Chapter 1

My mother's eyes instantly welled up.

"Catherine, what the hell are you saying? I won't allow it!"

Her voice cracked with tears.

"That Astor heir has been completely unhinged ever since his accident. No one even knows how many caregivers he's tortured to death.

"And word is he doesn't have much longer to live. If you marry into that family, you'll basically be a widow before your husband's even dead! How could I ever let you suffer like that? Don't be impulsive. Don't throw your life away for us."

Lex Cale stepped forward and gently steadied her, his expression controlled.

"Mrs. Luthor, please don't get so upset. The Astor heir is just paralyzed. Catherine is young and healthy, and I've already made arrangements to keep an eye on her. Nothing will happen."

Then he turned to me and took my hand.

"Catherine, you've really grown up. You've become so selfless." His voice softened. "Don't worry. I swear to God—I will never let you suffer.

"As soon as this blows over, I'll bring you right back and make it up to you a hundred times over."

So this was his idea of not letting me suffer?

Getting my sister pregnant, then having me marry a half-dead paralyzed man in her place?

How absurd. Wasn't every bit of pain I was enduring right now because of him?

My father looked like he wanted to say something more, but just then, Veronica walked in, one hand protectively cradling her stomach.

"Catherine, I'm so sorry. I'm really, really sorry." Tears streamed down her face like a broken dam. "Thank you. Thank you for blessing us.

"Lex and I… we couldn't help ourselves. That's how this baby happened. If it weren't for the pregnancy, I would rather die than make you take my place…"

Lex immediately wrapped his arm around her and soothed her gently.

"Veronica, what are you doing? She's getting married, not going to her execution. You're pregnant! Why are you crying so hard? What if it hurts the baby?"

Then he looked at me with impatience.

"Catherine, Veronica already apologized. What more do you want?"

I felt sick to my stomach.

I turned to leave, but Veronica suddenly grabbed my wrist and dropped to her knees in front of me with a loud thud.

"Catherine, I know you hate me. Go ahead, hit me, curse me—I deserve it. Just please don't shut me out! This is all my fault!"

As she cried and begged, her elbow knocked against my emerald bracelet with uncanny precision.

The bracelet snapped cleanly in two and clattered to the floor.

It was my eighteenth birthday gift from my father.

"Veronica!"

Furious, I tried to push her off me.

The moment my hand brushed against her sleeve, she suddenly clutched her stomach and screamed.

"Ah! My stomach hurts…

"Catherine, why did you push me? I know you're angry, but this baby is innocent! He's not going to come between you and Lex. Why would you try to hurt him…"

"Veronica!"

Lex's eyes turned bloodshot as he rushed over and shoved me as hard as he could.

The small of my back slammed into the sharp corner of the coffee table.

The searing pain drained every drop of color from my face.

"I didn't push her!" I yelled. "She fell on her own! And she broke my bracelet!"

"Enough!"

Lex cut me off with a furious roar, his eyes full of disgust.

"Catherine! How can you be so cruel?

"You can hate her all you want, but the baby is innocent! That child is my son—your own nephew! How could you do something like this?

"You weren't even wearing your bracelet properly, and now you're trying to blame Veronica for breaking it? It's just a cheap piece of jewelry. Who cares if it's broken?

"If anything happens to Veronica, I will never forgive you!"

With that, he scooped Veronica into his arms and rushed out the door.

My mother turned on me too.

"Catherine, how could you be so childish? Even if you resent your sister, you don't hurt your own family! How did we raise such a cold-hearted girl? I really regret adopting you in the first place."

My father helped my hysterical mother, disappointment written all over his face.

"Catherine, I know you're angry. I know you hate that Veronica took Lex from you.

"But at the end of the day, you're family. And your sister is pregnant. How could you be so spiteful?

"It's only a bracelet. If it's broken, I'll buy you another one."

His voice grew heavier.

"But you… you've really let me down."

Then he put his arm around my mother and hurried after them. The door slammed shut behind them.

I bent down and picked up the broken jade bracelet, clutching the shattered pieces tightly in my palm. Blood seeped through my fingers, but I didn't feel a thing.

That bracelet had been my coming-of-age gift from him. But in the end, I was the only one who had ever truly cherished it.

So much for family.

It was all a lie.

An adopted daughter would always be just an adopted daughter.

How could I ever compete with blood?