The Red Collar of Lies

From birth, Stella wore a collar her mother believed could detect lies—green for truth, red for deceit. While her twin sister Emma's collar always glowed green, earning their mother's love, Stella's collar flashed red no matter what she said. This marked her as a liar and brought relentless punishment: isolation, hunger, and forced apologies for things she never did. Over the years, her body weakened and her wolf grew silent. One night, Stella collapsed in severe pain and begged her mother for help, but the collar glowed red again. Her mother accused her of faking and locked her in her room alone. As the pain worsened, Stella wrote a final plea in her journal. When she finished, the pain vanished—and she found herself floating, watching her own lifeless body. Her wolf emerged beside her. Later, her mother returned, noticed a foul smell, but instead of opening the door, sealed it shut. Three days passed. The smell grew unbearable. Finally, her mother grabbed a rolling pin and stormed toward the door, ready to punish her again.