I walked into Serena’s apartment with our wedding invitation in hand. Too hurried, so that I grabbed Damian’s phone by mistake on my way out. The second I stepped through the door, the screen lit up. Connected to Wi-Fi automatically. I froze for a moment. Damian had never been to her place. How the hell did his phone know her network? Serena glanced at the phone in my hand and smiled. “Stop guessing. Every time he told you he was on a business trip these past three years, he was sleeping here.” I stared at the invitation in my hand, ten years of my life suddenly feeling like a sick joke. She picked up an ultrasound scan from the coffee table and waved it at me. “Two months along. If you still want this wedding, perfect—you can be my free nanny.” The fingerprint lock beeped. Damian walked in carrying takeout soup. Our eyes met. His smile froze on his face. I folded the invitation and slipped it into my pocket. From this moment on, Serena Croft and Damian Sterling were dead to me. …………………………………. “Why the hell are you running around with my phone?” Damian kicked off his shoes and set the soup container on the entryway table. His eyes swept over the ultrasound in Serena’s hand, then landed on my face. After a brief pause, he loosened his tie and sat down next to her. “Since you already know, there’s no point hiding it.” He looked up at me. “The scan’s real. She’s pregnant with my kid. Almost two months.” The invitation crumpled in my pocket as my fingers tightened around it. “So?” I could barely hear my own voice. Damian frowned, clearly pissed at my reaction. “What’s with the attitude? I haven’t even called you out for snooping through my phone.” He picked up a glass of water and took a sip, his tone self-righteous. “You’ve had two miscarriages. The doctor said your uterine lining is too damaged to carry another pregnancy.” “I need an heir. Serena’s willing to have my child—she’s doing us a favor.” “The kid will call you Mom when it’s born. You’re getting a free baby. What’s the problem?” Ten years. I’d starved with him. Destroyed my stomach drinking for his business deals. Lost two unborn children for him. And now he was telling me that screwing my best friend was for my own good. Serena leaned against Damian’s shoulder, her hand resting on her flat stomach. “Sienna, I never had parents growing up. I’ve always thought of you as my sister.” “The three of us can live together. My baby will be your baby too.” She lifted her chin, her eyes gleaming with victory. “You’ve always wanted a complete family, right? Well, now you have one.” Damian stroked her hair. “See how understanding Serena is? Unlike you, walking around with that bitchy expression all the time.” He pulled a document from his briefcase and tossed it onto the coffee table. “This is a supplemental agreement. My lawyer drafted it.” “Next month’s wedding goes ahead as planned. You’ll still be Mrs. Sterling.” “But publicly, Serena will be my cousin. She’ll move into our penthouse for the pregnancy.” I stared at the document without reaching for it. “Serena moves into our home as your cousin?” “Yes.” Damian nodded. “I can’t leave her alone in this condition.” “And after the baby’s born?” I forced a bitter smile. “Registered under your name. Serena’s still young—she can’t let a kid hold her back.” Damian pulled out a pen and held it toward me. “I’ll add an extra ten grand to your monthly allowance, specifically for taking care of Serena and the baby.” “Sienna, don’t be greedy. I’ve given you the best of everything. What more do you want?” He looked into my eyes with terrifying sincerity. He genuinely believed he’d done nothing wrong. To him, I was nothing but an accessory with no income of my own, completely dependent on him. As long as he tossed me a few scraps, I should be grateful. Serena grabbed the pen and shoved it into my hand. “Just sign it, Sienna. If you don’t, those ten years will have been for nothing.” “You don’t even have a job. What are you going to do without Damian?” The pen dug painfully into my fingers. I watched them play their synchronized game, and suddenly the whole farce felt absurd. Ten years of my youth, traded for a contract to be the mistress’s free nanny. I set the pen down on the table. “I’m not signing.” Damian’s expression darkened. “Don’t push your luck, Sienna. I’ve felt guilty about those two miscarriages.” “Think of this baby as compensation. What the hell else do you want?” He stood up, looking down at me. “Last chance. Sign it.” I stood, pulled the invitation from my pocket, and threw it in the trash. “I’ll think about it.” I turned and walked toward the door. Behind me, Damian sat back down and picked up the soup container, blowing on it. “I knew you’d come around. Remember to pick out engagement rings tomorrow.” “Serena said she likes pink diamonds. Get her one too while you’re at it.”
