Chapter 1

There was a viral confession thread blowing up on Twitter.

The top comment read:

*“I’ve been holding this in for six months. I finally need to get it off my chest. I did something unforgivable to my sister. I fell in love with her boyfriend… and we slept together.”*

At first, I felt a wave of pity for this stranger’s sister.

Then I clicked on the user’s recent replies, and my blood ran cold.

*“I tried so hard to fight my feelings, but I couldn’t stop inserting myself between them. I went on all their vacations. I tagged along on their dates. I even invited myself to their weekend couple's retreat.”*

*“For the past six months, my sister hasn’t had a single private moment with him. If she weren't so good to me, maybe I wouldn’t feel this guilty.”*

Every single detail she mentioned was something my sister, Chloe, had done with me and my fiancé, Julian.

Even the location tag was the exact same neighborhood as mine.

My hands trembled uncontrollably.

Heart pounding, I tapped on the user's profile.

One glance at the feed, and my heart plummeted. It really was Chloe.

There were no photos showing her face, but there was a picture of a delicate gold bracelet on her wrist.

I had the exact same bracelet.

Julian had given it to me.

Back then, he held up the jewelry box with a warm smile. “They’re a matching pair. Unique, just like the bond between you two sisters.”

I had been overjoyed that day.

Ever since our parents died, Chloe and I had only each other. When Julian gave us those bracelets, I was moved to tears. I honestly thought he was just treating my little sister like his own family.

Now, I was looking at the caption Chloe posted six months ago:

*I told him I loved it, and he bought it for me right away.*

My throat felt bone-dry.

A bitter taste rose in my mouth. I felt like the biggest fool in the world.

The gift was a sick joke.

And our five-year relationship was an even bigger one.

It took me a long time to steady my breathing before I walked out of the restaurant restroom.

When I returned to the table, our food had already arrived.

Seeing me approach, Chloe waved cheerfully. “Claire, hurry! The food’s getting cold.”

Sitting across from her was Julian.

It looked just like any other dinner we’d shared over the past few months.

Except now, the illusion was shattered.

I forced a tight smile and sat down.

A second later, Julian picked up his fork and placed a piece of BBQ ribs onto my plate.

His voice was gentle. “Your favorite. Eat it while it’s hot.”

My fork froze in midair.

Chloe noticed and spoke up, a trace of nervous guilt in her voice. “Julian, sweet BBQ ribs are my favorite. Claire hates sweet sauces.”

A flicker of panic flashed across Julian’s eyes.

He tapped his forehead and let out a self-deprecating chuckle. “I’m so sorry, Claire. Work has been crazy lately. My brain must be fried.”

In the past, I wouldn't have thought twice about it.

But Chloe’s anonymous post was burning into my memory.

I finally saw the truth: Chloe mattered more to Julian than I did.

Six months with Chloe had effortlessly erased five years with me.

Tears stung the corners of my eyes. I blinked rapidly, fighting to keep them from falling.

There were a million things I wanted to scream.

In the end, all I could manage was a quiet, “It’s fine.”

The tension at the table didn't ease; the silence only grew heavier.

When dinner was over, Julian looked up at me.

“I’ll drop Chloe off first. You don't like dealing with traffic, so wait for me here.”

I’m naturally impatient and despise waiting around.

Yet every single time Julian suggested dropping Chloe off first, I had always agreed.

Gradually, his polite questions had turned into non-negotiable demands.

This time, I was done waiting.

I shook my head. “No need. Go drop her off. I’ll take an Uber home.”

Julian raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.

“Why?”

Julian knew me better than anyone. Deep down, he already knew the answer.

Maybe he just wanted to clear his own conscience.

I curled my lips into a hollow smile. “I’m tired. I just want to get home and crash.”

Julian didn’t push any further. He turned and left with Chloe.

I stood by the restaurant window, watching their retreating figures.

For the first time, I noticed how their footsteps fell into perfect sync.

If you looked closely, you could see the matching smiles on their lips.

For the last six months, I had been an oblivious clown living in a fantasy world.

I had been blind to everything right in front of me.