Chapter 3

At the bridal boutique, I entered the changing room to try on a wedding gown. I had just unhooked my lingerie when Louise yanked open the curtain of my changing room, revealing my back to the public. The passing customers all exclaimed when they saw me.

Covering my chest with one arm, I tugged hard on the curtain, but Louise was shockingly strong.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Claire! I just couldn't wait to see you in your wedding gown. I didn't expect this to happen. I'm truly sorry," Louise said, all while clutching the curtain tightly.

My gaze grew steadily colder. I gave her a hard shove, knocking her to the floor, before grabbing the curtain and pulling it shut.

To my shock, at the very next second, a pair of hands tightened forcefully around me.

Louise's voice rang out beside my ear. "How dare you push me, you bitch!"

She finally dropped all pretense. Inside the cramped changing room, she drove me into the corner, her nails digging painfully into my flesh. I fought back with all my strength and flung her hands off me—but then, I heard a crisp clink.

A ring rolled across the floor.

I froze.

Seeing my dazed reaction, Louise cackled and remarked, "It looks familiar, doesn't it?"

Holding back the bitterness I felt, I scoffed. "Why are you so proud about getting a hand-me-down?"

However, Louise exploded with laughter, as if she had just heard the funniest joke in the world.

"A hand-me-down?" she repeated before picking up the ring and flashing the inside of the band at me.

There was an engraving of her name, along with the date the engraving had been made—September 8th.

"I'm afraid someone else got the hand-me-down. If I recall correctly, the date on your ring is September 10th, no? Your wedding ring was just the free gift that came with mine, but you cherish it like some kind of treasure and even wear it while you sleep. It's downright hilarious," Louise said, her eyes flashing with malice as she looked at me.

"Oh, right. Do you know when he gave me this ring?"

Smirking, she continued, "It was during our seventh time doing it. He whispered in my ear, saying how good it'd be if I weren't his sister. He said he'd definitely marry me if that were the case."

With my head lowered, I listened in silence. My hands curled tightly around the gown, crumpling it. Then, I unclenched my hands and chuckled.

"So what? It's just as Zachary said. As long as you're his sister, he won't marry you. Even though you did it with him seven times and even walked down the red carpet with him at your graduation ball, I'm still the one everyone congratulates for soon becoming his wife.

"And you're nothing more than a homewrecking bitch who's sleeping around with your brother."

Louise slapped me hard across the face, her entire body shaking with rage. She lunged at me, clawing at my gown. When she couldn't rip it off, she became even more enraged. She grabbed the scissors at the side and slashed at the gown.

I fought to push her off, and our intense fight drew the attention of the people outside.

"Claire?"

Zachary's voice made Louise whip her head around.

By the time she turned back, the sharp blades of the scissors had already stabbed me in the abdomen.

Louise shrieked in fear and dropped the scissors, her hands trembling uncontrollably. The curtain was ripped open, and Zachary struck Louise, sending her sprawling onto the floor.

He crouched on the floor and pressed his hands against my wound to stop the bleeding. His eyes were red, and his voice quivered hard as he cried out, "Claire… Claire… Nothing must happen to you…"

My lips were ghostly pale. I couldn't say a word. In the end, I fainted from the pain.