Chapter one

Chapter 1

Rachel’s POV

“Get off me, you little monster!” I remember how I was treated differently from my sister by my father.

He hated me so much and I knew it. The only person he adored so much was my twin sister, Ellien.

“Come here, my little princess.” I would watch him lift her into his arms. Then, in a low whisper, one I was always meant to hear, he’d mutter those words I hated most: “There’s no way she’s my child.”

Ellien was born first and easily without trouble. But me? My birth wasn’t so simple. My mother suffered severe complications while giving birth to me — complications that later claimed her life.

I wasn’t born into some fantasy werewolf world like the ones I read about in books. No — this was the human world. But strangely, I was also born with long white hair and thick white brows, features that made me look different from anyone else. A monster — that’s what my family called me.

My father hated me so much and he considered me ominous. He pushed me away at every chance, refusing to let me come near him as if even my presence could curse him.

Sometimes I wondered why he still kept me in the house. Why hadn’t he cast me out completely? Why did he keep me so close when he despised me so much?

But now I realize, This was the reason.

The reason he had kept me was finally here.

“Where do you think Ellien could be? How could she? How could she run away on the day of her engagement?!” I heard Father growl in anger, his heavy footsteps thudding against the floor as he approached my room.

A tear slid down my cheek, and the maid immediately frowned. She had spent the last hour trying to perfect my makeup, but I just ruined it with a single tear.

“I’m sorry…” I whispered, grabbing a tissue to wipe away the rest of my tears.

“You should save that apology for your father, not me!” she snapped harshly, glaring at me with clear disgust.

And just then, the door to my room burst open with full force as Father stormed in.

The room instantly fell into a suffocating silence as if the devil himself had entered. His cold, scrutinizing gaze swept over me before his expression darkened.

His sharp glare then shifted to the maid.

“What’s wrong with her makeup? I told you to get her ready before they arrive!” Father roared, his voice thundering through the room.

I watched as the maid trembled in fear.

“It was her,” she said quickly, not even hesitating to throw me under the bus. “She ruined everything with her tears.”

I knew it, She hated me too.

My Father’s face hardened, and I instantly knew I was in trouble. She was right. I should save my apology for my father.

“F-Father. I’m sorry. I just—” Before I could finish those words, a loud slap landed harshly on my cheek.

SMACK!

“How dare you! Are you trying to ruin everything just like your sister?!” He screamed directly in my face.

My cheek stung painfully. I wanted to cry, I wanted to cry so much but I couldn’t dare let those tears fall. I had to hold them back — no matter how much it hurt.

“Finish it up and get her ready,” Father instructed coldly before turning to leave the room but not without a stern warning glance.

I was nothing more than a replacement for my sister.

Two weeks ago, Ellien's marriage was arranged by father with the Charltons. She was to marry the oldest son, J who was known to be dangerous but strangely Ellien wasn’t against it. She looked happy and nodded accepting her father’s decision without complaint, but no one had imagined that she would disappear the day before their engagement ceremony leaving behind a letter.

“I’m sorry, Father…" But that never solved anything.

She must have run away knowing Father would use me as her replacement.

After all… we were twins. Ellen and I shared many similarities, our height, our figure, even the way we walked — everything was nearly identical. The only thing that set us different was our hair. Ellen had natural, wavy brown hair, while I was born with the very thing I was hated for — white hair that marked me as different… as cursed.

And so, I was forced to become her substitute since no one knew about my existence.

No one outside our family knew I existed. The only daughter registered by law was Ellen. Father never bothered to register me, never acknowledged me as his child. I was a shadow… a secret.

So I guess that made it easy for him to trick the Charltons family.

I felt numb as I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

Her supposed wedding dress looked perfect on me. My unusual white eyebrows had been concealed with dye, and a brown wig styled exactly like Ellien’s hair now covered my white hair.

All of this… just to hide the truth. Just to hide me.

Never had I expected to be taking Ellien's place. My heart ached every chance it got. How could Ellien do this to me?

Ellien knew the only person I loved was Jacob, yet she still did this to me.

How would Jacob feel when he found out I was getting married to someone else? Jacob was my lover, the one who loved me so dearly. We had been planning to move in together, dreaming of a quiet life away from all this chaos but I never had the courage to talk to father about him. Maybe I just didn’t dare to tell Father about him.

The maid led the way as we walked toward the living room. A storm of thoughts swirled in my head. I wanted to escape, to run away like Ellien did but Father had increased the security tenfold. It felt as though the whole universe was against me.

The moment we arrived at the living room, where Father was waiting, I noticed him freeze the instant his eyes landed on me.

For a moment, just a brief moment, I was certain he had almost mistaken me for Ellien. His gaze softened, completely mesmerized.

“You look pretty in that,” he mumbled under his breath but I heard him. My heart clenched painfully.

It was the first time my father had ever complimented me but that didn’t change the harsh reality that I was about to marry a man I had never even seen.

J wasn’t an ordinary man. He was born like a king and lived like one. Ruthless, Arrogant, and Selfish. That was all I had ever heard about him.

Father cleared his throat, snapping himself back to reality.

What would happen to Jacob and me now? What would happen to the future we had always dreamt of?

“F-Father…” I began weakly, my voice shaking.

But he cut me off immediately, his expression hardening.

“Don’t think of saying anything. You are getting married to J replacing your sister and that’s final!” Father said firmly, leaving no room for argument.

My eyes were filled with tears once again.

My heart hurt more than ever. Even when Father had always chose Ellien over me I never felt this crushed.

It felt like my life was falling apart like I was walking down a path I was never meant to take.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

I froze.

My heart raced wildly as if it would burst from my chest. They’re here.

Father’s eyes narrowed slightly, looking concerned.

“Are they here?” he asked, his voice low. Then he turned to the maid. “Go get the door,” he ordered, anticipation thick in his voice.

The closer the maid moved toward the door, the more anxious I became. My whole body trembled. It felt like my life was about to end the moment that door opened. For a second, I wished the world would just end right here.

But the moment the maid pulled the door open,

Everyone froze.

Because standing at the door was not who Father had been expecting. It was Ellien.

No one, not even Father, had imagined she would return so suddenly.

A light of hope flared within me.

It was as though my crumbling world had been given a second chance, a way to put things back where they belonged.

I didn’t know why... but all my lost hope came rushing back. Ellien was back, right? She should at least take back her place. This… this life, this marriage. It was never mine