"We... we can't find your sister." My stepmother choked out, her voice trembling. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

  "Today's her wedding to Derek Holland and she ran off with that rich Italian man!"

  My father stood near the window, pale and stunned like someone had punched the air out of him.

  He didn't speak right away. Just ran a hand down his face, then he looked at me, really looked at me for the first time in a long time.

  I was standing by the doorway in my lilac bridesmaid dress, frozen.

  His voice was low, almost like a whisper. "We can't afford to lose the Hollands." His gaze sharpened on me. "Vanessa... you'll have to step in and be the bride. Save us from this shame."

  I felt my chest twist at that moment. Not with fear or confusion, but with a dangerous hope.

  I knew Annie had been two-timing Derek Holland with some ridiculously wealthy Italian businessman. She always chased the thicker wallet.

  I knew she planned to vanish and leave everyone hanging, including Derek, who loved her to the moon and back.

  And she did escape on her wedding day. The guests were waiting, and the Holland family was present. Derek was standing at the altar, checking the time and waiting for his bride.

  But she was gone.

  And me?

  God help me, I was so fucking happy.

  Because I'd always had a secret buried deep inside of me.

  I had a secret crush on Derek Holland.

  He was my sister's boyfriend and soon-to-be husband. Yet he treated me differently. When my stepmother tossed me around like I didn't exist, when my father barely noticed I was in the room, Derek saw me.

  He called me "sister," but even that word held warmth I rarely got.

  He smiled at me. He asked if I'd eaten. He once bought me a book because he remembered I liked reading.

  I knew he loved Annie and was blinded by her. But I... I grew to love him.

  And at that point, I had a chance.

  "I'll do it," I said before anyone could ask again. "I'll get married to Derek."

  It was the happiest day of my life.

  I walked down the aisle. I stood where Annie should've stood. My heart galloped inside my chest. My hands trembled with something close to joy.

  I was marrying the man who gave me butterflies just by existing.

  But the dream didn't last because Derek hated it. Hated me.

  He never hid it and he used every day to remind me he would never see me as a lover. He never smiled at me. Never looked at me the way he used to.

  He was cold and brutal. The marriage changed nothing in his heart towards me. Year after year, it was always the same.

  Every day was a reminder that I was not her. That I was the replacement. The shadow and the mistake.

  He didn't speak to me much. When he did, it was clipped with silent rage which he, most times, took out on me.

  The worst part? Even in the most intimate moments, he didn't say my name.

  It was always Annie.

  Morning, Afternoon, Night. In anger, in pleasure, and sleep.

  Annie.

  Not me. Never me.

  Still, I hoped. I prayed that one day, he'd turn and see me. Really see me and fall for me.

  But that day never came.

  And now, it never would.

  Because Annie was back.

  And my world? It just tilted again.

  "I've missed you so much, Annie. Thank goodness you're back to me again. I'll never let you go. Ever." Derek's voice floated into my ears, making me stagger but I held onto the wall for support.

  They didn't know I was there, listening to them talk. Making promises to themselves like they were a lifetime couple.

  "I don't even want to remember another man."

  My stomach sank. She wasn't fleeing this time. She was staying-like, really staying.

  "That's good. Because I was almost dying. The last four years in marriage with your sister have been the worst days of my life."

  Worst days of his life??

  As far as I know, I was the one who was physically abused. Beaten and punched like a mannequin with no feelings or emotions.

  I dropped my modeling career at my peak stage all because I wanted to be with him.

I didn't blink twice to leave everything behind and stick with Derek.

  "Don't worry. I'm back now. Back to take everything that belongs to me and make a comeback."

  Derek laughed. Not the fake one I've gotten used to. This time, it was a genuine laugh. One that he only shared with Annie. "Okay, comeback queen. I'm all yours by the way."

  Something inside me cracked open. I couldn't linger anymore.

  I turned away from the room without confronting them. My heart kept hammering against my chest as I hurried down the hallway.

  I had to get out.

  I had to run.

  If I stayed, I'd scream and if I screamed, Derek would hear me. And if he heard me..... hell, I fear he would beat me again, adding more bruises to the existing ones on my body.

  I stumbled down the staircase, gripping the railings like it was my lifeline. My throat burned and my vision blurred even more. I wanted to stop feeling this way but I didn't know how to.

  Just when I reached the last few steps...

  "Vanessa."

  I froze. It was my father's voice-Charlie Thomas. Standing beside him was my stepmother, clutching her coat in one hand.

  They were standing in the foyer, watching me intently.

  "Have you seen Annie??" She sounded out of breath. "We've been looking everywhere for her. The driver said she came back to the house."

