Chapter 1

I didn't leave the room.

My fingertip pressed hard against the phone screen until my knuckle turned white.

The mockery in the voice chat room drilled clearly into my ears.

"Amelia has never known her place. Does she really think Damian actually has feelings for her?"

"Damian's just too nice for his own good, putting up with her this long. Anyone else would've dumped her ages ago."

"Serena is the only one who truly deserves to be with Damian."

That last one was Natalie, another illegitimate daughter of the Whitmore family. My younger half-sister.

Just last month, she'd been working as a waitress at a banquet.

Serena, who was attending as a guest, had mocked her in front of everyone, calling her a worthless illegitimate nobody.

I was the one who stepped in front of her to shield her.

The girl had stood there with red-rimmed eyes, timidly calling out to me.

But now her voice was light and carefree, as if she'd long forgotten Serena's humiliation.

Several business associates who had only gotten connected to Damian through my introductions chimed in.

"Marrying into the Whitmore family would be a huge boost for Ashford Group's growth."

"Someone like Amelia, with no real standing, was never going to be taken seriously."

Even the mutual friends who used to tease Damian about marrying me had all switched sides.

Not a single person in that room remembered me with any kindness.

A dense, stinging pain spread through my chest. I gripped my phone tighter.

My finger accidentally brushed the microphone.

A small, audible gasp traveled through the speaker.

Then someone seemed to notice me.

"Wait, Amelia's account is in the room?"

The room went dead silent.

The next second, people started dropping out one after another.

The lively voice chat room emptied in an instant.

Before I could even react, a phone call popped up on my screen.

Caller: Damian.

When I picked up, it was Serena's voice that came through first, trembling and fearful.

"Amelia, I'm so sorry."

"The arranged marriage was set up by our families. I never knew how to tell you..."

"Please don't blame Damian. It's all my fault. If you're angry, take it out on me."

I held back my fury and answered coldly,

"I have no interest in hearing your excuses for being the other woman."

The other end went quiet for a moment.

After a brief silence, Damian's voice came through, low and gentle.

"Mia, don't overthink this."

"The arranged marriage was a business deal set up entirely by our parents. Serena had no choice either. Don't take it out on her, okay?"

His tone was patient and soothing, like he was coaxing a sulky child.

Then he softened his voice even further.

"Be good. I'm going to be busy with the wedding for a while."

"I've reached out to an overseas medical team that specializes in your mother's condition. Once the wedding is over, I'll arrange a consultation for her right away."

My mother had been seriously ill for years.

The staggering treatment costs and access to top-tier medical care had all been arranged through Damian.

I couldn't leave him.

After a long pause, I swallowed the bitterness rising in my chest.

"Fine. I understand."

After that day, everyone dropped their masks.

People sent me private messages mocking me for being pathetically clingy.

Damian's closest friends even showed up at the hospital to intimidate me in person.

"Amelia, Damian's wedding date is set. You'd better be content staying his secret mistress."

Everyone stood on their moral high ground, pointing fingers at me.

Only Damian seemed oblivious to all of it.

Just as he'd said, he'd been consumed with wedding preparations.

He didn't show up for nearly a month.

Until the night before the wedding, when I had just arrived at my mother's hospital room.

The first thing I saw was Damian sitting beside her bed, chatting with her, tucking the blanket around her with practiced ease.

Just like he'd done for years.

I stood frozen in the doorway. Then a shadow fell over me.

Damian had walked up without me noticing.

Before I could look up, he leaned forward slightly and rested his forehead against my shoulder.

His voice was exhausted, barely a murmur.

"Mia, I've been so tired lately."

"I don't know why, but the closer the wedding gets, the more I want to see you."

"There's this emptiness inside me that nothing fills. Only seeing you makes it go away."

His warm breath spilled across my neck.

My body went rigid. A wave of nausea churned in my stomach.

I used to lose myself in this tenderness.

When people belittled my background, he publicly stood up for me.

When I was too exhausted from caring for my mother, he would force me to rest and stay up through the night himself.

Those days had been too perfect. Perfect like a dream someone had carefully woven.

I stepped back without showing any emotion.

"You're about to get married. We should keep our distance."

His forehead met empty air. He assumed I was still sulking.

"Mia, be reasonable."

He coaxed me in a low voice.

"The wedding and the title are just for show. You've always been the only one in my heart."

I knew perfectly well what he was really saying.

He couldn't give up the family resources that came with Serena.

But he also couldn't bear to let go of the effortless obedience I offered.

What Damian didn't know was that I had quietly submitted an application to an elite overseas medical research team.

I'd asked a former senior classmate to write me a recommendation letter, and attached my near-perfect GPA from college.

They would give me an answer in three days.

I didn't expect any problems.

But right now, for my mother's sake, I had no choice.

I looked up at him and played along.

"I understand. I won't make a scene."

Satisfaction finally spread through Damian's eyes, and he pinched my cheek.