Chapter 1

Dating Keaton Reed for three years, he still refused to propose to me. Eventually, he fell for my half-sister, and began to pursue her openly. This time, I didn't cry or quietly wait for him to lose interest and come back to me, as I had done before. Instead, I tossed out all the gifts he had given me and tore up the wedding dress I had bought in secret.

On his birthday, I left London by myself. Before boarding the plane, Keaton suddenly sent me a message on WhatsApp: "Why aren't you here? Everyone's waiting for you." I laughed, didn't reply, and blocked all his contact info. He didn't know that just two weeks earlier, I had accepted Angelo's proposal. As soon as the plane lands in this new city, we're getting married.

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"Angelo, I've made up my mind."

I stood in front of the mirror, looking at the pale and fragile reflection staring back at me. It turned out that making such a major life decision wasn’t as hard as I expected.

"Julissa...will you accept my proposal?" Angelo's voice came softly over the phone. My heart suddenly felt a gentle ache as a tear slipped down my cheek, and I nodded slightly. "I accept."

"Julissa, you know? I’ve been waiting for this moment since college."

The reflection in the mirror showed a faint smile slowly spreading over my lips.

"Give me a couple of weeks; I'll wrap things up here."

"Alright, Julissa, I’ll always wait for you."

Just as I hung up the phone, my bedroom door was pushed open from the outside.

"Julissa." Dad cleared his throat awkwardly. "Your sister's not feeling well; your room has better sunlight. Why don't you swap with her for a few days?"

I didn't respond, my gaze drifting over to where my stepmother Belen and Milena stood. Belen quickly interjected, "Remington, don't inconvenience the young lady."

Milena added, looking downcast, "Yes, Dad, I'm fine. Don't bother my sister because of me."

"It's no bother at all. You're my daughter too," Dad insisted, his eyes firmly fixed on me. "Julissa, you're her older sister; be considerate."

I stared at Dad, thinking I’d be devastated, that I'd cry because my own father showed more concern for a stepsister than for me. But not a single tear fell. I even managed a smile and nodded at them.

"Alright, I'll swap with her."

In just two weeks, I'll be leaving this place forever. Which room I stay in really doesn't matter.