Why was Leona the center of their parents' love, while she was treated as if she didn’t matter?

Years ago, their parents had lost their biological daughter. When they found Kate and Leona, they discovered that both shared strikingly similar traits to their missing child. Thus, they decided to adopt them both.

However, to the outside world, they announced that Leona was their biological daughter, while Kate was merely an adopted child.

Kate had long grown accustomed to such treatment. Her life was a constant shadow to Leona's dazzling spotlight.

Facing Leona's questioning, Kate's expression remained indifferent, her gaze icy and detached. "I'm sorry, I'm late."

What Leona hated the most was the indifferent look on her face. "You don't have to take me seriously, after all, you've always been like this since we were kids. But how can you not respect Mom and Dad?"

She spoke as if she were defending their parents.

Before Kate could respond, Dave, who had been sitting to the side, spoke up first. "Don’t be upset, Leona. Your sister didn’t mean it. Don’t argue with her."

The first thing he said wasn’t to defend Kate, but to comfort Leona.

This wasn’t the first time. He already knew what words to use to comfort Leona.

The thousands of messages in his phone, each one expressing his love for Leona.

Kate felt utterly foolish—so foolish that it took her this long to realize that he had a secret account.

And everything in that account was about Leona.

The moments shared, the background, every little detail—none of it contained a trace of her.

It was as if they had never loved her at all.

Dave not only knew how to comfort Leona, but he also knew exactly how to please Kate’s parents.

It wasn’t just that his family was wealthy and prestigious enough to be worthy of the respected Shawn Family. It was also because he was obedient, sensible and the perfect son-in-law.

In no time, Kate’s parents were easily won over by his flattering words. They turned to Kate and said, "Alright, sit down. You’re really lucky to have Dave around."

After receiving the praise, Dave seemed to shine, his face beaming with a smile as he looked at Kate.

But what he didn’t know was that Kate had always despised this sycophantic side of him.

She didn’t raise her eyes to look at him, but as she lowered her head, her peripheral vision caught the movement of his hand under the table—immediately reaching for Leona’s hand.

She quickly raised her head and for a moment, words failed her. All she could feel was a lump in her throat, choking her heart with an overwhelming sense of pain.

She had to pretend like she knew nothing and continued eating her meal.

She was desperately trying to control her emotions, not letting anyone see what she was feeling.

Her thoughts flashed to the date when the ship would set sail and she reassured herself that soon she would be able to completely leave this man in front of her and the suffocating home she was trapped in.

Early in the morning, Dave had called her awake. As she watched his lips coming dangerously close to hers, she immediately sat up on the bed, pushing herself away.

"What's wrong?"

Dave flashed a bright smile and pulled her into his arms.

"Did you forget? We’ve made an appointment to try on wedding dresses today."

Kate froze for a moment. So many things had happened in the past few days that she hadn’t reacted right away.

She gently nodded, realizing that there was only one week left until their wedding.

"Finally, I can marry you and bring you home, my wife. I've been waiting for this day for so long."

Even the day of their wedding had been arranged with Leona in mind.

It seemed like in this life, Kate could never escape Leona.

From the moment they were both brought home from the orphanage, Leona had never intended for there to be two daughters in this family.

She constantly targeted Kate, framing her and causing trouble in various ways.

Kate coldly watched Dave without saying a word. On their wedding day, she would definitely give them a surprise.

Looking at Dave’s smiling face, it was clear he was truly happy.

At this moment, was he happy because he had finally married Kate, or was it because he had achieved his goal with Leona?

Perhaps, none of this mattered anymore.

When Kate arrived at the wedding dress store, she found that Leona was also there.

At a glance, Leona was wearing the wedding dress that Kate had customized.

What was worse, Leona had worn it without even asking for Kate's permission. Every movement, every smile, she posed in front of the mirror, admiring herself.

Dave walked up to her, his gaze filled with admiration, as he looked at Leona and smiled lightly. "Wow, Leona, you look beautiful."

Leona lowered her eyes and smiled shyly, as if she and Dave were the ones about to get married.

"Kate, is it okay if I try on your wedding dress? I really envy you, you're about to get married. Unlike me, my parents are so reluctant to let me go."

It wasn’t just the wedding dress; the man in front of her could also be hers.

Dave looked at the lively Leona, his gaze lingering on her. "Leona, you're so adorable, of course, your dad and mom can't bear to let you go."

It sounded like a polite remark, but it was a genuine compliment from the heart.

Kate felt a surge of disgust and cast a cold glance at Leona. "Have you worn it long enough? Take it off."

Leona looked at her in surprise. Although Kate had always had a cold demeanor, she had never been so direct before.

"I'm sorry, Kate, I didn't know you cared so much about this wedding dress..."

She put on a look of grievance, but how could she not know that Kate cared? The wedding dress was designed by Kate herself, with every detail from the fabric selection to the decoration being done by her own hands.

