Chapter 2

Just then, my phone buzzed. It was a Facebook notification.

I tapped it without thinking, only to see a new post from Annie.

In the photo, she was smiling blissfully, her left arm hooked around Sam's and her right around Leo's. She looked like the picture of happiness.

"Surrounded by the two men I love most. Can't wait to meet my baby!"

Her caption was filled with pride, practically oozing smugness, as if she were flaunting her victory.

I felt a sharp pain in my chest, and the tears I had been holding back suddenly spilled over.

Annie was surrounded by love. But what about me? And what about Lily?

I had just lost my baby and was lying on a cold hospital bed. Lily had nearly frozen to death trying to save me.

Since she had been in the freezing environment for too long, the doctors said the damage to her uterus was irreversible. She would never be able to have children of her own.

We had suffered so much, yet our husbands didn't believe us and didn't even care about us!

Back when my twin sister and I married the Smith twins, our story made the front page of the Avalon Times.

Everyone said it was fate—the perfect match. Twin sisters marrying twin brothers sounded like something straight out of a fairy tale.

People sent us their blessings, calling it the most romantic story of the year.

But now? That fairytale had turned into something else entirely. Our marriages were far from perfect. They weren't even happy. They were devastating.

"Lily, look at Annie's post," I choked, handing the phone to her.

She glanced at it, and I saw a flicker of anger and disappointment in her eyes.

"How could she do this? This is too much," she said, her voice filled with helplessness and pain.

She gripped my hand tightly, as if trying to pass some strength into me.

"Lily, we can't go on like this anymore. Let's get divorced together," I said firmly, though I was sobbing.

She hesitated for only a second before nodding.

"Alright. Let's do it," she agreed. "There's no point in holding onto something like this."

That same day, we contacted one of the top divorce attorneys in Avalon. He was efficient and wasted no time. By the afternoon, the divorce papers were drafted and sent directly to Sam and Leo.

After confirming the emails were delivered, Lily and I exchanged a look. For the first time in a while, we both let out a long, tired breath.

But a week passed, and there was still no response. Not a word from either of them.

Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore. I called Sam myself.

"Sam, did you get the divorce agreement? When are you going to sign it?" I tried my best to sound calm, but the tremble in my voice gave me away.

His voice came through the line, cold and filled with anger. "Lucy, do you really have to push me like this? Annie's pregnant. Can't you just behave for once? What's the point of creating drama every single day?"

I heard Annie's voice chime in gently from beside him. "Sam, don't be mad at Lucy. She's probably just having a hard time.

"You know how emotional pregnant women can get. Maybe she's just trying to get your attention by bringing up the divorce. You should try to be more understanding."

She sounded like she was trying to smooth things over, but every word was calculated. She made it seem like I was just being dramatic, lashing out for attention.

When I heard her words, something inside me snapped.

"Don't even mention pregnancy to me!" I shouted, my voice breaking as tears spilled down again. "Sam, our baby is gone! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

There was silence on the other end for a long second before Sam's voice returned, colder than ever.

"Lucy, stop being so dramatic! I'm sick of you using the baby to get my attention! Annie needs me right now. I don't have time for your lies."

His words cut through me like knives.

Then Annie spoke again, her tone soft and sweet. "Sam, maybe you should go be with Lucy for a bit. I'll be okay on my own. She seems really unstable right now. You're her husband. You should be with her."

Her words sounded kind, but every syllable felt like a slap in the face.

Before the call ended, I heard Sam say, "She's like this because she's spoiled. Just ignore her."

Then, the line went dead.

I sat there, unable to stop the tears from falling.

Lily reached for my hand. "Lucy, you haven't fully recovered yet. Please don't hurt yourself any more than you already have. I'll stay with you. Once you're discharged, we'll leave them for good. Okay?"

I nodded through my tears. "Okay."

The two weeks we spent in the hospital were the most painful days of our lives.

Not once did Sam or Leo come to visit us. They didn't even bother to ask how we were doing. It was as if we had vanished from their world completely.

Every day, we watched other patients being visited by family. Meanwhile, Lily and I had no one but each other.

At night, when the ward was quiet, I could hear Lily crying softly in the bed beside mine. She tried to hide it, but I knew how much she was hurting.

And I was hurting too. Letting go of someone I had once loved with all my heart was a kind of pain that never healed.

Finally, the day came when we were discharged.

But just as we were getting ready to leave, something stopped me in my tracks.

From outside the maternity ward, I saw Leo inside, holding a cup of hot water and carefully offering it to Annie.

Annie, lying on the hospital bed, was clinging tightly to Sam's arm. Her voice was soft, almost trembling. "Sam, I'm so scared. Giving birth hurts so much."

Sam gently patted her back and leaned close to comfort her. "Don't worry, Annie. I'll be right here the whole time."

"I found the best obstetrician for you to make sure everything goes smoothly with the delivery!" Leo nodded from beside them. "Don't be afraid. We're not going anywhere. We'll stay right here with you."

The three of them looked so harmonious.

Meanwhile, Lily and I stood on the other side of the hallway like forgotten shadows.

We held onto each other, watching them from a distance, feeling like outsiders in a story we were never meant to be part of.

My chest tightened, and the pain inside me surged again.

That was the moment we finally understood that Annie was irreplaceable to Sam and Leo. And we were just entertainment to pass the time.

Now that they had found the woman they truly wanted to protect, there was no room left for us.

Lily tightened her grip on my hand. I could feel how cold and shaky she was.