Chapter 3

I pushed Xander to the furthest corners of my mind and tried to let Braxton into my heart.

When Xander and I were together, my parents were still working for the Comptons. We kept our relationship hidden, worried people would think I was just after their status.

We planned to make things official once Xander came back from Fohhulland as a volunteer doctor, and after my parents retired from working for the Comptons.

But then the chaos in Fohhulland happened, and Xander was taken by a stray bullet—he never came home.

After that, nobody knew that Xander and I had ever been a thing.

It took me three whole years to finally let go of Xander and shift my heart towards Braxton.

The day I agreed to marry Braxton, there was no doubt in my mind that I truly loved him.

But Braxton didn't love me anymore.

Less than a month after we got married, he was spotted at a hotel with some party girl, and the photos were plastered all over the internet.

It felt like my condition was getting worse.

The meds I was taking stopped working, and I had to up the dosage just to get some sleep.

I kept the curtains drawn 24/7, blocking out every ray of sunlight. I grew so pale that it looked almost unnatural, with the veins on the back of my hands shockingly visible.

Sometimes when I'd stare into the mirror, I'd pick up a tube of lipstick, dab some onto my cheeks, and smudge it around, pretending I still had a hint of life left in me.

No matter how much blush I put on, that sickly pallor still seeped through.

Braxton sent me a video, urging me to hurry up and get the divorce over with.

Lacey poked her head out from behind him, looking surprised. "Cambria, you really look rough. Just put on more blush! Getting older means you need it!"

I looked at her face—so much like mine—and suddenly laughed. "You think you're the winner, don't you?"

Lacey tilted her chin, eyes gleaming with challenge. "If I'm not the winner, then you are—in your dreams?"

Braxton just laughed and messed up her hair.

I grabbed a fruit knife, held it to my wrist, and shot Lacey a daring look through the screen. "Wanna bet? Let's see if you can really hold onto him today."

Lacey just smirked. "Come on, even the dumped wives on TV dramas don't do the whole suicide drama anymore. Why are you still stuck in the past?"

I shrugged. "So, let's wager, Lacey. Let's see if this cliché trick of mine actually works. Will Braxton take the bait?"

Lacey glanced back at Braxton and caught how his face turned pale.

She bit her lip.

I pushed her buttons even harder. "Seriously, have you never noticed how much you look like me? Did it ever cross your mind why that is?"

Lacey's expression flickered, her gaze snapping to Braxton as if demanding answers.

But Braxton had already vanished.

The second I raised the knife to my wrist, he dashed out of sight.

When Braxton barged in, I was calmly nibbling on a slice of fruit.

He paused at the doorway and let out a breath, then strolled over with that unbothered attitude, eyeing the brand new carpet. "Fresh carpet, you know. Wouldn't want blood stains messing it up."

I smiled sweetly. "Message received. If I was serious about kicking the bucket, I'd pick somewhere more appropriate."

Braxton plucked the fruit knife out of my hand, folded his arms and shot me a look. "What, you actually thought I was here to play hero?"

I snarked, "What else? You got another reason for busting in here?"

Braxton pointed toward the walk-in closet, telling me to get changed. "Karlie's back in town today. The Comptons are having a family dinner. Even if you hadn't pulled that knife stunt, I still would've come to pick you up."

I let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, guess I was just being delusional."

Braxton's patience was wearing thin. "Seriously, how long are you going to keep clinging on like this?"

I just said, "Don't know." Then I slipped into a loose dress that hung off me and followed Braxton back to the Compton estate.

Braxton shot me a surprised look. "You've really lost weight."

"Yeah, I've just been dieting or whatever," I replied offhandedly.

He just let it go and drove me back home.

Karlie Compton was Braxton's cousin, and ever since I married into the family, she had always given me attitude.

As soon as she spotted me, she came over all smiles, looped her arm around mine, and pulled me straight into the bathroom.

She shot me a sly grin. "Cambria, what do you think of that rival I picked out for you?"

I blinked at her, totally thrown. "What are you talking about?"

Karlie's face was full of smugness. "Lacey, of course. My best friend. I was the one who brought her to my brother—how's my taste?"

I brushed her hand off. "Karlie, since when did you start acting like a pimp?"

Karlie blinked, sarcasm all over her voice. "Oh please, if anyone's pimping here, it's your parents. Came crawling to the Comptons as servants, basically raised you in our house just to sell you off for a nice price."

She sneered. "First, you hooked up with Xander behind everyone's backs. After he drops dead in Fohhulland, you jump right over to Braxton. Shameless enough to never let go of the Compton family, and you dare call me a pimp? Look in the mirror—you're just the Comptons' side piece!"

I shut my eyes for a second and told myself to stay cool and not to stir up drama.

But Karlie just wouldn't quit. "Don't look so crushed! Worst case, your mom can go hustle for some other rich folks and pawn you off again. Sure, it'd be your second marriage, but hey, you're still kinda pretty..."

A slap rang out across the living room.