Rescue Myself from Despair by Cara Agnes

Imagine waking up one day and realizing the people who should love you most are actively trying to destroy you. Ashley Ramos finds herself in this very nightmare, caught in a web of family drama and deceit that threatens to consume her. Accused of a heinous act she didn't commit – pushing the Ramos family’s supposed heiress, Jessica, down the stairs – Ashley is immediately condemned by her brother, Jeremy. The demand for a groveling apology cuts deep, a fresh wound on a heart already scarred by years of feeling unwanted and abandoned. But is Ashley truly guilty? Or is she a pawn in a much larger, more sinister game of familial power and manipulation? Driven to the edge, Ashley teeters on the brink of despair. Years of longing for acceptance and affection from her family have yielded nothing but pain. Just as she's about to break, something snaps within her. A spark of defiance ignites, fueled by a lifetime of injustice. Armed with a recording pen containing irrefutable evidence of Jessica's treachery, Ashley decides to fight back. The revelation sends shockwaves through the Ramos household, exposing Jessica's malicious plot to frame Ashley for the staircase incident and shattering the carefully constructed facade of family harmony. The **romance** of family loyalty crumbles as Jeremy is forced to confront his blind faith in Jessica. He begs Ashley to forgive Jessica's actions, driven by her own insecurities and fear of losing favor. However, Ashley has reached her breaking point. Years of emotional abuse and neglect have hardened her resolve. She declares her intention to sever all ties with the Ramos family, a decision met with disbelief and thinly veiled threats of future regret. As Ashley packs her bags, preparing to walk away from the only life she's ever known, a powerful and influential family, the Kingsleys, arrives to visit. The Ramos family is desperate to make a good impression and further cement their social standing. Ashley seizes this moment as an opportunity to escape, determined to forge her own path, free from the toxic grip of her family. But can Ashley truly escape the Ramos family's influence? And will she ever find the love and acceptance she craves, or is she destined to wander alone, forever haunted by the ghosts of her past?