Chapter 2

I chose the very day their adored little princess was set to win her award.

The doctor sighed with regret and prescribed me one last round of painkillers.

I accidentally used Oliver's card to pay. To my surprise, both of them came rushing to the hospital.

"Sienna, Tim and I went to the prison gates to pick you up. Why did you come to the hospital without waiting for us?

"What's wrong? Not feeling well?"

They were lying.

Through the window, I could see Kate sitting in Oliver's car, dressed in a sleek, well-fitted dance outfit.

They'd obviously just been picking Kate up from her dance class.

I didn't call them out. Without missing a beat, I hid the pills behind my back. "I caught a cold in prison. Just came to grab some cold medicine."

They didn't press any further. Oliver awkwardly brought up the wedding. "My mom's been nagging about it forever. Now that you're finally out, let's go try on your wedding dress today."

My head snapped up. To my surprise, my heart still fluttered a little, and I couldn't help nodding.

Just as I was about to get in the car, Kate bounced out to greet me. "Sienna, I've been waiting for you forever! We can finally go home together!"

With that, she lunged at me like a little white bunny, but Oliver caught her by the arm, as if signaling her not to get close to me.

Tim went even further, wiping his hands with disinfectant wipes where he thought I couldn't see.

Belatedly, I picked up on the disgust and contempt they both felt for me.

"We'll just open the windows. Sienna, you... stick your head out, or everyone's going to catch your cold."

Oliver rolled down all four windows.

It wasn't that I was so shameless I'd do anything to please Oliver, so desperate to wear that wedding dress.

It was because this might be my last chance in this life to see myself in one.

I stuck my head out the window like a dog. The wind chilled my whole face to the bone.

Inside the bridal shop, I put on the wedding dress, which didn't quite fit.

But mocking, vicious words soon reached my ears.

"Is she homeless or something? Why is she covered in scars? That's disgusting."

"And she has the nerve to wear a wedding dress? What poor sucker would ever marry her?"

...

Hearing this, Kate rushed to shield me. "My sister only looks like this because she just got out of prison! Don't you dare pick on her!"

That one sentence was all it took. The whole place erupted.

"She just got out of prison? So she's a murderer?"

"A murderer strutting into a bridal shop to try on wedding dresses? Who's ever going to come here again?"

I clenched my fists. My chest throbbed with pain, wave after wave.

The sales clerk's expression soured. "Miss, if it's all right... could you take off the dress?"

Humiliation, helplessness and shame washed over me.

I looked to Tim and Oliver, but they avoided my eyes.

In the end, they let me down again.

The next second, I felt someone yank hard at the buttons on my back, and the heavy dress slid right off my body.

The scars I'd kept hidden from the light for all these years were laid bare for everyone to see.

"Holy crap! Where did all those scars come from? That's terrifying!"

"Pfft. She dares to wear a wedding dress looking like that? It's so gross. She looks like a toad. I'm going to throw up!"

...

They hurled teacups at me and spat on me, recoiling from me like I was the plague.

Trembling, I glared at Kate and met her taunting gaze. "Why would you do this? I know it was you who pulled the dress..."

Oliver flew into a rage on the spot. "Sienna, where did you learn these tricks? Kate was kind enough to stand up for you, and you dare frame her?"