The two brothers who were supposed to be in a marriage alliance with me fell in love with my adopted sister instead. They tricked me into shaving my hair just to cheer her up and locked me in a skiing cabin for an entire night.

I tolerated their actions because of my parents' instructions.

However, when my adopted sister accidentally slit her finger while cutting up some fruits, they forced me to the hospital to extract 2000 ml of blood. I cried and begged for mercy, but they said that I deserved to be punished for bullying my adopted sister.

I gave up on them and turned to get into their older brother's car.

The two men who had constantly been talking about canceling the wedding ended up crying in regret at my wedding.

After 2000 ml of blood was extracted from me, I approached Cole Jefferson and begged him to marry me.

"Your marriage alliance is with the Sinclair brothers. Why are you talking to me about it?"

I lowered my eyes in despair when he rejected me coldly. "The marriage alliance states that I have to marry a Sinclair. You're their older brother. You're a Sinclair too."

"So, you've noticed me? I'll marry you on one condition."

My hopes got up, and I nodded.

"Don't reveal to the Sinclairs that you're marrying me before our wedding. There'll be a lot of trouble if you do."

"Alright."

I would agree to anything as long as I could get away from Ryan and Luke Sinclair.

Five years ago, I saved Ryan and Luke from drowning during a cruise trip. Since then, they had been courting me and constantly flying into a jealous rage. They even forced their family to get into a marriage engagement with mine.

I always thought I would end up marrying one of them. However, the Sinclairs held a pool party not long ago. They found out I had a fear of water that day.

That was when the adopted daughter of my family, Nancy Edwards, ran crying to them, claiming that she was the one who saved them. She accused me, the biological daughter of the family, of taking credit for her bravery.

I tried to explain that I passed out from swallowing too much water after I saved them and developed a fear of water when I woke up. I had not dared to swim since then.

Although I provided evidence with a doctor's diagnosis report, they did not believe my words.

They accused me of being the world's most unscrupulous heiress. Not only did I bully my adopted sister, but I even took credit for her good deed. I deserved to die in their eyes.

I was not a clingy person. I begged my parents to cancel the engagement, but they wanted to be associated with an influential and powerful family like the Sinclairs and only instructed me to focus on preparing for the wedding no matter how hard I cried and begged.

There was no other choice. I tried to be nice to the Sinclair brothers, but all I received in return were insults and bullying that were worse than the last.

One time, Nancy's fringe was ruined by a hairstylist. To cheer her up, they tricked me into believing they had cancer and needed chemotherapy. They wanted my hair for a wig as I was their fiancée and it would be considered a wedding present for them.

I shaved off my hair, which I loved a lot, as promised, but all they did after that was laugh at me while holding Nancy in their arms.

"You live up to the name of being a scheming woman who wants to climb the social ladder. You're really determined to get what you want. How could you do such a cruel thing to yourself?"

"Do you think you can make us like you because of this? Too bad you're nothing compared to Nancy."

"You're just garbage that likes to take another person's credit. It doesn't matter that we're engaged. The moment you marry into the family, you would've stepped into hell."

Nancy trampled on the strands of my black hair, which was littered all over the floor, with contempt. Her eyes were filled with disdain for me.

"No one was around to protect me back then, so I had no choice but to let you bully me. Things have changed between us now. It doesn't matter who your husband will be in the future. He'll only love me."

With that, the three laughed happily. However, there was one thing they forgot. Ryan and Luke were not the only Sinclairs in their generation. They had another older brother who had long been forgotten—Cole.

It finally felt like my life had gotten on the right track after I got out of Cole's car.

Nancy kept creating trouble as the wedding date got nearer. Every time she flew into a temper, the Sinclair brothers would torture me just to cheer her up. It drained me mentally and emotionally. I was really exhausted.

I might have promised Cole not to reveal that I was getting married to him, but I still decided to stop running after the Sinclair brothers and begging them to love me.

When I pushed the door open, Nancy was twirling while dressed in my wedding gown.

Ryan and Luke were smiling at her. Their love for her was so obvious.

They pursed their lips at the same time when I entered.

"Didn't you pretend to pass out to get hospitalized? You acted like you had anemia and refused to donate your blood this morning."

"Why are you home so soon? Worried about missing the wedding tomorrow?"

"Come on, Paige. Why won't you just give up? You're really disgusting."

Nancy's cunning smile suddenly disappeared from her face as she started to tug on the wedding gown she was wearing. "I'm so sorry, Paige. I'm just really envious of you. It's wrong of me to put on your wedding gown. Please don't hit me. I won't do it again…"

She cried and kneeled on the floor, ruining the wedding gown my grandmother had custom-made for me before she passed away.

I tried to stop her from kneeling, but Nancy only cried harder. "I didn't do it on purpose. Ryan and Luke wanted to see what I looked like in a wedding gown. I'll take it off right now. Please don't throw me out undressed like before. I'm really scared."

The eyes of the Sinclair brothers widened as they looked at me with hatred.

"You're a woman too, Paige. How could you do that to Nancy?"

"Don't you have any empathy? If we hadn't seen through your schemes, Nancy would have been bullied to death by an animal like you."

"Do you think nothing will happen to you just because we're engaged, Paige? We'll make sure you become the laughingstock of the city at the wedding tomorrow."

