The story was old hat by now, told so many times that most people knew it by heart. A young woman growing up in the countryside living a simple life turns out to be the long-lost daughter of a rich and powerful family. 

The replacement that was given her seat until she returned was always a haughty spoiled woman. Who had been taken in from the streets and had grown up with someone else’s silver spoon in her mouth. No better than a thief or leech that didn’t know their place. Taking everything they could all while still demanding more.

Naturally, the demure-- kind-- true daughter should be pitied.

Naturally the greedy-- selfish-- fake daughter should be hated. 

But what of the fake?

A lout dragged from the streets into a home filled with riches. Forced to give up what has been thrown into her lap. No question about how she might have felt or what her opinions were. Truly the more pitiable one was her... Angelique thought so, at least, she should be pitied.

Who could blame a child from the streets for wanting to keep what has been given to her? So why did they hate her and love the other? Had her love been unfulfilling? Had she brought great shame upon the family? No, she had done everything to be deserving of the name given to her.

But it wasn’t enough, it was never enough.

What a terrible family this was…

Angelique thought mildly as the floor fell underneath her, with the drop her neck snapped in half. Some say she deserved such a death for trying to get rid of the true lady of the house. Others pitied the dog from the streets dying a dog's death.

But for those who had called her family, they did not care. The replacement had done its job and the true daughter had made her way home. With loveless eyes, the family left to go retrieve their real daughter.

Dong... Dong... Dong…

With the chiming of a grandfather clock, Angel's eyes suddenly snapped open, she quickly sat up in her bed with a startle. Her hand was around her neck as sweat trickled down her skin, she swallowed dryly. Choked heavy breathing slowly lulled into slow even breathing-- Angel sat there in her bed the realization slowly dawning on her that...  It was just a dream…. It had only been a dream… But it wasn't just any dream, it was that dream once again.

The dream of her death.

It had haunted Angel for years, ever since she had arrived in this body… Since she was taken from the streets and forced into this cursed family. That same scene playing over and over every night haunting her dreams… She had long since learned to not seek comfort from others. Fear, after all, was showing weakness in the Hastings Dukedom and weakness... Was only an invitation to be taken advantage of.

Angel let out a long shaking breath, and a cold sweat clung to her skin, almost defensively she looked around her room. As if trying to spot any prying eyes that might be hiding the dark corners of the dimly lit room. Not seeing anyone amongst the black and red decor… Angel took a moment to sense if anyone was nearby. After a few moments, she let out a breath, it seemed that she was alone.

At least for now.

Angel’s eyes landed on the black and red decor once more. The Hasting’s family colors, a midnight black with blood red… She had grown to hate these colors over the years. She felt her stomach churn just looking at the combination.

All it did was remind her of everything she hated… All it did was remind her of everything she had lost.

Angelique Hastings hadn’t always been who she was… A long time ago she was someone different. Angel held her hands close to her chest clutching them… A long time ago she had been someone who had a family who loved her.

She had been Angie… Angie Hastings. It seemed the name Hastings was the only link she had between her two lives. She only remembered the name because she had said it so often at her mother’s veterinary practice. ‘Thanks for calling Dr. Hasting’s office this is Angie speaking…’ The well-practiced greeting was still fresh in her mind.

Angel had forgotten a lot of things since waking up as Angelique… But she had never forgotten that greeting. It was the only thing she had now that linked her to who she was back then. The only other thing Angel remembered from her last life was the book… That damned book. Long Past Dawn at the Hasting Estate… 

The book had been innocent enough on the cover, it had been tucked away in the storage room at her mother’s office… Angel remembered. She remembered that she had asked about it but her mother had been unsure where it came from… Angel remembered she had been bored one day when a storm had knocked out cell reception in the area and started reading.

The contents were horrible, dark romance didn’t even begin to describe the vile drek that waited inside. Murder, assault, slavery and so much worse… It was horrible… It was like watching a car crash though it was hard to look away. Angel remembered that while she didn’t finish it. She did feel as if she had read that terrible book for way too long.

She also remembered how difficult it had been for her to stop reading it. Angel remembered that as Angie she felt almost drawn to the book. She obsessed over it-- thought about it constantly when she wasn’t reading… Dreamed about it…

The memories surrounding that book were in such detail that Angel couldn’t help but feel frustrated that she could remember how obsessed she was over it… But she couldn’t even remember her own mother’s voice.

But it had been years… How many years had it been?

Angel caught sight of herself in her vanity mirror just across her room. She sat on the edge of her bed, dressed in a blood-red silk nightgown… Completely out of place in this setting but this world was filled with historical inaccuracies. 

Her skin was pale, almost ghostly as if it had never once seen the sun. Her hair was colored like bronze, shiny brown with orange flecks in the highlights. Her eyes were a brilliant green, seeming almost too green to be natural. Her lips, even now, before makeup had even touched her face, were nearly ruby red in tone.

The face and body still felt foreign to her even though she no longer remembered what she used to look like. Had her hair been a different color? Did she hold more weight in her body? Was her nails long or short? What color had her skin been? Was she pale? Did she have a tan? Did freckles litter her skin?

Angel frowned deeply, a tremendous feeling of loss formed in the pit of her stomach. She missed her home… She wanted to go home. But… She was here with no idea if that was possible anymore. She was stuck in this life… So the best she could do was to make the best of it. Angel checked the clock that stood proudly near her bed.

It was almost time… Work needed to be done and she needed to prepare. Because Angel had obsessed over the book Long Past Dawn in the Hastings Estate she knew the story well. While she had not finished it, she was not able to even stomach the horrid topics covered in such sadistic detail she did go online and read spoilers for the entire plot. So she knew the story from start to finish…

What she remembered most clearly was the beginning of the story, having read it herself, the memories of the printed word on old worn pages were still clear in her mind. She could still almost smell the musty scent of age and cheap paper from the old paperback even now.

The beginning of the story starts on the first of the season of harvest. Shortly after Angelique’s twenty-second birthday, the oldest Hastings’ son Esmond Hastings brings home a mysterious figure during breakfast after being gone for weeks. Then dramatically he reveals that the person he has with him is none other than Whitfield Hastings’s long lost daughter Angelica Hastings. 

From then on the story becomes a battle between the real and fake daughter both desperate to secure their position in the family. Angelique holding on to the ways she had been taught since she was young and Angelica leading her family to a better and brighter future through kindness and love…

However, the love that Angelica used was not one that a daughter or sister should give in Angelique’s opinion. Regardless they could all eat each other for all Angel cared at this point. She had tried for years to make this family better and failed.

She was tired of trying, tired of living in this hell with these terrible-- unredeemable people. Angel had spent years counting the days until she was finally free. And finally-- thankfully that day had come…

Because today was the first of the season of harvest. Today was the day that Angelica Hastings would return home. Today was the day that Angel-- no, Angie would finally be free of this terrible family once and for all.