That evening, I returned to the penthouse I shared with Damian. I entered the code. The lock beeped an error. I stood there frozen and tried again. “Incorrect password.” The robotic voice echoed through the hallway. I stared at the door I’d walked through for five years, suddenly feeling like a complete stranger. Two hours later, the elevator doors opened. Damian stepped out, helping Serena walk beside him. Seeing me still standing at the door, he frowned. “Why haven’t you gone in? Standing out here like a damn statue?” I looked at him. “The password’s wrong.” Damian slapped his forehead. “Serena said the old code had unlucky numbers, bad for the baby. I changed it.” He walked up and entered Serena’s birthday. The door opened. I followed them inside and saw my slippers were gone from the entryway. In their place sat a pair of non-slip pregnancy slippers. “Your slippers had hard soles. I was worried Serena might slip, so I had the housekeeper throw them out.” Damian tossed off the explanation casually as he helped Serena toward the master bedroom. I walked to the bedroom doorway and froze completely. All my skincare products had been swept from the vanity into the trash. The closet doors hung open, half my clothes cleared out, replaced with racks of Serena’s maternity wear. “Damian, what the hell is this?” I pointed at the empty closet space. Damian was pouring warm water for Serena, not even looking back. “Serena’s pregnant. She can’t handle the smell of your perfumes.” “I had the housekeeper move your stuff to the guest room. You’ll sleep there for the next few months.” Serena leaned against the headboard, her hand on her stomach as she sighed. “Sienna, you’re not mad at me, are you? The doctor said my pregnancy is high-risk, I need complete rest.” “The master bedroom has better light, better for the baby’s development. You care about me so much, you wouldn’t mind giving it up, right?” I stared at her sickeningly fake face with no desire to argue. The next morning, I sat at the dining table eating oatmeal. Damian walked out of the bedroom with his phone in hand. Right in front of me, he pressed the speaker button. “Hello, is this the wedding planner? Yes, this is Damian Sterling.” “Change the bride’s name on the welcome sign. Put Serena Croft instead.” My hand clenched around the spoon. The voice on the other end hesitated. “Mr. Sterling, but what about Ms. Hayes…” Damian pulled out a chair and sat down, glancing at me. “Ms. Hayes? She’ll be the maid of honor.” He hung up and took a sip of his milk. “Serena said she’s dreamed of wearing a wedding dress since she was a kid. She’s pregnant now, we can’t upset her.” “We’re practically an old married couple anyway, it’s just a formality. Let her have the bride’s spot, think of it as fulfilling her dream.” His tone was casual, like he was discussing something completely trivial. Serena came out of the bedroom wearing my nightgown and wrapped her arms around Damian’s neck. “You’re so sweet, Damian.” She turned to look at me, her smile innocent. “Sienna, will you be my maid of honor? I want you to witness my happiness with your own eyes.” Damian tapped the table, prompting me. “Serena asked you a question. Don’t be petty, it’s just a dress.” I looked down at the oatmeal in my bowl. Ten years of devotion couldn’t compete with one casual request from her, and now even my place as the bride was stolen. I set down the spoon and wiped my mouth with a napkin. “Fine.” Damian smiled with satisfaction. “That’s more like it. We’re a family, we should get along.”
“There’s a business gala tonight. Wear something plain, don’t steal Serena’s spotlight.” On the couch lay a cheap, dated dress he’d tossed at me. Behind him stood Serena in a designer maternity gown, wearing my pink diamond necklace. “Damian, do I look good in this?” Serena lifted her skirt and spun in a circle. Damian walked over and put his arm around her waist. “Beautiful. You’ll be the most stunning woman there tonight.” He turned to me, his brow furrowed. “What are you standing there for? Go change. Don’t waste time.” I picked up the gray dress and walked into the guest bedroom. By the time I came out dressed, Damian had already left with Serena. I had to take a cab to the hotel myself. When I pushed open the ballroom doors, Damian was holding a champagne flute, laughing and chatting with several business partners. Serena clung to his arm, the picture of elegance. I walked over, about to take my place behind Damian. “Mr. Sterling, who is this?” A partner gestured toward Serena. Damian raised his glass, all smiles. “Let me introduce you. This is my fiancée, Serena Croft.” A chorus of flattery rose around them. “Ms. Croft is absolutely radiant. You two make such a perfect couple.” Another partner recognized me. “Wait, then who’s Ms. Hayes over there?” The ballroom went quiet for a moment. Everyone’s eyes turned to me with curiosity and mockery. Damian paused briefly, not even turning around. “Her? My sister.” Ten years together, and I’d become his sister. He couldn’t even give me a decent explanation, casually erasing every trace of me. I stood in the corner, watching Serena accept everyone’s congratulations. Halfway through the gala, Serena walked toward me carrying a glass of red wine. “Oh no!” She suddenly stumbled, half the wine splashing across my gray dress. The red liquid dripped down the fabric, making me look pathetic. “Sienna, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to.” Serena covered her mouth, putting on a performance of panic. Damian rushed over and shoved me aside, pulling Serena into his arms. “Are you okay? Did you hurt the baby?” He turned to glare at me, his tone harsh. “Why were you standing so close? You know she’s pregnant and you’re still crowding her!” “Go to the bathroom and clean yourself up. Don’t embarrass yourself here.” I didn’t argue, just turned and walked toward the restroom. After the gala ended, we waited in the parking garage for the driver. Serena suddenly cried out. “Damian, I twisted my ankle. It hurts so much.” Without a word, Damian crouched down. “Get on. I’ll carry you.” Serena climbed onto his back, her arms wrapped around his neck. Over Damian’s shoulder, she looked back at me following behind. Her lips moved silently. “Your ten years don’t measure up to my three months.” I stopped walking, staring at their overlapping silhouettes. Damian turned his head, impatient. “Sienna Hayes, can you walk faster? The car keys are in your bag, stop dragging your feet!” I stood still, not moving. “Hand them over!” Damian raised his voice. I unzipped my purse, pulled out the car keys, and threw them on the ground with a sharp clatter. Damian froze. I didn’t look at him. I turned and walked to the curb, flagging down a taxi. Back at the penthouse, I opened my phone. The photo album held over three thousand pictures, all of Damian and me through the years. I selected batch delete and removed them one by one until every single one was gone. I cleared our pinned chat history too. One final message popped up, from Damian. “Remember to try on the maid of honor dress tomorrow. Serena wants pink.” I didn’t reply. In the corner of the living room, three packed suitcases sat quietly against the wall.
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