Hiding inside a closet at my husband’s birthday party, my fingers trembled as I tightened my hold on the pregnancy test and house keys meant to surprise Alex. Three years of our marriage, dreams of a happy family and my love, all crumbled like a house of cards.

“Are you sure Alex, you are not going to invite your wife, Elena?”

“She would just ruin the mood..”

"Man, till when are you going to keep that woman around?" The mocking laughter of my husband’s best friend made me freeze as tears trickled down my cheeks.

"Jessica, has returned from abroad and was asking me if I could set you two up for a date. Alex, she will be heartbroken when she knows that you married her little sister.”

Someone laughed. "Which one of the two sisters will you choose Alex?" My teary eyes widened as I gasped before clutching the wall for support, how could my loving husband play with my heart and that too with my own sister, no, he must deny all of it.

Alex's deep voice finally broke through the discussion. "Elena is a substitute doll for Jessica, she is so broken and unloved that she will do everything to please me. If I command that woman to die for me, she will do it without any questions."

Those words were like a blow to my chest making sobs rack throughout my body as I covered my mouth.

"When are you planning to throw her away then?" Someone whistled.

"Hmm…lets see. Don't you feel pity for an abandoned stray cat in the rain who is desperate for love after being discarded by everyone?"

Alex chuckled in cruel amusement. "Elena is just like that cat, ignored by her family and always so trusting that I could not help but play along with her fantasies. She is so naive and innocent that it makes it so much more interesting. For now I will string her along.”

My knees buckled as the pregnancy test slipped past my hands, falling onto the cold polished floor with a clatter, tears streaming down my face as I was devastated with truth.

"What was that?" Silence engulfed the surroundings as the men left the room to see what was happening outside.

Collecting myself I clutched my belly before I got up, stepping outside and discarding the house keys in the trash can.

“Mommy is sorry.” With tears in my eyes I ran away, pregnant with Alex’s children- twins. All my life was a lie.

…

I stood by the riverside still deep in shock, tears blurring my eyes as I saw waves crashing onto the shore. With each step ahead I walked inside the receding water, too heartbroken to be repaired.

“Mommy was a fool, my poor babies.” In tears only death awaited me at that moment yet the little kick inside my stomach paralysed my further movement as I broke down into sobs realizing that I could not be so heartless to kill my unborn children.

When I finally went home, still in shock, the lights were all turned on indicating Alex was back from his party. Steadying myself I wiped off my tears before entering the place that I bought after working three shifts a day since my husband felt ‘sick’ and needed my support.

The front door clicked open and the home filled with the memories of Alex embracing me as he confessed his love, whispering sweet nothings as he made love to me all played in my mind like a cruel joke.

"Elena, why are you so late?” The concern filled eyes that warmly glanced at me were similar to his expression three years ago when we first met.

“It’s my birthday and I was hoping that you would have prepared a surprise but even the dinner is not cooked yet.” I looked at my husband who said with some displeasure, his eyes flicking to my sorry form in distaste.

“How was the party with your friends?I thought you already had dinner.” Alex froze as I asked with indifference.

"It was fun catching up with everyone, but the weird thing is that someone threw a brand new house key in the trash. Can you imagine throwing away something as expensive as that?

You wouldn't know it ofcourse, it was a premium mansion worth a million dollars.” My fingers trembled as I could not speak a word.

"Also, Jessica is coming back from abroad." He followed me as I entered our bedroom. “She is hosting a party tomorrow and has invited you too."

Jessica, my talented adopted sister whom my parents raised for sixteen long years before realising that their real daughter was exchanged in the hospital. I was raised at an orphanage and even after coming back was never once loved by my parents and brothers who forgot that I even existed.

When I did not agree to go instantly, Alex sighed.

"Elena, Jessica is kindhearted and innocent. She wants to improve your relationship with your parents. She had done everything to be a good sister so how can you still be so thoughtless." He looked at me with stern eyes that would not take ‘no’ for an answer. "You'll come, right?"

I met my husband’s eyes, there was not even a flicker of guilt for how he treated me like his personal maid all these years, only cold indifferent blue irises stared back at me.

"I will.” He smiled instantly, almost as if there was no anger in his eyes.

When he bowed down to kiss me, I turned my face away making his lips touch my cheeks.

“I am tired.” Astonished by my cold words Alex’s smile faltered.

“Alright, go to sleep, Elena."

I turned around, feeling a weight settle beside me as Alex pulled me in his arms with my back touching his chest.

