After I left, Zoey didn’t just become the new bride and go on with the wedding—it was called off entirely.

When they got home, my dad was slumped in a chair, looking like thunder, and didn’t say a word.

My mom, barely holding it together, jabbed a finger at me and started yelling, "You just walked out like that? What are we supposed to tell our relatives and friends now?"

Zoey, clinging to Edward and crying her eyes out, said, "Mom, Dad, please don’t blame me. I didn’t mean for this to happen. Edward doesn’t even love Pearl. They wouldn’t have been happy together."

Seeing Zoey’s tears, my mom’s tough exterior cracked a bit. She rushed over to comfort her, saying, "Zoey, it’s okay, don’t cry. No one’s upset with you."

But then she turned to me and snapped, "You can’t even keep a man interested. What good are you?"

I couldn’t catch much of what she said after that. I watched her mouth flap. Through all her words, there wasn’t a single bit of comfort for me, who was left abandoned on the wedding day. She never stood up for me or said anything against Zoey. It was just a constant stream of blame directed at me.

I seriously wondered if I was just picked up off the street.

Fine, let Zoey marry Edward then. Since they’re so in love, just make it happen. I shot everyone a fierce look, my frustration boiling over.

But now, my parents, who once thought Edward was perfect for me, were now full of complaints.“Edward, you’re just a junior employee. How can you provide a stable life for Zoey?”

“Yeah, Edward, you don’t even have your own place. If Zoey moves in with you, she’ll be stuck living with your parents. I'm just so worried about the in-law drama.”

“And don’t forget, Zoey is our little princess. If you’re going to marry her, you need to do better than today’s wedding. You need a proper wedding dress and all that.”

But when I brought Edward home, my parents were all for it. They said being a junior employee was fine because there was room to move up. They said living with in-laws was okay since they could help out. They said the wedding was just a formality and that the real deal was the future.

It was not that my parents didn’t care about their daughters. They just didn’t want to care about me.

Edward was stunned to see his future in-laws, who had always praised him, suddenly turning against him. Every word felt like a stab to the heart, and his face turned beet red with embarrassment.

“Mom, Dad, I really love Edward. We’ll be happy together,” Zoey said, unable to take it anymore. She stood by Edward’s side, staring at our parents.

Mom and Dad, fuming with anger, exchanged glances but didn’t say a word.

Zoey turned to Edward to comfort him.“My parents are just overly protective. Don’t let it get to you. Go back and explain things to your mom. I’ll handle my parents.”

Edward nodded silently and said goodbye to my parents.

After Edward left, Mom pulled Zoey close, looking confused. “Zoey, what’s going on? Didn’t you always think he was just a small-time worker? What about Charles? What does he think?”

Charles was Zoey’s current boyfriend. He was the heir to a big corporation, which fit perfectly with my parent's dream of a wealthy son-in-law.

Zoey looked at our parents, took a deep breath, and said, “Mom, Dad, his family’s finances are a mess. They’re getting slammed by competitors and might go under.”

“Edward’s different,” she added. “I’ve heard he’s getting a promotion soon because of his brilliant business plan. If I married Charles, I don’t know how hard it’d be. And... Edward’s been in love with me for over ten years. He’ll treat me right.”

She spoke through her tears in my dad’s arms. My mom, looking heartbroken, said, “Oh, sweetie, you’ve finally grown up and started thinking about what’s best for you. It’s okay, it’s okay. Mom and Dad will handle everything.”

What? I was totally surprised. It felt like my mom was trying to make Zoey’s taking my fiancé seem like a noble act.

Watching their warm family moment, I felt like a stranger on the outside, unable to fit in. A bitter smile spread across my face.

When I first graduated from college and hadn’t landed a job yet, my mom told me I was an adult now and needed to move out. She said I shouldn’t rely on them because they were getting older and couldn’t support me much.

During my first Christmas Eve after starting work, I came home to find that my room and Zoey’s room had been combined into one big room for her.

At that time, Zoey pretended to be sorry and said, “Oh, I’m really sorry, Celina. Mom and Dad thought my room was too small, and since you don’t come home much, they merged our rooms. Why don’t we share a bed tonight?”

