No relatives stepped up. No family friends offered help. It was just her and me. In a way, I was thankful I wasn’t sent to a foster home. But Darlene’s resentment never faded.

Walking up the driveway, I pushed aside the gloom that thoughts of her always stirred. Instead, I clung to the dream that had sustained me through her taunts, her sabotage, and her scorn: college.

Today, my acceptance letter was due to arrive. My plan to break free was finally taking shape.

But as I pushed open the front door, a blast of heat hit me. It didn’t make sense. It was spring in the South! The air outside was already stifling, but inside, it felt like an oven.