1 On my wedding day, just as we were about to exchange rings, my older brother burst through the church doors. He was carrying my pale, shivering adopted sister in his arms. He shouted that she was having a severe PTSD panic attack and demanded that my fiancé, Dr. Larry Stanton—a renowned clinical psychologist—perform an immediate psychiatric intervention. Just as I opened my mouth to stop him, a string of glowing, semi-transparent text floated across my vision. [The adopted sister’s PTSD was cured ages ago. She made a bet with her friends that she could ruin this wedding. The prize is a limited-edition Chanel bag.] [Larry isn’t doing ‘psychiatric interventions.’ Every time he ‘treats’ her, they’re just hooking up in his office.] [Warning! If Harper tries to stop them, Chloe will pretend to be triggered, run out of the church, and stage a fake car accident. The entire family will blame Harper, gang up on her, and have her locked in a psychiatric ward where she gets abused to death!] Everyone swarmed around the adopted sister. Not a single person looked at the bride standing at the altar. I silently swallowed the words of protest I was about to say. The icy chill in my eyes grew darker. If they wanted to chase a thrill on my wedding day, I would make sure they got the thrill of a lifetime. … Larry immediately dropped my wedding band and carefully took Chloe into his arms. I only frowned slightly, but my brother, Mason, shoved me hard in the shoulder. I crashed backward into a massive champagne tower. Glass shattered everywhere, and freezing alcohol soaked my wedding gown, making me look utterly pathetic. “Are you done throwing a tantrum, Harper?!” Mason yelled. “If you hadn’t come back and tried to steal everything from Chloe, her condition wouldn’t have relapsed!” “As far as I’m concerned, Chloe is my only sister! If anything happens to her, I will never forgive you!” My mother clicked her heels across the marble floor, rushing forward to look at Chloe with overwhelming concern. When she turned back to me, her face was twisted in anger. “Chloe’s trauma is highly unstable! The doctors explicitly said she cannot be triggered! You just have to push her over the edge, don’t you? Are you trying to kill her?!” My father looked at me with deep disgust. “You ungrateful brat. Do you not understand the value of human life?” “A wedding is just a formality! Were you really going to stand there and watch Chloe suffer? You have no heart!” I stood barefoot in a pile of broken glass, my blood running cold. I hadn’t said a single word, yet my entire family had already lined up to accuse me of being an unreasonable monster. The last shred of familial affection I had for these people evaporated completely. [The real daughter has it so bad. Not a single person in her biological family actually loves her.] [Here’s some heavy tea: Mason knew Chloe wasn’t his biological sister for years. He’s been secretly in love with her. No wonder he’s so insanely biased.] [The real daughter was kidnapped by human traffickers eighteen years ago because she was trying to save Mason’s life. She suffered for eighteen years, and this is how they treat her. It’s sickening.] [Honestly, her mother is blind. Chloe isn’t some poor orphan they adopted. She’s the bastard child of her husband and his childhood sweetheart.] My heart skipped a beat. The overwhelming sense of betrayal and injustice was instantly crushed by cold realization. If these floating comments were telling the truth, then this was going to be an incredible show. Chloe buried her face in Larry’s chest. A flash of triumph crossed her eyes before she wiped away her non-existent tears. “Harper… I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have come.” “I know you hate me for taking your place. But I can’t control my illness. Maybe I should just pack my bags and leave the family.” Larry immediately tightened his grip on her, his voice dripping with heartbreak. “Don’t be ridiculous, Chloe. You’re just sick. You can’t control your emotions. No one is blaming you.” He turned to me, his eyes filled with absolute coldness and revulsion. “Harper, you know exactly why Chloe is like this.” When I was five years old, Mason took me to the park. We were targeted by human traffickers. I bit a trafficker’s leg with everything I had, giving Mason the chance to run away. But I was dragged into a van and sold into a deeply impoverished mountain village. For eighteen years, I endured inhuman torture. I was forced to farm fields, feed pigs, starve, freeze, and survive on the scraps of others. Three years ago, the police finally found me and brought me back to my wealthy family. The very night I arrived, Chloe slit her wrists and was rushed to the hospital. She cried to my parents, saying she had