Chapter 1

I stood in the glittering wedding hall, wearing a custom-made gown and holding a bouquet of vibrant white roses. But my heart felt like it was being crushed by a cold, invisible hand, every breath hurt.

Today was my wedding day with Alex Foster. The whole city was watching, waiting for this high-profile union between two powerful families.

Everyone envied me, Charlotte Summers, for marrying the CEO of Foster Enterprises, the man everyone dreams of.

But only I knew: from beginning to end, this wedding was nothing but a joke. Alex didn't love me. The one he truly cared about was my half-sister, Isabelle Summers.

To the Summers family, I was only a pawn to secure their place. And to Alex, I was simply a tool to win Isabelle back.

The hall was packed with guests, elegant music flowing through the air as the officiant's voice boomed, reciting the vows. I looked up at Alex.

He stood tall and striking, almost godlike. The black suit he wore only sharpened his icy aura. In those deep eyes, there wasn't a hint of a groom's warmth, cold impatience and undisguised disgust.

The officiant asked, "Mr. Alex Foster, do you take Ms. Charlotte Summers to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and cherish her, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, until death do you part?"

The whole room went silent, everyone holding their breath, waiting for his answer.

I clutched my bouquet so tightly that my fingertips turned white, holding onto that last, pitiful shred of hope. Even if he didn't love me and this was all a performance, I wanted him to show me a shred of respect.

But in the next moment, Alex replied, his voice icy and sharp, echoing through the hall, "No, I don't."

Those three words crushed me. They tore through whatever hope I had left and left nothing behind.

The whole place exploded. Camera flashes went off. Reporters' lenses locked onto my pale, ghostly face. Waves of whispers, gasps, and laughter swept over me. Every word stung.

I stood there frozen, my blood running. It hurt so much that I couldn't even cry.

Isabelle stepped out from the crowd in a white dress, slipped her arm through Alex's, her eyes red, looking all fragile and pitiful.

But when her gaze landed on me, it was full of smugness and challenge. "Alex, don't. Charlotte is your bride today. You can't treat her this way."

Alex reached up and gently brushed away a tear that wasn't even there from Isabelle's eye, the gesture so doting it made my eyes sting.

Then he turned to me, his eyes icy once more. "Charlotte, you forced this wedding with the Summers family's power. Listen, it's never going to happen. The only woman who will ever be my wife is Isabelle, not you, the one who stole her place."

Who was the real imposter here? I snapped my head up, staring at him in disbelief.

I was the rightful daughter of the Summers family, and my mother was the legitimate wife. Isabelle was my father's love child, only brought home after my mother died. She stole my place.

Alex knew all of this, but for Isabelle, he was willing to dump all the dirt on me.

"Alex, you—" I tried to speak, but my voice was so hoarse it barely sounded like me. My throat felt raw, hurting so much that I couldn't get a word out.

"Enough," Alex cut me off, his disgust plain as day. "Charlotte, stop acting innocent. I know exactly who you are.

"From today on, all cooperation between the Foster family and the Summers family is over. Whatever you want, forget it, you're not getting a thing from me."

With that, he wrapped his arm around Isabelle and walked away without a second glance, leaving me alone in the middle of this mockery of a wedding.

I watched his back as he walked away, and finally, I couldn't hold it in anymore, tears flooded down my face.

So what was the point? All those years of secretly loving him, two years at his side, and giving him everything... In his eyes, it was all worthless.

Turned out, all the love I tried so hard to protect was never anything more than me loving him alone.

Guests whispered and pointed, their words stinging in my ears.

"I heard Charlotte basically forced Mr. Foster to marry her. No wonder he's so against it."

"What a humiliation. Dumped by your groom at your own wedding, how is she ever going to live this down?"

"Isabelle is so sweet and sensible. No wonder Mr. Foster likes her better."

Every word cut deep. I stood there, my wedding dress trailing across the floor, beautiful in a tragic way.

My father and stepmother lingered nearby, faces cold and disapproving, but neither of them came to comfort me. In their eyes, I was only a pawn that had lost its value.

I slowly lowered my head, staring at the bouquet in my hands, warped and crushed from my grip. White rose petals littered the floor, as broken as my heart.

Enough. That was it. I really needed to stop fooling myself. He was never mine. From now on, I didn't love him anymore. We were done.

I swiped the tears from my face, stood tall, and walked out of that humiliating wedding hall, step by step, under everyone's shocked gaze.

The sunlight outside was blinding, but for the first time in ages, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. I'd finally escaped the prison of love.

I kept going without looking back. I didn't bother with a ride. I wandered the streets with no destination, all by myself.

My wedding dress trailed along the ground, picking up dust and grime, and my once-flawless makeup was smeared by tears. I looked like a miserable clown, catching curious stares from passersby.

My phone kept ringing, it was my father. I hit decline and switched it off. I didn't want to hear his lectures, his whining, and I sure as hell wasn't going to be the Summers family's tool anymore.