1 On the eve of our wedding, a devastating car crash left both my fiancé and me with amnesia. When my memories finally returned and I went to find him, I found another woman already by his side. “No matter what happened between us in the past, the only woman I love now is Sienna.” Looking at the girl nestled in his arms, I froze. Not because of his betrayal, but because her every smile and gesture looked exactly like the old me. Still, I refused to let go just yet. I forced my voice to remain steady despite the tremble in my chest. “What if you regain your memories one day? What if you regret this?” He knit his brows, his gaze cold and unwavering. “Even if I remember everything, I could never marry you.” Hearing those words, a quiet wave of relief washed over me. I turned around and sent a quick text to the man I had fallen in love with during my own months of amnesia. That title you wanted? You have it. … “I did not come here to force you into taking responsibility,” I said, looking up from my phone to face him. “Actually, while my memory was gone, I fell in love with someone else, too.” He remained silent. I paused for a moment before continuing. “After the crash that day, we both fell into the river. I drifted far downstream, and everyone assumed I was dead. But he rescued me.” Barrett frowned, his skepticism written plain across his face. “Whatever compensation you want, just name it. I will do my best to satisfy you, but there is no need to make up stories.” “I am not lying. I actually just accepted his proposal.” “Really?” He eyed me with deep suspicion. “Really.” “Then when is the wedding?” I hesitated. “The date is up to me, I suppose. Probably sometime next month.” “Marriage is a good thing,” he said after a long, heavy silence. “I heard we were almost husband and wife once, but we simply were not meant to be in this life. Since that is the case, let me walk you down the aisle as your brother. I want to see you off myself.” My hand shook, nearly dropping my phone. Before his memory loss, Barrett’s possessiveness over me bordered on madness. He refused to let other men near me, hated when they spoke to me, and would grow sullen if I spoke more than ten sentences to anyone else. No one could have guessed that a memory-stripped Barrett would be generous enough to hand me over to another man. “No, that is not necessary,” I stammered. On one hand, the thought of letting Barrett walk me down the aisle terrified me. On the other hand, my actual fiancé had a possessive streak that was just as fierce. If he found out, he would absolutely lose his mind. Barrett wore an expression that said I had just confirmed his suspicions. “Beth, since you chose to marry someone else, it means we have both moved on. Or are you afraid you still have feelings for me, and you will not be able to go through with it?” I knew he was baiting me. I also knew how deeply suspicious he was by nature. Unless he saw me standing beside another man with his own eyes, he would always believe I was secretly pining for him. I let out a soft sigh. “Fine. I will have to discuss it with my fiancé first. After all, a wedding is between two people.” “Fine,” Barrett agreed, offering nothing more. When I got home, I spent hours trying to reason with Owen. He threw a massive, dramatic fit, practically weeping and threatening to jump off a bridge, but in the end, he begrudgingly agreed to let Barrett play the part of the brother. I had not expected Barrett to take the role so literally. Over the next two weeks, he sent over an endless stream of wedding supplies: bridal shoes, designer rings, and even a custom gown he had designed himself. When I saw the dress, my breath caught in my throat. It was the exact gown Barrett had designed for our original wedding. Back then, everyone laughed at him, mocking a wealthy man for hand-stitching a wedding dress thread by thread. But Barrett had ignored them all. He had held me close, kissing my temple over and over. They do not understand, Beth. This is your once-in-a-lifetime day. Every single detail must pass through my hands for me to feel at ease. I had not even had a chance to try it on before the crash. And now, years later, the dress was back in my hands. “The moment I saw this gown, I felt it would suit you perfectly, so I bought it for you,” Barrett said, pointing to the exquisitely crafted lace. “The style might be a bit dated. I hope you do not mind.” I stared at it in silence. Originally, we did not need to rush the wedding. But when Owen heard Barrett wanted to walk me down the aisle, he stubbornly moved the date up by two weeks. He had argued with fierce jealousy. You do not get it, Beth. Men know men. He might have amnesia, but he absolutely