Chapter 1
I loved Jason Sweeney for a decade, willing to shoulder the crushing blame for his drunk driving accident and rot in prison for him.
I counted the days behind bars, hoping he'd come see me, but he never did.
Seven years later, I walked out of prison and walked straight into his lavish wedding with my twin sister, Kadence Bowers.
As for the cheap cufflink I had given him, he pinned it to his wedding suit and told everyone it was from the love of his life.
Later, when his business crumbled, he fell to his knees before me, pointing at the ring on my hand. "Why?" he asked.
I smiled. "Jason, tell me, who do you think you really hit that night?"
*****
Seven years, that was two thousand five hundred and fifty-five days.
I finally stepped out from behind those cold iron bars.
The sunlight stabbed at my eyes, making them ache. I raised my hand to shield them and noticed the faint scar on my bony wrist.
That scar? I gave it to myself, back when I first got locked up—missing Jason Sweeney so much that I nearly lost my mind.
The guard said, "Barbara, when you get out, live a good life. Don't come back here."
I nodded and smiled, but deep down, I kept thinking Jason would come to pick me up.
He had to be.
Seven years ago, he got drunk out of his mind, celebrating his first big business win.
His car spun out, slammed into the guardrail, and sent someone's future flying.
Seeing his panicked, alcohol-soaked face, I didn't even blink.
I dragged him out of the driver's seat and slid in myself.
When the cops arrived, I told them, "I was driving."
I took the fall for him, shouldering a crime that could ruin anyone's life.
I traded the best seven years of my life so Jason could have a brilliant future.
I did everything I could in prison to earn a reduced sentence, counting down the days one by one.
Every night, I pictured Jason making it big—pulling up in a sleek car, arms full of flowers, waiting for me at the gate.
He'd wrap me up in his arms and whisper, "Barbara, I missed you so much. Let's get married."
The prison gates swung open, but the place was deserted.
There was no fancy car, no bouquet, and definitely no Jason.
I tried to comfort myself, telling myself he was probably just busy. He was a big shot now, after all.
Maybe he just got stuck in traffic.
With only a handful of coins in my pocket, I climbed onto the city bus and headed home.
On the bus, the onboard TV was broadcasting the financial news.
Suddenly, a handsome and all-too-familiar face caught my eye on the screen.
"Rising star Jason Sweeney is tying the knot today with Kadence Bowers, the Sweeney family's beloved daughter. Together, they're set to become a power couple and rewrite the rules of the business world..."
I was glued to the screen, unable to tear my eyes away.
In the photo, Jason looked absolutely stunning in his custom-tailored suit.
Beside him, the bride was radiant, her smile lighting up the room as she stood in her white wedding dress, looking like she had the whole world in her hands.
Her face looked just like mine.
It was my twin sister, Kadence.
She was adopted by the Sweeney family as a child, living a pampered, princess-like life.
My hand started trembling, completely out of my control.
No way.
There must be some mistake.
I jumped off the bus and dashed to the place Jason and I once called home, like I was losing my mind.
It was our very first home together, the one we pinched pennies for after leaving the orphanage.
I'd kept the key on me at all times, never letting it out of my sight.
When I slid my key into the lock, it wouldn't turn—no matter how hard I tried.
The lock had been changed.
Fueled by desperation, I threw myself at that flimsy wooden door, ramming it with my shoulder over and over.
The door wouldn't budge, and just then, the old lady next door stuck her head out and snapped at me impatiently, "Why are you banging on that door? The people who lived there moved out ages ago! Such bad luck!"
I stopped, feeling like all the strength had drained out of me.
They moved out?
Where did they go?
Why didn't they wait for me?
A pink card slipped out from under the door, carried by the wind, fluttering down to land right at my feet.
It was a wedding invitation.
On it, Jason and Kadence smiled back at me in their wedding photo, so bright that it made my eyes ache.
At the bottom of the invitation, there was a line of delicate handwriting. Kadence had written it herself.
[Barbara, thank you. Thank you for making it possible these past seven years. From today on, I'll be the one to love Jason, to be the light in his life.]
[You're an ex-con now, so do us all a favor and stay out of his way. You don't need to come back and ruin things for him.]
An ex-con? Ruin things?
I crouched down slowly, picked up the invitation, and pressed my fingernails so hard into the smiling faces of the newlyweds that I left marks.
My heart felt like it was being crushed by an invisible fist. The pain was so sharp that I couldn't catch my breath.