Chapter 2

Leo was my older half-brother.

When Leo was three, my father discovered he wasn’t his biological son.

Devastated, he almost took his own life.

It was only the intervention of numerous relatives that kept that toxic marriage together.

To make amends, my mother quickly had another child with my father, hoping to heal their marriage. That child was me.

She thought this would make my father forgive her, but she didn’t realize a man’s pride cannot be trampled on.

The day I was born, my father forced my mother to sign divorce papers.

The video footage on my phone replayed endlessly in my mind.

Why was it Leo *again*?!

The pressure nearly suffocated me.

I forced a bitter laugh, then took a shaky breath. "Dad, what should I do?"

My father looked at me, his eyes full of pain.

"Luna's been waiting for you here for a long time, Alex. You need to look forward."

At the mention of Luna, my heart softened involuntarily.

She was my father's adopted daughter. Ever since he knew she liked me, he'd been subtly trying to set us up.

But for so many years, I just couldn’t let go of Selena.

Because our first meeting had been so deeply etched into my memory.

When I was being bullied at school, Selena had bravely stood by me.

"But Selena, that year…" I began, my voice laced with pain.

"You can't confuse love with gratitude. Is what you feel for Selena truly love, or just gratitude?" my father interrupted.

After hanging up, I fell silent.

When I got home, I felt oddly calm. I looked at the wedding dress hanging in the dressing room and couldn't help but feel ridiculous.

I had designed that dress specifically for her, even cutting and sewing it myself.

She had been so surprised when she found out, trembling with excitement as she hugged me.

I tore the wedding dress to shreds. Suddenly, I felt incredibly light.