“You need to learn a lot Elena, everyone is trying hard for you and you are still throwing a tantrum.” He kissed my hair holding me tightly as his breathing evened out while I closed my mouth tightly to not let the sobs echo in the entire room.

The very next day, Alex with an arm locked around my waist entered my parent’s mansion to attend Jessica’s homecoming party. My body stiffened upon seeing familiar faces of his friends who mocked me openly as Alex kissed me.

"You must get along with everyone Elena, don't disappoint me.” Alex warned while kissing my forehead as he saw Jessica coming towards us.

“Sister!”

Jessica stood across from me, her off-shoulder red dress making her look like a beautiful fairy in contrast with my plain self as she held my hands, yet her eyes strayed towards Alex, following all his moves.

“Do you hate me Elena? We are sisters but you never called me once after leaving home all these years.” Jessica sniffled with tears in her eyes.

“I am sorry for monopolizing all our parent’s love and care but you must understand that love cannot be forced.” her eyes looked at Alex intensely before continuing “Mom fell sick with a heart disease but you never came to visit once, how can I mend your relationship if you make no efforts sister.”

I opened my mouth to reply yet no words left.

“Elena does not know how to properly handle relationships yet, when I have time I will bring her around to meet your parents and apologize properly.”

Despite knowing the abuse and ignorance I have gone through in the past, Alex answered on my behalf like he was ashamed of my improper behaviour making my heart sink with anguish.

I excused myself from the crowd, desperate for a moment alone. The hallway leading to the restroom stretched before me.

"Well, if it isn’t my poor sister." Jessica's voice called out mockingly from behind me.

Her heels clacked against the marble tiles as she approached me with a smirk, the glass of red wine swirling in her manicured hands while she scanned my dress from top to bottom with a smirk.

“If I didn't know better, I would have assumed that it was your grandma’s dress.” My fists clenched when Jessica mentioned my grandmother, a kind old lady who had adopted me and raised me before my biological parents found her address and forced me to return.

"After throwing a tantrum and leaving home, how does it feel to work as a petty waitress in some rotten old bar?" Her lips curled into a sneer. "Your old granny is in the hospital right?To think she exhausted all her resources in raising an ingrate like you who even left her biological parents."

“Shutup!” I screamed, trembling in horror.

Working without sleeping for days in an utterly desolate condition, I earned money to look after my grandma, the details of which I had only shared with one person, my husband- Alex.

And yet he told my adopted sister who took everything from me all my darkest secrets.

The pain when my own biological father looked at me in disappointment, my biological mother’s ignorance and even the abusive insults that the two elder brothers hurled at me could not be compared to the agony I felt at this moment.

Alex gave her perfect weapons to hurt me.

"You unlucky wench? Why didn't you die all those years ago, why did you return to take my place?" Jessica sneered.

“Stop it Jessica, you already have everything you want, just leave me alone!” I glared at her to which she laughed heartily.

“Everything? You snatched Alex and you dare say I have everything?

Alex and I were always meant to be, how dare a nobody like you even think of keeping him around Elena, you are just a slut to warm his bed while I was absent.The kind whom he could have bought after throwing some money.

I will have my man back soon.”

“Jessica!” I glared at her with teary eyes as she cornered me with a smirk.

"Tonight he will come to my place." She dropped the wine glass making it splatter on the floor.

“Tonight he will embrace me, kiss me and love me, just like he always does." My eyes widened with shock.

"What, are you surprised?" She tilted her head slightly looking down on me."Alex is always on a trip on the day of your wedding anniversary right?"

My stomach dropped. How did she know…

"All those trips were spent in your honeymoon suite in Paris, just that the person sharing his bed wasn’t you." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "It was me."

"Last year that pink satin dress he brought you as a belated anniversary gift, do you know who wore it before you Elena? She leaned in with a satisfactory smile. "I made sure to let your husband enjoy my body in that all night before wrapping it up for you."

Bile rose my throat as I barely stood upright in absolute shock.

"That night he was a beast in heat. Sister, it was so damn hot as he grabbed my hair and made me do wild things..god. He said you were too much of a prude to try such stuff…too vanilla for his liking, that you could never satiate his desire." She laughed. "On the other hand I fulfilled all his fantasies."

The memory of that beautiful satin dress was now a horrible nightmare - how Alex had made love to me in that same dress in which he had raw sex with Jessica. How he kissed me lovingly when he lied to me that he never saw someone prettier, everything played like a reel in my mind.

I remembered cooking for Alex in that dress as he embraced me gently from behind humming a sweet melody as he raised my chin to kiss me.

