**WARNING: This story focuses on the struggles on self-worth and dark thoughts that inhabits the mind. Proceed with care, as it explores deep and challenging emotions.**

When I look in the mirror, I see a hideous monster. She had buggy eyes, yellow teeth, and a messed-up hair that looks just like an old, scary witch, and then I realized, it was just me.

I was the monster behind the mirror.

My name is “Raven Grayson,” and this is my story. I grew up around my overachiever parents and they are successful in their careers, but they don’t want to show it. They are actually very caring and supportive. And then there is my younger sister, Isabelle, she’s a truly one of a kind.

She’s just like our parents; ambitious, overachiever, and smart. She’s 14 years old while I was only 18 years old. We are only 4 years apart, but we couldn’t be anymore different.

I was in my senior year while she just started high school in my school. We lived in a very small town, so everyone knows everybody and everyone knows she’s my sister.

They couldn’t help but snicker and make comments:

“They’re sisters, but they couldn’t be anymore different.”

“I’m sure the older one is adopted. I mean, she looked nothing like her parents.”

“Yeah, they’re both so beautiful. Even the younger sister, but she…”

It was hard to hear, but it was the truth. I really do look and act nothing like my family. It was such an unbearable fact and with my lack of confidence, I believed the murmurs more than the love of my family.

That’s why I hated them so much. I became the type of person that doesn’t leave my room, unless it’s for school. It eventually became so bad that my parents and my little sister worried about me so much, despite my cruel and harsh attitude towards them.

But I guess, it’s also my way of punishing myself for being born in a world that will never accept me and I hated it so much. It was hard to swallow, hearing such comments about myself while in the presence of my own family.

They, of course, never noticed my troubles and I could never bring it up myself. Everyday, for me, was a struggle to be alive and it’s hard, watching everyone I cared about, being happy while I am stuck in this bottomless pit of heartbreak and pain.

I couldn’t even look at myself in the mirror, when all I could see was just a sad looking monster looking back at me. I washed my face in the sink of my bathroom when I whispered, “I hate you so much.”

“Who do you hate?” My younger sister suddenly appeared out of nowhere, asking me such a curious question with a smile on her face. “Hayley?”

“Nothing.” I denied, shaking my head softly on the side. “What are you doing here, Isabelle?”

She stuttered her words as she kept her smile neutral, but there was sadness in her eyes. “I, um, I was looking for you.”

I sighed in utter disappointment. “Isabelle, how many times do I have to say this? You shouldn’t associate yourself with someone like me. It’ll only stain your reputation even further.”

“But Raven-“

We were quickly interrupted by someone from the party passing by as the conversations came to an abrupt halt when they looked at me. “I have to go, Isabelle. Let’s talk about this later.”

Life continued the same way as it has been for the past 18 years and nothing had changed. My life remained as bleak and boring as it always has been. I was even contemplating whether I should run away or not for my family. It’s best to get rid of the black sheep, after all.

It was until the following morning when I overheard something that will change something within me. I was on my way to first period when I overheard my little sister having a conversation with her friends; or rather, a one sided discussion on their end. “I mean, come on, she’s gotta know how much of a nuisance she is, right?”

“Yes, Raven is nothing but a nuisance.”

“You got that right. I mean, why is she even here?”

“Compared to her family, she’s nothing.”

“That’s enough!” Isabelle spoke up, which is totally unlike her. “Raven- Raven’s nothing like you claim. She’s goood at stuff too. We aren’t all perfect like you make us out to be. So please stop badmouthing my favorite person in the whole world.”

“I’m your favorite person?” I was in disbelief because I have always believed that she hated me as much as I hated her.

She looked at me, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, her voice trembling as she continued. “Raven, I know life hasn’t been kind to you. I know how much you resented the world and the family that brought you into it. Maybe you wont believe me when I say ‘we love you,’ but it’s true. Me, Mom, and Dad—our love for you never ended.

It never mattered what anyone else thought. We were here, Raven. All this time, we've been here, waiting— waiting for you to see us, to come to us, to let us in. But instead… you shut us out. You carried that pain alone, wrapped yourself in it, like armor. You hated yourself so much that you couldn't see what we saw.

All those pieces of yourself you wanted to hide? Those are the parts we cherished the most. The parts that made you _you._

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But even then, we didn't give up. We never turned away. Because you were never a monster to us, Raven. Never.

You are my sister, and I’ve loved you, every broken, beautiful piece of you, even when you didn't love yourself.”

I couldn't say anything back. I just stood there, silent, as we both walk together back to our classrooms respectively.

When we arrived home, they were already having dinner and I snuck back in towards my room, so they wouldn't see me.

When I finally reached my room on the second floor, I headed towards my bathroom and looked at the monster behind the mirror. I sighed and whispered to myself, “I was never a monster. The monster inside me was the person that I created to face a world that refuses to understabd me. I was never the monster…”

As I stared into the mirror, my eyes locked into my own reflection, I said to myself, “the monetary was you.”

That night, I took courage and went downstairs, seeing my family as if it was the first time. They smiled warmly at me and accepted me. The gestured me to come over to join them for game night a s i couldn't join them for dinner.

I saw fear in their eyes as if they were afraid I would reject their offer. I just smiled, like I didn't know anything and nodded. “Sure.”

That was the first time in my life that I felt like I truly understand the person behind the name, **_“Raven Grayson.”_**