"Mercy, are you okay?" Melanie asked me. Her voice was coated with compassion. I sat in a chair in front of my dresser mirror. Melanie was brushing my golden hair with a hairbrush.

I said nothing. I was completely drained of energy. After I met Constance, I had many sleepless nights. I would have dreadful nightmares of me being taken away by authorities. Me, kicking and screaming against the strong arms around me, my face is blemished with my aging wrinkles, my scars are exposed. The barren, cold cell I will live in for the rest of my life, me disheveled and locked away from the outside world. All of my life work gone within seconds.

Melanie stopped brushing my hair. She came over to my side, a warm smile was printed on her face, she kneeled down to my level. Her voice was gentle and kind. "Mercy, if you're having issues at school, tell me." She told me.

I smiled at Melanie. I did admire her kindness. But I couldn't utter a word about what is upsetting me.

I lied. "It's nothing. I'm just tired from school."

Melanie released out a soft chuckle. She gave me a humorous look. "Don't worry, Mercy. I was the same way. School would drain the life out of me. I hated it, honestly. But eventually I got into clubs and made friends." Melanie playfully rustled my hair with a smile. "Look, start joining clubs. Make friends. Talk to people." Melanie advised. "You need to get out of your bubble!"

I nodded. "Thank you." I whispered. I feigned a smile of reassurance. Melanie was convinced by my facade and resumed brushing my hair.

I heard a light tap on my bedroom door. "Mercy?" I turned my head to see my little angel. Alyona was in casual clothing, comfortable shorts and a plain shirt. Melanie has flawlessly braided Alyona's ebony hair into a Dutch braid.

Sabrina was right behind her, smiling and grinning with joy. "Wanna play House?" She asked me. I smiled. "Yes," I said.

Melanie released out a light chuckle. "Well have fun, you little monkeys." She joked. With that, Melanie briskly walked out of my bedroom.

"I want to play Mommy!" Sabrina shouted boisterously. I giggled when Sabrina grabbed my arm to tug me out of my bedroom. Alyona followed us. Sabrina was beaming with contagious euphoria. I felt my lips curling into a genuine smile.

Sabrina took us into her adorable bedroom. I saw Sheila sitting upright on her bed, reading a book. She led us to her large dollhouse. "I will play Mommy!" Sabrina insisted, with that, she briskly grabbed a barbie doll. She pointed to her other dolls. "Alyona, you can be the sister and Mercy, could be the Father!"

I giggled. "Okay, Sabrina. I will. I will." I grabbed the male barbie doll with a big smile. Alyona grabbed a doll and examined it. "She looks so cute!" She remarked.

The room was filled with innocent laughter. Sheila popped into my mind. I looked at her. "Sheila?" I seized her attention. "Do you want to play?"

Sheila was quiet for a moment. She appeared thoughtful, pondering her decision. Sheila bit her lower lip and nodded. "Sure." She said quietly. She got out of bed and hurried over to the dollhouse.

She grabbed a nearby barbie doll and joined in the fun. Then there was a slight knock on the door. I spun around to see my Cole standing in the door. "Hi, Princesses, I'm planning on going out for ice cream. Wanna come?" He offered with a warm smile.

Sabrina released out a adorable gasp, instantly she dropped her doll and hurried to her Father with a wide smile. "YES! YES! YES!" She rejoiced. I burst out into a fit of giggling. "I want to go too." I said in a light voice.

Alyona smiled. "Thanks, Mr. Weiss." She beamed. Cole chuckled. "You can call me Cole." He told her in a gentle voice.

Alyona blinked. "Oh! I can?" She gasped in shock.

"Sure, I'm not going to make you call me, Dad. Just call me Cole, kay?"

Alyona just broke out into a grateful smile. "Okay, Cole." She whispered.

Sheila put the doll on the floor. "Can I go?" Sheila asked with wide eyes.

"Yep," Cole declared. "All of us." With that, he beckoned us downstairs. Alyona changed clothes and I put on my Mary Jane slippers before heading downstairs.

