Chapter 4

I watched the streets blur past the car window and laughed bitterly at the absurdity of it all.

Mom and Dad wanted Nina as their goddaughter but didn't want people saying they'd replaced their dead child. So they used me as an excuse to make themselves look better?

It was almost laughable.

My parents' anniversary party was being held at the fanciest hotel in the city.

Everyone was dressed in expensive formalwear, their faces adorned with perfectly practiced smiles. And there I was, wearing faded jeans and an old puffer jacket with fraying cuffs.

Julian kept a firm grip on my wrist as he led me straight toward Mom and Dad, who were surrounded by guests.

"Mom, Dad, I've got a huge surprise for you!" Julian announced.

But Mom's gaze immediately drifted to Nina's belly, her eyes full of affection. "Oh! Is Nina expecting another—"

"It's not about Nina!" Julian interrupted, pushing me forward. His voice rose with excitement. "It's Samantha! Mom, it's Sam! She's alive! She's come back!"

The entire crowd fell silent.

The smiles on their faces vanished like cheap paint stripped away with solvent, leaving behind shock, undisguised disgust, and cold indifference.

Mom frowned as though she'd just seen something revolting. "Samantha? What are you doing here? Who invited you?"

Dad's face darkened, his eyes filled with disappointment and anger as he snapped under his breath. "What the hell are you doing? Haven't you embarrassed us enough?"

The disgust on their faces was so perfectly matched that I actually laughed, though I was sure my smile must have looked more like a grimace.

Years ago, Nina's younger brother, Lucas Bennett, entered the same prestigious design competition as me. His entry was identical to mine.

But he had the nerve to accuse me of copying him, even producing forged timestamps and fake records of his creative process as evidence.

Mom and Dad, who were sitting beside Nina, took one look at his so-called evidence and believed him without question.

Mom was the first to rush forward. Right there in front of the judges and reporters, she slapped me hard across the face.

"Samantha! I knew you'd never change! You used to steal Nina's dance shoes and dresses when you were little, and now you've stooped to stealing other people's designs! You've humiliated the entire family!"

Camera flashes exploded all around me, each one cutting deeper into my humiliation.

I fought my way through the crowd with only one thought in mind.

Find Julian!

He was the only other person who had a key to my studio. All my original sketches, preliminary drafts, and digital working files were all there. He was the only one who could prove my innocence!

I rushed frantically to his apartment near the office and let myself in with the spare key he'd given me.

The living room was empty. But the bedroom door stood ajar, and I could hear moans coming from inside.

My hands trembled as I pushed the door open.

The sight that greeted me made my blood boil. Julian and Nina were having sex in the bed we'd share as husband and wife.

I charged into the room and slapped Nina with all my strength.

Julian shoved me away, wrapped a blanket around Nina's naked body, and pulled her protectively into his arms. "Samantha! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Nina sobbed in his chest, but her words came through clearly. "Samantha… I'm sorry… Julian and I really love each other. Please, can't you just let us be together?"

I looked Julian in the eye and forced out each word. "Why, Julian? Tell me, why would you do this to me?"

Guilt flickered across his eyes, but he quickly looked away.

When he spoke, his voice was stiff. "Lucas wants to go to the same art school we did, but his grades aren't good enough. His only way of getting in is to take first place in this competition and qualify for special admission.

"Sam, you've already graduated, and you've won plenty of awards. Missing out on one more isn't going to hurt you."