Chapter 2

SOPHIE WESLEY

The room went still. Their eyes had shifted to me, probably waiting for my answer.

My jaw tightened hard.

Of all the things she could have wished for, she chose my fiancé?

I didn't see that coming.

My eyes found Anthony's, searching them for a reaction, but then he looked away. Except that it wasn't with refusal. He looked like someone who was already considering it.

My stomach knotted.

Ivy stood and crossed the room to me.

"Sis, you're not mad at me, are you? I didn't want to ask for this, but mom and dad insisted that I asked..." A drop of tears slid down her cheek.

"You're really lucky to have Anthony. I mean, he's a good man..." She burst into tears. "I've never been lucky with men. My last relationship almost destroyed me, and I just..." she paused and covered her face, "I only wanted to know what it feels like to be treated well, walk down an aisle and say the vows... even if it isn't forever."

Cunning bitch.

I'd heard about her history with men. How not a single one of her relationships ever turned out well, but using my fiancé as a rebound?

"Sis..." She reached for my hands, tears still in her eyes, but pulling at the corner of her lips, was a smile that wasn't sad at all. "I'm not taking Anthony forever. A few weeks, maybe months. He'll come back to you."

"Don't touch me." I pulled free, and she stumbled back, crashing to the floor with a sharp cry.

I scoffed. I didn't even push her.

Everyone rushed to her. Mom, Dad, and even Anthony. All of them were folding around Ivy like she was going to break, and not even one of them looked at me.

"Sophie!" Dad's eyes found mine, burning with fury. "What is wrong with you?"

"How could you do that to your sister." Mom glared at me. "She did nothing wrong!"

She did nothing wrong? She asked to marry my fiancé and that's not wrong?

"She was only making a wish, Sophie." Anthony's voice was the one that broke me completely. "You should be nicer to Ivy."

My fingers tightened so hard, my knuckles turned white.

I stared at them for a moment, then turned without a word and started climbing the staircase.

"Seriously?" Mom's voice stopped me cold. "We've given you everything, and you can't do this one thing for your sister? She's asking to borrow Anthony for a few weeks. Not forever!"

"Borrow?" I scoffed, then a low dry laughter followed.

Is Anthony an item? How could she say that?

"You lived her life for years," Dad said. "The least you can do is give her this. If you can't, then you're just heartless."

"I didn't ask you to adopt me!" The words sat burning in my throat.

I never begged to be here.

I went straight to my room, and the moment the door clicked shut behind me, I burst into tears.

Anthony found me in the room a few minutes later, and I quickly wiped my tears before he crossed the room to me.

"Sophie..." He reached for me, and I stepped back.

He exhaled, hands dropping to his side. "Can you stop being dramatic? This isn't a big deal."

I stared at him. "Dramatic?"

"Sophie-"

"She asked you to marry her..." My voice cracked shakily. "And you think I'm being dramatic?"

"It's not a real marriage. It's a wish. It would be cruel not to give her that after everything she's been through-"

"What about me?" My voice climbed higher. "What about what I've been through? What about us?"

He closed the distance between us and lifted his hand to my face, cupping my cheek. His eyes were fixed on mine. I searched them for that familiar warmth and love they usually carry when they look at me, but they weren't there.

"You've had her life all these years, Sophie," he said softly. "Her name. Her family. Her birthday. Everything that was supposed to be hers..." He dropped his hand. "This is the least you can do for her. Don't you think?"

The door opened before I could find my voice.

Ivy walked in. Her eyes found mine first, and for just a second, before Anthony turned around, she smirked.

"Sophie..." Her expression collapsed into softness the moment Anthony looked at her. She moved to stand beside him. "Did I cause a fight?"

"I'm so sorry. You don't have to do it if Sophie isn't okay with it, Anthony. It doesn't matter." A tear slid down her cheek. "I'll be fine. I've been fine alone all these years anyway."

I scoffed.

"Don't say that, Ivy." Anthony reached for her hand. "You don't have to feel bad. Sophie is just..." he paused and exhaled. "You don't have to feel bad."

"Please don't blame her," Ivy said softly. "She's hurting. I understand."

She glanced at me again, the faintest trace of satisfaction on her face before she turned back to him. "I just don't want to come between you two."

"You won't." He held her hands. "I'll make your wish come true, Ivy. I'll marry you."

My blood ran cold.

I stood there and watched it happen. A proposal. On my birthday.

Ivy turned to me, gratitude and sorrow crossing her face. "Anthony made this choice himself. You won't hold it against me, will you?"

The silence stretched between us.

She closed the distance between us, then leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. "I told you, Sophie. You have no place here."

"Even while I was gone, you were nothing but a temporary replacement... A robot built to mirror me and keep my family from falling apart. You were never real to them." She tilted her head. "How did you ever think this would end differently for you?"

My hands fisted. My jaw tightened so hard, pain shot through my teeth.

I didn't move.

When she finally stepped back, I managed to put on a smile.

"You want Anthony?" I met her eyes. "He's yours, Ivy."

Colors drained from her face.

She had expected me to beg. To break, crumble at her feet and plead for my own life back.

That's the last thing I'll ever do...

Chapter 3

SOPHIE WESLEY

CONGRATULATIONS, MS WESLEY. YOU'RE THREE MONTHS GONE.

