Chapter 1

Helen Wyatt's wedding was scheduled for the next day. As the bride, she lounged around in her room without a care in the world—while I was being bossed around by our parents. "This isn't fair," I protested. "Amber, Helen's wedding is tomorrow. As her younger sister, shouldn't you be doing more to help?" My mother, Wendy Belmont, remarked, her voice laced with impatience. Meanwhile, Helen sat there, a smug, self-satisfied smile playing on her lips. I should've known it would end up like this. I muttered a curse under my breath. I was fully aware that our parents always favored Helen, yet I still tried to snitch on her, hoping this time they'd finally stand up for me. "It's fine, Amber. If you're feeling tired, I can take care of it," Helen offered, reaching for the things in my hands. But before I could respond, my father, Brian Wyatt, cut in firmly, "Helen, you're the bride. You can't be pushing yourself the day before your wedding. Go upstairs and rest." Helen nodded and headed upstairs gracefully. My parents' eyes followed her, filled with warmth and pride. But when they turned back to me, that kindness vanished, replaced by apparent disappointment. "Just look at your sister—so elegant and poised, the perfect example of a true lady. And then there's you," my mother snapped, her eyes scanning me sharply. "What do you have to show for yourself besides your appearance?" Helen and I may have been identical twins, but aside from our looks, we were worlds apart. She exuded grace, elegance, and charm with every movement. She excelled in music, chess, calligraphy, painting—and especially in dance, where she had a shelf full of trophies. Our parents adored her, and it was clear she was their pride. As for me, I was the tomboy. Dance was beyond me, and I struggled just to avoid embarrassing them. Sometimes, I couldn't fault their favoritism. If I were in their place, I'd probably feel the same way about Helen. It wasn't that they treated me badly, really. They just preferred her. Thinking that made the sting a little easier to bear. With that in mind, I steeled myself and decided to stop complaining. I stayed busy until evening. Just as I finally settled down to catch my breath, Mom called, "Amber, check your sister's room and make sure the decorations for tomorrow are ready." I nodded and headed upstairs. I knocked softly on the door and called out, "Helen." But there was no answer. That seemed odd. Had she fallen asleep already? I turned the doorknob and stepped inside, only to find the room empty. Where could she have gone at this hour? I pulled out my phone and dialed her number, my eyes quickly scanning the room for anything unusual. Her phone went straight to voicemail. Just as I was about to call again, something on the dressing table caught my eye. It was a note. "Mom, Dad, I really don't want to marry Felix. Please don't come looking for me. I just need some time alone." As I read the note, a scream escaped my lips. I grabbed the paper and rushed downstairs to show our parents. They stopped dead in their tracks, quickly putting down what they were doing. One dialed Helen's number, while the other rushed to send someone out to search for her. Thankfully, Helen's phone rang. After a few agonizing seconds, someone finally picked up. "Helen, where are you?" Before she could answer, the distant sound of an airport announcement echoed through the phone. Mom's face instantly changed. "Helen, are you at the airport? Which one? Should I come pick you up?" "No, Mom. Felix is practically a cripple now. How could you expect me to marry someone like that?" Mom went quiet at Helen's words. She wasn't wrong. Felix Affleck had indeed been left disabled. Half a year ago, he had been in a terrible car accident. His car flipped after a collision, and although he somehow survived, shards of glass from the shattered window had pierced his eyes. Despite the Affleck family's insistence that he was fine, Felix hadn't been seen in public since the accident. Whispers circulated that he had gone blind. Helen had always been proud and strong-willed, so there was no way she would accept a blind man as her husband. Mom tried calling her again, but her phone had already been switched off. The three of us exchanged uneasy glances. Dad slammed his newspaper on the table, his expression dark with fury. "That reckless young lady!" he growled. "Just wait until she gets back. I'll make sure she understands the consequences of her actions." He immediately sent someone out to search for her. By 10:30 pm, there was still no word. At last, Mom and Dad seemed to accept the reality of the situation. They sank onto the couch, quietly discussing what to do about the wedding tomorrow. "Mom, Dad, should we let the Affleck family know if the wedding needs to be canceled or postponed?" I couldn't keep the question in any longer. It was already late. If we didn't speak up soon, and the bride didn't show up the day of, there wouldn't be time to manage the