Chapter 1

At my grandmother's funeral, Phillip Sherman, my husband of three years in a secret marriage, suddenly appeared as my cousin's date.

My phone vibrated with a message from Phillip. [Don't you dare tell Lily we're married.]

Lily Spencer. Granddaughter of my grandmother's twin sister.

The rivalry between our families had burned for two generations.

Lily and I had competed for grades, for height, for the title of "good daughter." Every single time, I lost.

Now I had lost my husband to Lily, too.

The ache in my chest was suffocating.

Yet Phillip's texts kept coming. [Lily and I were college classmates. She needed me to play the role.

[Be considerate. Do not make a scene and disturb your grandmother s peace.]

The numbness spread through my chest again.

Of course, I would be reasonable. After all, I had called Phillip dozens of times, weeping, begging him to attend the funeral.

He had claimed a contract negotiation kept him away.

After that, how could I be anything but reasonable?

So after the funeral, I did the reasonable thing. I terminated the pregnancy and filed for divorce at the courthouse.

*****

After the service, family members would usher guests to the reception area for refreshments. That had always been my role.

So after Lily and Phillip finished paying their respects at the casket, I approached calmly and smiled at Lily. "Thanks for coming to my grandma's funeral, Lily."

Lily immediately looped her arm through Phillip's with a familiar ease. "It's nothing, really. When my grandma was still alive, she was always talking about your grandma.

"They were twins and so close. As her granddaughter, it's only right that I come in her place.

"Oh, and let me introduce you. This is my boyfriend, Phillip Sherman, the CEO of Rising Star Tech."

I lifted my head and locked eyes with Phillip for a brief moment.

But almost instantly, he dropped his gaze.

My palms clenched nervously, but I still reached out to Phillip. "Hi, I'm Yara Parker, Lily's cousin."

Phillip didn't take my hand. Instead, he gave Lily a tender look. "Didn't you mention feeling carsick earlier? Come on, let me take you to rest."

With that, he took Lily's hand, brushed past me, and led her toward the lounge.

Lily looked a bit awkward, but she still turned back to show off, flashing me a smug smile. "Sorry, Yara, my boyfriend can't help but fuss over me."

I shook my head and forced a smile.

It wasn't until they disappeared around the corner that tears slipped down my cheeks before I even realized it. But as soon as a new guest walked in, I quickly wiped them away.

I'd been running around all morning, and it wasn't until noon that I finally got a chance to sit down.

My head was buzzing, and even taking a breath made my chest ache.

So I stood up, ready to straighten up the guest book table and collect the scattered memorial cards.

Out of nowhere, Phillip appeared right in front of me.

I stiffened for a moment, feeling my hands clench with nerves.

Phillip said, "Don't tell Lily about us. She doesn't know anything. This is your grandmother's funeral. You wouldn't want to cause a scene, would you?"

Without thinking, I crumpled the memorial card in my hand. I turned to Phillip. "Relax, I won't say anything. Nobody in my family knows I'm married.

"You drove here, right? You must be exhausted. Go get some rest in the lounge. I still need to head to the airport to pick up my cousin."

With that, I dropped the crumpled card and turned to leave.

But before I could take a step, Phillip grabbed my arm. "Don't make a scene. If you have a problem, just say it. I can explain."

Explain? Explain what? That he was playing Lily's boyfriend? That a contract was more important than my grandma, but Lily was more important than the contract?

I was so full of resentment that I could barely hold it in anymore.

I immediately wanted to shake off Phillip's hand.

But before I could do anything, Lily's voice called out from behind me. "Phillip, you're here."

The instant Phillip heard Lily, he let go of me like I was toxic, jerking his hand away.

The arm he'd been gripping so tightly was suddenly free. As he released me, his nails scraped my skin, leaving a thin line of blood.

Tears fell from my eyes.

Not wanting Lily and Phillip to see me cry, I spun around and rushed out in a panic.