My emotions were in turmoil as I looked straight at them. "Both of you don't need to worry about my wedding. My grandmother left this gown to me as my wedding present. It's my personal belonging. None of you have any right to touch it. Give the wedding gown to me, Nancy."

Nancy hid behind the Sinclair brothers with reddened eyes. Her arm swept against the red wine on the table, and the white gown was instantly dyed red.

Ryan scoffed and tore the stained wedding gown to pieces.

"Human hearts are easily dirtied, and so is this thing. Only garbage has the right to cherish garbage."

I was enraged and reached out to pick up the pieces that were flung to the floor.

Nancy quickly moved away when she saw this. She tripped on herself, and her head knocked into the corner of the table. She passed out after that.

The Sinclair brothers quickly rushed forward to carry Nancy in their arms when they saw this.

"How can you do this to your sister just because you want to marry us, Paige?"

"We won't let you off if anything happens to Nancy."

They ran out of the door with Nancy after that.

Nancy's head was facing me while she was in Ryan's arms. She opened her eyes slightly and smiled as she mouthed, "You lost."

Her action reminded me of the humiliation I felt the past few days, and I could not take it any longer. I rushed forward to grab Nancy's hair.

"I told you that she's wearing my wedding gown. It doesn't matter to me where you're going, but you need to leave the gown behind before you leave!"

Ryan was carrying Nancy, and Luke tried to pull my hand off.

"This is just something an old woman left behind. What does it matter that Nancy tried it on?"

"Aren't you planning to wear it to marry us? I'm telling you right now that's not possible, Paige Edwards!"

Someone pulled off my wig during the chaos. I felt horrible at the thought of the hair I shaved off.

While I was distracted, the Sinclair brothers took the opportunity to press my head into a pool next to the man-made hill. I was not prepared for it and swallowed some water.

I could not stop myself from screaming due to the suffocation from drowning, but the force pushing me down the water refused to relent. I swallowed more water and could no longer breathe.

"Nancy could've married me if it weren't for you. She wouldn't need to suffer so much in your home!"

"This is your retribution for bullying Nancy, Paige!"

I scratched at the hand pushing me down with everything I had, but it was pointless. The last of my energy had been exhausted, and I began to fall into darkness. Just as I was about to descend into despair and give up struggling, I was suddenly released.

I heard a familiar voice. "It's not gentlemanly to bully a woman."

My eyes shot open after taking in many sharp breaths. It was Cole's assistant. He looked coldly and sharply at the wedding gown Nancy donned.

"I understand that Paige Edwards is the one getting married tomorrow. An adopted good-for-nothing snuck around to put on her wedding gown, and now, two men are bullying the bride while the thief is in their arms. Is this how the Sinclairs brought you up?"

The Sinclair brothers looked extremely upset but did not dare retort.

"We're just joking around with our fiancée."

"What are you doing here, Mr. West? Does Cole need anything from us?"

Julian West shook his head coldly. "I'm here for Paige Edwards."

The Sinclair brothers were surprised that Julian was here to see me. They wanted to find out more, but Julian chased them off. "If you don't take Nancy Edwards to the hospital, she won't be able to stop pretending that she passed out."

The brothers' faces turned red as they turned to leave with Nancy in their arms.

Julian looked at me after they left. "Mr. Jefferson doesn't have your contact. He told me to inform you that he'll be out of the city for an auction. He'll be a few minutes late for the wedding tomorrow. This is his personal number. You can call him if you need anything."

I was in a mess. I thanked Julian and quickly returned to my room to change. After I was done, someone knocked on my door. It was an employee from a high-end wedding gown boutique. He was holding a brand-new gown in his hands. He told me that it was from Cole.

There were also wigs of different lengths and colors that came along with the gown.

My tears fell as I looked at all these.

After the employee left, Ryan and Luke returned.

"Why do you insist on having the one Nancy was wearing when you have other gowns, Paige?"

"You're not only unscrupulous, but you're also full of jealousy. We won't let your wish come true. We won't marry you since you insist on being this way."

They picked up a bag from the couch and left after that.

Ryan and Luke had only come back to pick up Nancy's things.

I changed the password on the door and stood in front of a mirror while I tried on the gown Cole sent over. Tomorrow would be the day I wore it to marry Cole. I would just pretend that Nancy was the one who saved Ryan and Luke.

They did not return home that night, and I did not say anything about the groom being someone else.

…

The wedding started on time the next day.

My parents kept pushing me to change into my wedding gown and put on my makeup. After that, they stood on the wedding stage quietly.

Time passed, and the guests began to whisper among themselves. The groom had not arrived.

Both sets of parents began to look upset. My mom threw me a questioning look. However, there was more disappointment and anger in her eyes than bewilderment.

Just as everyone could no longer take it, the doors to the hall were pushed open.

I saw three figures that stood against the light.

Ryan and Luke stood on either side of Nancy, who was in the middle. She was wearing the wedding gown from yesterday.

"Have you been waiting long, Paige? This is our surprise for you. Do you like it?"

"You're a scheming woman who bullies your sister constantly. You're a troublemaker and took credit for something you didn't do for five years, misleading us. Nancy has been suffering for the past five years. What right do you think you have to marry us, Paige?"

The reporters who had rushed to the venue began clicking away on their cameras. The camera flashes blinded my eyes.

I was thinking about my agreement with Cole when I took the microphone from the host's hands. I responded to them coldly, "Ryan and Luke Sinclair, I never said that you're the ones I'm going to marry."