Chapter 1

The day before the engagement, my in-laws' adopted daughter came by to try on her bridesmaid gown.

I teased her with a smile:

"Your silly little brother is already getting engaged, and you, his older sister, still haven't picked out someone to love!"

She undid her clothes with brisk ease, laughing without a care.

"I'm free as a bird now. I can sleep with whoever I want—I'm a lot happier than you, about to walk into the cage of marriage."

"I turned thirty-five this year, and the old man finally stopped pushing me to take the civil service exam. Look, I've had all my favorite things to eat tattooed on my body!"

She turned to show me the tattoos covering her back—ripe red cherries, plump chili peppers...

But my gaze froze at her waist, where there was a tattoo of a golden staff,

exactly like the one my husband, Ken Henson, had...

...

Seeing that I had suddenly gone quiet, Beth turned around, puzzled.

Following my gaze, she caught sight of the tattoo on her lower back and burst out laughing.

"What, did I scare our virtuous little wife-and-mother-to-be?"

She tossed her hair, as unconcerned as if she were chatting about the weather.

"I've been abroad these past few years—people are open-minded over there, it's just an ordinary decoration!"

"And I happen to have a mole right here on my waist, so put together, isn't it super distinctive!"

Looking into her open, untroubled eyes, my doubts eased a little.

True enough—everyone knew that Ken and Beth were always at each other's throats, couldn't stand the sight of one another, and squabbled the moment they met.

More than once he'd complained openly that this adopted sister of his was loose in her ways and a disgrace to his family!

"What are you two talking about?"

Ken's voice came from behind me, and a pair of hands wrapped around my waist.

He kissed my forehead the way he always did, his gaze sliding over Beth, his face instantly showing undisguised distaste:

"What are you doing here?"

Beth rolled her eyes, stepped forward and pushed him away, then affectionately linked her arm through mine:

"I'm here to have my best friend's back, so certain people won't get to bully our Cece down the road!"

She lifted her chin at Ken. "Isn't that right, my dear little brother!"

Ken gave a cold snort. "Spare me. Just looking at you annoys me!"

Watching the two of them clash like fire and water, I finally let out a full breath.

It seemed I'd been overthinking it—just a coincidence!

The sales assistant came to call me over to try on the wedding dress. Just as I was about to message Ken to come give his opinion, I realized my phone was gone.

I used the sales assistant's phone to call myself, but what came through was a faint sound of panting.

I froze for a moment, then instinctively touched my ear.

It turned out my bone-conduction earphones were still on, and the call had connected automatically.

I was about to speak when Ken's voice, carrying a trace of anger, slipped into my ear first:

"Who told you to come? Didn't we agree you'd stay away?"

Beth giggled coquettishly, taunting:

"What? Afraid she'll find out you try on wedding dresses by day and try me out by night?"

My feet, carrying me toward the door, froze in place, unable to believe what I was hearing.

Beth's voice was full of resentment and jealousy, her teeth clenched:

"Ken Henson, I've been with you for over ten years! Who does Cecilia Cox think she is? Nothing but a mistress leaning on the Cox family's fortune to muscle in between us!"

Someone walked past the studio carrying a big lamp, the light shining straight into my eyes, making me dizzy.

The sounds in my ear went on—sticky, wet, unbearable to hear.

I bit down hard on my lower lip, until the taste of rust filled my mouth.

Slowly, I hung up, and used the front desk computer to send an email to the other side of the ocean:

"Big brother, Ken cheated on me. I don't want to get married anymore!"