Chapter 2

Blossom POV

The heavy mahogany doors slowly opened behind me, and the first wave of guests gradually walked into the banquet hall.

Everyone who passed the reception desk and saw that giant photo stopped to offer a few words of praise.

"This photo is absolutely stunning. They look like a match made in heaven," an older woman remarked to her companion.

I stared fixedly at that photo.

The sea breeze, the flowing veil... That was the exact wedding dress I had spent hours fitting.

When we took our pre-wedding photos, Christian had generously finalized the entire aesthetic.

When I complained it was too expensive, he rubbed my hair and chuckled, "You only get married once, Blossom. You have to pick your absolute favorite."

Yet, when the retouched photo album arrived, it went straight into Katelynn's hands first.

She flipped to the horseback riding set, lightly tapped her finger on the page, and said, "This one is pretty."

And so, here we were.

The welcome boards, the massive screens—everywhere was filled with images of my sister sitting on horseback, looking down with a delicate smile in my dress.

In the end, I was nothing but a fitting model for Christian and my sister's wedding.

A middle-aged relative's gaze darted between Katelynn and me, his face full of confusion.

"Wait a minute," the man said. "Isn't Christian Blossom's boyfriend? I saw them together last Christmas..."

My parents' smiles froze instantly.

"Oh, you know how young people are these days, Richard!" Anton said loudly, drawing the attention of several nearby guests. "Blossom and Christian figured it out months ago that they were better off as friends. Blossom actually stepped down willingly so Christian could pursue his true love. Isn't that right, Blossom?"

Suddenly, a muffled groan escaped my lips.

My mother, Joyce, viciously pinched the soft flesh of my lower back. She lowered her voice, her tone dripping with warning, "Admit it, Blossom! Otherwise, how is your sister supposed to face everyone?!"

I lowered my head, holding back my tears, and didn't say a single word.

"Mom, she's just tired," Christian said. A flicker of extreme, hypocritical pity flashed in his eyes as he pulled me to his side. "Katie has gone to touch up her makeup. I'll take Blossom to change her clothes."

Inside the private dressing room.

Christian sighed and reached out, his thumb trying to wipe away the remaining tears at the corner of my eye.

"I know you're still angry about the life jacket on the yacht," he coaxed softly. "Stop making a fuss. We all made it out perfectly fine, didn't we?"

I dodged his hand. With red eyes, I demanded the only explanation I cared about.

"Why?"

Christian stepped closer, pulling the zipper on my back. My ruined linen dress fell to the floor.

"Katie picked out a bridesmaid dress for you. Put this on, it suits you."

He arranged the hem of that cheap, dusty pink fabric, his eyes so gentle it was as if he wasn't the same man who had handed my survival gear to someone else a few hours ago.

"Why?" I asked again, my voice hollow.

Christian looked down, pinning that cheap bridesmaid corsage to my left chest. His tone was infuriatingly casual, yet every word pierced my heart.

"Your sister is prettier than you, and she's more feminine than you. Even her architectural designs are better than yours."

"She captivates everyone just by standing there. People can't take their eyes off her."

After saying that, he actually smiled.

"Don't overthink it, Blossom. After seven years together, I'm not a block of wood. Signing that marriage certificate at the courthouse was my commitment to you. Today is just about fulfilling your sister's dream. Just play along, okay?"

My heart clenched violently, and I gasped for air through sharp, stabbing pain.

I violently ripped off the humiliating corsage from my chest. "What do you take me for? Why the hell should I..."

His smile vanished.

"Your sister is pregnant."

"It's mine."

My brain went completely blank.

"Your parents know. They want to keep this child," Christian continued, showing no remorse. "Blossom, consider it a debt we owe you."

Christian's lips kept moving, saying something else.

But I couldn't hear a single word anymore.

When the music started, I stood numbly by the side curtain, my entire body so numb I lost all sensation.

I watched Christian take Katelynn's hand at the altar, right under the white floral arch I had personally chosen.

I watched Christian lift the veil, cup my sister's face, and gently kiss her.

Amidst the cheering crowd, I absentmindedly saw my parents wiping away tears of sheer joy.

During the reception toast, Katelynn glided toward me, holding two crystal champagne flutes filled with a dark pink liquid.

"To my best sister," Katelynn announced loudly into the wireless microphone, her voice echoing throughout the banquet hall. "Blossom designed this entire hall for us. To prove that there is no bad blood between us sisters, I want to invite her to share this signature strawberry champagne cocktail with me."

The entire hall instantly went quiet, waiting for this heartwarming moment.

My mother stepped up quickly and shoved the cold glass hard into my hand.

"Drink it, Blossom," Joyce narrowed her eyes, her gaze full of threats.

But I was severely allergic to strawberries.

When I was seven, I nearly suffocated to death in the emergency room just from accidentally eating a strawberry.

They all knew it perfectly well.

But right now, everyone wanted me to drink this strawberry cocktail.

Christian even leaned down to my ear and muttered under his breath, "One sip won't kill you. For the cameras, drink it."

I took the glass, and along with my tears, I swallowed the entire drink in three large gulps.

Then I set the empty glass down, turned around, and walked out the side doors into the night.

As my throat began to swell rapidly and my lungs fought desperately for oxygen, I made my final decision.

That invitation email from the top architectural headhunter in London... The moment I got back, I would accept it.