Chapter 1

At the beginning of our relationship, he vowed to make up for all the love my parents had failed to give me. I, a naive and loving wife, wholeheartedly believed him.

However, just three years into our marriage, a storm brewed.

His brother's wife became the bone of contention between us, leading to endless quarrels.

One fateful day, in a fit of rage, his eyes turned bloodshot. He stepped up close, jabbing his finger at me and shouting, "No wonder your parents don't like you!"

*****

My name was Emily Wynn. Our anniversary had my husband, Lucas Summers, and I out and about.

After savoring a dreamy candlelit dinner, Lucas snagged two tickets for the brand-new comedy that had everyone buzzing. He was all pumped to catch the flick with me.

We'd just joined the queue when his phone went off with that telltale ringtone.

No need to peek at the contact; I knew it was Claire Reed on the other end.

Lucas flashed me a sorry look and tried to duck out of line to answer.

I latched onto his wrist tightly. "Lucas, you said you'd be with me today," I begged, my eyes pleading.

Needless to say, I was dead-set against him answering that call.

And on our anniversary of all days, the last thing I wanted was for him to rush off to see Claire.

But Lucas just brushed my hand off without a second thought.

"Come on, Emily, be a good girl," he grumbled, his brows knitting together.

Without another word, he quickly moved to the side to answer the phone.

There I stood in the line, stone-faced, watching this guy I'd been head-over-heels for five long years.

He used to swear he'd give me the world and never ditch me for anyone.

But three years of marriage, and it was like he was a whole different person.

In less than a blink after answering, Lucas' face went ghost-white.

He charged towards me, grabbed the coat right out of my hand, and, without so much as a look my way, cooed into the phone, "Don't worry, I'm coming right now."

Claire's sobs were as clear as day. Her usual act of being all helpless always worked like a charm.

"Emily, I gotta go. I'll take you to the movies another time," he said, and then he was gone in a blur, leaving me standing there, dumbfounded.

Claire, the wife of Lucas' older brother, was his unrequited love from his high-school days.

How deep was his affection? It was profound.

Once Claire casually mentioned she had a soft spot for high-achieving boys. Right then and there, Lucas bid farewell to his rowdy ways. He spent countless sleepless nights poring over books, determined to transform into the kind of boy Claire admired.

Claire had a penchant for all sorts of flowers. Undeterred by the frigid winter, Lucas scoured every nook and cranny to find the most unique bouquets for her.

And when she set her eyes on a beautiful dress, Lucas emptied his piggy bank, sacrificing months of his allowance. He made do with just bread for months, but the thought of seeing Claire's smile made it all worthwhile.

This intense infatuation gradually turned into an all-consuming obsession.

Lucas loved Claire so deeply that he was plagued by self-doubt, feeling he didn't measure up to the ethereal Claire.

So, he made the decision to study abroad, dreaming of coming back a more accomplished man a year later.

However, fate had other plans. While he was away, Claire fell in love with and married his brother, Andrew Summers.

Their romance blossomed unexpectedly. By the time Lucas caught wind of it, Claire was already decked out in a wedding gown.

If she had married someone else, Lucas might have mustered the courage to crash the wedding like a character in a cheesy movie.

But since the groom was his own flesh-and-blood brother, Lucas had no choice. He sat in the audience, forcing a smile through his welling tears as he offered his blessings.

On Claire's wedding night, he drowned his sorrows in alcohol, sobbing uncontrollably.

The girl who had once been the light of his life was now his brother's wife. Lucas couldn't come to terms with it, but he would never cross that line and go after his brother's wife.

So, he left his hometown and headed to another city, perhaps to run away from the pain or to heal his broken heart.

Around the same time, I, too, decided to flee my hometown. Tired of my parents' constant favoritism towards my brother and their cruel treatment of me, I packed my bags and set off for that same city alone.

In that new city, our paths crossed, and love blossomed.

I helped him heal the wounds left by Claire, and he filled the void in my heart caused by my family.

We were kindred spirits, destined to heal and complete one another.

Without hesitation, we had pledged a lifetime of love and commitment to each other.

Therefore, after just a year of dating, we decided to tie the knot.

On our wedding day, my parents showed up and caused a huge commotion. They ranted about the fortune they'd spent raising a good-for-nothing like me and demanded that Lucas shell out 300 thousand dollars.

The scene they made turned me into the center of gossip.

It was obvious they had an ulterior motive. They wanted that money to help their beloved son buy a house.

To them, I was nothing but a tool to achieve their goal.

And if they couldn't get their hands on the money, they were more than happy to watch me get humiliated.

They behaved as though I were a sworn enemy rather than their own daughter.

They had never rooted for my success; instead, they had always hoped I'd remain stuck in a lowly position forever, simply because I was a girl they deemed good-for-nothing.

In full view of all the guests, they carried on like spoiled brats, their insatiable greed on full display. All they cared about was getting their hands on a fortune from me.

I stood on the stage, feeling utterly mortified and heartbroken.

Years of neglect, abuse, and the stark difference in how they treated me and my brother came crashing down on me.

I realized then that not everyone deserved the title of "parent."

As the guests murmured among themselves, Lucas stepped in.

He gently wiped away my tears, completely ignoring my parents' tantrum.

He got down on one knee in front of everyone and vowed to make up for all the love my parents had never given me.

His words made my parents' faces turn red with anger.

As Lucas made that affectionate statement, the previously whispering guests were quick to flash envious looks.

Clearly, he'd showered me with so much love that I felt on top of the world at that wedding.

Despite the baggage from my dysfunctional upbringing, I'd snagged Lucas, a man head-over-heels for me. He was steadily mending my emotional scars.