It was common for sisters to share a room, but I knew it wasn’t going to work with Zoey. When we were kids, she’d beg to sleep with me, only to complain to our parents that I took her blanket or kicked her in my sleep. I could see the smugness in her eyes whenever Mom and Dad scolded me.

So, on Christmas Eve, I went to a hotel alone.

Outside the window, thousands of lights glittered, but none of them were meant for me.

“You say Edward’s been secretly in love with you for years? That’s impossible! He’s been with me for three years,” I interrupted the warm scene, pretending to show concern.

“Don’t believe me?” Zoey shot me a disdainful look after hearing my doubts.

She pulled out her phone, logged into her rarely-used WhatsApp account, and handed it to me. “See for yourself.”

I took the phone and immediately recognized the familiar number. It was Edward’s account.

Scrolling through the chat history, I came across messages from a few years ago.

[Zoey, I saw you at the park today. You were wearing a red dress, standing out in the crowd, so vibrant and dazzling.]

[Zoey, if we could go to the same high school, our time there would be so much more exciting. I’d definitely stand in front of you and tell you how I feel.]

...

[Zoey, today someone was watching me who looks a lot like you. I found out she’s your sister. Since I can’t be by your side, I’ll protect you in my own way, as if I were family.]

What a beautiful, enviable love! But it’s a love built on the pain it causes me.

But wait, this can’t be right! Something is off!

While I was reading those messages, my heart twisted in pain. I even found it hard to breathe.

Zoey looked at our parents, took a deep breath, and said, “Mom, Dad, his family’s finances are a mess. They’re getting slammed by competitors and might go under.”

“Edward’s different,” she added. “I’ve heard he’s getting a promotion soon because of his brilliant business plan. If I married Charles, I don’t know how hard it’d be. And... Edward’s been in love with me for over ten years. He’ll treat me right.”

She spoke through her tears in my dad’s arms. My mom, looking heartbroken, said, “Oh, sweetie, you’ve finally grown up and started thinking about what’s best for you. It’s okay, it’s okay. Mom and Dad will handle everything.”

But how could Zoey and Edward have gone to the same high school?

This doesn’t make any sense.

I shook my head and turned to walk out the door, an idea suddenly exploding in my mind.

In my memory, the first time I met Edward was in my second year of junior high school, back in 2012.

At that time, I was introverted and withdrawn. My parents always favored my sister, making me feel like an outsider at home. Because of this, I often stayed at school late to avoid going back.

I remember that night being very cold. I was walking home alone, and a strong sense of unease heightened my senses. When I realized someone was following me, I panicked and started running.

Tears streamed down my face as I ran, and in my panic, I tripped and fell.

Just when I thought it was all over, Edward appeared.

He was wearing a blue uniform, standing in front of me like a hero from a movie. He gently helped me up and told me not to be afraid. He explained that the strange noise was just a plastic bag caught on my shoe. He also mentioned that the area hadn’t been very safe lately and advised me not to stay out too late.

Edward took off his coat and wrapped it around me. I noticed his school uniform underneath.

That day, he bundled me up and told me not to be afraid. He was about to call my parents to come get me, but they hung up as soon as they heard my name.

As he was about to call again, I stopped him and whispered, "Don't bother. They won't answer. My parents... they don’t like me causing trouble."

Edward gently patted my head, and I looked up at him, confused. He said, "Even if they don’t like you, you have to like yourself. If you don’t stand up for yourself, the people who bully you will just get worse..."

That night, he shared a lot about himself. I found out he went to the neighboring high school and that his dad was a cop. In his spare time, he helped out at the police station.

Edward was such a good man. He pulled me out of my darkest moments. He was my beacon of hope.

For my entire third year of junior high, Edward would quietly walk me home, making me feel safe.

Edward once told me that a butterfly dancing in the air was a worm that had broken free from its cocoon.

"No matter how tough your past or how your family treats you, those are just the cocoons holding you back, Celina. When you become a butterfly and fly high, those things will be in the past and won't be able to hurt you anymore."