still wants you. I finally got you, and if you go back to him, I will die right in front of you. I could not argue with his dramatic logic, so I had agreed. With the tight schedule, my petite figure made it difficult to find a fitting off-the-rack dress. Looking at the gown Barrett had provided, I finally nodded. “Thank you.” “Barrett really sees you as a sister now, Beth. Do not be polite. Go try it on,” Sienna said, appearing from the hallway. I had not expected Sienna to accompany me for the fitting. Every time I looked at her, I felt a strange sense of vertigo. We looked incredibly alike. Standing side-by-side, strangers would easily mistake us for biological sisters. Before I could fully process her presence, she gently nudged me into the changing room. When I realized the laces on the back of the dress were too intricate to tie myself, Sienna offered to step in. “To be honest, Barrett and I have always felt quite guilty toward you,” she said softly, her hands working carefully behind my back. “These past few days, he has been planning your wedding venue and preparing your dowry just so you can have a grand wedding. He only wants you to be happy.” She tied the laces with gentle, steady movements. I listened in silence, but I could not shake the feeling that she sounded relieved, as if she were finally securing her own prize. But when Sienna leaned down slightly, I caught sight of her collarbone. There, resting on her skin, was a birthmark identical to mine. Not only did she look almost exactly like me, but she even had the exact same mark in the exact same place. Could all of this really be a coincidence? “All done,” Sienna said, pulling back the curtain to reveal the mirror. “Beth, you are going to be a beautiful bride.” When I stepped out in the gown, Barrett did not spare me a single glance. Instead, his eyes were locked entirely onto Sienna. “You have been running around helping with Beth’s wedding since early this morning. Are you tired?” He gently wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. Sienna smiled and shook her head. After the fitting, we went to get lunch. Throughout the meal, Barrett showered Sienna with attention, pouring her water and putting food on her plate. But the way they interacted felt far too familiar. Before eating, Sienna liked drinking iced tea. She hated cilantro in her food. Even her preference for steak was exactly medium-well. It was as if she was meticulously mimicking someone else. When we went to the restroom, I found Sienna touching up her lipstick. I could not hold it back any longer. “Are you copying the old me?” Her hand froze mid-air. I continued. “The identical birthmark, the exact same eating habits, even the way you speak. Sienna, the world is not built on coincidences like this.” Her face instantly drained of color. Her hand trembled, and the lipstick slipped from her fingers, clattering onto the tiled floor. “What… what are you talking about? I don’t understand.” She scrambled to kneel and pick it up, her hands shaking so much she could barely grasp it. I sighed, bending down to retrieve it and handing it back to her. “I saw the birthmark on your chest. It is artificial, is it not? A quick visit to a scar specialist would prove it.” Sienna took the lipstick, her shoulders shaking as tears began to stream down her face. “I’m sorry. I just… I love Barrett so much, I didn’t know what else to do.” “I heard that after his amnesia, he kept searching for a girl from his dreams. I knew that girl was you.” “For years, I watched Barrett, and I watched you. I memorized every single habit and detail of your lives.” “I’m sorry. I stole your place.” I let out a soft sigh and stood up. “I am not telling you this to break you two up. I just want you to know that if he truly loves you, he should love you for who you are. If you spend your whole life acting like a ghost of me, you will burn out, and eventually, he will see through the cracks. Just be yourself. Trust that he can love the real you.” Sienna nodded, though her expression was unreadable. But the moment I turned my back, her eyes locked onto me, cold and sharp. By the time we returned to the table, Sienna had put her mask back on. “What took you so long? Are you feeling unwell again?” Barrett asked, looking at her pale face with deep concern. He looked ready to leave the restaurant right then. Sienna shook her head with a soft smile. “I’m fine.” “You always neglect your health,” he murmured affectionately. With one hand, he placed food on her plate, while his other hand gently rubbed her stomach. Realizing I was watching, Barrett offered a polite, apologetic smile. “Sienna has poor circulation and a cold stomach, but she insists on drinking iced