the entry for the first round of the competition.
It was decent, to an extent, elegant even!
But that wouldn't do.
This was not a competition to be trifled with, the best students from the best colleges in the country would participate in it. And to stand out among them all — she'd need something groundbreaking!
And... Only Vivienne could make it happen. She had that skill and that fire, to outshine them all.
She had genuine talent — who'd know it better than Sarah! After all, almost all of her best works were either inspired or quietly lifted from Vivienne's designs only.
In every competition she'd won before, Vivienne supported her by putting in her continuous efforts. But this time, she wasn't handing her designs in the name of sisterly bonding!
This time, she was stepping onto the stage herself.
And... It irritated Sarah.
No, irritated would be a far too soft word. It enraged her.
Sarah tossed the sketchbook back onto the desk. For the very first time in her life, she felt insecure and terrified.
"She's trying to outshine me! How dare she!"
She sank onto the bed.
She was so close to her goal, she was confident that with Vivienne's design, she'd win the competition.
This year's Aureates had to be hers.
But now, with Vivienne stepping suddenly into the picture, everything changed. Vivienne wanted to stand out — and Sarah knew... She might actually win.
She clenched her fists.
Vivienne was always the quiet, polite, people-pleasing helper, the girl working from the background to make others better.
She was not supposed to grow a spine, let alone challenge her own sister in the biggest competition of their lives!
And yet, there was something different about her now.
But the million dollar question was —
From where on earth did she grow this courage?
She was the easiest to fool, but what exactly went wrong this time?
And... How come she didn't give in?
She stood up abruptly, her breath rigged as she paced again. The more she thought, the more anxious she became. After thinking about every possibility — she'd concluded that it was that damn engagement.
A bitterness spread all over her body.
She wasn't even an Ashford yet, but still... she became much bolder and more confident!
Sarah scoffed. "She thinks that ring gives her wings!"
Maybe, it did. Because the Ashfords weren't just some random business family, they were one of the richest in Rontrix — the powerhouse of the city's industries. And being a part of that family, Vivienne could get access to the resources and connections that even Winters also struggles with.
And she was already the favorite of Maria Ashford, the old hag of the Ashford family.
If she really entered and won Aureates, Sarah would be left way behind.
"It won't happen." She hissed. An adopted daughter of Winters would never be able to match her. The Ashfords' title, Damien, Aureates — everything she had would be hers. Vivienne would never deserve them. Not in a million years.
She picked up her phone and opened a group chat. It was a private group — one that always stayed hidden. It was her inner circle, her allies, the people who owed her, who knew how to make things... Difficult.
Sarah stared at the message typed as her finger hovered over the send button. Then, with a single tap, she'd sent the message.
A scowl appeared on her face slowly.
She wanted to build her own identity! In her dreams. In this life, she could only be a puppet, Sarah's puppet.
And with her puppets, Sarah had never played fair.
But Sarah lost in her own thoughts, couldn't even know that Vivienne was also deep in thought in the next room.
Vivienne tapped her fingers on the armrest as she rocked the chair slowly. Sarah's sudden visit reminded her of another long-known enemy — Abigail.