Chapter One.
Kyomi's POV.
I rushed into the apartment, the sound my suitcase wheels rolling against the floor as I rushed inside. I was eager to freshen up and change my clothes. I had barely arrived from a ten-day business trip overseas, and all I could think about was my twin sister's wedding.
Thankfully, I was able wrap up my meetings early, and caught the first flight back home. The invitation had arrived only a week before, stamped in Kia's familiar, elegant script. I hadn't spoken to her in weeks, but I figured it was because of wedding stress.
I didn't even know that she seeing anyone, but it didn't take away the fact that I was happy for her.
However, something about the timing had felt a bit...off. She didn't call me, or hadn't even texted. She just sent the formal invite in the mail. But I brushed it off, thinking that maybe she wanted to surprise me.
I dropped my bags by the bedroom door and rushed in. I quickly decided on a navy-blue gown from the closet, and then laid it out on the bed. It was simple, but elegant. I applied light makeup, tamed my hair into a neat chignon, and sprayed on Darren, my husband's, favorite perfume. He always said it made me smell like a garden in spring.
Speaking of Darren...where was he? I glanced toward his study, expecting to hear the familiar clicking of his keyboard or the sound of him humming while playing his video games. But all I got was silence.
Maybe he'd gone ahead to the chapel without me. He was close to Kia too, after all, she was my twin, and we spent most holidays together. Still, I wished he'd left a note for me. Or called.
I shook the worry off, as there was no time for overthinking. I needed to get to the chapel, and fast.
The Uber couldn't move fast enough, and I tapped my heel nervously against the floor mat, glancing at the time. The ceremony would have started by now.
"Can you please go faster?" I asked the driver, leaning forward.
"We're almost there, miss." He replied with a smile.
When the car finally pulled up, I threw a wad of bills at the driver and leapt out before he could give me back my change. My heels clicked against the stone pavement as I hurried toward the grand hall, the towering stained-glass windows casting slivers of rainbow light across the steps.
I opened the chapel doors, breathless, straightening my dress. "Sorry I'm late…"
The words caught in my throat at the sight before me.
My clutch slipped from my hand, the metallic thud echoing like a gunshot.
Hundreds of eyes turned toward me, but I only saw two.
My sister, radiant in a brilliant white wedding dress, stood at the altar with her veil pushed back to reveal a triumphant smile.
And beside her, standing proud in a black tuxedo, was my husband. Darren Wallace.
My husband.
Standing before the altar.
With Kia.
The ground didn't tremble beneath me, but it should have. My entire world tilted on its axis.
"What is happening?" I asked, breathless, my voice cracking.
"Are you blind, Kyomi? Can't you see it's a wedding?" Kia's voice rang out through the silence, cold and mocking.
My gaze snapped to Darren, my voice shaking. "Please... tell me this is some sort of misunderstanding. A prank?"
He stepped forward from the altar, his hands calmly sliding into his pockets. "I'm afraid it's not, Kyomi."
"What do you mean?" I felt like I was underwater, every sound muffled, every breath thick. "You're married to me. What is this?"
He tilted his head slightly, as if I was the one being irrational. "If you haven't noticed, I don't want to be your husband anymore."
Each word felt like a blade slicing into my raw, battered heart.
Kia stepped closer to him, her hand resting possessively on his chest. "Darren and I have been in love for a long time now. Haven't we, darling?"
He looked at her, truly looked at her, and smiled. "Yes, we have."
He had never smiled at me like that in the three years we had been married.
My breath hitched in my throat. "So... our entire marriage? Was it all a lie?"
His jaw tightened. "Not at first. It was real then. But things…changed."
Tears pooled in my eyes. "Then why didn't you just tell me? Why did you lie to me for so long?"
Kia rolled her eyes. "Because you were clinging to a fantasy, Kyomi. A marriage built on what? Routine? Barren love?"
Her words struck deeper than she knew…or maybe she did. Maybe that was the point.
"You always knew that you couldn't have children," she continued, her voice smooth and rehearsed. "The company needs an heir, and Darren needs a legacy. You couldn't give that to him."
"That's not fair," I whispered. My nails dug into my palms. "You're my sister. How could you do this to me?"
"Oh, please," she said, stepping closer. "Don't make this about sisterhood. This is business. Family legacy. Love."
Love? Was that what they called it?
Darren reached into his jacket and pulled out a slim brown envelope, handing them to me. "Divorce papers. It's time, Kyomi. You've known things were broken between us for a long time."
I stared at the envelope like it was a snake, refusing to take it.
"No," I said, shaking my head, "No, I won't sign. You can't just decide this for me. We were married…"
"We're done," he said flatly, effectively cutting me off.
I looked to the crowd, silently hoping, praying, for someone to speak up. My parents. My cousins. Anyone. But they all just stared.
Then, as if she'd been saving her most lethal blow, Kia raised her voice.
"Since we're already on the subject…" She placed a hand on her stomach and smiled. "I'm pregnant."
A hush fell, blanketing the already thick silence.
Pregnant.
I blinked, staring at her in disbelief. "What?"
She beamed. "We found out two weeks ago. It's early, but the baby's healthy. A Wallace heir, at last."
The room erupted in murmurs, nods of approval, even soft applause.
I swayed on my feet. The walls felt too close, the air too thick.
"You always said you wanted a child, Kyomi," Kia said, venom sweet in her voice. "Well... I guess Darren and I made that dream come true. Just not the way you expected."
I couldn't breathe.
I sank to the floor, the cold marble biting into my knees.
My mother stepped forward, not to comfort mebut to hug Kia.
I felt invisible.
I looked back up at Darren, eyes burning with unshed tears. "You're really doing this? To me? To us?"
His face showed no remorse. "There was no us, Kyomi, not anymore. Besides, it's for the best."
I was trembling as I reached for the envelope, my hands numb and heart shattered. I flipped it open, staring at the cruel black ink that would legally erase three years of my life.
"You win," I whispered.
And I signed.
Everything blurred. Their faces. The murmurs. The chapel. I barely remembered how I made it outside. The rain had started to fall, cool drops mixing with my tears as I wandered down the chapel steps.
Everything I thought I knew, everything I believed in, had collapsed in a single moment.
And I had nothing left.
What I didn't know was that this wasn't the end.
It was the beginning.