Chapter 1

Right before my wedding, my adopted sister, Cindy, put my little brother, Mikey, in a coma after running him over.

My fiancé, who was supposed to be my rock, is a lawyer, and not only didn't blame her, but he became her lawyer for the case.

I went ballistic, wanting her to rot in jail, but I became the laughingstock of the whole town. Everyone thought I was overreacting.

At my lowest point, my biggest rival, Jake, popped the question, promising he'd be the only person I could ever depend on. I was desperate, so I said yes.

Turns out, he actually did put Cindy in jail after we got married.

Fast forward five years, and I accidentally overheard Jake talking to my brother, Mikey―who was supposed to be in a vegetative state.

"Dude, if Cindy could have kids, you wouldn't have had to concoct this whole plan to trick Sarah into marriage, so she could have a baby for Cindy!"

"It's cool, our marriage certificate with Sarah is fake. Cindy and mine is the real one." Jake responded coolly.

"And once Sarah's kid's born, I will make sure to have them call Cindy 'Mom'." Mikey responded with a satisfied tone.

The happy life I thought I had? It was all one big lie.

I risked everything to get justice for my brother, and it turns out I was just a pawn!

Looks like it's time for me to disappear.

...

My hand froze on the door of the hospital room, the rest of me rooted to the spot.

I was cold all over, and I couldn't believe what I'd just heard.

Inside the room, Jake was staring at photos of Cindy traveling the world on his phone, a look of sentimental longing on his face.

"Seeing her happy and carefree makes all five years of acting around Sarah worth it."

"Once the kid in her belly is born, this sham of a marriage will be over."

My brother, Mikey, who was supposedly still in a coma, scoffed from his bed:

"Sarah actually believes you love her, and she even handed over the shares in her parent's company to you. But what happens if she finds out about what we have planned?"

Jake hesitated for a split second, a dark look flashing in his eyes:

"Then she'll never find out. It's been five years. Cindy will be getting out of jail soon."

"Besides, plenty of women die in childbirth."

Mikey paused for a moment, and then he gave a bark of laughter. "Bro, you're so smart."

I recoiled, stumbling backward, the pregnancy test results I'd just gotten slipping from my numb fingers and falling to the floor.

Jake had specifically told me he'd put Cindy in jail. Everything was a lie.

Mikey's accident was faked, and Cindy being criminally responsible was a lie as well.

Everything was just so I would give birth to a child for her since she couldn't.

And it was all orchestrated by the husband I loved more than anything!

His tenderness, his loyalty, the way he made me feel like I was the only woman in the world �C all a facade to keep his true love happy.

For five years, I'd been living in a lie they'd woven together. What a joke.

Hearing footsteps coming from the room, I realize Jake is getting up.