Chapter 2

Erica's POV

Madelyn hesitated, looking torn just as she always did.

She'd been this way for as long as I could remember. She always acted like she'd go along with whatever I wanted, yet somehow, she still ended up with everything that was mine.

Over the years, she'd taken my awards and my birthday presents. Now she was taking my fiancé too.

After more than ten years of giving in to her, it had become second nature. But this time, I wasn't going to back down.

"Tell me, Joseph. Who's your fiancée, Madelyn or me?" I asked quietly.

Madelyn's smile froze, and her eyes immediately filled with tears.

"Erica, how can you say that? I was only trying to help!"

Then I noticed the antique gold bracelet around her wrist. I'd seen Mrs. Crosby wear it before.

Joseph had once told me that his mother would only give that bracelet to the woman she truly accepted as her future daughter-in-law.

Because of that, I'd spent years going out of my way to stay in her good graces, especially during holidays and family gatherings.

But Mrs. Crosby had never given it to me.

Now Madelyn was wearing it.

"Help me? By wearing the bracelet that was meant for me?"

Madelyn sounded close to tears. "Mrs. Crosby insisted on giving it to me. Joe, please explain! I swear I wasn't trying to take you from Erica!"

Joseph pulled Madelyn against him and glared at me. "The bracelet belongs to my mother. She can give it to whoever she wants! Erica, I won't let you insult Madelyn like that. Apologize to her!"

His expression was ice-cold.

For a moment, I barely recognized him. He was looking at me like I was the enemy, not the woman he was about to marry.

I'd once loved this man with everything I had. Now I was simply tired of being hurt by him.

Madelyn ran out crying. Joseph gave me a disappointed look before hurrying after her.

I knew that look too well. Whenever Madelyn was involved, somehow I was always the one who disappointed him.

Tears slipped down my cheeks.

Once, seeing me cry had been enough to send Joseph into a panic. Now, with Madelyn in the picture, he didn't seem to care how I felt at all.

I wiped my tears, pulled out my phone, and accepted the overseas assignment my company had offered me.

Joseph never came home that night.

The next morning, I woke to the smell of breakfast drifting through the house.

When I walked out, I found Joseph blowing gently on a spoonful of steaming maple walnut oatmeal.

He said patiently, "Madelyn, I know you're upset, but you still need to eat. I made your favorite, maple walnut oatmeal."

Madelyn's eyes were red and swollen from crying. The moment she saw me, she moved closer to Joseph as if I'd done something to her.

Joseph immediately pulled her closer and frowned at me. "What are you trying to do now?"

I tilted my head and looked at him. "What could I possibly do? What have I even done?"

Was he talking about me asking which one of us was actually his fiancée? Or asking why Madelyn was wearing the bracelet meant for his wife?

Joseph had no answer.

Madelyn tugged at the hem of his shirt and sniffled. "Erica, Joe, this is all my fault. Please don't fight because of me."

She'd called him Joe from the day I introduced them, claiming she thought of him like a brother. Even with our wedding coming up, she'd never treated him like her future brother-in-law.

I used to think she was just naive. Now I realized the signs had been there all along.

She'd never really seen Joseph as my fiancé, and she'd never really seen me as her sister either.

Joseph frowned and picked up the other bowl of maple walnut oatmeal. He held it out to me like he was doing me a favor.

"Here. Madelyn saved you some breakfast."

I didn't take it.

Joseph's expression darkened. "Enough with the attitude, Erica! There's only so much of this I'm going to put up with!"

I looked at the bowl in his hand and said evenly, "I'm allergic to walnuts, Joseph."