Chapter 1

SELENE

I set the last plate on the breakfast table, the clink of dishes grounding me. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, but it did nothing to warm the chill in my chest. My eyes darted to the calendar—months had passed since Lucas and I spoke of our engagement. It was supposed to be official by now, announced by my father. Yet, the moment I longed for seemed farther away than ever.

I was never meant to exist. My mother, a maid in my father’s household, had a brief affair with him. When she became pregnant, she was cast out—he was already betrothed to my stepmother, Margaret. After my mother died, my father reluctantly took me in. I had a place in his house, but never in his heart.

I was the reminder of his weakness.

I lived under his roof like a shadow, helping Margaret, caring for my sister Olivia, hoping one day for a scrap of affection. My only solace was the thought that soon, with Lucas, I would have something of my own. A future that didn’t involve being overlooked or reminded of my unwelcomed existence.

Just then, the door to the house swung open with a soft creak, and Olivia’s heels clicked on the hardwood floor. I glanced up from the table, offering her a small smile out of habit.

“Olivia,” I greeted her, keeping my tone polite.

She barely acknowledged me, letting out a dismissive scoff as she tossed her bag onto a nearby chair. “Move,” she muttered, brushing past me on her way to the living room.

I swallowed back the sting of her coldness and resumed my task, trying to let it roll off my back like I always did. It was easier that way, not to react. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder what had her in such a mood today. Olivia had always been brash, never one to care much for pleasantries, but today, there was something different about her. She was practically glowing, her energy vibrating with excitement.

Just as I finished placing the last dish on the table, she turned back to me, her voice sharp. “You might want to be around for this,” she said, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. “It’s important.”

I blinked in surprise, the dishrag still in my hands. What could she possibly want to announce that involved me? Olivia never cared if I was present for anything. I hesitated, but something about the way she was acting made me curious. I dried my hands and followed her into the living room, where my father and stepmother were already seated. Both of them looked up expectantly as Olivia made her grand entrance.

“Olivia, darling,” my stepmother cooed, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “What is it you called to talk about? Don’t keep us in suspense.”

Olivia didn’t respond right away. She moved slowly, dramatically, like she was savoring the moment. Her hand rested lightly on her stomach, and I caught the way she stole a glance at me before turning her full attention to our parents.

“I wanted you all to be the first to know,” she began, her voice dripping with satisfaction. “I’m getting married.”

The words seemed to hang in the air, filling the room and pressing down on my chest all at once. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. I stared at her, my brain struggling to catch up with what she had just said. Olivia? Married? My first reaction was confusion, quickly followed by a flicker of hope.

I could feel warmth creeping into my chest, a smile tugging at my lips. If Olivia was getting married, surely my own engagement would be next, right? That had to be why she was saying this in front of me. Maybe Father would finally announce my engagement too. After all, it was tradition for the eldest daughter to marry first. I had waited long enough. Perhaps this was the beginning of my moment too.

My father’s eyes lit up with joy, his smile wide and genuine. “Married?” he repeated, clearly caught off guard but pleased. “Well, that’s wonderful news, Olivia. We’ll have to start planning right away!”

“Yes,” Olivia said, her grin widening. “We don’t want to wait too long. After all...” She placed her hand gently on her stomach again, and the room seemed to freeze.

“I’m pregnant,” she announced, her voice soft, but the impact of her words was like a hammer.

Pregnant. I felt the ground shift beneath me as I looked between Olivia and our parents. My stepmother gasped, a delighted, high-pitched sound that made my skin crawl. “Oh, darling, that’s.. A baby! I had no idea!”

Olivia preened under the attention, her eyes gleaming as she glanced at me again. “Yes, we’re very excited. That’s why we want to get married as soon as possible. Before the baby becomes obvious.”

My father nodded, his tone serious now. “Of course, of course. We mustn’t waste any time. But...” He turned toward me, his expression softening with concern. “There’s just one thing. Selene, you’ll need to marry before your sister.”

I felt as though I’d been slapped. Panic surged through me as I tried to find my voice. “I… I’ll speak to Lucas,” I managed to say. “I’m sure we can arrange something soon.”

Olivia’s laugh cut through the tension, sharp and mocking. “Oh, don’t worry about Lucas,” she said, her eyes glinting with cruel satisfaction. “He’ll be fine with it.”

Before I could ask what she meant, the door to the living room opened, and my heart dropped. Standing in the doorway, looking uncomfortable and out of place, was Lucas.

