Chapter 1

Tucker Davenport casually dropped a gift box onto the couch. A half-hearted smile was playing on his lips.

"I'll admit, I was a bit harsh this time. Consider these shoes my apology. They're the latest model."

I looked down at the high heels inside. The smooth leather and sharp stiletto heels caught the light. They shone with a cold, distant gleam.

My legs still ached faintly, which only made the gift feel more ironic.

The shoes were clearly a size too big, yet he insisted they were "specially chosen for me".

When I didn't reach for them, Tucker's expression tightened for a moment. Impatience flickered in his eyes.

"I've already apologized. What else do you want? Even Shelby didn't make a big deal of it, and here you are acting like some spoiled princess. Stop making such a fuss."

My chest tightened. It felt like something was caught in my airways. I drew in a slow breath, trying to keep my voice even. "I wasn't trying to imitate her. The dress was—"

"Are you still going to make excuses?"

Tucker cut me off with a cold, mocking laugh. His voice was dripping with disdain.

"I know exactly what you're up to. You're just trying to imitate Shelby with these pathetic games. Look at yourself. You're nothing but a cheap knockoff."

His scornful gaze hit me like a knife, freezing me in place.

My fingers trembled at my sides. The heels were resting in my lap like a heavy weight of shame.

"If you're not going to wear them," Tucker said sharply, "then give them to Shelby yourself. That can be your apology."

He slid the shoes toward me with quiet contempt, as though my hesitation merely proved my ingratitude.

"Shelby's always been kind enough to overlook your little games," he added. His tone was sharp and unforgiving. "She won't hold it against you."

Those elegant heels now felt like sharp knives digging into my heart.

Every burn on my legs throbbed fiercely. They were a brutal reminder of his cruelty.

And now, he expected me to deliver those very shoes to Shelby, as if I were the one at fault.

Tucker's cold gaze bore into me. "Stop playing the victim. Just hurry up!"

I had loved this man for five long years, but his neglect, indifference, and disdain ripped my dignity apart.

With all the strength I could gather, I forced myself to stand. Pain shot through my legs like wildfire, and the tears I'd fought so hard to hold back finally spilled over.

…

Shelby Pennington was Tucker's unattainable ideal—the woman he adored and kept tucked away in a corner of his heart.

In stark contrast, I was the one who chased after him throughout college.

In my sophomore year, I finally found the courage to confess my feelings. Surrounded by admiring eyes, I became his girlfriend.

Though he never once said he loved me, I held onto hope. I believed that if I loved him enough, I could slowly carve out a place in his heart.

But when Shelby returned, I realized a painful truth. No matter how much I tried, Tucker's heart would never fully be mine.

It happened one night. Drunk and confused, Tucker mistook me for Shelby.

His fingers brushed my cheek gently. He whispered her name with a tenderness and longing he had never once shown me.

I stood frozen. My eyes were locked on his. His gaze was distant, and a faint smile lingered on his lips. It was as if he were lost in the memory of the woman he truly desired.

At that moment, the truth dawned on me. Maybe it was the faint reflection of Shelby in me that made him accept my love and even marry me.

But the instant Shelby returned to the country, that fragile warmth disappeared.

Tucker no longer saw those similarities as a source of attraction but as a betrayal of Shelby's memory.

From then on, whenever I unknowingly wore a color she favored, used her favorite perfume, or styled my hair like hers, he would scowl or lash out with cold, cutting words.

The most humiliating thing I'd ever done was to fall in love with a man who never truly belonged to me.

I traced the burns on my legs and called my mentor abroad.

If I were just a forgotten shadow beneath Tucker's true love, then walking away was the only thing left to do.

…

That evening, Tucker handed me a necklace. "You're coming with me to the cocktail party tonight. Don't make a scene."