Chapter 2

When my third sister-in-law takes the last of the poison, she holds her six-year-old daughter tight in her arms. Until the very last second, she covers the child's eyes so she will not see the dead bodies around them.

And I am the last one.

I should have died earlier too.

But Grandmother saves the only fast-acting poison capsule for me.

She wipes the dirty blood from my face and presses the pill into my palm with trembling paws.

"Sera, you came in wearing a wedding dress. Then leave wearing it clean."

"Don't be scared."

"Grandmother will go ahead and wait for you."

After she says that, she walks step by step toward the drawer where she keeps the gun.

I rush forward to hold her, but Mother and my sisters-in-law pull me back with all their strength.

One sharp shot. Grandmother falls.

I have never seen so much blood.

A few hours ago, she is still sitting in the family room, choosing the wedding tiara I will wear when I get married.

She smiles and says Adrian Blackwell may have power, but if he dares to bully a Vale girl, she will walk into City Hall with her cane and file a complaint herself.

An unseen force drags me out of the prison.

I pass through the long street, over the tall front gates, and return to Vale House.

The house is bright with lights.

There is a dinner in the main hall.

Father, my three brothers, and Adrian Blackwell are all there.

Pearl Vale sits in the center, wearing the peach-pink couture gown Mother ordered for me.

Her eyes are still a little swollen, but the plate in front of her is piled high with food everyone gives her.

Victor pushes a plate of crab meat toward her.

"You said you like crab, right? I already picked it out for you."

Miles takes out a violin.

"You said you liked one a few days ago. I had someone find it for you from the southern coast."

Noah puts a fluffy puppy plushie into her arms.

"Stop being upset."

"After Sera signs the engagement release tomorrow, everything will be over."

I stand outside the door and suddenly remember the past sixteen years.

I get cold easily, so Father has heated floors put into my north suite.

I love sweet cream pudding from the south, so every time Victor travels for work, he takes a detour to bring some back for me.

Miles teaches me how to ride a scooter. When I fall, he carries me on his back for three streets to find a doctor.

Noah loves arguing with me the most, but when I am punished, he secretly copies my pages for me.

They once held me in their palms like this too.

But one month ago, the true Vale daughter, Pearl, is found and brought home.

She has been lost for sixteen years and has suffered so much outside.

Father and Mother are so guilty they cannot sleep at night.

My brothers want to give her the best things in the world.

I want to make it up to her too.

I give her the north suite where I have lived for sixteen years. I lay out the jewelry Mother gave me, the properties Father put in my name, and the rare gifts my brothers found for me from different places.

I let her choose anything she wants.

But she takes nothing.

She only asks me with red eyes, "You already took my parents and brothers for sixteen years. Are you going to take my fiancé too?"

At that moment, I finally know she likes Adrian too.

On her way back to the city, she meets robbers. Adrian brings people to save her.

He only hands her a handkerchief, and she remembers it forever.

But our wedding date is already set.

Adrian holds my hand in front of everyone in the Vale family and tells her, "I saved you only because you are Sera's sister."

"I will only marry Sera in this life."

Pearl faints on the spot.

After she wakes up, she refuses to eat or drink. She even cuts her wrist.

Mother stays by her bed and cries all night.

Father and my brothers take turns trying to comfort her, but she only repeats one sentence.

"If she is still here, I will always be the extra one."

So after that, everyone starts asking me to give in.

Father sighs and says, "We are only trying to calm her down."

"When she feels better, everything will go back to normal."

My brothers say the same thing.

"You are the sensible one. Pearl is extreme. If we don't go along with her, she really will die."

Even Adrian goes silent.

They say this is only temporary.

Once Pearl understands no one will abandon her, everything will get better.

Now they are still saying the same thing.

Pearl holds the puppy plushie and asks softly, "What if she won't sign?"

Adrian grips his wine glass. His knuckles turn slightly white.

"She will sign."

"Sera cares about her family the most. She thinks the Vale family is suffering because of her. She won't risk the women's safety just to keep me."

Tears quickly fill Pearl's eyes.

"Are you blaming me?"

"Is she always more important to you than I am?"

Adrian stays silent for a long time.

"I didn't say that."

"But you clearly can't let her go!"

Pearl stands up crying.

"All of you can't let her go. Then why are you even trying to comfort me?"

"When she comes out tomorrow, you'll all gather around her again. Father will feel bad that she spent one night in jail. Mother will hug her and cry. My brothers will blame me. And you will marry her again sooner or later!"

Father puts down his fork at once.

"No."

"Pearl, we will do what we promised you."

Victor also comforts her gently.

"After Sera signs the engagement release, we'll send her to the lake house for a while."

"When you're not scared anymore, we'll let her come back."

Miles frowns.

"Sera has always cared about you."

"She gave you everything you liked."

Pearl suddenly throws the teacup to the floor.

"That's because she looks down on me!"

"She thinks I'll be grateful because she throws me a few things?"