Chapter 1

It was at my wedding to Sean Hamilton.

And we were about to exchange rings.

The moment the spotlight hit me, I suddenly heard Sean's inner thoughts.

'If Hannah could have kids,' he was thinking. 'I'd never be marrying this woman.'

Well, that was a plot twist.

Right then, I decided—this wedding was not happening.

I glanced over at my twin sister, Hannah Warren, sitting in the first row.

Even though we were twins, we couldn't have looked or acted more different.

Probably because she was born after me, she was more fragile and delicate.

And hence, she'd practically hogged all the love and attention that should've been mine.

Now, Hannah was gazing lovingly at Sean, who was about to exchange wedding rings with me.

He turned his head, and their eyes locked.

In that brief exchange, Sean's usually hard-to-read face was shining with undeniable adoration.

But when he turned to face me—his fiancée—his look was ice cold, as if I was just a stranger to him.

He snapped, "You begged me to marry you, didn't you? What are you waiting for now? Hurry up and finish the ceremony."

With that, Sean held my hand and picked up the ring, about to slip it on my finger.

I jerked my hand back on instinct.

All eyes in the room snapped to me in that instant.

I looked at Sean's annoyed face, and once again, I caught his thoughts. 'I already agreed to marry her. What game is she playing now?'

A bitter laugh rose inside me.

I'd given Sean everything.

But to him, all that just came off as cheap tricks.

I never did anything wrong in this relationship.

Yet here I was, ending up like this—what a joke.

I threw down my bouquet and declared, each word sharp and deliberate, "I'm not marrying you."

Instantly, the whole wedding hall exploded into chaos.

Sean was the first to react. "Vivian, what the hell is going on?" he snapped.

He frowned, his lips pressed into a tight line.

I knew that look—it meant he was about to lose his temper.

Before, I would have apologized on the spot.

But after hearing his thoughts, I knew everything I did was nothing but a pathetic joke to him.

"Are you deaf? I said I'm not marrying you," I replied coldly.

Sean's face stayed detached, not a flicker of panic.

Everyone knew I was head over heels for him.

He didn't believe for a second that I'd ever walk away from the golden opportunity to marry him.

"Vivian, you'd better think twice. If we don't get married right now, this relationship is over," Sean said, his voice cold and ruthless.

He thought he had me wrapped around his finger—all because he knew I was in love with him.

But now, with my feelings gone, he was nothing but a nobody to me.

I scoffed and tore the veil off my hair.

"Sean, I'm done with you. We're finished," I said, my voice clear and unshakable.

Just then, a figure rushed onto the stage.

Before I could react, my cheek stung from a fierce slap.

"Are you trying to humiliate us even more? Apologize to Sean, now!" my mom snapped.

My parents glared at me with pure hatred, like I wasn't their daughter, but their enemy.

"Mom, Dad, please hear me out—" I tried to explain myself.

But before I could get a word in, Hannah stepped forward and slipped her arm around Mom.

"Mom, don't blame Vivian," Hannah said, her voice soft. "She didn't mean to embarrass us like this."

Oh, what a familiar scene.

Ever since we were kids, Hannah would act like she was standing up for me when I made "mistakes."

But everything she did just fueled our parents' resentment.

With such little tricks, she managed to play the role of the angelic daughter.

Meanwhile, everyone started to see me as the selfish, cold-hearted villain of the story.

As I expected, Mom's glare turned even more venomous.

"Vivian, apologize to Sean right now, or you're out of this family," she snapped, her voice sharp.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying to defend myself.

But before I could say a word, Mom's thoughts hit me. 'If I'd known Vivian would be such a nuisance, I should've strangled her when she was little.'

My eyes went wide in disbelief.

Sure, Mom had always favored Hannah, but I'd always thought it was because Hannah was sickly and needed more attention.

I never imagined she'd wish I were dead.