fallout. To my surprise, my parents exchanged a look before turning to me. My stomach dropped. Something felt amiss. "Mom... Dad... You're not seriously thinking of having me take Helen's place, are you?" Caught off guard by how quickly I'd guessed their intentions, Mom gave a hesitant nod, her expression tense. I stared at her, my eyes wide with disbelief. Yes, Helen and I were identical twins. Our looks and figures were almost impossible to tell apart. But our personalities couldn't be more different. She was quiet and gentle, while I was bold and outspoken. Anyone who knew us even a little would see right through the charade. Not to mention, marrying Felix would be a complete nightmare. It wasn't that I resented him for being blind. It was more the memories he left behind that I couldn't quite forget. Back in high school, it didn't matter how late I was or which wall I tried to sneak over. He was always there, waiting like a tireless warden. He'd grab me by the collar, his voice ice-cold as he said, "Two points off for being late. Five for climbing the wall." It didn't matter how sweetly I pleaded or how many times I reminded him of our families' connection. He never once wavered. He'd just pull out that little record book of his and jot down my name, like it meant nothing at all. By the end of the semester, our class had earned the dubious honor of ranking last in discipline—thanks to me. Of course, this meant countless parent-teacher meetings, followed by more than a few stern lectures at home. I shook my head in disbelief. The thought of someone like Felix becoming my brother-in-law was a nightmare in and of itself. And if I had to look at his face every day for the rest of my life, I'd be so stressed that I'd probably fall apart before hitting 30. Seeing me refuse, my parents' faces darkened. "Amber, we can't let the partnership with the Affleck family fall apart. It's the most important one we have. If we lose it, thousands of people at the company will be left in the lurch." Mom's eyes locked onto mine, filled with urgency. Dad gently squeezed her hand. "Your mom's right. If we lose this deal, the company won't make it. "And really, what's wrong with Felix? Yeah, he has an eye condition now, but he's got the looks and status. If your sister hadn't turned him down, do you honestly think someone like you would even be in the running?" A lump caught in my throat. Felix's reputation was infamous throughout Jewel City. He was cold, heartless, and impossible to figure out. In other words, he was one of the most challenging people to deal with. But the worst part was the rumors. Everyone was saying that Felix's injuries from the accident weren't just limited to his eyes. He'd also been severely injured from the waist down. Helen had heard that Felix could no longer function sexually, which was why she was so desperate to escape the wedding. I stayed quiet, holding back everything I wanted to say. Eventually, Dad let out a long, weary sigh. "Forget it. If she doesn't want to, we can't force her to marry. I'll call the Affleck family right now and cancel the wedding. Losing this deal won't mean bankruptcy. At worst, we'll just face some cash flow issues." For a moment, relief washed over me. I finally thought my parents weren't as heartless as I'd believed. But just as a faint smile began to form on my lips, Mom suddenly collapsed into tears. "What's the difference between a broken cash flow and bankruptcy? "Wyatt Group supports thousands of employees who depend on their jobs to survive. If we go bankrupt, they'll lose everything. Amber, you're no longer a child. It's time you start carrying your weight in the family. "And besides, we wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for you." I froze. Even after more than 20 years, Mom still held a deep resentment over this. Back when my grandfather, Mark Wyatt, was alive, the Wyatt and Affleck families were equals—both in status and influence. People in Jewel City often spoke of us with pride, as symbols of regional strength. When Mom was pregnant, a fortune teller had taken one look at her belly and predicted she was carrying twins. He said that one of them would be a blessing from a past life, while the other would be a karmic debt. At the time, my parents had brushed off the fortune teller's words as nothing more than superstition. But when Mom went into labor, Helen arrived smoothly, while I stubbornly refused to move, trapped in the womb. Mom ended up suffering from severe bleeding, while Dad paced anxiously outside the delivery room. Then came a devastating call from his secretary, reporting that Wyatt Group's biggest business partner had abruptly pulled out of their deal. Clara Winslow, the housekeeper who had served our family for years, later told me that Dad's face went ashen when he heard the news. His hand shook as he held the phone. After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice low and tense. "It seems this is the karmic debt we must repay."