Chapter 1

On the morning of my wedding, my sister threw a fit about wanting to wear my gown.

I couldn't win against her, so I said fine, she could try it on.

But when the time came, she wouldn't take it off no matter what.

The smile slid off my face.

"Eugenia James, the groom's party is going to be here any minute."

"Give the gown back, don't hold up the ceremony."

But the arm I reached out was stopped halfway.

Dad smoothed out the train of her dress without even turning around.

"Eugenia likes it, so let her have it."

"You two are twins anyway. Nobody can tell you apart."

Behind her, Mom carefully settled the veil on her head, then tossed the bridesmaid's dress at me without a second glance.

"It's just for show, just going through the motions. You're the one signing the marriage papers in the end, that's what matters."

Again.

For as long as I could remember, whatever Eugenia set her eyes on, I had no right to fight for.

Not the last chicken drumstick at the dinner table, not the single guaranteed spot at a top school.

I turned my back on them, my finger hovering over my fiancé Otto Henson's number.

The next second, Eugenia snatched the phone out of my hand.

She looked at me, her smile playful.

"Feel like playing a game?"

Cold crawled up from the soles of my feet.

"What do you mean?"

She pressed a fingertip to my lips.

"Besides Mom and Dad, we keep the identity swap a secret."

"I want you to see with your own eyes exactly who Otto really loves."

1.

The time had come.

Downstairs, the celebratory cannons went off, and the wedding cars rolled slowly to a stop at the door.

Otto came in through the front door in his groom's suit, smiling, surrounded by the crowd.

I looked at Eugenia and spoke slowly.

"A wedding isn't a game."

Otto had spent a full six months running around getting this ready.

Booking the best hotel, hiring the most professional photographers.

Even the gown had been hand-made to order by a master in Milan.

I couldn't ruin everything he'd worked so hard on over one fit of spite.

Seeing that I wasn't moved, Eugenia let out a scoff.

Then she pulled open the hidden zipper along the side of the gown.

She folded back the lining, showing the two large letters embroidered inside.

EJ.

Two simple letters, but they made my breath catch, my heart nearly skip a beat.

The letters were tucked away where no one would see them.

If not for her, I probably never would have thought of it in my whole life.

That my fiancé would embroider his wife's sister's name inside the gown he'd paid a fortune to have made.

Eugenia zipped it back up and shot me a glance.

"He stitched it in himself. Said it counted as fulfilling his dream of marrying me."

The noise outside grew closer and closer.

The groom's party was already at the door, ready to burst in at any moment.

Without a word, Mom yanked the clothes off my body.

She shoved that spare bridesmaid's dress onto me.

The delicate hairstyle I'd gotten done first thing that morning was already ruined beyond recognition.

"You're the older one, don't fight with your sister."

"After the wedding, I'll go apologize to my son-in-law myself."

She had always been proud, and yet for Eugenia she could stoop to this.

I lowered my eyes and answered in a hoarse voice.

"I'll change."

I wanted to see too, exactly how far Otto had gone with Eugenia behind my back, beyond the gown.

Otto's voice rang out from the other side.

"Beth James, I'm here to take you home."

Outside, the groomsmen were itching to go, pounding on the door in wave after wave.

Eugenia sat down on the bed, and I fixed her train for her.

The next second, the door broke open and the crowd came flooding into the room.

I went up with the other bridesmaids to hold them back.

The whole thing was chaos. I got squeezed in the crush, and someone took the chance to run their hands over me.

"Eugenia!"

Otto pushed through the crowd and pulled me behind him.

He swept a look over the groomsmen, cold in his eyes.

"I can't do anything about the rest, but her, you don't touch."

Someone let out a strange laugh.

"Not the bridesmaid, then the bride's fair game, right?"

They lunged at the bed and surrounded Eugenia on all sides.

I gripped Otto's arm.

"You're not going to do something about that?"

He turned his head and gave me a puzzled look.

"Why do you sound just like your sister today?"

"Relax, they know their limits, they won't cross any lines."

A moment ago, that wasn't what he'd said at all.

I bit down on my lip, and suddenly the man in front of me felt frighteningly like a stranger.

In the end it was Mom and Dad who blocked that crowd off.

They planted themselves in front of Eugenia by force and didn't let her get hurt in the slightest.

Once everything had settled.

I stood mixed in among the bridesmaids, watching Otto kneel in front of Eugenia, head bowed, carefully slipping the wedding shoes onto her feet.

When he looked up, his gaze landed straight on me.

He winked at me, and the intimacy in it left me unable to force out even a fake smile.

As he passed me, Otto pressed a red envelope into my palm.

He leaned down, his warm breath brushing the side of my neck.

"There'll be a lot of people later, so I'm giving you the ceremonial cash gift now."

"Tonight, will you finally call me your husband?"