On the tenth year of my marriage with Adrian Sutton as a replacement, my older sister, Vivian Cavendish, suddenly returns to our lives.

The entire family just stares at her silently.

Vivian yawns lazily before saying casually, "It's so exhausting, having visited 13 countries in a row. Where's Rowan? He should be studying in grade school by now, right? Why isn't he here to see me, his real mother?"

Rowan Sutton is Vivian's actual son.

In the past, after Vivian gave birth to Rowan, she faked her death on her wedding day, leaving her newborn and her fiance behind.

The Sutton family comes from old money in the elite society. My parents dared not offend them at all, so they decided to force me, a college fresh graduate, to marry Adrian in Vivian's stead.

Over the past decade, I've turned into a proper wife and a responsible mother.

Upon seeing how righteous Vivian is acting, Mom and Dad turn to look at me. I just smile faintly at them instead.

"Rowan and his father are on a vacation in another city right now."

Vivian Cavendish, my older sister, frowned at my words. She sounded displeased as she asked, "Didn't I tell you in advance that I was coming home? Didn't you tell Adrian I was coming back?"

I calmly took a sip of my tea. After all these years, I was no longer that invisible nobody living in Vivian's shadow.

My silence infuriated her. She shot to her feet, and her shrill voice echoed through the room. "Noelle Cavendish, what the hell do you mean by this? Don't forget that I was the one who was supposed to marry into the Sutton family! Now that I'm back, do you think you can still cling to being Mrs. Sutton?"

I glanced at her and smiled. "I don't understand what you're talking about, Vivian. My husband and I are on very good terms."

Over the years, I'd accompanied Adrian Sutton to countless charity galas and business events. Our image as a loving couple was well-known in our circle.

Adrian had even earned the favor of quite a few business partners thanks to his reputation as a devoted husband. There might not be romance between us, but there was something stronger than love binding us together—interest and mutual benefit.

That was why I was so confident.

Vivian's expression turned incredulous. She jabbed a finger at me and shouted, "Do you have no shame, Noelle? He's your brother-in-law!"

I set my teacup down and gave a calm, measured smile. "No, he's my lawfully wedded husband."

My gaze was steady as I stood, no longer willing to play along with this farce. Mom and Dad stood off to the side, completely at a loss.

Vivian rushed over to them and clutched at Mom's sleeve. "Mom, she's lost her mind! Adrian and I have been together since college! If it weren't for me and the Sutton family, our family's company would never have grown this much!"

Mom and Dad had always favored Vivian. However, now, Mom sneaked a look at my face before saying weakly, "But… you ran away from the wedding, and then you faked your death. All these years, you didn't send a single word back.

"There was no bride at the wedding. If your sister hadn't stepped in, the Suttons would've been humiliated. They would never have let that go. Our company would've been finished."

Vivian stiffened. Then, she stammered, "I-I just wasn't ready to get married back then. But I'm back now, aren't I? Besides, you know how arrogant the Suttons are. They've never thought us worthy of them, and I was pregnant before marriage. If I'd married into their family back then, wouldn't I have just ended up being mistreated?"

I looked at her coldly and asked, "Why did you come back?"

She looked utterly justified as she replied, "Now that the Suttons have accepted you, they'll definitely accept me, too. It's perfect, isn't it? If I marry Adrian now, I'm sure my in-laws won't treat me too badly, and Rowan can finally be with his real mother. It works out for everyone."

With that, she hurried over to me and gripped my hands tightly. She looked at me with what she thought was sincerity. "Noelle, you're free now! You can go find your own happiness."

I stared back at her, and my face was expressionless. In her eyes was the same naive certainty that had been cultivated by a lifetime of favoritism and indulgence. She was naive to the point of stupidity.

She was so sure that I, the younger sister who'd always been overlooked, existed solely to sacrifice for her.

I let out a cold laugh and pulled my hands from her grasp. "I'm very satisfied with my life right now. Vivian, you're the one who needs a reality check."

With that, I turned and walked out of this house that had never held any warmth for me.

I had no idea what was going through Vivian's head as she watched me leave, but it definitely wasn't anything good. Still, I knew her well enough to be sure of one thing—with her willful personality, she wouldn't give up that easily.

