Today was the final stretch before the gala. One more day of pretending. One more day of smiling through a hollow.

I wrapped a scarf around my hair, pulled on my coat, and headed toward the main hall to double-check the placement cards. That was when the door creaked open behind me.

Patricia. Her smile was different now—sharp around the edges, too polished to be sincere. There was no audience this time. No parents. No Denver. Just us. And when it was just us, Patricia was never sweet.

She stepped into the room like she owned it. “You’re up early,” she said with mock cheer. “Still playing the diligent servant? That’s so admirable.”

I said nothing. I didn’t need to. I knew exactly who she was when no one was looking.

This wasn’t new. I still remembered the time she’d shattered my favorite porcelain doll when—then screamed that I pushed her into the cabinet. I got grounded. She got a new dress.

Another time, she convinced me to sneak cookies from the kitchen and then cried to our mother when we were caught. I took the blame. She got praised for being honest.

Even when we were older, she’d whisper cruel things in passing:

"Denver only married you because of the merger."

"You’ll always be second-best, Alicia. Doesn’t matter whose blood runs in your veins."

It never stopped. And worse, no one ever believed me when I tried to tell the truth. I was always the liar. The ungrateful one. The burden.

Maybe it had been a mistake, choosing to leave behind the couple who raised me with love, the ones who tucked me in at night and kissed my bruises for my real parents. But they were gone now.

I thought coming back to my blood family would mean I belonged somewhere. I was wrong.

Patricia crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. “I need you to do something,” she said, voice crisp. “Don’t attend the gala tomorrow.”

I blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” She walked closer, pulling an envelope from her coat. “There’s a ticket here. One-way. To the province. I booked you a resort for a week. You like quiet places, don’t you?”

She set the envelope down on my dresser like it was some peace offering. “You don’t need to be at the gala. You’ll only ruin it. And you should stay away from Denver while you’re at it. You’re not fit for him, Alicia. Never were.”

There it was. Her real voice. Cold. Entitled. Cruel.

“I know what you saw,” she added softly. “And it doesn’t matter. You’re still married… for now. But it’s only a matter of time.”

I looked at her—really looked at her. And for the first time, I didn’t flinch. I didn’t fold.

“You don’t have to worry,” I said, voice even. “After tomorrow, you’ll never have to see me again.”

Her eyes flickered. “Good.”

I walked out without another word.

That night, I took a long bath. Soaked in lavender, let the steam blur the mirror and my mind. I was exhausted. Not from the errands or the decor prep. From pretending. From staying silent.

When I stepped out, wrapped in a robe and toweling my hair, the door slammed open.

It was my mother. Without warning, she threw something at me. A gown. Beaded, emerald green.

“What the hell is this?” she snapped, tossing a delicate velvet box at me. The lid flipped open on impact, revealing a broken gold chain and shattered emerald pendant.

I stared at it, stunned. “Is that your necklace?”

She crossed her arms. “Patricia said she saw you near my room. Did you do this?”

I blinked, still staring at the broken emerald pendant, my voice soft. “No. I didn’t even go near your room.”

She scoffed. “Liar. Patricia said she saw you. You’ve always been jealous of what isn’t yours. And now you’re breaking things?”

“I didn’t—” My breath caught in my throat. “I swear I didn’t do it.”

That was all it took.

A sharp crack filled the room. My head snapped to the side.

She had slapped me.

Hard.

The sting bloomed across my cheek, my skin burning, my ears ringing—not from the pain, but from the words that followed.

“I should’ve left you with those peasants who raised you!” she shouted. “You think you’re our blood? You’ll never be one of us. I regret ever claiming you as my daughter. Patricia is my only child.”

My body froze. Her words settled like lead in my chest.

Then she turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

I stood there, trembling, the box still in my hands, the sound of my own heartbeat thudding in my ears.

A soft knock.

Then Patricia stepped inside.

“Are you okay?” she asked gently, reaching for me.

I pulled back instinctively, but she came closer—offering me that same false comfort she always wore like perfume.

“You know,” she said in a voice only I could hear, her hand brushing my arm with sisterly sweetness. “Maybe she’s right. No one really loves you. You’re just…extra.”

Her words sliced deeper than the slap.

Before I could stop myself, something inside me snapped.

I shoved her.

My hands shoved Patricia, and for a second, she staggered back, wide-eyed. I hadn’t meant to push her that hard—it wasn’t even that hard. But in true Patricia fashion, she made it dramatic.

“You little—!” she hissed and lunged at me, nails aimed for my hair.

Before I could react, she had grabbed a fistful of it, yanking my head to the side. Pain tore across my scalp as I fought back, grabbing her wrist, trying to break free.

“Enough!” I screamed, pushing against her again.

She scratched me. I could feel it—sharp lines burning across my cheek and neck. We stumbled backward, grappling like children, like animals.

“What the hell is going on here?” Denver's voice thundered as he stormed into the room.

Patricia instantly started crying. “She hit me! Look at what she did!” she whimpered, showing the faint red line on her arm.

“She attacked me first!” I shouted, pointing at the mess of my hair, the torn edge of my shirt, the blood beading on my cheek.

Denver didn’t even hesitate.

“Alicia, what is wrong with you? Are you insane?”

“She started it!” I yelled, eyes wide. “She provoked me! She said—”

“Shut up.” He snapped the words like a whip. “God, you’re pathetic. You’re always the problem.”

I stood there in shock as Patricia sniffled behind him, clutching her fake wounds.

Denver looked me in the eye, with the coldest look I had ever seen on his face. “You’re nothing compared to your Patricia. She’s elegant, composed. And you? You’re just a bitter mess.”

The room went silent. The silence after betrayal is different. It’s heavier. More permanent. He didn’t even bother checking up on me.

I am his wife! But none of it matters now.

That night, I cried myself to sleep. The scratch on my cheek throbbed, but the pain in my chest hurt far worse.

The morning after I made up my mind, Denver asked me to go with him to shop for the upcoming gala event. I said yes for the last time.

We walked into the boutique together, his hand resting lightly on my lower back like he always did in public—as if he actually cared. As if he hadn’t spent the night tangled in someone else's arms.

While he picked out suits and luxury items to donate, I trailed behind, silent, detached. My phone buzzed in my hand. It was Rain.

“Who are you texting?” Denver asked suddenly, eyes narrowing. He reached for my phone without thinking.

I held it tighter, pulling it away. “Do you really need to read private conversations between girls?” I said coolly, arching a brow.

His jaw clenched, but he backed off. “Enough with the phone. We’re heading home soon.”

Once we returned to the estate, Denver made up some excuse about needing to meet someone.

As soon as the door closed behind him, I moved quickly. I went to the study, opened the safe behind the bookshelf, and pulled out the hospital’s miscarriage report—the one no one ever bothered to mourn with me.

I placed it in an envelope, along with the signed divorce agreement. And the last thing: our wedding ring.

After sealing the envelope, I called the delivery guy to send it as a gift to Denver during the gala event.

Then, I took one last walk through the estate. I wiped down every surface I touched. Deleted my fingerprint from the smart lock. Left the keys on the dining table—until every trace of my presence was gone.