I let out a bitter laugh. A marriage this rotten was something I should have walked away from long ago.

"Fine. So be it."

I shook off his grip and turned, walking straight into the banquet hall.

Hailey Abbott saw me and grabbed my hand, her emotions a tangled mess. She lowered her voice. "Lorraine, why did I just see your husband—"

She didn't finish. She'd caught sight of Nathaniel behind me, his face dark as a storm.

"Lorraine, you…"

I gave her a reassuring smile. "I already know everything."

Hailey knew the truth about Nathaniel and me, and her expression went ugly. "He's gone too far. This whole family is shameless. I'm going to stand up for you—"

I caught her arm. "Let it go. I don't care anymore."

The celebration began. Their happy little family stood at the center of it all, surrounded by well-wishers.

"What a gorgeous baby. The spitting image of his daddy."

"You two are the lucky ones, landing such a wonderful son-in-law. Now you've even got a grandson. Time to sit back and enjoy the good life."

"That's right. I hear your son-in-law's a general manager at a big company, pulling in millions a year. Eileen's a blessed girl."

My parents were practically bent double from all the praise, smug pride written across their faces.

"Ha, that's all Eileen's own doing. She earned it."

Then someone brought me up. "I hear Lorraine works at your son-in-law's company too. Isn't she two years older than Eileen?"

"You're Lorraine's brother-in-law now. Keep an eye out, why don't you—set her up with someone good too."

A flicker of discomfort crossed Nathaniel's and Eileen's faces, but my parents' expressions went cold on the spot.

"That girl's got a strange temper, nothing like our sweet Eileen. Who'd ever want her? Don't go putting our son-in-law in a tough spot."

The guest gave an awkward little laugh and clamped his mouth shut, dropping the subject of me entirely.

Hailey's chest was heaving with fury. "This is outrageous. How can they say such shameless things? I'm going over there to get justice for you."

"You're their daughter. How did it end up looking like Eileen is the real one?"

I pulled Hailey back again and let out a bitter laugh. "You know how things are in my family, don't you?"

The fight drained out of Hailey all at once, her eyes filling with pity.

Eileen was my cousin. When her father died and her mother couldn't manage to raise her alone, she handed Eileen over to my parents.

From the day she arrived, my parents' favoritism tilted hard.

She was better with words than me, more likeable. One word from her, and whatever was mine instantly became hers.

But that wasn't enough for her. She started framing me. She'd take a fall and say I pushed her. Her backpack would go missing and she'd say I threw it away.

I shook my head and said I hadn't, and got a whipping from my father for it. "You're just jealous that Eileen is smarter and more mature than you, so you set out to hurt her. How did you turn out so vicious?"

I was locked in the basement for a full day and night, until I'd cried myself hoarse.

Eileen, meanwhile, smiled at me with cold satisfaction. "Lorraine, I just want you to know—it doesn't matter that you're the real daughter of this house. The only one they truly love is me."

I didn't want to hear any more. I took Hailey's hand and started to leave.

But then I heard someone else pipe up. "You've already thrown the baby shower. So when's the wedding?"

My mother jumped in eagerly. "Next week. We'll have you all over for the celebration."

I stopped walking. I turned, looking at Nathaniel with a flicker of hope. His eyes were fixed deep on Eileen. He didn't say a word against it.

My heart died completely.

When I saw the message on my phone, I didn't hesitate this time. "Fine. I accept. Just give me a little time to take care of some personal matters."

That night, Nathaniel came home and, for once, brought me something: a serving of shrimp scrambled eggs. "You did really well today. I'm very pleased."

So this was my reward?

I let out a cold laugh and looked at the dish, already half-eaten. "Let's get a divorce."

He set the eggs down calmly and scoffed. "Switching tactics now, are we? Playing hard to get?"

I froze, and when I understood what he meant, I shook my head. "I'm not playing games. I mean it. We—"

He cut me off before I could finish. "Enough, Lorraine. You think I don't know what's going on in that head of yours? Come on. What do you want this time?"

Looking at the mockery in his eyes, my heart twisted with pain all over again.

When I said nothing, he stepped closer and patted my head, his tone softening considerably. "All right, I know you've always wanted to go to Hawaii. Pick a date. I'll take you this time, I promise."

Back when this marriage had been suffocating me, I'd brought up divorce before too. But he always assumed I was just making a scene.

Then he'd say a few sweet words, smooth me over with some little gift, and I'd drop it.

This time he thought I was running the same old play, that he could brush me off with a few empty lines and I'd give in. Not this time.

I looked at him and asked the question anyway. "You say I'm making a scene. Then what about the wedding a week from now? Were you planning to let me be the bride?"

He stiffened, then his face settled into an expression that said I knew it. "So you heard. Fine, I'll just say it straight. The wedding next week is for Eileen."

"She gave me a child. I can't give her nothing. That would be too cruel to her, and to the baby."

He couldn't bear to shortchange Eileen.

"And what about me?"

He went rigid for a beat, then frowned, impatient. "Is that what this is about? I gave you the marriage certificate. She gets the wedding. Isn't that fair?"