From the proposal until now, she had placed so much importance on this love.

Dave glanced at Leona and immediately turned to Kate. "It's not a big deal, don't be angry, my dear. It's her first time wearing it, as her sister, you should be a little more understanding."

Kate turned her gaze toward him, her eyes cold. She didn't know what to say. She didn't even feel anger anymore.

He knew Kate so well, how could he not know that she disliked wearing clothes that others had worn, even if it was her own sister?

For the first time, she felt that the man in front of her was so unfamiliar. He was no longer the persistent Dave who once chased after her.

She lifted her gaze to look at Leona, not wanting to argue. Her eyelashes fluttered and her voice was light and swift.

"I'll give it to you," Kate said and immediately turned to leave the bridal shop.

Dave quickly took a step forward, grabbing her wrist. "Darling, what's wrong? Are you angry? Didn't we come here to try on wedding dresses? Please don't be mad. I'll…"

Kate felt annoyed and immediately interrupted him.

"Nothing, I'm just a little tired. I'll head back first. You can choose any wedding dress you like."

As soon as Dave heard this, a smile appeared on his face. "I knew you were the most understanding, Darling."

She left Dave alone in the bridal shop and went back home.

Before she left, she saw them playfully laughing and joking in the shop and a ripple stirred in her heart.

She turned her head away, her face devoid of any expression.

The wedding dress was meant to be worn for someone who truly mattered, but Dave was no longer worthy of seeing her wear the dress she had personally designed.

This marriage, from the very beginning, was nothing but a lie.

Leona posted a photo of herself in the wedding dress on her social media, along with a caption:

“This beautiful wedding dress seems tailor-made for me. The best part is, the person who took the photo put so much thought into it.”

Without even guessing, these photos were clearly taken by Dave for her.

Kate tossed her phone aside, too tired to argue. She just felt exhausted.

When she opened her eyes again, she realized it was already midnight. At this time, Dave was in the bathroom, getting ready for bed.

She slowly opened her eyes and the sound of a message notification caught Kate's attention.

Her gaze shifted toward Dave's phone. Perhaps Dave thought Kate had already fallen asleep and was not being cautious.

On the phone screen, it clearly showed his social media secondary account.

Normally, Kate didn't have the habit of checking his phone. Dave was also well aware that even if she did, he would have countless ways to deceive her.

At this moment, a message popped up on the phone screen.

Curious, Kate opened it and saw several photos sent by someone saved as "My Ona" in the contacts.

In the photos, the woman was dressed in stockings and a cute, sexy outfit. Kate immediately recognized that it was Leona.

"Dave, come find me. Same old place..."

As she saw those photos and the flirtatious messages, Kate's hand trembled uncontrollably.

It felt like the phone would slip from her hands at any moment.

Her breath quickened as she realized that, despite the wedding being only days away, they had already taken this step behind her back.

Seeing those messages with her own eyes again made her heart ache, as if the pain never truly left.

Hearing the sound of the water stop, Kate put down her phone, turned around and closed her eyes, lying down.

Dave picked up his phone, first glanced at Kate to confirm that she was asleep, then started typing a message.

His tone was flirtatious.

"But I just got back, babe. How about tomorrow?"

On the other end, Leona was chatty and even more audacious, directly calling with a voice message.

"Dave, don't you miss me? I miss you so much, I just want to see you. By the way, did you like the wedding dress I wore today?"

Dave didn’t hesitate at all. "Of course, it looked great."

Leona continued to press him. "Then, who looks better, me or Kate?"

Dave paused for a second, glanced at Kate, then replied into the phone.

"No one is as beautiful as my Ona."

These words felt like a sharp needle piercing into Kate's heart as they left his lips.

He had once said that Kate was the most beautiful and kindest woman he had ever known. Not long ago, Dave had even knelt on one knee in front of everyone to propose to her. The crowd had showered them with envious looks and even Kate herself believed that she would be happy for the rest of her life.

It was only now that Kate realized that Dave’s pursuit and proposal had always been about taking her away from the Shawn Family as early as possible. Only then could Leona safely take on the role of the Shawn Family's daughter, all while keeping Kate under her control, within her grasp.

It seemed like Leona had heard the answer she wanted, as her tone immediately softened. "Then, are you coming to see me? I’m waiting for you today..."

Leona's tone was soft and delicate and Dave couldn't help but soften as well. "Your sister is asleep now, so wait for me."

He stood up, grabbing his clothes, preparing to leave. Before he went, he made sure to send Kate a message.

"Darling, there’s something urgent at the company, I have to head back. Stay home and be good, I’ll be back soon."

Kate didn’t know how many nights Dave had lied to her like this. Perhaps every night he claimed to have work was actually spent secretly meeting with Leona.

It had become impossible to count how many times it had happened.