Chapter 3

Five days before the wedding, Chloe Vance showed up.

Under the pretext of helping me prepare for the wedding, she brazenly moved into the Miller mansion.

Chloe was the daughter of the Vance family's maid and chauffeur, born just one day apart from me.

Right after I was born, the maid swapped us and sent me away to be raised by relatives in the countryside.

It wasn't until twelve years ago that the Vance family uncovered the truth and brought me back.

Chloe and Austin had been childhood sweethearts; both families took it for granted that they would eventually tie the knot.

Before I was even born, the Vance family patriarch and the Miller family patriarch had arranged a childhood betrothal between the two families.

As such, Chloe was universally recognized in our circle as Austin's true beloved.

Yet no one expected that she was just the fake heiress, and that Austin's legitimate bride by arranged childhood engagement was actually me.

After I was brought back, my parents constantly protected Chloe, terrified that I might bully her.

Austin's parents also looked down on me for coming from the countryside, preferring Chloe to marry into their family instead.

Had the Miller family patriarch not vehemently opposed it, the title of Mrs. Miller would have belonged to her long ago.

"Shannon, this toast dress looks gorgeous.

Chloe stood before the full-length fitting mirror, wearing the red Cheongsam that had originally belonged to me.

The waist had been altered to fit skin-tight, hugging her slender curves.

She twirled around, looking over at Austin sitting on the sofa. "Austin, don't I look better in red than Shannon does?"

Austin held a financial magazine, not even looking up. "Stop fooling around. Take it off. That's for your sister."

Though his tone sounded like a reprimand, there wasn't a trace of genuine anger in it.

Chloe pouted, reluctantly heading toward the dressing room. "Stingy. I just wanted to try it on."

I sat off to the side, tea in hand, quietly watching the show.

In the past, I would have thrown a fit. I would have made a scene with Austin.

And then Austin would coax me with that helpless sigh, saying I was being petty, insisting Chloe was just a younger sister to him.

Looking back, I really had been a complete joke back then.

"Shannon, don't take it to heart. Chloe is still young."

Young? She was literally one day older than me.

Austin set down his magazine and reached out to take my hand. "If you don't like her here, I'll have her move out."

"It's fine."

I slipped my hand out of reach and poured him a cup of tea. "The more the merrier. Besides, there are plenty of rooms in the house."

Austin froze for a second.

Clearly, he hadn't expected me to be so generous.

Before, whenever Chloe showed up, my quills would bristle instantly.

"You're not mad?" he probed, searching my face.

"Why would I be?"

I smiled back. "She's my sister, and we'll all be family soon anyway. Besides, it's just a dress. If she likes wearing it, let her."

After all, I had no intention of ever wearing it.

A flicker of surprise crossed Austin's eyes, quickly giving way to relief.

"Shannon, you've really changed. You've gotten so much more mature."

Mature?

You two forced me to be.

Right then, a sharp crash echoed from the dressing room.

Followed immediately by Chloe's shrill cry: "Ah!"

Austin's expression shifted, and he flung his magazine aside, bolting toward the room.

He moved so fast I didn't even have time to react.

By the dressing room doorway, Chloe sat crumpled on the floor, surrounded by jagged shards of porcelain.

It was my favorite vase—one Austin had bought for a fortune at an auction as a gift for me.

"Austin, I didn't mean to..."

Chloe's eyes welled with tears, looking utterly pathetic and fragile. "I tripped just now and tried to steady myself on the vase, but..."

Austin didn't spare the priceless vase a single glance.

He dropped straight to his knees, taking Chloe's hand to check it over. "Did you cut yourself? How could you be so careless?"

"It hurts..." Chloe whimpered delicately.

I stood a few yards away, watching their display of sickening affection.

That vase had once been treasured by Austin, hailed as a symbol of our unbreakable love.

Now that it was shattered into pieces on the floor, he didn't even blink.

"Shannon!"

Austin turned his head, urgency in his voice. "Go grab the first-aid kit. Chloe cut her hand."

I stared at him, motionless.

"What's wrong?" He frowned, clearly annoyed by my lack of hustle.

"Nothing."

I turned toward the cabinet, my voice deadpan. "If it's broken, it's broken."

"It was getting old anyway. Time to replace it."

Austin's body went stiff.

He seemed to sense an underlying meaning, yet caught nothing concrete.

Instead, his entire focus remained glued to Chloe's tiny scrape—one that wasn't even bleeding.

I walked back with the first-aid kit and dropped it onto the floor.

"Take your time cleaning that up. I'm tired, so I'm heading upstairs to rest."

As I turned to go up the stairs, I heard Chloe whisper, "Austin, is Shannon mad at me?"

Austin's voice sounded irritated. "Ignore her. I never knew her heart could be so cold."

I didn't pause.

Reaching the landing on the second floor, I pulled out my phone and texted the immigration agent:

[Add one more pet transport ticket. I'm taking Dottie with me.]