Chapter 1

"Kendra, what do you think of these rings?"

I watched as my younger brother, Jude Lockhart, picked out a pair of gold rings from the display.

"Let me try it on and see," Kendra Sable said, shyly holding out her hand.

Yet, I remembered how upset she'd been when I took her shopping for rings last time. She told me that her parents had gotten into a terrible fight over a ring when she was a child, and the argument had ultimately led to a car accident that killed them both.

The incident had traumatized her, and that was why she'd refused when I tried to buy her a ring.

I believed her. I even thought about finding some other way to propose without a ring.

But now, Kendra let Jude slip the ring onto her finger without the slightest hesitation, her cheeks flushed with happiness.

My heart felt hollowed out.

So it turned out her childhood trauma had been nothing more than an excuse to turn me down.

I stepped backward and watched as they held hands and exchanged rings.

Then I pulled out my phone and called Kendra, breaking the intimate moment between them.

She immediately gestured for Jude to be quiet before answering.

"Where are you?" I asked.

"I'm obviously at work," she replied sweetly.

"Oh," I said, a wry smile tugging at my lips. "I thought maybe you secretly went out with Jude."

Kendra stiffened.

"How could I be? I've already told you I only agreed to those dates because I had no choice. Those so-called dates with him were nothing more than dinner to placate him. I love only you. Why would I secretly meet him?"

She said it all without batting an eye, and I couldn't help but wonder when she had become so good at lying. She made every lie sound like the truth.

And now, I couldn't even tell which of her words were real and which were lies.

Just then, Jude leaned over and planted a quick kiss on Kendra's cheek. She didn't push him away. She simply shot him a coy, meaningful look.

"Okay. I've got to go," she said over the phone. "I still have some important work to finish. Just text me what you want for dinner, and I'll bring it home tonight."

She hurriedly ended the call, then took Jude's hand as they walked away together.

For all those years, the little bit of affection Kendra had shown me was what kept me going. But it turned out that it had all been a lie.

If that was all it had ever been, then I didn't want this fake love anymore.

"I've already booked my flight," I said to my supervisor. "I'll be there on time."

I'd accepted the transfer I'd been offered. I'd leave this place and let them have the family they'd chosen.

Later, Jude and Kendra returned home separately so they wouldn't come back at the same time.