Chapter 1
Halfway through my wedding, a scandal broke out. My husband, Alex Fox's adopted sister, Myra Fox, had been assaulted at the villa.
Alex immediately rushed straight to the villa to rescue Myra, who'd cried herself unconscious.
Furious, he beat the man into the ICU, holding Myra protectively in his arms as he sobbed uncontrollably.
The next day, the headlines made it look like I was the one who'd been assaulted.
I broke down and demanded answers from him, but he just called me selfish.
He said, "Thalia, you're my wife now. Why can't you just help out? It's not like it costs you anything.
"She's my sister. How is she ever supposed to get married after this? She's so stubborn.
"If she wakes up and finds out everything's been exposed, she'll lose it. She might not even want to live anymore.
"Can you stop being so selfish?"
I refused, but Alex just shot me an impatient glare, his annoyance written all over his face.
He snapped, "It's already done. Even if you hate it, the headlines are out. Everyone thinks you were the one assaulted."
I looked at him, stunned, unable to believe what I was hearing. Despair washed over me, my heart twisting painfully in my chest.
I wiped my tears and said hoarsely, "Then let's get divorced."
*****
The moment I said it, the air seemed to freeze.
Alex was stunned, his expression conflicted as he stared at me.
He said, "Thalia, don't be so stubborn..."
I sniffled, my eyes rimmed red as I met his gaze, my voice unwavering.
I said, "I mean it, Alex. Let's get divorced.
"It's not like we ever even made it official."
Alex's face darkened instantly, and he tugged at his tie in frustration.
He said, "Thalia, can't you just listen to me? You've always been gentle and thoughtful. Why can't you be understanding this time?
"Myra is my sister. I can't just ignore this. Don't be so selfish. Besides, you're already married to me. It's not costing you anything."
My eyes were red as I challenged him, "She's your sister, but what about me? Alex, you're just using me as a shield for her. Have you ever even considered how I feel?"
A flicker of guilt flashed in Alex's eyes, and his voice softened.
He said, "I'm sorry. Thalia, just help Myra out this one time, okay? I promise I'll make it up to you.
"I know you've been upset that we haven't made things official yet. Once this is over with Myra, we'll go and get our marriage registered."
I swallowed the bitterness in my throat and closed my eyes.
Alex and I had never actually registered our marriage.
Every time we tried to make it official, Myra would throw a huge fit.
I'd lost count of how many times she'd done this.
She'd threaten to hang herself, jump into the lake, or even cut her wrists.
Honestly, it was laughable. Every time Alex tried to get married, he had to put Myra's feelings first, and the whole thing just kept getting dragged out because of her.
Myra overheard Alex and stormed in, tears streaming down her face.
She wailed, "Alex, what are you saying? Didn't you promise me you wouldn't marry her?"
With that, she climbed over the balcony railing, pretending she was about to jump.
She looked like a flower drenched in rain, her tears seemed to hook Alex's soul. Her voice was thick with sobs.
She cried, "Alex, now that you've got a wife, you're just going to forget about me, aren't you? I've been an unwanted orphan my whole life, and now even you don't want me. Maybe I should just end it all right now..."
Alex's face went pale with panic, his heart clenched tight.
He shouted, "Myra, don't do anything crazy. I swear, I won't marry Thalia.
"I want you, Myra. No one could ever take your place in my heart. Be good and come to me."
He slipped his arm around Myra's waist and scooped her off the balcony.
Off balance, they both ended up rolling onto the carpet together.
He cradled her head gently in his hands.
Her eyes were filled with adoration, and before she knew it, she leaned in and kissed him.
She said, "Thank you, Alex."
Alex helped her up, his palms slightly sweaty, his voice tinged with guilt as he tried to explain.
He said, "Thalia, don't get upset. Myra's just my sister. she's always been a bit childish..."
I cut him off coldly, "She's 23. Is she still a kid?"
At some point, Alex's mother, Pandora Fox, showed up behind me, rolling her eyes with a look of utter contempt.
She snapped, "Are you jealous of Myra now? It was just a little kiss, for crying out loud.
"You're Myra's sister-in-law. If you won't help her, at least quit stirring up drama and nitpicking over everything.
"You've been living with the Fox family all this time and still haven't given us a child. What a useless woman.
"You've got some nerve even talking back here."