Accepted My Sister's Crumb

Charlotte’s POV

By the time I got home, the rain had turned into a downpour. I stood on the porch for a moment, my shoes squelching, my mind louder than the thunder. The front door was unlocked as always, because this house had nothing left worth stealing.

The moment I stepped inside, I heard voices.

Not worried voices.

Excited ones.

“Twenty million dollars, John! Can you imagine what this means? The Green name saved!” my mother’s shrill tone cut through the air like a siren.

Father’s voice followed, deeper but no less frantic. “Thank heavens. I thought we were finished. I knew Cecilia would come to her senses eventually!”

I pushed the door fully open, water dripping from my hair onto the marble floor. Both of them turned to me at once.

“Charlotte!” Mother clapped her hands together. “Oh, darling, you won’t believe what’s happened! Your sister ”

“Didn’t change her mind,” I said flatly, cutting her off.

They blinked.

“I did.”

Father blinked again. “You… what?”

“I told Hayden Maxwell I’ll marry him,” I said. My voice was steady, even though my stomach was twisting into knots. “You can start preparing the wedding.”

The room fell silent. Even the ticking clock seemed to hold its breath.

Then Mother screamed.

“John! Did you hear that? She agreed!” She rushed to me, grabbing both my hands with tears of joy glistening in her eyes. “Oh, Charlotte, you’ve saved us! You’ve saved everything!”

Her words hit me like slaps. Saved us.

Never saved yourself.

I pulled my hands away. “Don’t thank me. You all made sure I didn’t have a choice.”

“Oh, don’t be dramatic,” she said, waving me off. “Sometimes life forces our hand. You’ll understand once you’re in Maxwell Tower living like a queen.”

“I’m not doing this for your company,” I snapped. “I’m doing it because you left me with nothing else to lose.”

“Charlotte,” Father said, his voice cautious, “you should be grateful. Marrying Hayden will restore our name. You’ll be doing this family proud ”

“Proud?” I laughed bitterly. “You’re proud that I’m once again cleaning up Cecilia’s mess?”

The name itself summoned her.

Cecilia appeared at the top of the stairs, still in her silk robe, her hair twisted into a careless bun that probably took an hour to perfect.

“Now, now,” she purred, descending the staircase, “no need to sound so self-righteous, Twin. It’s not like you haven’t done this before.”

I turned sharply. “Don’t.”

Her smile widened. “Don’t what? Remind you that this isn’t your first time being my replacement?”

Mother frowned. “Cecilia, that’s enough ”

“No, let her talk,” I said quietly, though my chest burned. “Let’s hear what she has to say.”

Cecilia shrugged, strolling past me toward the mirror to check her reflection. “Honestly, Charlotte, you should be thanking me. If I hadn’t backed out, you wouldn’t be marrying one of the richest men in the country. You should be sending me flowers, not glaring daggers.”

“You’re unbelievable,” I muttered.

“I’m practical,” she countered, applying lipstick. “What would I do with a blind husband? I’d have to guide him everywhere, watch him bump into walls, pretend I don’t notice people whispering behind my back? No, thank you.”

My hands curled into fists. “He’s still a person, Cecilia.”

She turned slowly, her lips curving. “So is Jacob, right? Oh wait… maybe not to you.”

“Enough!” I snapped, my voice shaking. “You’ve taken everything from me once, you don’t get to laugh while I clean up your life again.”

Her eyes gleamed. “Relax. You’re good at it.” She smirked. “Besides, you’ve always liked leftovers.”

The room went dead quiet.

Mother gasped softly. Father pretended to busy himself with the papers on the table.

I took one step toward her. “You should be careful, Cecilia. One day, you’ll run out of people willing to save you.”

She tilted her head. “Are you threatening me?”

“No,” I said. “I’m promising you.”

For a brief second, the air between us thickened. Her smug smile faltered just barely. Then she laughed, breaking the tension. “Well, if we’re done with the sisterly bonding, I have somewhere to be. My new man is waiting for me.”

“Is it that guy? Ryan?” Mother frowned. “The football player?”

She nodded. “The same. He says he wants to introduce me to his parents. Can you imagine? If that goes well, I could be engaged before your wedding even happens.” She gave me a look dripping with mock pity. “Don’t worry, though. I’ll make sure to attend yours if I’m free.”

She grabbed her clutch and strolled toward the door like she hadn’t just carved a hole in my chest.

“Cecilia,” Father called after her, “be home before midnight!”

She waved without turning back. “No promises, Daddy!”

The door slammed. The silence she left behind was deafening.

Mother sighed dreamily. “Isn’t she radiant? Always full of life.”

I stared at her. “You just let her walk out with another man after breaking an engagement with a billionaire who could crush this family.”

“She’s young,” Mother said simply. “She deserves to have fun. You’ve always been too serious, Charlotte.”

Too serious.

Too plain.

Too available when no one else was.

I felt a sharp ache in my throat. “You really don’t care, do you?”

“Of course I care!” she said quickly. “That’s why I’m happy you’re marrying him. Think about Maxwell Tower, the mansion, the staff, the influence! This is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

“And what if he hates me for it?” I whispered.

She blinked. “Why would he?”

“Because I’m not her.”

Mother didn’t answer. She didn’t need to. The silence was the answer.

Father cleared his throat. “What matters is that he won’t call off the wedding now. We’ll contact his office first thing in the morning. The ceremony can happen as planned.”

My nails dug into my palms. “You already had everything planned?”

“Of course,” Mother said, beaming. “The venue, the guests, the press everything was ready. We only needed the bride.”

“The bride,” I repeated softly, the words tasting bitter. “Not me. Just someone to fill the dress.”

“Charlotte, must you twist everything into drama?” she sighed. “Hayden won’t even notice the difference.”

A laugh bubbled out of me, sharp and humorless. “Oh, he did.”

That made them both pause.

“What do you mean?” 

I hesitated. Should I tell them he already knew I wasn’t Cecilia? That he called me Charlotte without me saying a word?

No. That knowledge felt too fragile, too dangerous to share.

“Nothing,” I lied. “Forget it.”

My mom clasped her hands,

 “Good. I’ll contact the wedding planner right away oh, this is going to be divine!”

She walked away 

And I was left standing in the middle of the living room, drenched, hollow.

…

After I changed clothes, I sank onto the couch, my hands trembling. Every word from earlier echoed in my skull Hayden’s calm voice, Cecilia’s mockery.

What had I done?

“Still playing the hero,” I muttered under my breath. “Still the substitute.”

I leaned back, closing my eyes, trying to breathe through the ache that had settled in my chest.

Then I heard it faint but unmistakable.

The front door creaked open again. Footsteps. Slow. Careful.

I sat up, heart thundering. “Cecilia?”

No answer.

The footsteps drew closer.

“Mom?”

Nothing.

I stood, peering into the dark hallway. The shadows shifted.

And then a whisper low, hoarse, familiar.