Chapter 1

We were playing Truth or Dare at a party when Harrison Cole lost the round. He chose truth without hesitation.

"Chloe and I have a child together."

My entire body froze as I stared at him in disbelief.

Everyone in our circle knew that Chloe Campbell was my beloved younger sister, and Harrison was the man I had just legally married yesterday.

He spoke casually, his tone laced with callous flippancy.

"Three years ago, I had too much to drink. She was wearing something sexy, and I lost control. I never thought she would end up pregnant."

He looked down with a smirk.

"Chloe has a better body than some people, and she knows how to have fun. Unlike a woman who can't even conceive, she actually gave me the chance to be a father."

I turned stiffly toward my sister beside me. Her face was bright red, and her eyes were glued to the floor.

Just yesterday, she had tearfully wished me a lifetime of happiness and promised to plan the most lavish wedding for us.

Harrison set his glass on the table and leaned back.

"That's my truth."

The entire private room fell dead silent. Every single pair of eyes shifted directly to me.

"Why?"

I forced the single word past my trembling lips.

If they loved each other, why did he pursue me? Why did he marry me?

Why did he choose this exact moment to humiliate me in front of everyone?

Seeing my pale, shattered expression, Harrison actually looked relieved.

"Don't blame Chloe. I was the one who pursued her back then."

"She never wanted you to find out because she was terrified you'd abandon her. She was scared to death that you'd hate her forever."

"But I'm tired of living like this. I want our little family of three out in the open instead of constantly walking on eggshells for you."

He sounded completely righteous, his eyes full of tenderness for my sister.

Yet yesterday, he had cried tears of joy when we signed our marriage license.

He paused for a beat before adding another blow.

"Audrey, you wouldn't want your own sister and niece hiding in the shadows forever, would you?"

"Don't worry. We're still a family, and I'll still treat you well."

My hands shook violently with pure rage.

"Harrison Cole, you're an absolute piece of shit!"

I jumped to my feet and smashed my purse straight across his smug face.

"Do you even have a conscience? How could you say something so disgusting?"

The room gasped, but nobody dared to step in.

Seeing me raise my bag to hit him again, Chloe instantly lunged forward and grabbed my wrist.

"Audrey, please, blame me!"

Her voice was desperate and pleading.

"It really only happened that one time three years ago! We never did anything after that!"

"You know my heart has always been weak. The doctor told me it was too dangerous to terminate the pregnancy, so I had to carry her to term. I swear I never wanted to tear you two apart!"

I looked down at her tear-streaked face. She looked so utterly pitiful.

I might have believed her if I hadn't noticed the fresh, dark hickey on the side of her neck.

I reached out and traced the mark with cold contempt.

"Chloe, do you really think you can still lie to me?"

The color instantly drained from her face.

I couldn't understand why she was the one to betray me.

We lost our parents when we were young, and we had always been each other's entire world.

When I first started dating Harrison, her immediate reaction had been to add him on social media and run a complete background check on him.

"What makes him so special? How dare he steal my sister away from me!"

I remembered laughing back then as I read through her sassy chat logs with Harrison.

Later, whenever Harrison and I went on dates, Chloe would constantly lecture him not to let me get hurt.

Whenever the three of us hung out, she would deliberately wedge herself between us.