Chapter 2

London pulled her hand over her mouth.

She watched in surprise as I downed the entire bottle.

"Kylie!"

Terry and Ruby burst through the door.

I clamped my hands around my own throat.

The bottle of pesticide dropped to the floor.

Out of nowhere, London grabbed the fruit knife from the bedside table and held it to her neck.

"Kylie, you claim that I stole your place. I'm nothing more than a thief and a witch to you!

"You know I can't handle being hurt. Why would you say that to me?

"You had the weed killer ready. Why did you make me drink it, only to copy me? Are you trying to trick Mom and Dad into thinking that I made you drink the poison?

"Fine, I'll just die and get it over with!"

I clawed at my throat, my body convulsing violently in bed.

Bile and vomit spilled from my lips.

"That's enough!"

Terry pushed London out of the way.

"If she was copying you, how did she end up drinking it before you did?"

"I-I don't know…"

London cried into Bentley's arms.

"Quick! She needs her stomach pumped!"

It was a whole ordeal.

Somehow, I came back unscathed.

The doctor ran a test on the fluid inside the bottle.

"It's just regular Coke mixed with an emetic. It was made to look like weed killer."

"I told you she was faking it!"

Bentley slammed his fist on the table and jolted to his feet.

"First, she said triggering things to London, pushing her to take the poison.

"Then, she played the copycat, pretending she'd drink a fake bottle.

"She wanted us to think that London had pushed her toward suicide, so we'd turn against London.

"She planned the whole thing to cement her place as the heiress of the family."

"Bentley!"

Terry cut him off.

"Kylie is a part of this family."

Bentley stopped talking.

"Either way, I don't ever want a repeat of this."

Ruby held me in her embrace, her hand running through my hair.

She met London's gaze.

"I don't want to spell out what really happened today.

"But I'll make myself clear.

"Terry and I will be overseas for business for the next month. If anything happens to Kylie, you're no family of mine.

Carter and Tiffany stayed silent.

Terry said gravely, "The doctor said that Kylie has a form of paranoid personality disorder.

"She is likely to follow through on a suicide attempt by imitation. She's your daughter. Please take this seriously."

"Hmph!"

Bentley made a face.

"If that's true, how has she managed to stay alive for more than twelve years?

"I refused to believe that not a single person around her has died in that time!"

"Bentley!" Carter barked sternly.

Bentley shut his trap.

In the end, I was escorted home under the tight surveillance of the Fleets' bodyguards.

Just as I settled into my bedroom, London opened my door.

"Kylie, you certainly are cruel to yourself."

She leaned in.

"I can't believe you drank the pesticide just to compete with me.

"Granted, everyone's walking on eggshells around you now. Your strategy worked a little."

I stared at her earnestly.

"It's not a strategy. I'm honestly sick."

London scoffed. "Oh, drop the act.

"Kylie, what if you managed to get all the attention to yourself? You had to go to extremes, just to grab something fleeting.

"The Butlers had an agreement with Mom and Dad for you to marry their heir. They have decided that I'll take your place.

"The engagement party is scheduled for tomorrow."

Nathan Butler.

He was the boy who said he'd keep me safe forever when we were kids.

Was he really going to marry London?

"You can struggle all you want, Kylie. It's not going to change a single thing."

London came up close to me.

"Mom, Dad, and Bentley are being nice to you to keep your crazy outburst at bay. Their priority is to stop you from triggering my depression.

"What's mine will always be mine."

"Oh."

London was taken aback.

"You're not upset?"

"Why should I be?"

I was a little confused. "He's yours if that's what you want."

Nathan was just a guy.

Twenty years had passed.

It was no surprise that he didn't want to take me as his wife.

London gritted her teeth.

Letting out a sneer, London stormed out.

The next day, I was woken up first thing in the morning.

The maids dressed me up.

"Do I really have to go to London and Nathan's engagement party?"

I was still half asleep.

Bentley dragged me out of the bedroom.

"You're London's sister. How could you skip out on a moment like this?"

"Aren't you worried I'd copy her and try to be Nathan's bride?"

Bentley chuckled.

"You? Please. I had London's dress customized for this occasion.

"I even hired a world-class stylist to do her makeup.

"Even if you wanted to try, Nathan wouldn't look twice at you."

I glanced down at myself, dressed in the dirt-cheap dress the nanny had put me in.

He had a point, though.

"Besides…"

Bentley bent closer, his lips curling mockingly.

"You've spent twenty years living on your own, and it shows. You don't have half the grace or culture London has.

"You can copy her all you want, but Nathan will never fall for you.

"Save your antics for someone else. Just sit back and watch London and Nathan enjoy their special day today.

"Learn where you belong."

Against my will, I was taken to the venue by car.

Up on the stage, Nathan waited for London.

As the leading lady of the event, London was set to make the last entrance.

She would cross the room to Nathan under the dazzling lights.

My gaze fell on the man.

The boy who used to run around on the grass with me was now a highly respected CEO.

Nathan nodded at the emcee.

The lights dimmed. A spotlight suddenly came on.

My vision went white, and I instinctively raised a hand to shield my eyes.

The spotlight was shining directly on me.

The emcee smiled in my direction.

"Let us welcome Miss Fleet as she walks toward the love of her life."