Melanie, Morgan, and Cody joined us. Wanda was out with friends. All of us cramped in the SUV. Cody was on his phone, Morgan was chatting loudly on her cell phone to a friend. Melanie sat in the front seat, quietly and respectfully.

Cole drove us to a nearby Baskin Robbin. I had a smile that reached ear to ear. I held Sabrina's warm hand. I looked down at her, overflowing with euphoria.

Then I saw Constance inside of the shop. She was sitting at a table in front of the window with her little family. A man, a woman, and a little girl. My heart dropped. Shit! SHIT! SHIT!" I felt my legs tremble. My face flushed as we entered the shop. Pleasant, sweet smelling air hit me in the face. Sabrina yanked away from me. She made a beeline to the counter and pointed feverishly to the ice cream flavor she desired.

"Daddy, I want Bubblegum! I want Bubblegum!" She squealed. Cole chuckled at his energetic daughter.

I found myself staring at Constance. She was dressed in a thick uniform dress. She didn't seem to notice me, her back was to me. She was cooing and giggling with the bouncing little girl. The woman was smiling brightly and the man was on his cell phone, talking aloud.

I removed myself from my stare to avoid her from noticing me. I was still deep disbelief that this woman had my secrets under her sleeves. I desired to approach her. Whether I am gentle and passive, aggressive and violent, I needed to speak to her. I had to make SURE she would not expose me.

If one whisper is uttered, I will have to do something dire. I would not hesitate to murder her if I had the chance. But for now, I will use that as a last resort.

"Mercy, what do you want?" Alyona's voice snapped me back into reality. I glanced down at the ice cream flavors. I thought of my childhood, I had a sweet tooth. I relished chocolate more than life itself. When I was locked away, I missed sweet goods. I gazed at the chocolate flavor and pointed to it. "I want chocolate, Daddy." I said.

Cole nodded. Morgan got lemon, Cody got vanilla, Melanie got cake batter, Alyona got sweet strawberry, Sabrina got two pints of Bubblegum, and lastly Sheila got cookie dough. Sabrina darted to the nearest table and enjoyed her sweet treat. I sat next to her, enjoying the sweetness of my ice cream. All of us sat at the table, Cole didn't get any ice cream and was occupied on his cell phone.

"Mercy, feeling better?" Melanie beamed at me. I cracked a smile and looked her directly in the eyes. "Yes, sister." I said sweetly. I took in a spoonful of ice cream.

Constance noticed me now. Her eyes met mine. They burned into my pupil, making me feel uneasy. My heart jumped when she formed a wide smile to me. The smile wasn't menacing or wicked, it was beautiful and sweet, but her eyes were still barren of emotions. Constance broke her gaze with me and turned to the woman. I watched them speak softly to each other for a moment. Seconds later, Constance smiled brightly and hopped out of her chair. She made a beeline for my table. My palms immediately became sweaty.

"Mercy? Isn't that that girl from school?" Alyona seized my attention for a brief moment.

Constance sauntered over to the table with a affable smile. "Hi, Mercy!" She greeted me. Her voice was coated with sweetness and delight. Cody and Morgan gawked at her outfit.

"Looks like Mercy has a long lost twin sister." Cody whispered loudly. Morgan burst out into cruel laughter. Cole shot his daughter and son a stern look and they both shut up.

Sabrina smiled gleefully at her. "Hi," She extended out a friendly hand. "My name is Sabrina." Constance shook up her hand firmly. "My name is Constance. Pleasure to meet you." She said gently.

Her brown eyes glistened at Cole. I felt a pang of jealousy. "Hello, sir. My name is Constance Warner. How are you?" She said politely.

Cole smiled warmly. "Great," His eyes flickered to me. "Is Mercy your friend?" He inquired.

Constance eagerly nodded. "Best friend!" She exclaimed happily.

"Makes sense, these two freaks belong together." I heard Cody mumble under his breath. He said so lowly only I could hear it. Morgan has lost all interest in the conservation and was glued to her cell phone.

I had a blank expression on my face. I felt the bile rising in my throat. Constance was smiling radiantly. "Sir, could Mercy come to my house for a slumber party?" She asked. My heart dropped, I wanted to speak out, but my tongue was frozen with fear. Yes! I am terrified of this bitch! She has all of my deepest, darkest secrets in her hands and she could easily use it against me.

