After the Betrayal, Love Blooms

My sister and I were married on the same day, but somehow, the wedding procession accidentally brought her to my fiancé’s house. Meanwhile, I found myself at a notorious estate, infamous for claiming the lives of three previous brides.

The next day, my fiancé, Charles, casually put his arm around my sister and said with indifference, “I was drunk last night, and what happened, happened. You might as well accept it.”

My sister, Alexis, intentionally showed the red marks on her shoulder, sobbing, “I know you blame me, sister... but what’s done is done. And while Jaiden might be old, rotund, and rumored to be a curse to his spouses, maybe that’s what you deserve, given your blindness.”

I said nothing. No wonder Grandpa had so readily agreed for her to marry the unattractive, stout heir of a cursed lineage when Jaiden's name came up—she must have been ready all along. But she had no idea I was the one who had prepared ahead of time.

...

After the wedding, my family hosted a reception to thank the guests. I was in a hotel room getting ready when Charles stormed in and snatched the silver bracelet from my wrist.

I turned to face him. “What are you doing?”

He replied impatiently, “You look like a ghost, and a bracelet this nice is wasted on you. Alexis deserves it.”

I tried to snatch it back, but he dodged, causing me to lose my balance and fall. Ignoring me, he gently placed the bracelet on Alexis’s wrist.

Charles was the orphaned son of my grandfather’s wartime comrade and had been taken in by my family when he was ten. We grew up together, and everyone assumed he’d become my fiancé one day.

That was until my father brought home Alexis, the illegitimate daughter who had been abandoned as a child. From that day on, Charles changed completely, spending all his time with Alexis and treating me with disdain. He claimed I was a pampered princess, while Alexis understood the “hardships of living under someone else’s roof.”

When my grandpa fell seriously ill, Charles refused to visit him. My attempts to persuade him only led to his outburst, “Do I owe him? Just because he raised me, should I be grateful my entire life? I’m not a pet!”

Some loyalties can never be forced.

Now, Alexis was in my custom-designed dress, even adorned with my jewelry. Charles tossed me an outfit. “Wear this. It suits you.”

It was an old, faded dress with a broken zipper. Alexis stepped forward, pretending to help me put it on, “Sister, did you gain weight? I can’t zip it up...”

I remained still, knowing that if I resisted, she’d fall and claim I had pushed her. Seeing I wasn’t taking the bait, she awkwardly stepped back.

I stood up calmly, clad only in the shabby dress, and walked out.

The hotel ballroom was ablaze with lights and filled with guests. My entrance fell like a stone, silencing the room for a moment.

Then the murmurs began:

“Is that the eldest Martinez daughter? Dressed like that?”

“Hush, I heard she’s blind... and why isn’t anyone helping her?”

“I thought she was married to Charles, but didn’t he marry the younger sister?”

“Well, it makes sense. One is disabled, the other is pretty. If I were him, I’d choose the younger sister too.”

Charles approached, holding a coffee cup, and glanced at me, “A blind person shouldn’t wander around. If you break something, no one will cover the cost.”

His tone suggested that the entire Martinez family now danced to his tune.

I was about to reply when Alexis walked out tearfully. Her dress had a noticeable slash.

Tugging at Charles’s sleeve, she sobbed, “My sister just tore my dress...”

Charles’s expression darkened as he roughly shoved me. “What is your problem? Just because something went wrong on our wedding night, do you think it’s okay to humiliate her?”

“I was willing to acknowledge you as Mrs. Gray here publicly. But now, it seems unnecessary.”

“Just because you’ve always been privileged and today you’re down, you think it’s okay to drag her down too? Alexis has always been beneath you in standing, how has she ever wronged you?”

Beneath me?

I couldn’t help but laugh.