"Behind the Curtain"

She laughs with them, leans in close— a whisper too soft, a smile too forced. She calls them “dear,” she calls them “sweet,” but watch her hands— they’re busy sharpening teeth. Kindness like perfume, just enough to distract— while the blade behind her back stays perfectly intact. She never screams, never fights, just praises by day and poisons by night. Not brave enough to hate aloud, but cruel enough to hate in crowds. Her truth wears makeup, her lies wear silk— and the people she hugs are the ones she wilts. Behind the curtain, she’s not what she seems— just a puppet of envy, pulling strings in between. ---