I parked myself in a corner. The joy in the room seemed to be irrelevant to me.

Soon, Lily and Ethan strolled in, one after the other. He dropped next to me like usual, while she floated over to cheers and claps.

Ryan slid a diamond crown onto her head and kissed her cheek.

"Happy birthday, babe. I'll love you forever," he said.

The crowd cheered for them.

Ethan leaned in and whispered, "You're not still hung up on Ryan, are you?"

Before, I'd have thought he was jealous. Now I knew he just didn't want me to steal Lily's man.

Before that disaster, I had been a bratty rich girl who got whatever I wanted. But when my family crashed and my parents killed themselves, my pride and guts went down too.

I smiled bitterly, "Nah, how could I measure up?"

I didn't deserve to fight with Lily for either of them.

What he had said to Lily earlier echoed in my mind again. "For your happiness, I'd drag anyone home to marry."

To him, I was no better than a barnyard animal.

He didn't catch my tone, just squeezing my hand and digging into my palm. I used to think it was our little thing. Now I realized that he just hated touching me.

I pulled my hand free, trying to sound normal. "I'm wiped and will head back now. You guys have fun."

He heaved a sigh of relief and nodded with a grin. With me gone, he could finally drool over Lily without hiding it.

But as I stood, a spotlight pinned me. I knew it was deliberate.

Back when I ruled, I pissed off plenty of folks. Now that my family was done, they were dying to watch me squirm.

My ex dumped me for Lily, and now even my husband was obsessed with her.

With all eyes on me, I felt like a clown, unsure if I should leave or stay.

"Look who we've got here," someone sneered.

For years, I had been trying to dodge these people. If it hadn't been for Ethan's insistence, I wouldn't have been there in the first place.

Aware I would get crushed, he had held my hand and reassured me, "Don't worry. I've got your back."

Now he just stood by. I was such a dumbass, trusting him blindly.

To him, my dignity was nothing. He just wanted to see Lily.

I stood there, totally thrown.

It felt just like the day my family went down. I had begged Ryan in front of everyone, only to get humiliated.

Ethan had swooped in, yanking me out of that hell. I had thought it was a lifeline. Turned out, it was a bigger hole.

Lily sashayed over, grabbed my hand, and smiled all sweet. "Quit picking on her. I'm glad she's here."

Even without her spelling it out, I got the jab. I used to be the golden girl, while she was just some new-money chick clawing her way in.

Now the same jerks who had snubbed her back then were laughing at me. I sighed at the twist of life. I guessed every dog had its day.

She played it like she was saving me. In fact, she was insinuating that I wasn't that dazzling heiress anymore.

I clenched my fists, shaking with anger.

Before knowing the truth, I had leaned on Ethan like he was my shield. Now he would just let her rip me apart. When push came to shove, Lily was always his choice.

I forced a smile and dug up some nerves. "Lily, happy birthday. I'm feeling off, so I'm outta here."

I tried slipping my arm free, but she stumbled back, yelping like I had shoved her.

Ryan and Ethan rushed up, catching her in time.

She straightened up and whined, "I just wanted you to stick around and catch up on old times with us. Why did you push me? Are you still mad I took Ryan? I thought you moved on."

Ryan glared at me. "You just never change. How could you hurt Lily? I need you to apologize to her."

He turned to Ethan. "Rein her in. If Lily's hurt, you're both screwed."

"Apologize!" Ethan stared me down, his tone brooking no argument.

That was a cheap move. Anyone with half a brain could see she set me up, but not one soul in that room had my back.

My old sweetheart and my husband would rather play her game than stand by me. My chest ached so bad I couldn't breathe.

I silently hoped I had gone with my parents back then, saving all the humiliation now. I was tired of this kind of miserable life where I was tricked and trapped, scraping by like dirt.

I laughed at myself, staring at Ethan as tears fogged my eyes. "Are you serious?"

It was clearly her stunt, but he didn't blink. "You messed up. Don't spoil the fun here."

My heart throbbed, the pain spreading like wildfire. I hoped he would at least dodge my gaze and show some scrap of conscience.

He didn't. To him, I was worthless.

"What, still acting like a spoiled princess?" Ethan snorted.

The others echoed his words.

"Yeah, Lily is sticking her neck out for you, and you're ungrateful."

"Why didn't you bite it like your parents? Deadbeats like you are just trouble."

Enraged, I grabbed a wine bottle off the table and chucked it.

My aim sucked. It smashed against the wall, the glass exploding everywhere. The jerk who insulted me and my family went pale and shut up fast.

A shard nicked Lily's face. She screamed as blood beaded on her cheek.

Ethan grabbed my wrist and yelled, "Are you out of your mind? Trying to kill her?"

He had heard that guy's nasty dig about my parents. But instead of comforting me, he flipped out for Lily's scratch.

I guessed that was what true love looked like. I laughed through tears, choking as I snapped at him. "He just trashed my parents. Didn't you hear it? Or do you think I should have died too?"

My shout shut the room up cold. Ethan's lips twitched, but no words came out.

I looked like a wreck, but tears were just weak without a leg to stand on. There were so many people, but not a single person spoke up for me.

Ethan had sworn he would never let me get hurt. Now he demanded I grovel to Lily.

I'd had enough.

He softened his tone. "Come on. Just say sorry to Lily, and you can go."

He used to talk to me like that all the time, saying he loved me, cared about me, and felt for me. But never once had he told me to apologize to someone in front of a crowd.

My heart died, but my gaze went firmer.

"Why should I?" I retorted. "Am I sorry that I got engaged to Ryan, so she could steal him? Or that I don't have her skills, even getting my husband on her side? I'd rather die than apologize to her."

I slammed the door on my way out, not caring how they trashed me after I left.

Back home, I drafted divorce papers and texted my mentor, Lexi Howard.

[Ms. Howard, I'm in for Paris.]

I used to be her star student, and top designers had fought over me for when I was 22, my design snagged an international gold award. That trophy was my ticket.

Back then, I had to give up on that chance because my family crashed. When the second chance came, Ethan married me and killed the idea.

"I don't want us long-distance. What if you fall for someone else out there?" he had said, all sweat.

I had fallen for it, thinking he was crazy about me. Turned out, he just wanted to keep me in sight so that I couldn't cause trouble for Lily.

This time, I wasn't passing it up.

Lexi was pumped, throwing in some advice about women needing careers to stand on their own.

I didn't get it at first. When I did, it stung.

I chatted with her while sorting my credentials, wrapping up when she went to bed.

The door swung open. Ethan stumbled in, reeking of booze.

Supporting him, his friends cringed. "Ethan is drunk. Take care of him."

They bolted probably because of the party blowout.

Ethan used to come home just like that. I'd whip up hangover soup every time.

Not anymore. He wasn't drowning for me after all.

I ignored him sprawled on the couch and started to leave. He grabbed my wrist and mumbled, "Kelly, don't go. You don't know how much I love you."

I stopped cold, knowing drunk words were always true. Maybe he'd fallen for me without knowing it. He always muttered my name when he was wasted.

But then he kept going. "Lily, why did you pick Ryan over me?"

I laughed at myself, bitterness pooling inside me. It was Lily, not Kelly.

Even when we were tangled up together, it was always "Lily" he moaned.

I blamed myself for ever trying to soften. I should have learned my lesson.

I shook off his hand and walked away. From then on, I stopped longing for anyone's care.