Chapter 1

On the eve of the wedding, I found my husband, who had supposedly died in a shipwreck, kissing my sister in public under the guise of his twin brother.

I tore his shirt open like a madwoman. When I saw the familiar birthmark below his collarbone, I completely broke down.

He wasn't the one who died.

Just to be with my sister, he faked his death, turning me into a mourning joke.

But when I suffered a severe miscarriage and sent him my final plea for help, he never showed up.

Later, for my sister's sake, he forged a will to steal my inheritance. He even dragged me out of my hospital bed after I was kidnapped and beaten to a pulp.

"Chloe slit her wrists! If she dies, you're going down with her!"

Looking at the man I had loved for eight long years, I suddenly smiled.

"Sure."

"Let's see Lucas Sterling's wife die right in front of you."

***

**Claire Vance POV**

The private chapel of the Sterling estate was bathed in a harsh, cold white light.

The air smelled faintly of decay and incense.

I knelt on the cold marble floor, dressed in a simple, rough black dress, my face pale.

In the silver frame, Lucas's handsome but perpetually cold face was frozen in black and white.

Lost at sea, no body found.

That was the devastating news the Sterling family received three days ago.

"Claire, stand up. You've been kneeling here for a day and a night." Arthur Sterling, Lucas's grandfather, walked in leaning on his cane, supported by a butler. Looking at my exhausted state, his eyes softened with pity. "Lucas was unfortunate, but he wouldn't want you to destroy yourself like this."

I didn't move. I slowly raised my head, my bloodshot eyes dead and hollow. "Grandpa, I've made up my mind. Since Lucas is gone, my heart is dead too. I want to enter a convent. I'll spend the rest of my life alone, praying for him every day."

"No!" Arthur slammed his cane onto the floor with a dull thud. "You're only twenty-four! Your life has just begun. The Sterling family will never allow this! Even though Lucas is gone, you are still my granddaughter. Once this passes, I will find you a good man..."

"Oh, what a dramatic performance."

A beautiful, mockingly sweet female voice came from the doorway.

My spine stiffened. I turned around.

Chloe Vance walked in, wearing a perfectly tailored, form-fitting black dress. She didn't look like she was here to mourn; she looked like she was attending a gala. Clinging to her arm was a tall man in a sleek black suit.

It was Julian Sterling, Lucas's twin brother.

He shared an almost identical face with my late husband. The only difference was that Lucas was always cold as ice, while Julian carried a playful smirk. But right now, this "Julian" stood expressionless, looking at me with a faint, deep-seated disgust.

"Grandpa, don't let my sister fool you," Chloe said, leaning into the man's chest as she walked over. "She talks about entering a convent, but she's probably scheming how to get her hands on Lucas's estate. After all, she drugged Lucas just to crawl into his bed and force her way into the Sterling family. Would a gold-digger like her really become a nun?"

"Chloe, shut up! This is a memorial service!" Arthur roared.

But Chloe didn't stop. She tilted her head up, and right in front of everyone—right in front of the memorial portrait—she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against "Julian's."

"Julian, tell me, am I right? She's just a hypocrite."

The man didn't push her away. Instead, he wrapped his arm around her waist and let out a low, muttered "Yeah."

That single sound struck my ears like a bolt of lightning, making my blood run cold.

No.

Julian's voice was always slightly raspy from years of smoking. But that single syllable just now was deep, cold, and carried the natural, commanding weight of an alpha.

That was... Lucas's voice!

I scrambled up from the floor, nearly collapsing because my legs were numb from kneeling. I stared at the man, my heart hammering so hard against my ribs it felt like it would burst.

"You..." My finger trembled violently as I pointed at him.

Seeing this, Chloe smirked with satisfaction. "What's wrong? Jealous of how much Julian loves me? Lucas is dead, Claire. No matter how much you play the grieving widow, he's not coming back."

Rage, absurdity, and a terrifying realization exploded in my mind. Like a madwoman, I lunged forward, grabbed the man's collar, and ripped it down.

*Rip!*

Two buttons popped off, exposing his broad chest.

And there, right beneath his left collarbone, was a reddish-brown, coin-sized birthmark!

All the strength drained from my body. I stumbled back, shaking my head in utter disbelief, tears finally spilling over.

Julian was born prematurely. His skin was flawless, without a single mark.

But Lucas had a birthmark right beneath his collarbone.

As his wife, I had kissed that exact spot countless times in the dark. I could never mistake it!

The one who died in the shipwreck was Julian!

And the man standing in front of me, pretending to be his twin brother just so he could openly love Chloe, was my husband, Lucas!

To be with Chloe, he went so far as to erase his own existence, faking his death for three days!

"Crazy bitch, what are you doing!" The man shoved me away and quickly pulled his shirt together. A flicker of panic crossed his eyes before being replaced by cold, burning rage.

I collapsed onto the icy marble floor. Watching him protectively shield Chloe, I let out a sharp, hysterical laugh.

Enter a convent? Pray for him?

Claire Vance, you are the biggest joke in the world!

***