My grip tightened on the paper, hands shaking, eyes blur with tears as the city slid past us.

I had just left the hospital in a cab.

I pressed my palm flat on my stomach, my chest tightening.

Any other time, I would have called Anthony before the cab had even pulled away. I would have cried happy tears all the way home, but he was busy planning a wedding with my sister.

Who knows, he might not even accept this child.

"We're here, Ms."

The cab had stopped in front of the Wesley mansion.

The driver's gaze found mine in the rearview mirror as he asked, "are you okay, Ms?"

I stared at him. I almost let out everything. Almost, but I just smiled, nodded, and stepped out of the car.

I folded the paper, tucked it into my bag, and headed inside.

"Mom, isn't this beautiful? Anthony picked it himself." Ivy's voice echoed from the living room the moment I stepped inside.

My legs stilled, my breath catching in my throat.

She was standing in the middle of the room in a familiar white off-shoulder wedding gown, turning slowly for Mom. And Anthony... He stood nearby, watching her with a warm smile like she was everything that mattered to him.

My stomach dropped.

That dress. That was the same dress I showed to Anthony months ago. I'd told him I wanted to wear it on our wedding day, and yet he chose the same dress for her?

His smile faltered the moment he noticed me. For a second, something moved across his face... guilt, maybe, or it was just my wishful thinking. Then he turned back to Ivy without a word.

My grip tightened on my bag, my throat closing tightly as my gaze dropped to the dress again.

"Sophie... You're here." Ivy's gaze met mine, a smile on her face.

"You've been staring. Is it that beautiful?" She smoothed the dress with both hands. "Anthony picked it. I wasn't sure at first, but then he mentioned it was based on the sample you'd already chosen, and I thought..." She paused and gasped, her hands moving to cover her mouth, eyes narrowed. "Oh God. I didn't just say that out loud, did I?"

I turned to Anthony.

Ivy stepped between us before I could speak. "Please don't blame him. He told me you'd wanted it, but I couldn't find anything else I liked as much. If you're angry, please take it out on me instead."

I scoffed. What a flawless performance. Perhaps she should consider auditioning for a role as an actress. I'm sure she would bag one.

I held her gaze for a moment, then turned quietly and headed to my room.

Back in my room, I sat on the edge of my bed and unfolded the paper again.

A small smile crept up my face. I placed my free hand on my stomach.

They could take everything else, but not my baby.

A knock on the door, and I quickly slid the paper under my pillow and composed myself before the door opened.

Ivy walked in, still wearing the dress. She didn't look at me.

She walked straight to my floor-length mirror, a smile on her face as she studied her reflection.

"You have a questionable taste, you know?" Her smile dropped, her face twisting with disgust. "Did you actually find this dress pretty?" She tilted her head at the mirror.

So that was it. She didn't choose the dress because she loved it. She'd chosen it because Anthony told her I did.

I scoffed, then stood up.

For years I had stayed quiet. I'd swallowed every insult and called it consideration and keeping the peace. I'm done being the peace keeper.

I folded my arms on my chest, eyes on her. "You must want to be me so badly, you'd go to any length to take what I love, hmm?"

She turned from the mirror, colors draining from her face. "What?"

"Anthony. The dress." I took a step forward. "Tell me you have an inferiority complex without actually saying so."

Her mouth opened. Nothing came out.

"Does it make you feel better?" A smile curled my lips without reaching my eyes. "Taking my things... does it fill something in you? Make you feel like you've won something back?"

Her jaw tightened. Then her hand swung and caught me hard across the face without warning.

"How dare..."

My palm cracked harder across her face before she could fully land.

Her hand flew to her face, and before she could recover from the slap, my palm cracked against the other side of her face.

Her eyes widened as she staggered back.

For years, I'd stayed quiet. Smiled through her insults, and even when she raised her hands on me, I never fought back. But never again!

She stared at me for a moment... Then she screamed.

Five seconds. That was all it took. Dad and Anthony came through the door, Mom right behind them, all three of them rushing to Ivy like she'd been shot.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Mom's hands were on Ivy's face.

"What did you do to her?" Anthony turned to me, his voice hard and stripped of every warmth I've recognised for years, his eyes burning with rage.

He's not even going to ask me what happened? He's just going to assume I hurt her?

"Sophie. I'm talking to you!" He gritted.

"Why are you asking me?" For the first time, I spoke to Anthony coldly. I was always soft with him, shy around him because I was madly in love with him.

He glanced at Ivy.

"I came to apologise. I know she's upset about the wedding, about the dress... And everything. I only wanted to make things right between us." Her voice cracked. "I don't understand why she attacked me."

Anthony looked back at me. "Is that true?"

I almost laughed. I looked at each of them... Anthony searching for a reason to believe her, Mom already certain of the answer, Dad's face tight with disappointment.

They'd already made up their minds. None of them would believe me.

"You vile witch." Mom's voice was firm and disgusted. "Over a man and a dress? You could have hurt her!"

My chest tightened, knuckles already hard and white at my sides.

It's been seventeen years... Had she ever considered me her daughter?

Of course, not. If she ever did, Ivy's return would've changed nothing. To her, I've always been nothing but a placeholder.

My gaze dropped to my stomach, tears blurring my vision.

I can't stay here. I'm not going to stay in this hellhole of a house.

I'm leaving with my baby...