  For a moment, I couldn't even speak. My throat closed up again and a single tear slipped down my cheek.

  "She...." My voice trailed off. "She's upstairs. In my bedroom. With my husband."

  My stepmother's brows lifted in surprise but my father exhaled, looking relieved.

  "Well, that settles it." He looked at me with a calm smile "At least she came back where she belongs."

  The floor swayed beneath me.

  My stepmother's mouth twitched. "You didn't start getting comfortable, did you? " She sounded amused. "Derek and Annie have always had something real. Stronger than this whatever stand-in situation."

  My father straightened his back. "The Hollands won't hold grudges. We'll present a united front at dinner. Make sure the kitchen is ready." He spoke to her, not looking at me again.

 In that moment, I was already erased and replaced. Like I'd never existed before at all.

  I turned, and my boots hit the marble floor as I ran. I ran out of the iron gate, into the main road with the cold evening breeze stinging my cheeks.

  Everything burned in my chest....rage, anger, and betrayal.

  I couldn't think but I knew I had to get away from there. If I stayed for one more second, I might lose it completely. 

It had been over an hour, but it felt like the world was slowing down to mock me. The car moved like it was crawling. I stared out of the window, but I wasn't seeing anything, not really. 

  Derek, Annie, my father, and my stepmother. All of them, spinning around in my head like a cruel joke that wouldn't stop.

  The anger had dried up, and the sadness had turned stale. All that was left was something cold and hollow.

  And I knew exactly what I needed.

  A drink.

  When the driver pulled up to a neon-lit club on the edge of the city, I handed him a crumpled bill and stepped out without a word.

  It was a chilly Saturday evening and the club was crowded. The place was loud. Bodies pressed together on the dance floor, sweat and perfumes curled in the air.

  The bass thudded against my ribs, as I squeezed through the crowd, making my way to the bar and slid onto a barstool.

  "Whiskey," I muttered.

  The bartender gave me a look. "Planning to drown yourself tonight, or is this just foreplay?"

  "If it works, bring it on."

  He chuckled and left.

  The bartender soon returned and dropped the glass in front of me. I threw it back with no hesitation, downing every content until I felt the fire roll down my throat, bloom in my chest, and settle behind my eyes.

  "Another,"

  By the time I was four shots in, I was slurring, I think. My limbs were no longer mine. But it was better this way. Thinking hurts more than the burn.

  I didn't want to think about whatever might be happening back at home.

  I raised my empty glass again, clumsily pushing it across the table for more.

  "One... more... glass..."

  Before the tumbler could touch the point I wanted it to be, a hand caught my wrist.

  "She's done."

  A deep voice resounded from above my head, stirring a sudden anger that has been soaking in my veins.

  I raised my head to see the person. I blinked hard, trying to focus, but my head was too heavy.

 For a split second, I thought it was him. I thought Derek had come to drag me home and finish what he started.

  "Derek..." I whispered, confused, a tremor in my voice.

  The man scowled. His eyes flicked across my face like he was judging me. His brows pulled together.

 And then he said something strange. "Is that the guy who did this to you?"

 Wait-

  That voice wasn't Derek's.

  I blinked again, clearer this time and I finally saw him.

  No, this wasn't Derek. This was someone else entirely.

  The stranger had brown eyes, unreadable and almost hidden beneath a fringe of messy, dark hair that curled over his brow. His lips were curved into something between a smirk and a sneer. He was wearing a jacket with black leather, and his sleeves were pushed up. His arms were lean but solid, lined up with tattoos that disappeared into the fabric.

  He looked like trouble.

  Deliberate trouble.

  "Give me back my drink."

  "Not when you look half-dead and half-drunk already."

  I scoffed. "You think I care?"

  "No," he leaned in, grinning slightly. "I think if given a chance, you'll drink until you drop dead."

  "So?"

  "So, no drinks." He tapped the rim of my empty glass, sounding casual. Like this wasn't the first time we've spoke. "Let's talk about why you're drinking like you just had your soul stepped on."

  I should've walked away. I should've said something snarky and rolled my eyes. But something about him made me stay. Or maybe it was just that I had nothing else to do with my life at that point.

  "What exactly do you want to know?" I snarled, the words tumbling out, unexpectedly. Or maybe it was just the alcohol talking. "That I lost everything including my husband, my way, and my worth all in one day? Which part do you wanna know?"

  "Sounds like the husband wasn't really yours to begin with," He replied easily as if we were talking about some romcom and not my life.

  "You know what? Men are scum."

  He laughed, the sound deep and low in a way to cause my chest to rumble in a weird way.

