Chapter 2

VALERIA

“Yes! How did I not think of that?!”

My mom was the first to leap to her feet, clapping her hands in excitement. Her eyes sparkled as she stared at me, and for some reason, my stomach twisted. Her expression reminded me of how a hungry dog might look at a fleshy bone.

A disrespectful description, I know. But that's just how I felt.

She continued, voice bright with enthusiasm, “Nessa and you are identical twins, and most importantly—when we made the agreement with that man, we never specified which daughter it would be!”

"Shut up!"

"Mom!"

The moment those words left her lips, both my father and Aaron shouted at her in unison. Their sharp voices cut through the room, and for some reason, their reactions made my heart sink.

If I hadn't seen it wrong, they seemed afraid. Anxious.

But afraid of what?

These two weren’t the type to lose composure over just anything. And then—my mom’s words echoed in my head again:

"…and most importantly, when we made the agreement with that man, we never specified which daughter it would be!"

That line. That seemed to be the what they were reacting so intensely to.

Up until now, I’d assumed the devil of a man had seen Nessa, gotten infatuated, and then, demanded her hand in marriage. But if that were the case, wouldn’t he have made it clear exactly who he wanted?

That would’ve been the logical and right thing to do.

At first, I hadn’t thought too deeply about Mom’s statement. I’d brushed it off as another one of her careless comments. But with the way Dad and Aaron reacted, I couldn’t help but think deeper. And the moment I did, a terrifying thought crept into my mind.

No.

I shook my head. That couldn’t be it. That was impossible. They wouldn’t do that to me.

Right?

But then I looked at their faces, and saw the way they wouldn't meet my eyes.

No. No. No.

I could accept being asked to replace Nessa. I could even forgive them for that. But this?

It'll break me.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I turned to my mom, desperate and pleading.

“Please tell me I’m wrong. Please… Just… please,” I whispered, my voice trembling and barely audible as I looked from her to Dad, then to Aaron.

My vision blurred, but I forced myself to search their faces for something—anything—to prove that I was overthinking.

But no one answered.

Instead, my dad turned sharply to glare at my mom. “You really can’t get anything done right,” he snapped.

That one sentence nearly crushed me.

My mom, too, seemed to realize she’d said something wrong, though judging by the confused crease in her brows, she wasn’t entirely sure what.

Still, she stayed quiet, lowering her head, likely afraid she’d make things worse if she spoke again. So even as I looked to her, silently begging for answers, she refused to meet my gaze.

‘Anyway, I have no idea what’s going on,’ I read her expression loud and clear.

It wasn’t that she didn’t have feelings for me. She did. But her expensive lifestyle depended entirely on her husband, and she wouldn’t risk that.

Not even for her own daughter.

I turned to my dad. “Dad?”

He turned his face away.

And then, finally, I looked at Aaron.

The person I once trusted the most.

“Brother?” I called softly—just like I used to when we were kids, when I’d fallen or gotten hurt.

He smiled, like he used to back then.

But the moment I saw that smile, my heart turned to ice.

Because this time, there was no warmth. Only confirmation.

It was true.

It was all true.

My legs gave way, and I dropped to the floor. A single tear traced its way down my cheek.

I wanted to believe they’d only pushed me to replace my sister because they were desperate. I wanted to believe it had been an impossible decision forced on them. But now, I knew the truth:

There was never a substitute bride.

It had always been me.

From the very beginning, they had planned this. My dad. Aaron. Even Nessa, my twin sister, who I thought I was protecting.

How laughable!

I let out a bitter, broken laugh as tears streamed down my face. I cried, and laughed, and sobbed until the emotions tore me apart from the inside out.

Like a clown, they must have watched me walk straight into their trap—step by step—thinking I was fighting for justice, while they all watched me from behind mockingly.

Hahaha.

No wonder it had been so easy to help Nessa escape. They knew me. They knew I wouldn’t sit back and let her be forced into marrying a man we knew nothing about. A man feared and whispered about. They counted on it.

They knew I wouldn't stay put.

They counted on me saving her, and then naturally, I'd have no choice but to marry him myself.

In the end, the only thing I managed to do was condemn myself.

What a perfectly executed plan.

With it, they would manage to get rid of their black sheep daughter, preserve their reputation, and also, earn the devil’s favor—all in one go. Three birds, one stone.

I regretted it.

I extremely regretted it.

I shouldn't have returned home after hearing the news of Vanessa's marriage in the first place.

I should've known that they wouldn't be that willing to marry her off to such a man.

If Vanessa were their only daughter, maybe they would’ve been tempted and considered it.

But when there was me?

Rebellious. Unruly. Embarrassing.

Easy choice.

I cried until there was nothing left. Until my body shook from exhaustion and the sobs faded into silence.

And then, when the tears dried up and only numbness remained, a thought surfaced in my mind.

Maybe…

Maybe marrying that man wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all.