Cole was taken aback. "Oh! Really?" He smiled. "Of course!"

I looked at Cole with big eyes. Cole didn't seemed to notice my distress. Sabrina began to giggle out of excitement. "CAN I COME?" She begged her Father. "I want to go too!"

I stared Cole directly in the eyes. I silently begged him to say no and take me away from this bitch. Cole appeared thoughtful. "Mommy needs to know first." He said. Sabrina frowned, she crossed her arms and pouted. "No! I want to go!" She whined.

Cole turned to Constance. "I'll just ask my wife first, then I will call up your parents. Actually could I talk to them?"

Constance nodded. She scurried over to her "parents" and within seconds, she returned with them. The woman was pretty, she had straight raven hair with dark eyes. She looked like a model with her defined face and fair skin. She had a curvy figure and wore bright colors. The man was quite handsome. He was tall and thin with thick light brown hair and brown eyes. He had pale skin and a oval shaped face.

"Hello, I am Lilly Warner," The woman introduced. "This is my husband, Arthur." She gestured to the man. Arthur smiled faintly. Lilly turned around. "Clementine! Come over here!" The little girl bounced out of her chair and over to us. She was adorable and small. She had strawberry blonde locks, fair skin, and big blue eyes. She was smiling jovially.

Cole smiled radiantly. "Nice to meet you, Constance seems to be good friends with Mercy. So maybe we should all go eat dinner?" Cole offered.

Lilly appeared delighted. "Oh! Thank you!" She gushed. The woman was bursting with life. Arthur was mellow compared to his lively wife.

"Thank you, that's a nice offer." He said mildly.

I wanted to die at this moment. I wanted to disappear. My mind became blank.

….

The Warner family arrived for dinner on the next pleasant weekend. It was a Saturday afternoon. Because we were having guests, Wanda luxuriously decorated the dining room, living room, and kitchen. She set up the table formally. She cooked up a delicious turkey, spaghetti and meatballs, pasta, and mashed potatoes.

Wanda forced everyone to dress formally. I wore one of my finest dress with extra youthful makeup. I had elegant locks with fine red lips. Alyona looked beautiful, her ebony hair was curled, her formal purple dress brought out her blue eyes.

Me and Alyona headed to the dining table early. The dining room had the aroma of sweet cinnamon candles.

Wanda looked very gorgeous, as much I hate to admit it. Her hair was prim and wrapped into a fine bun. She wore a long black skirt and a crimson blouse.

The Warner family looked out of place when they arrived. Dressed in casual clothing, they gazed around the living room and kitchen. "WOW!" Constance gushed. Her eyes lit up with delight. "Your house is beautiful!" Constance complimented.

Wanda smiled in response. I stared at Constance. She was good at pretending like me. If I didn't know her secret, I would be tricked into thinking she's a sweet, polite, and kind little girl. Clementine, the little tot was beaming, bouncing up and down. The strange thing about her was that she made no sound. No vocalization at all.

Constance scrolled over to me and flung her arms around me. I stiffened. Constance hugged me warmly, her lips close to my ear. Her Russian tongue was wicked, but gentle. "Play along and nothing will happen." She warned. My face became blank. Constance released me and smiled at me innocently. I just stared at her coldly. I balled up my fists as anger boiled in my chest. Constance spun around to see Alyona. "I love your dress!" She gushed.

Alyona blushed profusely. "Thank you." She said sheepishly.

Constance grabbed my wrist without warning, she escorted me to the dining table. Everyone sat at the table and began to conversant. The parents immediately took a liking to Wanda and Cole.

"We actually adopted Constance three months ago. She is just amazing!" Lilly gushed.

Wanda's eyes lit up. "Wow! We adopted Mercy and Alyona. They have been great since they've been here." Wanda flashed me a loving smile. I feigned a smile to her and ate my food.

Arthur smiled warmly. "Yeah, it's been great since we had Constance." He said.

"One day, I would love to adopt." Melanie said dreamily.

"Oh, you do?" Lilly smiled.