  "Correction," he said, his lips curling. "You only think men are scum because you love them. Don't love them, use them. Then you'll see that they're just tools. And tools don't disappoint."

  I blinked. "What's your name?"

  He leaned in, like he was sharing a secret. "Ryker."

  "That supposed to impress me?"

  "Did it?"

  I hated that it kinda did.

  He glanced down at my bruised wrist, then back at my face, his expression unreadable.

  "You ever heard of the power of jealousy?" he asked suddenly.

  I blinked. "What?"

  "Jealousy," he said. "Pain breaks you. But Jealousy? now that drives you. When it burns in the right person, it becomes power."

  I stared at him, my heart thudding against my ears.

  "What do you mean?"

  "Get yourself another man."

  His words stunned me into speechlessness. It sounded ridiculous. It was ridiculous. And I couldn't... I couldn't cheat on Derek.

  'He has done that already.' A voice whispered in my head in a mocking tone.

  Even so....

  "I'm a married woman," I announced.

  Ryker scoffed. "Married?? I don't think so. You're shackled. There's a big difference."

  "You know nothing about me."

 "Maybe. But I know you've been crawling after someone who wouldn't crawl an inch for you,"

  My eyes dimmed. His words weren't just close to the truth...

  They were it.

  "You shouldn't wait on a man." Ryker told me. "Stick with me. Let him see you in someone else's arms and he'll come running. They always do when they think you've moved on."

  My breathing caught. Was that hope I was seeing??

  "What if he doesn't? "

  "Then, he was never worth the chase."

  My throat tightened.

  "You're choosing a man who's not choosing you. But it's not too late to change that."

  "Why're you telling me all these?" I questioned, sliding off the stool. "You don't even know me."

  "I'm just trying to help."

  "Help?" I scoffed, my voice rising. "By telling me to parade around like some bait?"

  "By reminding you that you deserve better."

 "You're unbelievable." I turned to walk away but Ryker moved faster. He stepped in front of me, stopping me in my tracks.

  I should've shoved him.

  My whole body screamed for it. My hands curled at my sides like I was going to swing.

  But I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything.

  "I'm not Derek," he whispered.

  His hand dipped low and before I could react, he slipped something into my back pocket.

  "That's my contact card."

  I felt my breath catch.

  "Find me anytime you need me," he said. "I'm always available to play a husband role for you."

  I blinked.

  Ryker pulled away slowly, like he was savoring the last second of tension between us.

  "Don't look so offended," A grin crossed his face. "You're not the first married woman who's needed a better man."

  And he was right. Maybe not about everything, but he was right about me.

 I brushed past him, my shoulder bumping his. But the card was still in my pocket. Like a sin I hadn't committed yet.

  And maybe, just maybe...

  I was curious what kind of man Ryker was. 

<< Ryker's POV>>

  -

  -

 The door slammed shut behind me, and the noise from the bar faded as I stepped out of the bar and into the night. I didn't get to enjoy the soothing breeze before my phone started to buzz inside my pants pocket.

  My shoulders slumped slightly as I fished out the phone while walking towards the garage. I didn't need to look to know who was calling.

  << Dad >>

  I swiped the answer button and placed the phone close to my ear, my brows knitting instinctively. "Yeah?"

  My father's voice came in cold. "Ryker, do you still remember what's at stake?" He went straight to the point.

  "Nice to hear from you too." I spat out.

  "Where are you??"

  "Out." I squeezed out while staring at the sidewalk.

  "Ryker. I shouldn't have to remind you but two weeks is what's left. The deadline is approaching and you're yet to present a woman to the board."

  Here we go again. The deadline.

  I massaged my forehead to reduce the tension from folding there. "You're not reminding me. You're repeating yourself and mind you, I know the deadline."

  "Then why haven't I seen a ring? Or a name? The board is nervous!"

  "Let them be nervous. I'm handling it." I pulled open my car door and sat in the driver's seat.

  My father continued with his usual sermon. "You said that last week but there's still no woman. They're already questioning your leadership and I'm running out of ways to keep them in line."

  "The deadline is not up yet." I breathed.

  "You make it sound like you've got a lot of time left. The board meets in fourteen days. If you don't have someone by your side by then, the position of CEO goes to your brother."

 "Because he's married?"

  "Because he looks stable, reliable and he's a family man. That's what they want."

  I laughed but it came out flat. Everything sounded ridiculous. They were demanding too much from me. Just too much.

  "I've worked for the company since I was twenty-two. I have devoted my life to bringing the group to its current level. Doesn't that count at all??"

  "You're single, Ryker. And to them, that means unpredictable." He added, irking me even more.