‘You are my one true love, Elena.’ Those were my husband’s sweet words when he was openly cheating on me.

"I have had your husband wrapped around my fingers Elena, all those nights that you were waiting for him, Alex had spent them with me. If it wasn’t for the protection he carefully used, I would have been long pregnant with his child unlike you who is most likely barren.”

“What did you say?” Those words barely left as a whisper, tears streaming down my face.

“You can never give birth to a child, can you Elena?” Jessica closed onto me without an ounce of guilt before continuing “Alex is fed up with your useless barren body, unlike a country bumpkin like you he is a billionaire raised in luxury, how can he not wish for an heir?”

Jessica closed onto me with a smile as she held onto my hand like a good sister.

“Worry not sister, when I am pregnant with Alex’s child, you will be the first one to know.”

“Jessica!” I screamed with tears in my eyes, each and every word she spoke was like a dagger to my heart.

“You are shameless! Even after ruining my entire life, are you still not satisfied?” I swatted away Jessica’s arm only for her to fall down with a cry of pain.

“Elena!” Before I could understand what transpired I heard footsteps rushing forth as Alex came running.

“What the hell are you doing?! He glared at me sharply with so much resentment and disgust that it made me freeze on the spot.

“I-Its alright Alex, Elena was a little angry, please don't be mad at her..I-I am fine.” Jessica cried, her eyes welling with tears making Alex grit his teeth in rage.

“I am asking you Elena! Why the fuck did you harm Jessica?!”

“I didn’t..I never pushed her…” I whispered, trembling all over as I felt penetrating gazes sizing me from top to bottom with contempt as Alex’s friends arrived at the scene.

My husband bowed down to pick me up my sister in his arms protectively as if guarding her against me, the scene made a heart wrenching pain crawl up my chest making me barely stand upright.

“Let’s just leave, Alex…Elena is my little sister, she has been a little…stubborn since a young age..I don’t want her to be h-humiliated..." Jessica’s voice cracked at the end producing a miserable sob. "W-We shouldn't make a scene."

Looking around Alex saw people recording the incident making him bellow in fury.

“Elena, follow me now!”

Surprisingly Alex did not directly take Jessica to her huge princess bedroom in the mansion but turned to unlock what was my previous room- a storage closet where I used to sleep on the floor even in freezing winters.

This room was obviously now used by Jessica to keep her unused items- a storage.

“Sister, the first aid kit is kept at the back, can you bring it for me?”

“Why are you being so considerate to her? That’s the least she can do after ruining your party! I shouldn't have brought her here!” Tears streamed down my face as I saw my husband’s rigid back towards me when he walked ahead without waiting for a reply.

Even after knowing what Alex did to me, my body automatically obeyed him like a doll on strings. When I went to Jessica’s room decorated with luxury, she was already laying her head on my husband’s chest sobbing pitifully.

Upon seeing me Alex separated from her yet his anger poured on me as he clutched my hand in a bruising grip.

“Elena, massage Jessica’s feet now! It's all your fault. Do you have any idea how much you have hurt your sister?” While Alex turned away Jessica looked at me with a small smirk.

“I will not do it.” My heart was so trampled upon, that death seemed better at this moment.

“What did you say?”

“I will not do it!” Infuriated by my outburst Alex pushed me down to Jessica’s feet. I clutched my belly tightly as my knee hit the floor, astonished by Alex’s cruelty I looked at him in horror.

“Do you even know how to behave properly for once?! How dare you tell Jessica that she stole everything from you when you aren't able to do one single thing properly! Even if you had all this you would still end up being unloved!”

“Alex!” I screamed with tears streaming down my face as my husband stepped on heart without any guilt. If my body would not have been supported by the bed I would have fallen to the floor…the possibility of what could have happened to the children in my womb made fear blossom in each pore of my body.

“Alex, how can you do that? Elena is the true heiress of the Dawson family and I am just an adopted child, I occupied mom and dad’s love and even our brothers avoid her like a plague because of me, it's just natural for her to be heartbroken, It's all my fault.

What if she was hurt-”

“It's because she deserves all of it!” Listening to those words my world stopped as I sat there dumbstruck, it was my first time seeing what kind of man I actually married.

“Sister, are you alright? Please get up, Alex was too angry for a spur of the moment. Don't misunderstand Elena.”

"Shut up!" The words burst from my throat before I could stop them. "Just shut up with your fake crying!"

The crack of Alex's palm across my face echoed through the silent room. My cheek stung, but the betrayal in that strike cut deeper than any physical pain. I touched my fingers to the spot, still burning from his hand.