Chapter 4

~Camelia POV~

The rest of the drive to Becca’s house was in silence. I rested my head against the window, trying not to think about everything.

But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Every second felt like I was caught in a bad nightmare as my mind replayed all the moments. The fact Peter had stood up for Anya and slapped me made my heart ache even more.

I should have known that Peter wouldn't believe me, and the way he cared for her instead of me made me realize that he never really loved me.

I was a fool for thinking I could trust my sister and Peter.

When we got to Becca house, the sound of the car door shutting felt louder than it should have. I stepped out slowly, my legs weak, like they didn’t belong to me. The air felt colder here, or maybe it was just me.

Becca had already opened the trunk. She grabbed one of my suitcases without saying anything and started walking toward the house.

“Come on,” she said over her shoulder. “Don’t just stand there like a ghost.”

I bent down and picked up the other suitcase. The handle felt heavier than it should have, like everything I owned had suddenly gained weight along with everything I had lost.

We walked up the short path to her door. The silence between us wasn’t awkward—it was thick, like she didn’t know what to say and I didn’t have the strength to answer even if she did.

She unlocked the door and pushed it open.

“Welcome to my humble palace,” she said lightly, stepping aside so I could walk in first.

I stepped in slowly, my eyes scanning the space. It was neat, warm… lived in. Nothing like the empty feeling sitting in my chest.

Becca dropped her suitcase by the wall and turned to me. “You can put yours there for now. We’ll sort it out later.”

I nodded faintly and did as she said. My fingers lingered on the handle for a second before I let go, like I needed something to hold on to.

Becca watched me for a moment, then sighed softly.

“Camelia…” she started, her voice gentler now. “You need to sit down.”

“I’m fine,” I said quickly, even though my voice didn’t match the words.

She raised a brow. “You look like you’re about to collapse.”

“I said I’m fine,” I repeated, forcing my shoulders to straighten.

She didn’t argue, but the look she gave me said she didn’t believe me.

“Okay,” she said after a moment. “Then at least try not to think about them.”

A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

“Not think about them?” I let out a small, shaky breath. “That’s funny.”

She crossed her arms, leaning slightly against the wall. “I’m serious. Stop thinking about your sister and your ex-fiancé. Focus on something else.”

The word ex twisted something inside me, but I swallowed it down hard.

I let out a shaky breath, shaking my head. “Yeah… yeah, you’re right.” I pressed my lips together, my fingers curling into my palms. “They can both rot in hell for all I care.”

The words came out harsher than I expected, filled with something bitter and sharp.

Becca raised a brow slightly, crossing her arms. “You should say that again after you check online,” she said.

I frowned, confusion flickering across my face. “What do you mean?”

Her expression changed, like she wasn’t sure if she should say more. “Just… check your phone, Cam.”

Something about the way she said it made my stomach twist.

My hands moved before I could stop them, reaching into my bag and pulling out my phone. My fingers trembled slightly as I unlocked it, my heart starting to pound for reasons I didn’t fully understand yet.

I opened the browser, my breath catching as the page loaded.

The headline stared back at me like it was mocking me.

{Peter Henderson to Marry Anya Stewart in a Private Ceremony}

My heart dropped so fast it felt like it hit the ground.

“No…” the word slipped out of my lips, barely a whisper.

My eyes moved quickly across the screen, reading every line even though my vision was starting to blur.

{Sources confirm that the engagement had been arranged earlier. The ceremony is expected soon, the couple...}

I stopped reading.

My fingers tightened around the phone as my chest started to ache, each breath becoming harder than the last.

“This… this was posted…” I swallowed hard, my voice shaking. “This was posted before this morning.”

A hollow laugh escaped me, but it sounded broken. “So… it didn’t matter, did it?” I whispered. “It didn’t matter what happened today… he had already chosen her.”

Becca stepped closer. “Cam—”

I shook my head, backing away slightly. “I thought… I thought I was the one who messed up,” I said, my voice cracking as tears filled my eyes again. “I thought I betrayed him… that I ruined everything we had…”

A weak laugh left me, but it broke halfway, turning into something painful. “But he was already going to marry her. He already replaced me before I even knew I was gone.”

My chest tightened, the pain spreading slowly, deeply, like something sinking in.

The way Peter would sometimes go quiet when Anya walked into the room and how his eyes would linger on her just a second too long before looking away.

I sucked in a shaky breath, my chest rising and falling unevenly. “But he… he already made his choice,” I whispered. “He was already going to marry her.”

It felt like something inside me was breaking all over again.

“All this time…” I let out a soft, pained laugh, shaking my head. “All this time, I thought he loved me.”

My vision blurred completely as the tears finally slipped down my cheeks.

Becca closed the distance between us and pulled me into a hug, her arms wrapping tightly around me. “Hey… don’t do this to yourself,” she murmured softly.

But I couldn’t stop.

My phone buzzed in my hand, making me flinch. I looked down slowly, my heart beating unevenly as I saw the name on the screen.

Anya.

For a moment, I just stared at it. Then I opened the message.

The screen filled with a familiar design.

My breath stopped.

It was my wedding invitation, everything was the same. The colors. The words. The date.

But the name wasn’t mine anymore, It was hers.

A message sat just below it.

{Don’t cry too much after seeing this, dear sister}

Something inside me snapped completely.

A sharp cry tore out of me before I could stop it, and I threw the phone across the room. It hit the wall and dropped to the floor, but I didn’t care. My whole body was shaking now, my chest rising and falling too fast as tears spilled down my face.

“Camelia!” Becca rushed to me, grabbing my arms. “Hey, stop… don’t let them do this to you.”

“How can I not?” I cried, my voice breaking apart as I looked at her. “She took everything from me. My own sister, Becca. My own sister.” My breath hitched painfully. “And he just gave it to her like I meant nothing.”

Becca pulled me into a tight hug, holding me as I broke down against her. “They don’t deserve your tears,” she said firmly, her hand rubbing my back. “Not Peter. Not Anya.”

But the tears didn’t stop.

“I don’t know what to do anymore,” I whispered, my voice small and lost. “I really don’t know what to do.”

She pulled back slightly, holding my shoulders as she looked at me. “You live your life,” she said, her voice steady. “You move on. Someone better will come for you, someone who will love you the right way. And when that happens, Peter and Anya will regret ever hurting you.”

I let out a weak breath, shaking my head. “How can I do that when I don’t even have money?” I said, my voice trembling. “Peter already took everything he gave me, and I didn’t even get the chance to get a job.” I wiped at my face, my fingers cold. “I don’t want to inconvenience you, Becca.”

She frowned immediately. “You’re not inconveniencing me,” she said, her tone firm. “Not at all. My roommate isn’t even around. She won’t be back for a week. You can stay here until then.”

I looked at her, my chest tightening again, but this time it felt different. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” she said, giving me a small smile.

I nodded slowly. “Thank you…”

Becca waved her hand playfully, trying to lighten the mood just a little. “And there’s something else. There’s a job opening at my workplace. Office assistant. You can apply.”

I hesitated, my brows pulling together. “I don’t know if I’m even qualified for that.”

She shrugged lightly. “You won’t know unless you try.”