stolen my life, that she was too ashamed to face me, and that it would be better if she just died. From that day on, the narrative was set. I was the vicious, petty, jealous biological daughter who couldn’t tolerate the innocent adopted girl. They never asked me what I suffered during those eighteen years. They only cared if Chloe felt slighted. Even today, on my wedding day, the most important day of my life, the moment Chloe clutched her chest and whimpered, they threw me out like trash. “Harper, I know you’ve been looking forward to this wedding,” Larry said, using his clinical, authoritative tone. “But Chloe’s condition is critical. Her psychological state is extremely volatile. I am the only one who can stabilize her. A wedding can be postponed. A life cannot.” “Be mature. Let me treat her.” I looked at the hundreds of wealthy guests filling the pews, suppressing the churning emotions in my chest. “There are thousands of psychologists in this city. Your own mentor is taking patients down the street.” “Why does it have to be you?” “If you’re the only man who can save her, then she can have the groom.” The entire cathedral fell dead silent. My mother was the first to react. “Harper! What the hell is wrong with you?!” “Larry is Chloe’s dedicated therapist! He’s been treating her for three years! He knows her triggers better than anyone!” “No one else can calm her down! His treatment is the most effective!” She grabbed my arm, her nails digging painfully into my skin. “With all these guests watching, are you trying to ruin Chloe’s reputation?! What is wrong with you?!” Before I could even respond, Mason exploded. He had been secretly obsessed with Chloe for years. He couldn’t stand the idea of her being romantically linked to another man, especially Larry. To him, my words were an insult to his pure, innocent goddess. Mason’s eyes burned with jealousy and rage. “Chloe is pure and innocent! She never asks for anything! Why do you constantly attack her?!” “You’re so rotten inside. You deserved to be kidnapped for eighteen years! It’s karma for being such a vicious person!” Deserved it. In my brother’s eyes, the fact that I sacrificed myself to save him, enduring eighteen years of hell, wasn’t something to be guilty about. It was my own fault. [Mason is a certified psychopath. Erasing a life-saving debt just to simp for a fake sister. Disgusting!] [Run, Harper! This whole family is toxic trash!] My chest tightened. I didn’t want to breathe the same air as these people for one more second. Chloe covered her face, her shoulders shaking violently as she sobbed. “Harper… please, stop saying these awful things.” “Ever since you came back, I’ve been trying to give you your life back.” “The family wealth, Mom and Dad’s love… I wanted you to have it all! I never wanted to fight you for anything!” She looked up, fragile and utterly shattered. “The only reason I stayed… the only reason I forced myself to keep living… was because I didn’t want Mom and Dad to be heartbroken.” “Larry and I are completely professional! We have never done anything inappropriate!” “Harper, what did I ever do to you? Why are you trying to destroy my life?” In just a few sentences, Chloe painted herself as a selfless, dutiful, suffering angel. And I became the relentless, jealous villain. My father, who had spoiled Chloe since she was a toddler, stepped forward and kicked over the life-sized wedding portrait of Larry and me. “Harper! If I knew you were going to come back and torture Chloe every single day, I would never have spent a dime trying to find you! I should have let you rot in those mountains!” The guests gasped in shock. They began whispering, looking at me with strange, mocking expressions. Larry tightened his hold on Chloe. He glared at me, his voice freezing cold. “Harper. Apologize to Chloe right now.” “Apologize for your disgusting accusations, and do it in front of everyone.” My heart had turned to stone. “I spoke the truth. Why should I apologize?” Larry’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “If you don’t apologize, I will have to reconsider this marriage.” “The Stanton family will not accept a bride who is malicious and actively tries to destroy innocent women.” Mason leaned in close, whispering directly into my ear. “Harper, don’t push your luck.” “Think very carefully about the old woman with dementia living in the nursing home.” “If you don’t bow your head and apologize right now, I will call the facility and have them throw her onto the street.” I froze. During my eighteen years in hell, an elderly, half-blind woman in that mountain village had taken me in. She starved herself to feed me. She protected me from the worst of the abuse. She was my only light in the dark. When I was rescued, I brought her with