Chapter 2

Tears pour down my face. I whip around toward Sienna and scream.

"Sienna! How long are you gonna keep faking it? Does screwing my husband feel that good?"

Sienna opens her eyes. Her face is ghost white. She won't look at me.

She grabs the pillow and hurls it at Ethan.

"How could you tell her? How dare you do this to her?"

"I told you I don't need a title! I was gonna disappear after the baby!"

Ethan rushes over and pulls her into his arms, holding on tight. His voice shakes.

"I can't let you go. That's why I had to come clean. Please, Sienna. Don't leave me."

"This is all on me. Stay still — you'll rip your stitches."

Those exact words. He used to say them to me.

His mom died when he was little. His dad was never home. All he had was the nanny.

And the nanny was a monster.

She'd beat him when nobody was looking.

She almost beat him to death once. I broke into his house and pulled him out.

That's how I dragged him out of the dark.

Later, the nanny came for revenge. She had me kidnapped.

But Ethan wouldn't let go of me. They beat him until he was covered in blood, and he still wouldn't let go.

The adults finally showed up. Got us both out.

At the hospital, he held my hand so tight his knuckles went white, whispering over and over:

"Don't leave me, Lily."

Like I was the most precious thing in the world.

That's exactly how he's holding her right now.

Only I'm not the one in his arms anymore.

I've thought about it before — what I'd do if we hit that seven-year itch.

I always figured, worst case, I'd drag Sienna out, get blackout drunk for a few nights, cry it all out, then go right back to loving him.

But why — why did it have to be her?

Who am I supposed to ugly-cry with now?

Sienna shoves Ethan off and stumbles over to my bed. Tears running down her face.

"Lily, please. Don't cry. I'll leave tomorrow. You two can go back to the way it was."

My jaw aches from clenching. My heart is being ripped in two.

Sienna used to come from money. Old money.

When she was five, her whole family died in a wreck. She was the only one left.

Relatives picked the estate clean.

Then they dumped her in the system. She went through hell.

When I met her, I begged my parents to take her in.

Mom and Dad treated her like she was theirs. No difference.

She cried over her first birthday cake at our house.

I told her, laughing — everything I have, you get half.

Half my snacks.

Half my fun.

Half my mom and dad.

Never thought she'd want half my husband too.

I grit my teeth.

"Get out. I never wanna see you again. You're nothing but a homewrecker."

The babies start screaming, spooked by the yelling. Their little faces are beet red.

I scoop mine up and rock her, shushing. Tears hit the blanket before I can stop them.

Sienna buries her face in her hands, choking on sobs. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."

Ethan picks up the other baby, jaw tight, barely holding it together. He rounds on me.

"Sienna's been covering for you this whole time. She couldn't stand to hurt you. She was my fiancée from the start. You're the one who came in between us."

I go rigid.

Ethan did have a fiancée.

But he told me himself — she died in a crash.

The first time he and Sienna met in front of me, they acted like strangers. Even faked not being able to stand each other.

More than once, I begged him to be nicer to her. For my sake.

I was so damn proud of myself for smoothing things over between them.

Turns out I was the idiot the whole time.

What a goddamn joke.

I laugh until the tears spill over.

I grab Sienna's wrist and rip the rosary bracelet off. Beads go flying, clattering across the floor.

"This is mine. You don't deserve it."

I pick up my baby and stand. My legs are trembling. Every step feels like walking on shattered glass, but I don't stop. Not once.

Behind me — Sienna's wailing. Ethan cussing me out.

The System chimes in:

**[18 hours remaining. Please make your choice soon.]**