Exhausted, I dragged my tired body back to the Sutton residence. I'd been busy with a project for the past few days, working overtime almost every night until the middle of the night.

I walked into the house while rubbing the space between my brows.

An hour ago, I'd gotten a message from my parents saying Vivian was back. My whole body froze the moment I saw it. I'd always known Vivian would come back someday, but when the day actually arrived, I still couldn't help going blank for a moment.

I hung my bag on the coat rack and looked down to see a pair of men's shoes on the floor. I paused for a second, then immediately put on a perfectly polite smile.

"You're back." A warm, gentle voice rang out.

I turned around. Adrian stood there in solid black pajamas. Even in something so simple and conservative, it was easy to see that he had a great body—broad shoulders, a trim waist, and long legs. He had chiseled features, and gold-rimmed glasses rested above gentle eyes.

He frowned slightly and looked at me with concern. "Why do you look so drained? Haven't you been resting well these past few days?"

I smiled. "There's just been too much going on at the company. How have you been the last few days? Did you have fun? How's Rowan?"

He walked over and gently pulled me into his arms. His chin rested on my shoulder, and I could feel his warm breath on the side of my neck.

His long, defined fingers slowly stroked my back as he said softly, "Rowan had a great time. He was so tired that he fell right asleep. His only regret was that you weren't there. Next time, when we get the chance, we can all go together.

"I missed you," he added. His voice carried a teasing, intimate warmth.

I could feel the heat of his chest against me, but inside, I was freezing cold. Something soft brushed against the side of my neck, and my whole body went rigid. My mind was full of what Vivian had said earlier.

I didn't respond to Adrian the way I used to. Instead, I pressed my hands to his chest, instinctively putting a bit of distance between us.

"I…" I didn't say any more. I clearly felt Adrian's body stiffen for a moment, and I sensed he was unhappy.

After a pause, he smiled and picked up where I'd left off. "You've been exhausted lately. Go take a shower and get some real sleep."

He'd already come up with an excuse on my behalf. He even leaned down and pressed a light kiss to my forehead.

I nodded and headed upstairs.

Behind me, hidden in the shadows, Adrian's expression was dark and unreadable. The air around him was almost suffocating as his gaze stayed locked on my tense, preoccupied figure.

…

The next day, I went to work as usual. Just as I drove out of the neighborhood, I spotted a familiar figure. My hands tightened on the steering wheel, and my brows drew together.

Vivian saw my car, too. She suddenly rushed right in front of it, and I was forced to slam on the brakes. The driver in the car behind me immediately laid on the horn in frustration.

It was peak rush hour. The security guard hurried over, trying to drag Vivian away, but she wouldn't budge. Even as he pulled at her, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Noelle Cavendish, stop playing dead! How shameless can you be to cling to your brother-in-law?"

Her shrill, grating voice drew the attention of everyone nearby.

I pulled my car over to the side, making sure I wasn't blocking anyone's way. Then, I got out.

I looked at Vivian coldly. She gave a satisfied little smile and casually smoothed back her messy hair. She sneered and asked, "What's wrong? Embarrassed? Or are you scared that once Adrian finds out I'm back, he'll dump you?"

My voice was frosty. "Vivian, you're seriously disrupting my life right now. This is my final warning. Leave me alone and stop harassing me."

She clearly didn't take my warning seriously. Instead, she smiled like victory was already in her hands.

"Drop the act. You're terrified, and you know it. You've lived in my shadow since we were kids. Being jealous of me and wanting to replace me is perfectly normal for someone like you."

She paused for a beat, then stepped closer and leaned in to whisper in my ear, "Unfortunately for you, people who steal someone else's place will eventually get kicked out. I'll wait right here for Adrian. Once I see him, I'll explain everything. He'll forgive me. I know he will.

"Rowan, too. He's my child—I gave birth to him. We're bound by blood. You can forget about ever truly taking my place!"

I didn't respond. I simply turned around and got back in the car.

This time, Vivian didn't try to stop me. In the rearview mirror, I could see her standing there, watching my car with a faint, smug smile.

A chill crept over my whole body.

