Chapter 3

When Selene woke up again, it was already the next day. She slowly opened her eyes, and the smell of disinfectant filled her nose. "Mrs. Nicholson, you're finally awake!" Emma rushed to Selene's bedside with reddened and swollen eyes. She gripped Selene's cold fingers in her rough hands and said, "You scared me half to death!" "I…" Selene's voice was hoarse. "How did I survive?" Emma burst into tears again. "A kind doctor couldn't bear to watch on any longer and secretly gave you the antivenom. He said if it had been ten minutes later, you would've died." As she spoke, her voice broke even more. "Ms. Selene, I begged Mr. Alaric and told him the snake bite was real, but he said you were faking it. Mr. Alistair refused to even see me. "Mr. Alexander even… He even said you deserved it." Emma wiped her tears, and her voice trembled harder. "Mr. Nicholson was the worst! I begged him to come and see you, but he said you were becoming increasingly unreasonable. He even said I was in on your lie." "Mrs. Nicholson." Emma suddenly grabbed Selene's hand tightly. Her rough palm gave off small ebbs of warmth. "You were so kind to them. Last winter, Mr. Alaric stayed out drinking with clients until 3:00 am. "You were in the kitchen in thin clothing, making chicken soup to warm him up when he returned. You ended up catching a cold from the chill. "When Mr. Alistair's company ran into financial trouble, you secretly sold the emerald bracelet your grandmother left you. "You stayed up for three nights without sleep when Mr. Alexander had a high fever that wouldn't go down. In the end, you collapsed from exhaustion yourself." Emma got more worked up as she spoke. "And Mr. Nicholson, too! Even his mother can't remember what brand of ties he likes or how he takes his coffee, but you remember every single detail. "But now, they all orbit around Ms. Stella—the same woman who ditched Mr. Nicholson at the altar, and the same sister who bullied you since you were little. "Yet somehow, she has everyone's love. Why is it all so unfair?" Selene listened in silence, and her chest constricted tightly. Tears slid from the corners of her eyes and onto the pillow, soaking the white fabric. The pain she felt now was a thousand times worse than the snake bite. But it didn't matter, as all of it would be over soon. She would be leaving for the uninhabited island in no time. There would be no lies or stand-ins. And there would be no them. … After two days of recovery at the hospital, Selene went home. The moment she opened the door, cheerful birthday songs and laughter filled the air. The living room was filled with well-dressed guests, clinking glasses, and lively chatter. Beneath the crystal chandelier, countless high-society guests raised their glasses and drank happily. Malcolm and the Sinclair brothers stood around Stella, celebrating her birthday. Stella wore an exquisite gown, smiling sweetly. She looked nothing like someone who was terminally ill. When they saw Selene return, the smiles on the four men's faces froze. "Weren't you dying?" Alaric looked at her coldly, his gaze sharp behind his gold-rimmed glasses. "You look very much alive to me." Alistair frowned. The wine glass in his hand reflected a cold glint of light. "Stella doesn't have much time left. Can't you be a bit more sensible?" Alexander fiddled with his watch, his voice filled with impatience. "Can you stop lying all the time from now on?" Malcolm walked over to Selene. His tone was gentle, yet it left no room for argument. "Stella's days are numbered, so don't argue with her again." He paused, then added, "I know you mind my past with Stella, but you're my wife now." Selene's chest clenched painfully. Did he actually say she was his wife? Selene was the one who stayed beside him all these years. She was the one who helped him through the lowest points in his life. She let him take whatever he wanted from her, whenever and however he pleased. But now that Stella was back, it was her he signed the marriage certificate with! Selene's eyes grew red-rimmed, but she smiled. It was a bitter smile that ached deep within her chest. It was the first time Malcolm saw her like this. For some reason, a wave of panic washed over him. Just as he was about to speak, Stella's sweet voice came from behind him. "Malcolm, Alaric, Alistair, and Alexander, come help me cut the cake." The big screen in the living room lit up, playing a video filled with birthday messages. The first half was filled with heartfelt wishes from the guests. But halfway through, the footage suddenly switched to indecent photos of Stella in bed with the thug she ran off with. At the end, the screen froze on a line of blood-red text that said, "This is the birthday gift I prepared specially for you, Stella. I hope you like it, my darling twin." The entire villa erupted into chaos. "Turn it off, now!" Alaric roared, his furious shouting seemingly loud enough to make the chandelier shake. Alistair immediately yanked the power cord out. Alexander stormed over to the guests and warned each of them, "Check your phones. If anyone dares leak this, you'll deal with the consequences!" Stella was trembling all over. Her carefully styled hair had come undone and was now a disheveled mess. Her face was deathly pale, and large drops of tears streamed down her face. "Selene, you already took Malcolm from me and stole all the love from our brothers. I'm already dying, so why are you still treating me this way?" Stella staggered back two steps, then her eyes suddenly rolled back as she fell backward. "Stella!" Malcolm lunged forward and swept her into his arms. For the first time, panic flashed across his usually calm and aloof face. "Call a doctor! Now!" Before he left, he turned and glared icily at Selene. The chill in his eyes sent a wave of pain through her. The Sinclair brothers quickly surrounded her. "Selene!" Alaric grabbed her wrist hard enough to crush bone. "Look what you've done to Stella! We told you she doesn't have long. Why do you keep going after her?" "I didn't do it!" Selene shook her head desperately, her voice shaking. "I didn't release those photos!" "You're still making excuses when the evidence is clear?" Alistair sneered. "In our family, you get punished for making mistakes!" His words hit Selene so hard that she felt a stabbing pain in her chest. She remembered when Stella pushed her down the stairs when they were 12 years old. The Sinclair brothers said, "She didn't mean it." During their 18th birthday, Stella threw Selene's cake in the trash. The brothers claimed that she was just "fooling around". Selene recalled that winter when Stella locked her out to freeze on the balcony all night. Their brothers merely said, "Stella's just been in a bad mood lately." Yet, they wanted to punish Selene now?