Chapter 1

I kept my eyes fixed on my twin sister, Beatrice Spencer, as she finished her speech and returned to her seat below the stage.

Although we were twins, we were polar opposites in both appearance and personality. Perhaps it was because she was born frail, but she had monopolized all of our parents' love and affection ever since we were children.

At that moment, Beatrice was gazing affectionately at my fiance, Julian Hudson. When their eyes met across the room, I actually caught a glimpse of overwhelming love in Julian's eyes—a man who was always so composed that he rarely let his emotions show.

However, the moment he turned his head to look at me, his fiancee, his gaze instantly turned cold. "What are you waiting for? This is the very last step. Let's get the ceremony over with!" he urged impatiently.

Right after saying that, he picked up a glass of wine and stiffly shoved it into my hand. I instinctively yanked my hand back. In a split second, all eyes were on me.

Looking at his visibly displeased expression, I heard his inner thoughts again. [I've already agreed to marry her. What is she trying to pull now?]

I had poured my heart and soul into him all these years, only to find that, in his eyes, my love was somehow nothing more than an unreasonable fit of my own making. I couldn't help but let out a derisive chuckle.

I ripped the engagement ring off my finger and hurled it onto the ground. "I'm not marrying you!"

As soon as my words fell, the lively and festive wedding hall instantly erupted.

"What on earth has gotten into you, Clara?" Julian was the first to recover. His forehead creased and his thin lips pressed into a tight line as he looked at me with a stern expression.

Whenever he wore that expression, he was on the verge of losing his temper. If this had happened in the past, I would've already panicked and hurriedly apologized to him.

However, now that I'd heard his real thoughts, I finally understood that all the wholehearted effort I had poured into him had been nothing more than a cruel joke I had played on myself.

"Do you not understand what I just said? In that case, I'll repeat myself—I am not marrying you!"

The guests began whispering among themselves. After all, it was no secret that I was head over heels for Julian.

Julian, on the other hand, couldn't believe that I would give up this golden opportunity to marry him. "Clara, you'd better think this through. If you don't marry me today, we're through!"

I snorted, ripped the veil right off my head, and spat out, "We're through, then. You are no longer worth my time, Julian Hudson!"

As soon as those words rolled off my tongue, a figure abruptly rushed onto the stage. With a sharp, resounding crack, a blinding sting flared across my cheek.

My mother, Olivia Dunn, glared at me venomously, her face contorted with rage. "Have you not embarrassed yourself enough? Hurry up and apologize to Julian!"

My father, Ethan Spencer, followed right behind her. The resentful look in his eyes made it seem as though I wasn't their biological daughter, but rather their sworn enemy.

"Mom, Dad, listen—" I was just about to defend myself when Beatrice cut me off. She sauntered over, affectionately linked her arm with Mom's, and said softly, "Don't be mad at Clara, Mom. I'm sure she didn't mean to embarrass us in public."

Growing up, she had always behaved just like this. On the surface, it seemed as though she was speaking up for me, but in reality, everything she said only fueled Mom and Dad's anger.