Unspoken feelings

Sophia’s POV

********

Hatred doesn’t always come with a warning.

Sometimes, it looks like a smile, feels like a soft touch, sounds like a casual conversation. And by the time you realize it was never harmless—it’s already too late.

---

That night, Serena came home glowing.

Not just happy—radiant, like she had just won something no one else even knew was a competition.

She waltzed through the front door, humming under her breath, her lips curled into a self-satisfied smirk.

“Hey, Sophi,” she chirped, barely looking at me before disappearing into her room.

I frowned, watching her.

Serena never greeted me like that.

She never sounded that pleased.

A question nagged at the back of my mind.

What had she done?

I considered asking, but then I shook the thought away.

It wasn’t worth it.

Whatever game she was playing, I wasn’t interested.

Or at least, that’s what I told myself.

---

The Next Morning

I arrived at the office early, as usual. The silence of the empty hallways was comforting. Work had always been my escape—a place where logic mattered more than emotions, where I could focus on something that wasn’t my sister’s mind games.

I sat at my desk, scrolling through emails, my mind still circling back to last night.

Serena had been too pleased with herself.

But why?

A knock on my desk pulled me out of my thoughts.

Danny.

He leaned against the edge of my desk, holding two coffee cups, his signature smirk in place.

“Morning,” he said smoothly. “Coffee?”

I glanced up at him, hesitating.

Danny was charming—effortlessly so. He had a way of making things seem casual, innocent.

But I wasn’t stupid.

There was something beneath his easygoing nature, something calculating.

And I wasn’t sure if I trusted it.

“No thanks,” I said, returning my attention to my phone.

Danny chuckled. “You always get to say no to everything.”

I smirked slightly. “Maybe I just know what I want.”

For a second, something flickered in his eyes—something I couldn’t quite read.

That’s when Serena walked in.

And the moment she saw us—saw me smiling at Danny—her entire expression shifted.

Her jaw tightened.

Her shoulders stiffened.

Her hands curled into fists at her sides.

It was so quick, so subtle, that anyone else might have missed it.

But I saw it.

I felt it.

The sharp, burning envy radiating off her like heat from a fire.

“Hey, sis,” she said, her voice tight.

I glanced up, nodding. “Morning.”

She didn’t respond.

Didn’t even acknowledge me beyond that forced greeting.

Her attention was already on Danny.

She tilted her head, batting her lashes ever so slightly. “Hey, Danny.”

Danny nodded. “Hey.”

Serena’s lips curved into a soft smile. “Would you like to go for coffee?”

Danny lifted his cup. “Oh, sorry. I have one already. Thanks, though.”

I didn’t miss the way Serena’s expression cracked.

For a split second, just a fraction of a second, I saw it—

The way her lips twitched.

The way her fingers clenched against her skirt.

The way her eyes darkened, burning with something she couldn’t quite hide.

And then, just as quickly, she masked it.

But I had already seen too much.

She hated that moment.

She hated that Danny had chosen to bring me coffee, that he had spoken to me first.

That I had been the one smiling at him before she even walked in.

And I knew, without a doubt, that she was furious.

---

That Afternoon

As I returned to my office after a meeting, I passed by Serena’s desk.

She wasn’t there.

I glanced around.

Neither was Danny.

Something inside me twisted.

I didn’t want to be the paranoid type.

But maybe it wasn’t paranoia if you were right.

Maybe it was just the truth waiting to be revealed.

---

I found Serena in the break room, standing too close to Danny.

Way too close.

Her fingers brushed against his arm lightly, just enough to seem innocent. Her voice was softer, sweeter, dripping with something intentional.

Danny, to his credit, didn’t seem to react much.

But Serena was trying.

Hard.

I stood in the doorway for a second, watching.

Watching the way she tilted her head, her lips curling in amusement at something he said.

Watching the way she angled herself toward him, her body language screaming for his attention.

And watching the way she looked at me when she finally noticed I was there.

Her smile widened.

She wanted me to see this.

She wanted me to know she wasn’t giving up.

Fine.

Let her play her game.

But I wasn’t going to play along.

I turned and walked away, but I didn’t miss the satisfied glint in her eyes as I left.

---

That night, I found Serena in the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of wine.

She took a slow sip, then glanced at me, her expression unreadable.

“You looked tense today,” she said casually.

I raised an eyebrow. “Did I?”

She nodded, swirling her glass. “It’s interesting, you know.”

“What is?”

She leaned in slightly, her voice lowering. “How you pretend like you don’t care.”

I froze.

She smirked. “But I think you do care, Sophia. Maybe more than you want to admit.”

I stared at her, something cold curling in my chest.

Serena was pushing.

Testing.

Seeing how far she could go.

And for the first time, I realized something terrifying—

She wasn’t just jealous.

She wanted to take something from me.

And she wouldn’t stop until she did.

—--

Final Question: When does envy turn into obsession? And what happens when it’s too late to stop it?