Shattered Vases, Broken Promises

The silence in the sprawling mansion was a physical weight, pressing down on me as I hunched over my drafting table. They called me Liam' s wife, but I was merely the ghost in his machine, designing award-winning architecture he took full credit for. My mother-in-law, Eleanor, swept in, her venomous words cutting deeper than any knife, accusing me of being a gold-digger and a disgrace.

Then, my world shattered. My younger sister, Ava, appeared, showering Eleanor with affection, a warmth I only dreamed of. Suddenly, a Ming Dynasty vase lay in pieces.