Chapter 3

Twenty minutes later, the plane taxied smoothly onto the runway.

As we slowed down, Vivian poked my shoulder through the blanket.

"Clara, are you still mad at me?"

"Take the blanket off, you're going to suffocate."

Her voice was soft, carrying her usual submissive, apologetic tone.

I didn't answer. The moment the seatbelt sign dinged, I grabbed my carry-on and was the first to walk out of the cabin.

Through the massive glass windows of the airport, I spotted Julian standing by the arrivals gate immediately.

Usually the picture of aristocratic composure, he was now anxiously pacing, checking his watch every five seconds.

As if sensing my gaze, he looked up.

When his eyes met mine, a flash of disappointment crossed his face. It was quick, but I caught it.

Then, he saw Vivian walking out behind me.

In an instant, his anxiety melted into pure, unadulterated tenderness.

"Vivian!"

Julian pushed right past me, rushing to wrap a sobbing Vivian into his arms.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? You must have been so scared!"

I had just survived the same near-death experience.

Yet Julian didn't even spare me a glance.

"Julian Vance,"

I called out, my voice flat.

Julian stiffened, finally remembering I existed.

"I admit I did you wrong, Clara. But now that it's out in the open, I'm not marrying you."

"Besides, when our families arranged this merger alliance, they never specified it had to be you."

"Vivian is also a daughter of the Miller family. Swapping brides won't affect the business deal."

Swapping brides?

So he and Vivian could live happily ever after in the light.

And what about me?

Was I just supposed to quietly accept being betrayed by both my fiancé and my sister?

Was I supposed to become the laughingstock of New York high society?

A fire raged in my chest, burning my throat.

I raised my hand and slapped Julian across the face, hard.

He froze, utterly shocked that I had dared to lay a hand on him.

Vivian shrieked, instantly dropping to her knees in front of me.

"Clara, hit me instead!"

"It's all my fault! I'm the shameless one. I fell for someone I shouldn't have!"

Julian quickly hauled Vivian up from the floor, shielding her behind his back.

"Clara Miller! Have you lost your mind?"

"Do you have any idea that six months ago, Vivian aborted our baby just to spare your feelings?!"

I froze. A loud ringing filled my ears.

Six months ago, Vivian had come to me crying, saying she was pregnant.

I asked her who the father was.

She said they had no future and that she wanted to get rid of it.

I had cried tears of sympathy for her.

I scolded her for not using protection while simultaneously booking her the best private OB-GYN in the city.

To protect her reputation, I had signed the abortion paperwork under my own name.

After the surgery, I was the one who stayed by her bedside, nursing her back to health for a solid month.

I even went to church every Sunday for a month to light candles for her unborn child.

And now, Julian was telling me that the baby was his.

I had literally nursed my fiancé's mistress back to health after her abortion, and prayed for their dead bastard.

My hand flew up again.

But Julian grabbed my wrist, throwing me to the side with utter disgust.

"I took the first slap because I owed you that."

"But do you know how much I wished you would just find out about us sooner?"

"I would rather you hit me and curse at me than force Vivian to keep living as my secret lover in the shadows!"

My elbow slammed violently into the hard marble floor. The skin scraped open, and blood began to seep out.

But that pain was nothing compared to the feeling of my heart being ripped to shreds.

I should have seen the signs.

Whenever Julian came to visit me, he always "accidentally" went to Vivian's room first.

Whenever our dates became outings for three, they would talk about things I didn't understand.

Whenever he bought me a gift, he always brought a duplicate for Vivian...

But I had been blinded by trust.

I had mistaken Julian's kindness to Vivian as him loving me enough to love my family.