Chapter 2

I often doubted whether Jason really loved me over the eight years we were together.

Still, he always acted like the perfect boyfriend in front of everyone.

His eyes would light up when he spoke to me, and his every gesture showed love.

Even trivial things, like remembering to bring an umbrella on a rainy day.

One phone call was all it took for him to stop whatever he was doing and come pick me up.

Even after eight years and eight proposals, he turned me down each time.

Everyone still believed we would eventually get married.

Now, seeing him share a photo of his marriage certificate with Tessa’s name instead of mine, I was certain everyone would be shocked.

Tessa is my sister. She was my real sister.

She always took my things since we were kids. No matter how much I cried, I never got them back.

Our parents never liked me. They disliked me and never protected me.

They said that my mother nearly died from a severe hemorrhage when I was born.

Hence, I was called a jinx.

I knew I was not loved by this family.

That was why I studied hard to prove myself.

However, every time I brought home top grades, it only ended with my sister screaming and me getting beaten.

I learned to play it safe after those times.

I never scored higher than her on tests again.

Eventually, everyone just wrote me off as a poor student and a troublemaker.

It was not until my fourth year in college, that Jason was the first person who gave me hope.

He was the first to support me, never judging me by my appearance or my history.

When I worked in the cafeteria, Tessa made my life miserable.

“Sheena, are you really just washing dishes now?

“Are you so broke that you have to take our leftovers home to eat?”

The moment she said that everyone around started laughing and mocked me.

Even with my face hidden behind a mask, my cheeks burned red.

Tessa hated me.

Ever since she found out I was outperforming her in school, she started tormenting me behind my back.

She once waved a hundred-dollar bill in front of me.

“If you eat just one bite of those leftovers, this money is yours!”

I stayed silent, but she would not let it go.

Jason was the student council president back then.

When he showed up, he stood up for me and gave Tessa a stern warning.

After that day, he kept coming back to find me.

He brought me into the student council and took me on to do tutoring jobs so I could make some money.

He told me not to be afraid, and that life demanded courage and moving forward without hesitation.

Jason, those words really sank in.

I would not let my journey halt, nor wait in the shadows for another.

Suddenly, my phone rang, breaking my thoughts.

It was another shareholder from the company.

“Sheena, are you okay? I just saw Jason’s post on social media…”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry, Mr. Scott. No matter what happens between Jason and me, it won’t affect the company.”

At that moment, a thought welled up inside me.

“If you’re interested, I can sell you all my shares.”

Mr. Scott’s voice caught and went silent for a long moment.

Then he said he would think about it and hung up.

I had no idea when Jason came back.

He appeared behind me right after I hung up.

His voice was cold with a hint of surprise.

“Sheena, to whom were you talking? Are you selling something?”

I kept my expression blank, but my heart skipped a beat.

I chose not to tell him about my plan.

“Zayden called. It’s just some recent business contracts for selling certain products.”

“Why would he contact you instead of me, since I usually handle these?”

Jason frowned, staring straight at me as though trying to catch me in a lie.

For the first time, I felt this man was more difficult than I expected.

I raised my eyebrows and deliberately mocked him,

“You are my own sister’s husband, and now you’re acting like you care about me?

“Honestly, with a relationship like ours, no one in society would accept it.

“You’re busy taking care of Tessa all day. When will you finally start focusing on the company?”