me. She was now suffering from severe dementia, and my family paid for her high-end care facility. I could endure their bias. I could endure their betrayal. But I would never let them hurt my grandmother. I dug my fingernails into my palms until they bled. The last shred of my pride was ground into the dirt. “I’m sorry. I misunderstood the situation.” Those words drained every ounce of strength I had left. Seeing me surrender, a flash of pure victory crossed Chloe’s eyes. She immediately put on her mask of absolute forgiveness, reaching out to touch my arm. “It’s okay, Harper… I don’t blame you…” Before she even made contact, she let out a sharp cry and collapsed onto the marble floor. Her eyes went wide, tears spilling perfectly down her cheeks. “Harper… I really want us to be a family. Why do you hate me so much?” Larry violently shoved me backward. I lost my balance and fell hard. My palms slammed into the shattered glass of the champagne glasses. Blood instantly pooled on the white marble, staining the hem of my wedding dress crimson. But no one looked at me. My mother, my father, and my brother all rushed toward Chloe, frantic with worry. “Chloe, are you okay?! Did you hit your head?!” “Don’t cry, sweetheart! Harper is just an ungrateful brat!” “Breathe, Chloe, please breathe!” My mother was so furious she spun around, raised her hand, and swung at my face. I caught her wrist with my bleeding hand. I looked up at her, a dark, mocking smile curling on my lips. “I didn’t touch her. Why don’t you ever believe me?” “But you know what? You don’t have to put on a show anymore. The wedding is off.” “And I am done with this family.” “Is this apology sincere enough for you?” I was exhausted. My heart was completely dead. I would take my grandmother back to a quiet town and protect the only person who ever truly loved me. My parents’ faces changed drastically. They stared at me in shock. They were so used to me begging for scraps of affection, so used to me swallowing my pride, they never expected me to sever the tie. Larry looked down at my blood-soaked hands, a flicker of hesitation and panic crossing his eyes. Sensing the shift in the room, Chloe suddenly ripped herself away from the family. She clutched her chest, sobbing hysterically, and sprinted toward the spiral staircase leading to the cathedral’s bell tower. “I’m the problem! I’ve always been the problem!” “If Harper wants me gone so badly, then I’ll just die!” The guests were thrown into total chaos. A massive crowd chased her up the stairs. “Harper is a monster! A girl is about to jump, and she’s crying about a wedding?!” “Exactly! Just let the doctor treat her!” “Poor Chloe. Her identity is already so fragile, and now she’s being driven to suicide.” The glowing text in my vision went absolutely wild. [Classic manipulation tactic. Chloe has pulled this stunt eight hundred times in the last three years, and they fall for it every time!] [Chloe literally bet her sorority sisters that she could steal Harper’s groom at the altar. The prize is a limited-edition Chanel bag you can’t even get on the waitlist for.] [She’s faking a suicide attempt for a handbag. That’s next-level psycho!] I stood at the bottom of the stairs, staring coldly at the woman acting out her dramatic scene on the balcony. I felt nothing. Larry was pale with terror. He shouted up at Chloe standing near the ledge. His voice was filled with a frantic, desperate love I had never received. “Chloe! Don’t do this! Come down, and I will start your intervention right now!” “Just step away from the edge! I’ll do whatever you want!” Mason spun around and slapped me across the face so hard my ears rang. “Are you happy now?! If she dies, I swear to God I will kill you!” My mother grabbed my arm, sobbing hysterically. “Harper, please! Just let Larry treat her! I’m begging you!” “If Chloe dies, I’ll die too!” The absolute terror in her eyes was entirely for Chloe. I stared at her, feeling ice in my veins. I couldn’t help but wonder how she would react when she found out the truth. My father was pacing in a panic. “Larry, go! Go calm her down!” “You’re a professional! It will only take you a few minutes to stabilize her!” The floating text flooded my vision again. [A few minutes? Keep dreaming. With Larry’s stamina, this is going to take at least two hours.] [Psychiatric treatment, my ass. They’re literally using this as an excuse to go hook up in a hotel room.] [This family’s double standards are making my blood boil.] Larry finally managed to pull Chloe away from the edge, wrapping her tightly in his arms. Without a second of hesitation, he scooped her up and carried her toward the penthouse suite of the luxury hotel attached to the cathedral. “Psychological interventions are extremely delicate! They cannot be interrupted!” “Until we come out, absolutely no one is allowed inside!” Mason nodded vigorously, ordering the family’s private security to guard the penthouse door. The hundreds of guests settled back into their seats, eating appetizers, waiting for the “treatment” to finish. The media reporters pointed their cameras directly at me. Videos were already flooding social media. #Bride Abandoned at Altar as Groom Treats Adopted Sister’s Mental Breakdown!