Vivian had been spoiled rotten since she was a child. She never followed rules, and the moment something didn't go her way, she would throw a tantrum like an overgrown baby, causing a scene for the whole world to see.

I took a deep breath, trying hard to pull my thoughts away from her. All these years, I'd poured my heart into maintaining this marriage and building my career. If Adrian and I divorced, I wouldn't be the only one affected. He would take a hit, too. Both our interests would be dealt a blow.

Even then, he still had ways out. As for me, the only person who was truly in my corner… was myself.

I sat in my office, and my thoughts drifted far away.

Back in elementary school, every winter and summer break, Vivian would run wild and lose her mind having fun. By the time school started, she wouldn't have touched a single page of her homework.

Afraid the teacher would scold her, she would try to pass off my completed homework as her own. My parents even came up with a "reasonable" explanation—I had good grades, so the teachers wouldn't get mad at me, even if I didn't turn in homework.

However, Vivian was different. If she didn't hand in her homework, the teachers would definitely call her out and scold her in front of the whole class.

To protect her pride, my work could be taken away without a second thought. Since then, every school break, I became smart and just did two sets of homework.

In high school, Vivian started dating. She went all out pursuing the school heartthrob, got into fights, and cozied up to every teacher. She had poor grades, but she was outgoing and cheerful, so she had tons of friends.

Since we were kids, someone was always there to clean up her messes. However, I had to live carefully. I had to watch my every step and weigh my every decision.

In college, she met Adrian at an outdoor music festival. They performed at a small bar together and formed a temporary band. In those two months, while I was bouncing from one part-time job to another just to scrape together my tuition, they were up on stage, burning through their youth like it would last forever.

I used to think that after graduation, I would save up some money and escape my family for good.

Then, that fateful night happened. Vivian stayed out late and stumbled home in heavy makeup, a crop top that showed her waist, and tiny shorts. She'd had way too much to drink.

She started feeling sick the moment she walked through the door. Mom and Dad panicked and rushed her to the hospital in the middle of the night. When the test results came back, we found out she was pregnant.

In those days, the whole house felt terrifyingly quiet. Mom and Dad were completely thrown off by the news and ran around like headless chickens. I was busy using my break to work part-time jobs and save for my tuition. The only one who seemed relaxed was Vivian. She didn't even seem to sense that a new life was growing inside her.

As she was pregnant, Mom and Dad made her stay home and rest so the baby could grow properly, feeding her nothing but supplements and fresh fruit every day. She lounged around at home all day.

Meanwhile, our family sat down with the Suttons to discuss the marriage. The plan was to do a paternity test after the baby was born and, once everything was confirmed, hold the wedding.

Everything was settled nicely on paper. With no other choice, the Sutton family had to accept the marriage. If this scandal went public, their reputation would be ruined, and it would even affect their company's stock.

The night before the wedding, I took a four-hour train ride to get home. However, the next day, when the bridal convoy arrived to pick the bride up, Vivian was gone.

All that was left at home were Rowan, still wrapped in his baby blanket, and the Suttons, who all wore dark, stormy expressions.

Adrian's expression was cold and bitter. Mom and Dad stood there, awkward and frantic. Then, their eyes slowly drifted toward me.

Mom suddenly looked like she'd grabbed onto a lifeline. "We still have another daughter! She's never even dated anyone!"

Dad immediately chimed in. "That's right! Noelle, hurry! With your sister gone, you're the only one who can step in now!"

I stood there frozen. My mind was blank from the shock. Before I could react, Mom and Dad had already grabbed one of my arms each and started dragging me into the dressing room to change into the wedding gown.

I struggled with all my might, feeling a deep, icy cold spread through me. Anger and disbelief crashed over me in waves. For the first 20 years of my life, I'd lived in Vivian's shadow. Now, they wanted me to sacrifice the rest of my life for her, too.

Hurt and disbelief filled me, and my nose burned with the urge to cry.

That was the first time I had a complete meltdown. I yanked my hands free and shouted at Mom and Dad. "Why? Why should I pay for her recklessness? It's always been like this since we were kids!"

A sour look crept onto Dad's face at my words, and he slapped me hard across the face. "She's your sister!"