He hadn’t told me he was coming. And the way he stood there, stiff and silent, made my blood run cold.

Olivia’s smile widened as she moved to his side, slipping her hand through his arm. “Everyone,” she announced, her voice dripping with satisfaction. “Meet my fiancé.”

The world tilted on its axis. No. This couldn’t be happening. My throat constricted, and my legs felt weak as I stared at them, my mind struggling to make sense of what I was seeing. Lucas—my Lucas—stood beside Olivia, his hand in hers. My fiancé. No. Her fiancé.

“Lucas?” I whispered, my voice trembling. “What is this?”

He didn’t answer. He didn’t even look at me. His jaw was tight, his eyes fixed on the floor.

Olivia, of course, couldn’t resist twisting the knife. “Oh, Selene,” she cooed, her voice laced with mock sympathy. “I’m so sorry you had to find out like this. But Lucas and I… well, we’ve been seeing each other for some time now. We just couldn’t help ourselves.”

The room swirled around me, my vision blurring as her words sank in. This wasn’t just a nightmare. This was real. Lucas had betrayed me. Olivia had betrayed me.

“You promised,” I choked, my voice barely audible. “You said we were getting married.”

Lucas’s voice was flat, devoid of any emotion. “I’m sorry, Selene.”

“You’re sorry?” My voice cracked. “After everything? After all we talked about?”

He still wouldn’t look at me. Instead, he glanced briefly at Olivia before muttering, “It’s over, Selene. You need to move on.”

Move on. The words ripped through me like a blade.

Margaret’s sharp voice cut through the chaos. “Selene, you have seven days to find a husband.”

I blinked, struggling to process what she had just said. “What?”

“You heard me,” she repeated, her tone colder. “Olivia can’t marry until you do. It’s tradition. You have one week. Find someone, or we will.”

The words hit me like a physical blow. Seven days to find a husband? Seven days, or…?

I managed to ask, my voice shaking, “Someone for me?”

Her lips curled into a mocking smile, one that sent a shiver down my spine. “Yes, dear. We already have someone in mind. Don’t worry.” Her tone was anything but comforting. “He’s not the brightest, but he’s wealthy. And given your… situation, he won’t mind.”

“What situation?” I whispered, though I already knew the answer. It was a cruel reminder that I was now an unwanted burden, cast aside by the one man I thought loved me.

Olivia’s smirk only deepened as she stood there with Lucas, her hand resting possessively on his arm. Lucas wouldn’t even look at me. The man I thought I would spend my life with, the man I’d dreamed of, stood there like a statue, cold and indifferent.

I shook my head, numbness seeping through my body. “I… I can’t do this. You can’t force me to marry someone like that.”

My stepmother’s eyes flashed with impatience. “Force you?” she echoed, her voice rising slightly. “You think we’re forcing you? You have one week to find a man of your choice. After that, you’ll marry the man we choose.” She let out a dry laugh, as though my protest was utterly foolish.

“I won’t do it!” I finally found my voice, a surge of desperation rising up in my chest. “I can’t marry a stranger. I can’t—”

“Do you want your sister to wait until her baby bump is obvious before she gets married?” my father interrupted, his voice filled with frustration. “You’re the eldest, Selene. You know the rules.”

I turned to my father, desperate. “Please, Father, you can’t let this happen. You can’t let them do this to me. I’ve lost everything!”

Father’s face was unreadable, but before he could speak, Margaret’s lips curled into a venomous smile. “Oh, stop your whining,” she sneered. “You were never meant to be anything more than a burden. At least your mother knew when to leave—when she realized where your father’s heart truly belonged.”

Her words cut deep, dredging up old wounds. “You took everything from me,” I spat, my voice shaking with anger. “You took my mother’s place, you turned my father’s heart cold, and now you’re taking this from me too?”

Margaret’s smile only widened, cold and triumphant. “You were always pathetic, Selene. At least your mother had the sense to disappear. You, on the other hand, just linger.”

“Enough,” Father’s voice broke through, but there was no warmth in it. “You have seven days, Selene. Do what you must.”

I stood there, numb, as Olivia and Lucas left the room. My future hung in the balance, teetering on the edge of despair. Seven days to find someone willing to marry a girl who had nothing to offer but a broken heart. Seven days, or I’d be handed off to whoever Margaret and Father deemed suitable.

Tears blurred my vision as I turned and fled the room. There was no escaping the truth. I was alone, and the clock had already started ticking.