"They can think all they want until they grow a double brain. I'm taking my time to set my plans in motion. But just for clarity's sake, I'll present a wife to you all. Soon."

  With that said, I ended the call. The silence in the car wrapped around me and I didn't even realize I was gripping the steering wheel like it owed me something.

  Everything felt like a slow-burning fuse inside of me.

  I closed my eyes for a second and she came to mind. That woman from the bar.

  I have seen a lot of women, been with a lot of women but there was just something different about this one.

  I could get anyone, throw in some charms, sign a check, put on some performance. But this...

  She was personal. She was the perfect key piece for my bigger game....the kind you don't find twice.

  I was betting on her. Maybe it was foolish but I knew what I saw in her eyes. She wasn't done yet, she still wanted to fight for something.

  And even if she didn't, I'd remind her how. One way or another, I was going to get her. Either by hook or by crook, she'll be mine.

  •••

  << Vanessa's POV>>

  -

  -

 Even with the splitting headache and numbing pain in my spine, I couldn't wash down the dread crawling up my throat as I stared at my luggage on the floor close to my feet.

  That sickening feeling surfaced again as I raised my eyes, bringing them to the people in front of me.

 Derek was standing there, his hand wrapped around Annie's waist, staring at me like I was a stain. A mistake. His regret.

  Annie was grinning widely, looking all cozy, probably enjoying every look of pain that crossed my face.

  And my parents?? They sat on the sofa, watching me like I was performing a crying scene out of a movie.

  "Are you suddenly deaf, Vanessa?? I said, get out!" Derek spat out, reminding me that my time was up in this house and in his life.

Instead of crying-like I so wanted to- I chuckled, bitterly. "Aren't you too cheap, Derek? Annie came barely hours ago and now, you want a divorce. So soon?"

  "I am cheap?? That's so rich coming from someone like you." He glared at me. "You never wasted time sliding into her place the moment she left. That's what you are-cheap, and a desperate whore ."

  He condemned me all in one breath as if he had been itching to say all that to my face someday. As if he had been waiting for this day when he gets to slap all of my deeds on my face.

  "Was it a crime??" My voice cracked, but I didn't look away. I couldn't give them even more satisfaction of seeing me crumble. "Was it a crime to try and save something?? I never forced Annie to run away."

  "Don't blame me just because you jumped in to clean up my mess. No one asked you to play hero." Annie countered immediately. And I wondered how she did it, how she played her game so well but still had Derek wrapped around her finger.

  And my father? He still didn't say a word. He didn't tell them that he had coaxed me into stepping in for Annie nor did he try to stop the unfair treatment that was meted out on me.

  My eyes burned even more, that single tear slipped out but I wiped it off with the back of my sleeve. "I gave everything up. My modeling career, my years of hard work...all for what??"

  Derek raised a brow at me. "Did I ever ask you to do any of that??"

  His words stung like a slap. My heart...

  God, I could feel every tear, every part of me shredding apart from the inside out.

  He hugged Annie even more, his eyes turned chillier as he enunciated every word like a promise. "There's no space left for you here. Leave."

  I stood there, my fingers curled on my sides as I let my eyes drift one last time-from Derek's angry face, to Annie's smug little smile, and to the blank stares on my father's and stepmother's faces.

  Nobody moved, spoke, or even cared.

  I nodded slowly, the realization finally sinking in as I bent down, grabbed the files, and signed the divorce papers.

  Once done, I threw it across the room and it landed close to Derek's feet. My fingers shook as I picked up my luggage, the only thing I had left.

  My knees felt weak but I managed to stand upright. Derek's eyes shifted from the signed papers to my face and I swore that I saw a slight frown envelope his face. Like he didn't expect me to actually sign those papers.

  I surprised myself too by signing them. Maybe-just maybe-I had some thick skin left. Probably because I knew I was dying.

 I had colon cancer. But no hope, no child, no family. Nothing left. And now, I lost Derek too.

  Fair enough.

  I turned around wordlessly, dragging my luggage as I stepped out of the house.

  That house, that life, all of them were never really mine.

  'Find me anytime you need me.'

  I remembered him. His words had sounded ridiculous in that moment but now, it had become a small, dangerous glimmer of hope.

  Maybe he was right after all. Maybe I wanted to give this a shot with him.

  I fished the contact card out of my pocket, took a deep breath, and dialed the number.

  My heart slammed against my chest at every ring, and my throat tightened as my anxiety increased.

  'What the hell am I doing?'

  'What am I even thinking?'

  But then, he answered. His voice was deep and slow like he already knew who was calling.

  "Hello, Little Lamb."

  My breath caught. And just like that, my whole world shifted.