Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 10

"Wanda, cheap accessories like these would never suit Abigail," Xavier Shepherd said with a weary sigh.I stared at him. "Then, why would they suit me?"He paused, then gave me a helpless smile."When you two were kids, everyone used to say you were her shadow. The pink diamond is too flashy for you. Black suits you better. It doesn't demand attention."Abigail Young's shadow.That was what everyone had called me for ten years.My sister and I were twins, but I could never measure up to her.At school, she was always at the top of her class. I would stay up late and study until my eyes burned, but I could never rise above average."You're twins. How did you end up being so stupid?" Mom asked. "Forget it. It's enough that one child in this family is smart."I was always trailing after Abigail, carrying her bag and peeling apples for her.I'd told Xavier countless times that I hated that nickname. He would always apologize and say he wouldn't call me that again, but whenever Ab

When we returned to my parents' house for dinner that night, I realized it was Abigail's and my birthday.Xavier had picked out our cake. "Since you two share a birthday, we only need one cake. It makes things easy."The cake was beautiful, but there were big chunks of mango visible in the filling.Abigail loved mango, but I was allergic to it. No one seemed to think that was a problem, however.Xavier was busy lighting the candles and putting a birthday hat on Abigail."Abigail gets to make a wish first."I stared at the mango cake, then at the birthday hat on her head. Then, my gaze landed on Xavier's gentle smile."You used to make sure there were two of everything. Why is there only one cake now?" I asked. "Why am I always the one who goes second?"The living room went quiet.Xavier frowned. "We've always done it this way. Why are you acting up today?"Mom glared at me too. "Abigail's the older sister. Besides, she's better than you in every way. Obviously, she should go

Xavier rounded the venue. After searching every corner of the hall, he walked to the dressing room and pushed open the door.It was empty.He called my number. The line rang three times before the call was declined.He tried again. This time, the phone was off.His expression faltered. His confusion was replaced by emptiness. It was a look he had never shown before.Mom and Dad had arrived at some point, too. The moment Mom entered the hall, she started looking for me. "Where's Wanda? Why isn't she here yet?"Dad frowned. His voice turned cold. "That girl has never been sharp. Of all times, she has to mess things up now.""Exactly. It's one thing for her to be slow, but it's another thing entirely when she can't even take her own wedding seriously. Just wait until she gets here. I'll make sure she hears about it," Mom said.Xavier said nothing. He turned and headed toward the exit."I'm going to check the hotel."…The hotel room where I was supposed to get ready was on the

Xavier stood at the front of the group. He looked thinner than I remembered.His gaze fell on the flowers in my hands. Then, they shifted to Kevin. Finally, they settled on me.My parents stood behind him. Mom's face was tight with anger. Meanwhile, Dad frowned in silence.The air suddenly felt thick with tension.Mom was the first to speak. "You walked out on your own wedding, Wanda! Do you have any idea how embarrassing this has been for Xavier? For all of us?""Who is that?" Xavier growled.I didn't answer.Mom answered for me, "You have someone else, don't you? No wonder you left without a second thought. You've always had poor judgment, but I never thought you'd sink this low."I just stood there with the flowers still in my hands.Kevin glanced at me, then at the group of people."I'll take Aaron to the back," he said calmly. "Just let me know if you need me."Xavier never took his eyes off me."Wanda, come home with me. We'll talk about it at home. You disappeared wi

"Then, what was I to you?" I spat at Xavier."What did my feelings mean to you? Was I just a backup? Was I just a substitute who looked like Abigail? Was I just an excuse to stay by her side?"His face paled. "I thought I would never fall for you either, but I didn't know—""You said you thought you would never like me, but you never once asked if I wanted to be treated this way," I said, cutting in. "You never thought about how it felt for the girl you've always put second."He opened his mouth, but nothing came out."Go away, Xavier. I'm serious. I want to be in a relationship where I get to be someone's first choice."Xavier stood where he was for a long time. He stood there long enough that Aaron looked up at him.In the end, he turned and left.His shoulders were slightly hunched. He wasn't as confident as he used to be.After he left, the yard fell silent.Kevin had sat down on the steps by the door. The sunlight rested on him.I walked over and sat beside him."Did y