Raleigh Knight
Creating Raleigh was honestly one of the funnest things I’ve done. Mainly because she was one of the first new characters I planned to use. I was sooo excited for new. A new mind to dive into. Bring to life, so to speak. And she was excited for her story. Only… we had no idea at first what her story was going to be… Read on to learn all about Raleigh and her journey!
Okay, so let’s be honest here. Raleigh was originally going to be Matthew Lucinio’s wife. But then Renza and her whole entire story changed because, ya’ll, I hated her. I’ve never hated a character so much. I even gave Matthew redeeming qualities. At least some. Renza? She had none. Matthew, at the very least, showed Raleigh some love as she was growing up. He really did love her. He even sent her away the day that Ryan and Josh showed up to take him out. He knew it was his end, but he wanted Raleigh to be safe. Renza was just evil.
Raleigh had quite a different story in mind for herself, though. She wanted Alex. And she didn’t want to be a meek woman. She’s smart. Sexy. Sure of what she wants. Though, it took her a bit to get there after her entire world imploded. She struggled to truly make sense of it all, but as more and more stuff about Matthew was revealed, the stronger and stronger she became.
I couldn’t let Matthew be her real father, though. First of all… that would make Alex and her related. Gross. Second of all… she’s too good for the likes of Matthew. But mostly, it’s just not what she wanted. No one wanted that. So, Raleigh became Damon’s long lost sister. Someone he didn’t know about. She never got to meet her parents, but at least she had closure. Matthew was never her real father. She was just a pawn in one of his twisted games, even though he really did come to love and care for her.
Raleigh became one of my favorite characters I’ve ever written because of just how different she is. How strong-willed even as she was trying to find balance and her own footing.
What do you think of Raleigh? Let me know in the comments!