"You can't have everything. Don't be so selfish."

His logic made my stomach turn.

I looked at him coldly and laughed, the sound sharp with scorn. "Nathaniel, holding a wedding with my own husband is selfish?"

"Then what do you call the two of you carrying on an affair in broad daylight and then throwing a wedding for it?"

"You know me. Eileen is the one person I've hated most my whole life. You knew that, and you slept with her anyway. Why?"

I stared at him, refusing to look away, but he dodged my eyes. "There's a reason for all of it. I'll explain everything to you."

"It's just that everyone already knows I'm the baby's father. We've held the baby shower. If I don't marry her, what are people going to say about her?"

"And what will they say about my child later?"

He stepped forward and seized my wrist, looking deep into my eyes. "Lorraine, you're my wife. Can't you think about me for once?"

"Why are you being so selfish? Why do you have to make a scene?"

He was the one who cheated, the one who'd done wrong, and somehow it had all turned into me making a scene. It was absurd beyond belief.

I staggered back a step. His heart had tilted away from me, just like my parents'. Saying any more would only humiliate me further.

"Go ahead and marry her. I—"

He cut me off before I could finish. "Really? That's wonderful. I knew you'd understand. You—"

His phone suddenly rang. He answered, his face tightening with alarm. "What? The baby has a fever? Wait for me, I'm coming right now."

Then he swept out without sparing me another glance.

And after he left, I got a message from that man. "I'll take care of your divorce. Just relax and get ready to be my bride."

I was about to text back that I'd handle it myself when a message from Eileen came through.

I looked at the photo she sent, and everything inside me went still.

"Lorraine, don't tell me you actually believed him. The marriage certificate for you, the wedding for me?"

"He registered our marriage back when I was pregnant. As for that paper of yours, it's fake."

I stared at the photo of the marriage certificate Eileen had sent, my hand shaking around the phone.

So the certificate he'd given me was a fake too. Nathaniel, you've gone too far.

The tears spilled over and I couldn't wipe them away no matter how I tried. Not because I still loved him. Because of the woman who'd swallowed six years of grief.

Six years at his side, and I couldn't earn a single shred of sincerity. How laughable.

I sent the man a message. "You don't need to handle the divorce papers. He and I were never married."

"Let's set our wedding for one week from now."

I'd said one week, so one week it would be. I'd only changed the groom.

Once he agreed, I started to pack.

A few clothes, toiletries, my documents, all of it crammed into a suitcase.

As for the things Nathaniel and I had shared, the matching mugs, the matching pajamas, the matching throw pillows, I threw every one of them into the trash.

When I finished, I dragged my suitcase toward the door. That was when it flew open under a kick, and Nathaniel charged in, fury rolling off him, and slapped me across the face.

"Lorraine, I never imagined you could be this vicious. You said you wouldn't begrudge Eileen and me our wedding, and behind my back you drugged my child."

"He's barely a month old. How could you be so cruel?"

Eileen, eyes red, dropped to her knees and seized my wrist, her voice pitiful. "Cousin, I know you hate me. Punish me any way you want. I'm begging you, don't hurt my baby. He's innocent."

That expression was so familiar. It was the same one she wore every time she set me up. I shoved her away. "I didn't. She's framing me. I didn't do anything."

"You've envied Eileen since you were children, picked on her at every turn. Who else could it be but you?"

My mother came in and yanked a fistful of my hair, malice in her eyes. "How did I give birth to a cold-blooded creature like you? What a curse."

My father strode over and cracked me across the face twice. "Of all the guests here today, you're the only one who hates Eileen. Who else would have drugged the baby?"

A familiar coppery sweetness filled the corner of my mouth. That old feeling was back. Every time before had been exactly like this. No matter how I defended myself, it never mattered. They would never believe me.

I turned my eyes to Nathaniel. "And you? Do you believe me?"

He scoffed. "Your own parents have said it. What is there for me to believe?"

I shut my eyes, drained of every last hope. No matter how I argued, no one would believe me.

"Think whatever you want."

"So you admit it. Today I'm going to teach you a proper lesson."

My father pulled off his belt and lashed it across my body. I clenched my teeth and didn't make a sound, until he tired himself out and stopped.

"Pah. What a worthless wretch."

"Lorraine, you brought this on yourself."

The whole pack of them swept out. I touched my back, already a raw and bloody mess, and pulled out my phone to call that man. "Come get me."

Then everything went dark.

On the day of the wedding, after the ceremony was over, Nathaniel looked at Eileen's blissful face and thought of me, and all at once felt he'd wronged me.

So he took out his phone and sent me his first message of the entire week. "Lorraine, I'll come home and keep you company today."

No reply came, and the longer the silence stretched, the more restless he grew.

"Nathaniel, looks like Mr. Floyd from next door—the big client—is holding his wedding too. Aren't you going to raise a toast?"

A colleague's voice cut through his thoughts.

With Eileen on his arm, he walked uneasily into the reception next door. And then his eyes met mine.

He froze where he stood, staring at me, eyes going wide. "Lorraine, what are you doing here?"