Chapter 3

SELENE

The gifts continued the next morning. At first, I thought it was a mistake—That was only the beginning.

The next day, there was another gift. This time, a designer handbag—sleek, leather, something I’d only seen in magazines. Then came the shoes, the perfume, the silk scarves. Each day, something new appeared at our door, each more luxurious than the last. My confusion quickly turned to disbelief. Who was sending these gifts? Was this some kind of elaborate prank?

My family certainly wasn’t shy about their reactions.

Olivia’s eyes nearly popped out of her head the first time she saw the bracelet. She reached out to touch it, her fingers lingering on the delicate chain. "Where did you get this?" she asked, her voice dripping with skepticism.

"It was left at the door this morning," I replied, shrugging like it was no big deal, though my mind was racing. “I don’t know who it’s from.”

Olivia scoffed, her expression twisting into something sharp. "Probably a mistake. No one in their right mind would send something like this to you."

I ignored the jab, focusing instead on trying to piece together the mystery. But as the gifts kept arriving, Olivia’s curiosity quickly morphed into something nastier.

On the third day, a beautifully embroidered gown was delivered, its fabric soft as a whisper, the kind of dress that felt like it belonged in a royal ballroom. My step-mothers eyes widened when she saw it, but Olivia was livid.

"This has to be a joke," she spat, crossing her arms over her chest. “Who’s playing this game? Do you honestly think someone would send all this to you?”

I didn’t have an answer. I had spent every night lying awake, turning the possibilities over and over in my head. Could it be Mr. Thompson’s grandson? Was it possible that he took his grandfather’s suggestion seriously? But... why would someone who didn’t even know me go through such lengths?

Still, Olivia’s cruel jabs were starting to wear me down.

She stood by the door on the fourth morning, arms crossed, waiting for the next delivery like a vulture circling its prey. When the doorbell rang and another box arrived—a set of diamond earrings this time—she actually laughed, her voice echoing through the house.

"This is hilarious," she said, leaning against the doorframe. “Whoever’s doing this must be having the time of their life. I mean, seriously, Selene. Do you actually believe this is real? No man in his right mind would waste this much on someone like you I can't wait for all of this to blow up on your face!”

Her words stung, but I refused to let her see that. I stood taller, holding the box of earrings like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Maybe someone sees something in me that you can’t," I shot back, my voice steady, even though my heart was pounding.

Olivia rolled her eyes, letting out an exaggerated sigh. "Please. Let’s not kid ourselves. You’re not some princess in a fairytale. This is either a prank, or someone’s confused. Trust me, when they realize their mistake, you’ll be right back where you started—single and humiliated."

I clenched my jaw, refusing to let her have the last word. "At least I’m not desperate enough to steal someone else’s fiancé," I said quietly, but loud enough for her to hear.

Her head snapped toward me, eyes narrowing dangerously. “What did you say?”

"You heard me." I met her glare head-on, refusing to back down. "I may not know who’s sending these gifts, but at least I’m not chasing after someone who was never mine to begin with."

The tension in the room thickened, but Olivia didn’t respond right away. Instead, she gave me a smug smile, tilting her head like she was watching a particularly amusing show. “Whatever makes you sleep at night, Selene. But let’s be honest, whoever this mystery man is—if he even exists—he’s not going to show up. Men like that don’t waste time on girls like you.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could say anything, my Step-mother appeared in the doorway, frowning at the scene before her. “What’s going on here?” she asked, her eyes flicking from me to Olivia.

Olivia didn’t miss a beat, her voice syrupy sweet. “Oh, nothing, Mother. Selene’s just getting some gifts from a... mystery admirer.” She couldn’t hide the smirk playing on her lips. “We were just wondering when he’ll finally show his face.”

My Step-mother’s eyes shifted to the latest gift in my hand, her brows furrowing in confusion. “Again?” she muttered, more to herself than to us. She took a step closer, inspecting the box. “Selene... are you sure you don’t know who’s sending these?”

I shook my head, though I could feel doubt creeping in. "I have no idea."

She looked skeptical, her lips pressing into a thin line. "This isn’t a joke, is it? It could be someone trying to make a fool out of you, Selene. You need to end this its becoming and eyesore."

"I’m being careful," I insisted. "But whoever it is... they’ve been consistent. And if it was a prank, wouldn’t it have stopped by now?"

Olivia snorted, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Or maybe they’re just waiting for the punchline. Trust me, Selene, this is too good to be true. No one sends gifts like this unless they want something in return. You’re probably being set up."

Her words gnawed at me, even as I tried to shrug them off. I wanted to believe that this was real, that maybe—just maybe—there was someone out there who cared enough to go through all this trouble. But Olivia’s constant mocking, combined with the nagging uncertainty in the back of my mind, made it hard to hold onto that hope.

That night, as I sat in my room, staring at the gifts that had been piling up over the last few days, I couldn’t help but wonder... what if Olivia was right? What if this was all a mistake? Or worse, what if it was a cruel joke meant to humiliate me?

I glanced at the diamond earrings, still nestled in their box, sparkling under the soft light. Whoever was behind this, they had gone to great lengths, and it didn’t feel like a joke... but it also didn’t feel entirely real. I hadn’t heard a word from the person sending these gifts. No name, no explanation—just expensive tokens of someone’s affection or... something else.

As I lay in bed that night, my mind raced with possibilities. Could it really be Mr. Thompson’s grandson? Was there a chance this was all leading to something real?

Or was I just being foolish, like Olivia said?

The next day would be the seventh day—the last day of my parents’ ultimatum. I would either have a husband, or I would be forced into a marriage I couldn’t stomach. And yet, no matter how much I wanted to believe in the gifts, in the possibility of a kind stranger, I couldn’t shake the fear that the gifts would keep coming, but the man behind them would never show.

Olivia’s voice echoed in my head: “No man will marry you. This is all just a prank.”

I wasn’t sure who I was more afraid of proving wrong—her or myself.