His Bride Was My Sister, Everyone Betrayed Me Chapter 03

His Bride Was My Sister, Everyone Betrayed Me Chapter 03

When I got home, I canceled everything—the dress, the photographer, the venue.

Then I started packing.

I was halfway through when Leith’s Instagram popped up on my phone.

He wasn’t even pretending anymore.

The video showed him on stage, making vows with his hand over his heart.

“Lyra, I promise to laugh with you, to hold your hand through every hard day, and to keep choosing you—not just today, but every single day after.”

The words blurred in front of me.

Fourteen years ago, my mother and I were thrown out of the Hale house in the middle of the night.

No place to go. No one to turn to.

Leith came. He gave us a home.

He said: “Elara, you still have me. No matter how hard it gets, I’ll stay.”

I held onto that promise for twelve years.

Turns out, he stayed with me, and with the people who hurt me too.

By the time I finished packing, Leith was home.

When he saw I wasn’t waiting at the door, like I always did—

he laughed softly.

Then he wrapped his arms around me from behind.

“Still mad?”

I was about to pull away when he held out a necklace—a violet gemstone.

I froze.

It was my mother’s wedding necklace.

The one that ended up with Lyra’s mother after she took everything.

I’d only mentioned it once. I didn’t think he was listening.

“Lyra and I—it was just an accident.”

He stepped in front of me, his voice warm and patient, the way it always was when he tried to fix things.

“You’re the one I love. Always. So stop being upset, okay?”

“I’m not upset.”

I took the necklace. My fingers were shaking.

My mother’s last words, her hand on my face: “Elara, you can lose anything.”

“Just don’t lose your dignity.”

I opened my mouth to tell him—

He smiled first.

“I knew you’d understand.”

Then he grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the door.

“Your little scene this morning upset Lyra. The doctor said she can’t take any more stress.”

“You’re coming with me to the Hales’. Apologize to her, and we’ll put this behind us.”

I stopped walking.

“You want me to apologize to the other woman?”

He hesitated—looked away.

“Don’t dig up the past.”

His voice softened, like he was reasoning with a child.

“Lyra’s pregnant. Your father’s heart isn’t great either.”

“You made a scene in front of everyone—you made it awkward for all of us.”

“I’m not asking you to give in. I’m asking you to accept it.”

“Make things easier for everyone.”

“Try to get along. You’ll see her all the time anyway.”

I stared at him. I almost laughed.

Get along?

When my mother was thrown out of that house, did anyone care how she felt?

The door slammed shut that night, and everything was cut off.

And now he wanted me to warm up to them.

I pulled my hand free.

“Leith. We’re done.”

His eyes went wide.

Then he pulled the necklace out of my hand and held it up.

“Don’t be childish.”

His voice dropped lower.

“You’re going to apologize. And you’re not going to say things like that again.”

“Unless you don’t want this back.”

I closed my eyes. Whatever hope I had left was gone.

The man I loved most was threatening me with my mother’s last belonging.

“Fine. I’ll go.”

—

At the Hales’, Lyra was sitting on the couch, red-eyed.

Soren and Odette were on either side.

Odette shot me a glare the moment I walked in.

“Look what you did. Lyra’s been upset all day. Say you’re sorry.”

Soren handed me a glass of alcohol.

“You have to drink it. That’s the only way it counts.”

I stared at the glass.

The Hales had a rule: if you did something wrong, you drank to show you meant it.

But I remembered something else too.

Years ago, when Lyra’s mother showed up pregnant, my father pushed a glass across the table to my mother.

He told her to be reasonable. To accept the other woman and her child.

My mother smashed the glass on the floor and walked out.

Now here I was—being asked to drink to apologize to the mistress’s daughter.

For ruining her wedding with my fiancé.

It was almost funny.

“Elara?”

Leith held up the necklace.

“Don’t make this worse than it already is.”

The humiliation pressed down on me. I bit my lip and reached for the glass.

“I’m sorry.”

But when Lyra handed it to me, she pushed it forward.

The drink spilled all over me.

I stumbled back—Odette shoved me hard.

“You did that on purpose!”

I lost my balance.

My stomach hit the floor, and a sharp pain shot through me.

“Elara!”

Leith reached for me—but Odette screamed first.

“Lyra fainted!”

His hand froze. Then it shifted the other way.

The pain in my stomach grew worse. I grabbed Soren’s arm.

“Soren… I’m in pain…”

He shoved me off, voice breaking.

“Stop pretending! If something happens to Lyra, I’m done with you!”

They both ran.

Bang.

My head hit the floor.

Everything went black.