Chapter 3

Later on, my family started getting busy, juggling the wedding and Juliette's award ceremony.

Their smiles grew more frequent, while my body gradually weakened. By the night before the wedding, I couldn't even eat.

On that evening, Mom casually said, "Madison, you should skip Juliette's wedding banquet. You have difficulty moving, and we won't be able to take care of you once things get busy."

Dad chimed in, "I happened to find a famous doctor from overseas for you. Go see him tomorrow."

Just as I was about to speak, Juliette slammed the table. "Dad, Mom, stop talking nonsense! Madison is my sister. How could she miss my wedding—"

I smiled at her. "Of course I'm going. My little sister is getting married. There's no way I'd miss that."

Mom shot me a displeased look, but I ignored her. I continued, "Don't worry. I'll stay in a corner the whole time. I won't cause any trouble for you."

Marcus let out a cold snort. "You'd better be. If you try any more tricks, I won't let you off easily."

…

The next day, I waited downstairs very early.

Juliette smiled mockingly. "You're so eager. Anyone who didn't know better would think you're the one getting married."

I chuckled. "Since I have to wrap so many layers of bandages on my wounds, I have no choice but to start getting ready early."

When she heard my words, the smugness in her eyes deepened. She came down the stairs and clipped a name tag onto my chest to mark my identity.

When the housekeeper wheeled me into the banquet hall, everyone's eyes turned to me.

"So, Juliette has an older sister. Why haven't I ever heard her mother mention this?"

"Isn't it obvious? It's definitely because the gap between them is too wide."

Some guests who knew about my relationship with Leon sighed repeatedly and looked at me with immense pity. I avoided it all and stayed in the corner as promised.

Suddenly, Leon walked toward me, swirling his wine glass. "You were the one who insisted on coming, so why can't you handle people gossiping about you now?"

I let out an irritated laugh and didn't bother explaining to him. I picked up my champagne and clinked it against his glass. "Happy wedding, Leon."

Leon grew angry and knocked over my drink. "How long are you going to keep being so sarcastic? I've told you so many times that I'll marry you. Why won't you believe me?"

His chest heaved as if he were the one who had been wronged. "If you keep this up, I might just turn this fake marriage into something real!"

At that moment, Juliette stepped forward and held his arm tightly. "Darling, the ceremony is about to start."

Hearing that endearment, I felt nothing. I sat in the corner of the banquet hall and watched as the man who had once made me countless promises now pledged himself to the woman who had taken everything from me.

"Juliette, I'll love you forever," Leon said.

Juliette kissed him back and said, "Me, too."

Mom was sobbing uncontrollably below the stage. "If only Juliette were my own flesh and blood."

Marcus wiped her tears, his own eyes turning red. "Mom, what are you talking about? Juliette is your daughter and my sister. She's the pride of all of us."

Pride?

I let out a soft laugh and turned to leave without a word.

Just then, Juliette called out to me in front of the crowd, "Madison, aren't you going to say something?"

I pressed the brakes on my wheelchair and slowly turned to face the nearly perfect couple before me. I spoke each word deliberately, "I hope you two can stay happy forever."

A strange silence fell over the room, perhaps because my blessing was too stiff or because my appearance was too "unique".

In any case, Mom and Dad were very unhappy. After the crowd left, they turned on me. "Can't you even say a proper blessing? What else can you do besides embarrass us?"

Marcus snorted and shoved me. "Juliette is too kind to even let a buzzkill like you attend the wedding."

I stumbled and fell to the ground.

Marcus froze for a moment and reached out instinctively, but he couldn't bring himself to help me up and only straightened my wheelchair. I used all my strength to slowly crawl back into the wheelchair, bit by bit.

What was there to say? In their eyes, I was inferior to Juliette in every way. Even my well-wishes were wrong.

I left in silence, pushing the damaged wheelchair with what little strength I had left. When I looked up, Leon was standing not far away. We met each other's gaze for a second, then he turned and walked away with his wine glass as if he had never witnessed the scene.

In that moment, the last of my inner strength vanished. I moved slowly through the streets like a ghost. When I looked up, countless drones slowly formed Juliette's name in the sky.

It was ironic. That idea had originally come from me. I never expected it to be used for Juliette in the end.

At that moment, my phone rang.

Juliette's mocking voice came through the phone, "Couldn't take it anymore and ran off already? I wasn't even done with my performance yet.

"But there's no rush. After the wedding, there's still an award ceremony. Another show is waiting. Madison Griffin, you'll never be able to appear in the same place as Leon for the rest of your life."

My phone dropped to the ground with a thud, but I didn't have the strength to pick it up.

Juliette's voice on the other end grew impatient. "Are you there? Why aren't you saying anything? Damn it! If you don't respond, I won't even find you a doctor anymore! Everyone in the family listens to me now!"

After a moment of silence, she hung up in frustration.

Just then, the door was gently pushed open. A man in a black suit helped me up. "Ms. Griffin, are you the one who scheduled the death care service?"

I nodded and pointed weakly at a cardboard box nearby. "After I pass away, please play everything in this box at my funeral."

After I finished speaking, my hand dropped to my side.

I heard the man sigh beside me. "Ms. Griffin, you've been through a lot in this life. Leave the rest to me."