Chapter Chapter 1: You're Getting Married Tomorrow

"You're getting married tomorrow."

Those words hit me like a slap. My hand shook, I almost dropped the glass I was holding.

I just stood there staring at my parents. Sure I had heard it wrong.

My father sat in the middle of the living room. Papers were spread out on the table in front of him. My mother stood beside him, arms crossed, her face closed like a locked door. Across from them sat my younger sister, Lily.

Our eyes met just for a second, then she looked down fast.

But not fast enough, I saw it. A small smile on her lips It was there and gone in a blink. But it was enough to make my stomach twist like a wet cloth being wrung out.

What did you just say? I asked slowly. I looked at each of them, No one answered right away.

The silence felt wrong, heavy, choking. The kind of quiet that tells you everyone in the room already knows a secret — except you.

My father cleared his throat and finally looked up at me. "You heard your mother."

I gave a nervous laugh and set the glass down on the table. My hand was still shaking "No I think I heard wrong. Who's getting married tomorrow?

"You are." My mother's eyes locked on mine. Flat, Fast, No feeling in them at all.

My smile fell off my face. My heart stopped for a beat, then slammed back to life, too hard, too fast.

I turned to Lily, I thought this marriage was supposed to be yours?

Lily looked down she started playing with her fingers, twisting them together. She looked so soft, so helpless. Anyone watching would have felt sorry for her.

Anyone but me.

Because I knew my sister, I knew that look she always wore it when she had gotten exactly what she wanted.

My father leaned back on the couch and sighed, We know but there's been a small change of plans.

My stomach twisted harder "A small change? I repeated. My voice was shaking now too, You're calling swapping the bride a small change? What exactly is—"

Watch your tone, my mother cut in before I could even finish.

I didn't look at her my eyes stayed on Lily.

The proposal was for you, I said. "So why am I the one walking down that aisle?"

Lily's eyes darted to Mom, then to Dad, she bit her lip "I... I can't do it."

I laughed not because anything was funny. I laughed because everything had just clicked into place — and it felt like a knife turning slowly in my chest.

"You don't want to marry him?"

I looked at my father, then my mother, then  back at Lily. Nobody would meet my eyes. Everyone was suddenly very interested in the wall, the floor, their own shoes. Anything but me.

I turned back to Lily. "You don't want him. So you're handing him to me instead?"

Still nobody spoke. My throat closed up tight.

I had spent my whole life being the second choice, the backup, the one who came after, the  spare daughter. And somehow, even after all that, I had still believed there was a line my family wouldn't cross.

I was wrong.

I dragged my sleeve across my face before anyone could see. My throat burned. I bit the inside of my cheek trying to hold it in, I lost that fight the tears came anyway.

The company's in trouble," my father finally said.

I stared at him. "What does that have to do with me?"

It has everything to do with you, he said. "The Kingsleys are willing to help us."

My stomach dropped straight to the floor. The pieces slid together, one by one, like a puzzle I never wanted to finish. The company was sinking, The Kingsleys had money and they wanted a bride.

My family had decided I was the price.

You sold me?" My voice came out barely above a whisper.

My mother's face went hard as stone. "Don't be ridiculous."

No." I shook my head. "That's exactly what this is.

My father stood up. "That's enough, Ivy."

No, it's not." Years of swallowed anger came pouring out of me all at once. You want me to marry a stranger because Lily doesn't want him. And I'm supposed to just say thank you?"

This marriage will save this family, My mother said it like that settled everything. Like it closed the case.

I stared at her, stunned. "Then why isn't Lily the one saving it?"

No answer.

Of course not because we all knew the truth. If Ethan Kingsley was really the perfect husband they claimed he was, Lily would already be picking out her own wedding dress.

The fact that they were pushing him onto me instead — that meant one thing. They were hiding something, something important, something bad.

I looked back at my sister for the first time all night, she looked straight at me and she smiled. Not her usual fake smile, not the sweet, innocent one she gave everyone else.

This one was different, this one was pure victory.

It lasted only a second before she dropped her head and pretended to wipe away tears. But I had already seen it. And something inside me cracked, I wasn't looking at a scared little sister anymore, I was looking at someone who had handed me over — on purpose — to save herself.

The room felt like it was shrinking around me. The walls felt closer, I couldn't breathe. Without another word, I turned and ran up the stairs.

My mother called after me I didn't stop.

My father shouted that the wedding was tomorrow. I didn't stop for that either.

By the time I reached my room the tears had already blurred everything in front of me. I slammed the door and locked it, Then I slid down against it until I hit the floor, my chest heaved as I fought to catch my breath. None of it felt real.

Married, Tomorrow?

To a man I had never even spoken to? A man who used to belong to my sister's future, not mine.

I dropped my face into my hands and  I cried. Not softly, not gracefully, I cried until my whole body shook with it.

I cried for the little girl who spent years trying to earn her parent's love. I cried for the teenager who kept believing things would get better. And most of all, I cried for the woman who had just found out exactly how little she mattered to the people who were supposed to protect her.

About twenty minutes later, someone knocked.

I didn't answer. The knock came again, then the door opened anyway.

I looked up. My mother stood there, a spare key still in her hand. Of course she had one, of course...

She shut the door behind her and looked down at me, Neither of us spoke for a moment. Then she sighed.

"The sooner you accept it, the easier this will be."

I laughed, bitter and dry, and wiped my face with the back of my hand. If this marriage is so wonderful, why don't you give it to Lily?"

Her jaw tightened. I got to my feet, slow, unsteady.

If Ethan Kingsley is such a great man, I said, why won't your favorite daughter marry him?

She said nothing.

That silence told me everything I needed to know. I nodded slowly, like something inside me had finally settled into place.

She stepped closer, looking straight into my eyes. This wedding is happening whether you like it or not."

Then I asked the question that had been eating at me all night.

"What aren't you telling me?"

For one second, I saw it. A flicker of doubt in her eyes, Just one second then it was gone.

That scared me more than anything else she had said all day. Because it proved I was right.

There was something about Ethan Kingsley they were desperate to hide. Something big enough that even Lily wouldn't touch it. And tomorrow, they were sending me straight into it.

My mother left a few minutes later.

The second the door shut, I heard a click. I lunged for the handle, Locked, She had locked me in.

I stood there staring at the door. Then I let my forehead fall against it, slow and heavy.

A prisoner, In my own house?

Eventually, I ran out of energy to fight it. Somewhere in the middle of the night, I cried myself to sleep.

The next morning, strange voices woke me up. I opened my eyes and froze.

Three women stood in my room.

A makeup artist, a hairstylist, and a stylist holding a garment bag.

By the wardrobe hung a white wedding dress. My blood turned to ice.

The door opened again, my mother walked in. Two large bodyguards followed behind her. Fear dropped into my chest like a stone.

I looked from the dress, to the bodyguards, to her.

"What is this?"

She didn't answer right away Instead, she turned to the women "Get her ready."

My heart slammed hard against my ribs.

"Mom—"

For the first time all morning, she looked me dead in the eye there was no warmth in it, No hesitation, No guilt, Just cold, flat resolve.

Whether you walk down that aisle on your own, or someone drags you there, she said, "you are marrying Ethan Kingsley today."

One of the bodyguards stepped over and locked the bedroom door from the inside. The click echoed through the room like a gunshot.

And that's when it finally hit me.

I wasn't their daughter anymore.

I was the sacrifice.