Act One: In Holy Matrimony

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The ivory card, left a near physical blow to Katherine's chest.  

"Miss Caroline Donovan and Mr. Castiel Mikaelson cordially invite you to their wedding."  

The words, usually a source of whispered dreams and secret fantasies, now danced before her eyes, each letter a fresh stab of pain.  A wedding? How dare they?  How could they even think about starting their "happily ever after" while she was left with the wreckage of hers?

Her hands trembled, the urge to rip the invitation to shreds overpowering her.  But she held back. Crushing the paper would only be a fleeting act of defiance, a meager victory against the crushing weight of betrayal.

Hailey, her best friend since childhood, watched her with a heart full of concern and a deep frustration that Katherine could see mirrored in her own eyes.  Katherine's face was a canvas of emotions and a disbelief so profound it felt like a physical blow. Hailey was used to seeing Katherine navigate life with her usual kind spirit, her wit always sharp and her confidence unwavering. Now, as of the past few years, she had become a  broken shell.

"I'm so sorry, Katherine," Hailey said, her voice a soft whisper that felt inadequate in the face of Katherine's pain.

Katherine's rage, finally giving way to tears, streamed down her cheeks, hot and unrelenting. "How could they do this to me, Hailey?" she choked out, her voice raw with pain. "How could Castiel do this to me?"

Hailey's heart ached for her.  She knew the bond between the twins, a connection that transcended even the most bitter rivalries. They were inseparable in their childhood, two sides of the same coin, sharing secrets and dreams, their laughter echoing through the halls of their childhood home. Then, the world shifted on its axis, their once-unbreakable bond shattered into a million pieces when they became teenagers.

Hailey pulled Katherine into her arms, the embrace comforting but insufficient. "I don't know," she said, her voice barely a murmur.  "I'm so, so sorry."

The weight of the betrayal pressed down on Katherine, suffocating her.  The years they'd shared, the laughter, the tears, the fights - all of it felt like a cruel joke, a fabricated memory that was never real. How could he do this to her, after all they'd been through?

As the night deepened, Katherine's sobs subsided to quiet whimpers.  Hailey held her close, allowing her to grieve the loss of a love she never truly had. She knew that Katherine would never truly forgive Castiel for this, but she hoped that one day, she could find a way to forgive herself for believing in a love that never truly existed.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Katherine pulled away from Hailey's embrace.  Her face was pale, her eyes still red and swollen, but a flicker of resolve had rekindled in them.

"I need a drink," she said, her voice hoarse.

Hailey smiled, a flicker of hope igniting in her eyes. It was the first sign of Katherine's fighting spirit, the first step towards healing.

"I'll make some tea," Hailey said, her voice a warm balm in the cool night air. "And then, I'll listen to you."

As Hailey busied herself in Katherine's small kitchen, Katherine stared at her reflection in the window, a stranger staring back at her.  She could still see traces of the girl she once was, the confident, vibrant Katherine who had never let anything bring her down.  But that girl was gone, replaced by a shadow of her former self.

"Are you okay now?" Hailey asked, handing Katherine a steaming mug.

"Yeah," Katherine mumbled, her voice still shaky. "But I'm not sure what I'm going to do."

Hailey sat down, her kind brown eyes watching Katherine, the faintest of wrinkles around them testaments to a life lived with compassion. "Why would your own twin do this to you?  That's like the ultimate betrayal!"

Katherine sighed, the weight of the question settling on her shoulders. "I wouldn't put it past Caroline," she said, her voice laced with bitterness. "She's always been evil.  Even when we were children."

Hailey's eyebrows shot up. She had known Caroline for years, but Katherine's words painted a picture of someone she had never seen before. "We've known each other for years, Katherine," she said gently. "And I still don't know what happened between you two."

Katherine took a deep breath, her hand trembling as she brought the mug to her lips. "I think I'm ready to talk about it now," she said, her voice barely a whisper. 

The warm tea soothed her throat, but the words felt like a lump of ice in her stomach.  She had been holding this secret, this painful truth, for years, burying it deep inside, afraid to let it see the light of day. But now, with the wedding invitation burning in her heart, she knew she had to let it out.

She looked at Hailey, her friend, her confidante, the only person she trusted with this secret. "It all started when we were kids," she began, her voice a fragile thread.

The memories came flooding back, a torrent of emotions sweeping over her. They were two peas in a pod, inseparable, their bond seemingly unbreakable.  They shared everything – their secrets, their dreams, their fears. They were the best of friends, the worst of enemies, their love and rivalry intertwined.

"We were always competitive," Katherine continued, her voice growing stronger with each passing moment. "We both wanted to be the best, the prettiest, the most popular. It was a constant battle, a silent war fought on the playground and in the classroom."

Hailey listened intently, her eyes filled with understanding.  She knew that the rivalry between the twins was legendary, a source of amusement and sometimes, concern for their friends.  But it had always seemed like a healthy rivalry, something that fueled their ambition and pushed them to be their best.

"But then, it all changed," Katherine said, her voice cracking. "I don't know what happened, it just happened. We started fighting more, arguing more, pushing each other away.  The fights got uglier, the words sharper, the competition more intense.  It felt like every day was a battle for supremacy, and the line between love and hate blurred."

She paused, trying to find the words to describe the shift in their relationship, the subtle changes that had transformed their bond into a source of pain.  "It was like we were two different people," she said finally, her voice laced with despair.  "We were both so afraid of losing, so afraid of being second best.  We were both so afraid of being alone." 

Hailey knew the feeling.  She had witnessed the intensity of their rivalry firsthand, the way it consumed their every thought. But she never imagined that it would turn into something so destructive, so damaging. 

Katherine took another sip of tea, the warmth spreading through her body, but unable to reach the chill in her heart.  "And then, Castiel came into the picture," she said, her voice barely audible.

"He was everything my family wasn't," Katherine said, her voice filled with regret.  "He was kind, he was gentle, he was patient. And he loved me…or at least I thought he did."

She could still see Castiel's kind eyes, his cocky grin, his unwavering support, a stark contrast to the cold, competitive world she shared with her twin. He had been a beacon of hope in a world of darkness, a reminder of the good that still existed in the world.  

"It was like a breath of fresh air," she whispered, her voice catching in her throat. "He was my escape, my solace.  But in the end, he was just another player in the game." 

The weight of the words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken truths and the sting of betrayal.  

"I need to tell you everything," Katherine said, her voice a mix of determination and fear.  "It's going to be hard, Hailey, but I need to tell you everything."

Hailey reached for Katherine's hand, her touch a silent promise of support.  

"I'm here for you, Katherine," she said, her voice firm and reassuring.  "Whatever happened, whatever you need to tell me, I'm here."

Katherine squeezed Hailey's hand, a flicker of gratitude in her eyes.  She knew she had a long road ahead, but with Hailey by her side, she felt a sliver of hope rekindling within her.  The road to he

aling would be long and difficult, but she knew she had to start somewhere.