Melanie nodded. "Yes, I planned to be a social worker. I always liked being around kids, so one day, I'm going to adopt a child myself." She explained.

Then Lilly's eyes flashed with realization. "Oh, you're Melanie! Our son knows you from school. Do you know a boy named Brandon?"

"YES!" Melanie was overflowing with joy. Her voice was lively, her eyes was glistening, her cheeks blushing. Seemed like this Brandon fellow was special to her. "He's in the same math class as me."

Lilly nodded. "Awesome. Brandon talks about you alot. He likes the idea of being a social worker one day. I think you inspired him."

Melanie's face flushed, her demeanor becane sheepish. "Wow..." She mumbled.

Lilly appeared impressed. She turned to a bored Morgan. "You?"

Morgan was completely disinterested. "Um...a nurse. I guess." Morgan said halfheartedly.

Lilly kept grinning like an idiot. "Wow! A nurse! That's a great profession," She glanced at her small daughter. "I have a good friend who is a nurse. Pays well. She works with Clem."

"What do you mean?" Sheila asked with a curious look.

"Well Clem is a deaf mute."

Sheila's eyes widened. "So….she's a special kid?" She said bluntly. Wanda and Cole reacted upset.

"Sheila, apologize! That's not nice." Wanda demanded angrily.

Sheila rolled her eyes. She was not having it. She gave Wanda a scornful scowl, her eyes filled with defiance. "I wasn't talking to you, Wanda." She retorted. Sheila turned her head away from Wanda in a disrespectful manner.

Wanda looked like she wanted to slap the absolute shit out of her. "Bedroom, Sheila." Wanda spoke in a stern, but soft voice.

Stubbornly, Sheila did not budge. She turned to Wanda with a smirk. "Make me!" She challenged. Wanda glared at Sheila for a second before looking at Cole. Automatically Cole got up from the table and went over to Sheila.

At that point, Sheila got the message and stormed away from the dining table before Cole could utter a word. She stormed up the stairs and into her bedroom, slamming the door with all of her might.

It was silent after that. It was awkward. Wanda released out a embarrassed laugh. "I am sorry about Sheila. She's just cranky." She excused.

I looked at Clementine. She seemed like a darling little girl. I felt pity for her. A poor adorable child cursed with deafness.

"It's fine. Sheila was just curious." Lilly said.

Wanda shook her head. "Well it was still rude."

Lilly nodded. "I understand," Clementine tugged on her Mother's sleeves. I watched her as she proceeded to use sign language. I had no idea what she was saying at all.

Lilly did and she nodded to her daughter with a smile. "I know. I know." She said slowly. She then spoke aloud. "Clem can't talk, but she can read lips due to her hearing aid."

I smiled at the small child. Then I caught Constance looking at me. She was sitting next to a excited Sabrina. Constance was not engaging in the conservation at all, but Sabrina didn't seem to notice.

Our eyes met, mine became cold and defensive. Hers were prideful and warm. Constance broke off the stare. "Mrs. Weiss, can Mercy please come to my house?" She begged.

Wanda looked at Constance, then at Lilly. Lilly gave her a simple nod and she smiled. "Of course!" She agreed.

Constance looked like she was ready to do cartwheels. "Thank you!" She rejoiced. She smiled at me brightly.

I did nothing.

Sabrina appeared eager. "I want to come! I want to come!" She whined. "Please! Please!" She begged her Mother. "I'll play with Clem, Constance, and Mercy at the same time!"

Wanda nodded. "Okay, you can go!" Sabrina looked like she was on cloud nine. "Thank you, Mommy!"

My heart dropped. I felt so helpless. If I objected to Constance's request, she will expose me. I kept my mouth shut and feigned a happy smile. My mind raced of all possibilities. I tried to support myself in my mind. I glanced at my daughters. I looked at Sabrina. I was a failure.

Stop being a coward, Alanna! You can do anything! Nothing scares you! You will prevail! I screamed in my head.

Next chapter will come soon. P.S., No, this is not Esther. She is inspired by Esther. But ultimately, this is not Esther. Reviews and thoughts. Working on other stories.