# #Real vs. Fake Heiress: Who Actually Won?# Seeing me standing silently in my bloody dress, my mother suddenly remembered her shallow maternal duties. “If you had just been mature about this from the start, none of this would have happened.” “Chloe is highly sensitive. We spoiled her for eighteen years. She can’t handle rejection.” “You just got back. You’re stubborn and rude. You should have accommodated her.” “When she comes down, I want you to apologize to her nicely. Comfort her.” “We are a family. Keeping the peace is more important than your petty feelings.” I looked at the woman who birthed me. The tiny shred of pity I had for her vanished. “Mother, if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, I hope you remember to ‘keep the peace.’” Mason glared at me, disgusted by my tone. “Of course she will! That’s how this family operates! Chloe’s well-being comes before anything else.” My father nodded in agreement. “I raised Chloe for eighteen years. That bond is deep. Even if you share my blood, you have no right to bully her.” “Stop looking so miserable. You’re embarrassing the family.” I remained completely silent. The glowing comments were losing their minds. [Why isn’t Harper screaming? Is she plotting something?!] [Waiting for the plot twist! Slap these freaks in the face!] I excused myself to use the restroom. The moment I was out of sight, I pulled out my phone and dialed 911. If they wanted a thrill, I was going to pour gasoline on the fire. I returned to the banquet hall. Ten minutes passed. Half an hour passed. The clock kept ticking, but there was dead silence from the penthouse. The guests were getting restless. My mother kept checking her luxury watch, looking nervously toward the private elevator. “Why hasn’t he brought her down yet?” My father’s jaw was tight. “Larry is a top-tier doctor. It shouldn’t take this long.” [LMAO, the lights in the penthouse just went off. Are they doing something rated R?] [I peeked through a window earlier. Larry’s got serious stamina.] [Two hours minimum. I stand by that.] Just as the text flew past my eyes, the heavy double doors of the banquet hall burst open. A dozen uniformed police officers marched in, their body cameras flashing red. “We received a tip regarding illegal activities taking place in the penthouse suite of this hotel!” “We are conducting a mandatory sweep of the premises! Step aside!” The reporters’ eyes lit up. Cameras clicked furiously. Mason panicked. He tried to call Larry, but it went straight to voicemail. His phone was off. My mother rushed forward, putting on her best socialite smile. “Officers, there must be a misunderstanding!” “My daughter is having a medical emergency upstairs. There is nothing illegal happening.” My father quickly backed her up. “Yes, she’s undergoing an emergency psychiatric intervention. If you interrupt, it could cause severe trauma. Please, give them space.” The lead officer looked at them coldly. “No medical procedure supersedes the law.” “If you attempt to block a police investigation, you will be arrested for obstruction of justice.” My parents and brother froze, their faces turning pale. [Hahaha! The female lead is a genius! Using the cops to kick the door down is legendary!] [The climax is here! Prepare for the ultimate walk of shame!] I covered my mouth with my hands, faking an expression of absolute terror. “Oh my god…” “They’ve been locked in there for over an hour. Their phones are off. Do you think a criminal broke in and took them hostage?!” With one sentence, I weaponized their own paranoia against them. “She’s right!” a guest shouted. “Why else would both their phones be off?!” My father started sweating profusely. “Get the master keycard! Now! Open that door!” Mason sprinted to the hotel manager. The moment the keycard clicked against the penthouse door, the police stormed inside. Right behind them were dozens of reporters, their massive lenses and cellphones livestreaming the event to millions. The next second, the scene inside the suite was broadcast to the world. On a massive, custom California king bed, the sheets were violently tangled. The bed frame was creaking loudly. The visual was beyond explicit. Larry and Chloe were in the middle of an intense, sweaty hookup.
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