beverages. She gets cramps easily. Sorry about that.” Memories flooded my mind. Back when I was a reckless teenager who drank iced soda during my period and ended up curled in pain, Barrett would hold me just like this, rubbing my stomach in the exact same circular motion. I chose not to say a word. Looking at Sienna, whose hand holding her fork was trembling slightly, I smiled and shook my head. “Don’t apologize. Seeing you two so happy and in love is a beautiful thing.” The wedding day arrived quickly. Having lost both my parents when I was young, and since Barrett had insisted on walking me down the aisle, I prepared for the ceremony at the Barrett estate. That morning, the housekeepers, the butler, and the driver were all gathered. Watching me slip into the wedding gown, their eyes welled up with tears of nostalgia. “Years ago, we all hoped to see Mr. Barrett bring you home as his bride,” the old butler whispered, casting a brief, uncomfortable glance toward Sienna before looking back at me. “Who would have thought life would play out like this? Seeing him hand you over to someone else… it is a cruel twist of fate.” Sienna’s face went completely rigid. Soon, Barrett arrived. He was perfectly composed, having clearly memorized the wedding protocol. He escorted me to the bridal car, carrying me over the threshold of the house, and finally placed my hand into Owen’s. Just as our hands met, a sudden gust of wind caught my veil, lifting the sheer fabric and fully revealing my face. Barrett froze, his eyes locking onto mine. “Thank you, brother,” Owen said, his grip tightening as he noticed Barrett’s lingering hold on my other hand. “Barrett?” I called his name, and he seemed to snap out of a trance. “The dress suits you,” he said quietly, his voice slightly strained. “You and your husband make a handsome couple.” For a split second, the look in his eyes had been filled with that familiar, terrifying possessiveness. My heart leaped into my throat, thinking his memories had suddenly returned. Fortunately, for the rest of the ceremony, Barrett behaved flawlessly. He was polite, poised, and played the part of the doting elder brother to perfection. “Sweetheart, we have to serve tea to the elders soon, and I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Owen whispered in the bridal suite during a quiet moment. He was gently massaging my lower back, which was aching after standing for hours. “Do you think he will suddenly regain his memory and crash the wedding?” Owen buried his face in my neck, his voice muffled. “They told me you loved him for eighteen years. I am terrified.” I smiled, running my fingers through his messy hair. “Owen, life does not work like a drama.” “But if he does remember,” he murmured, looking up at me, “would you choose him or me?” I cupped his cheek. “I am sorry I made you feel insecure. It is my fault you even have to ask.” After a brief moment of quiet warmth, we stepped back out to greet the guests. As we walked through the hall, I noticed Sienna looking around anxiously, but I did not think much of it. Suddenly, she stepped forward, blocking our path. “Beth, let me toast to you,” she said, her smile tight and self-mocking. “Thank you for keeping my secret. If it weren’t for you, Barrett probably would have thrown me out long ago.” She drained her glass in one gulp. She was acting strange, but before I could raise my own glass, I heard a sharp, splintering sound above us. “Watch out!” Before I could react, a shadow lunged forward. Nobody expected Barrett to throw himself over me. The massive chandelier crashed down, striking his back with a heavy, sickening thud. He let out a sharp grunt of pain before collapsing onto the floor, his head striking the polished marble. The crowd erupted into chaos, swarming the scene. I instinctively tried to step forward, but Owen’s hand gripped mine tightly. Sensing his sheer terror, I squeezed his hand back to reassure him and stayed where I was. Thankfully, the medics cleared him of any immediate danger, and the wedding resumed. Finally, it was time for the tea ceremony. I walked up the steps toward the head table. Looking at Barrett, who had not spoken a single word since the accident, I knelt and held up the cup. “Brother, please have some tea.” Long seconds ticked by. Barrett did not move. My hands began to tremble under the weight of the ceramic cup. I slowly lifted my gaze, meeting his eyes. “Brother, please have some tea,” I repeated. He did not take the cup. Instead, his grip tightened around my wrist, pulling me slightly closer. His eyes were dark, burning with a cold fury as he whispered in my ear. “Have you had your fun, Beth?”
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