Chapter 4

“Avery, my beautiful moon,” he had said, the night before we had the low-key wedding which had just his family and a few friends. “Your face radiating like the full moon. You're such wife material and I'm so glad you finally choose to accept me and my daughter. I'll treat you right and never leave your side. You're such a great woman and I'm glad you came into my life.”

I trusted his words—blindly, foolishly. I agreed to our marriage being made official with nothing more than his family, a few friends and his daughter—Mayisha. No wedding ring, no guests, no celebration. Just a cold signature and a vow I clung to like gospel. I was deeply, hopelessly in love. But now I understand—he never truly picked me. I wasn’t his first choice. I was simply the backup plan, the convenient option when Anna refused to be there for him.

The next day, despite my tiredness and shattered heart, And after making breakfast and lunch, it was finally evening and the whole family was around.

Dinner was served in polished silence, broken only by the soft clinking of cutlery against the plates. I sat at the far end of the table, the rejected cornerstone, my hands folded neatly in my lap, my gaze trained on the little girl across from me—Mayisha, my stepdaughter. The girl giggled as I spooned rice onto her plate, tucking a stray curl behind her ear like I was already used to mothering her.

Ethan watched with a soft smile, pride flickering in his eyes. Not for me. Never for me.

Mayisha looked up, eyes bright and innocent, her voice cutting through the tense quiet dining area like a knife.

"Daddy, I wish Miss Anna was your wife. She's so pretty and fun. She smells like cake."

I froze. Ethan blinked.

I waited for him to say something, to say those words I've been dying to hear. To reprimand her and say I was his wife, but instead, he kept mute.

He said nothing.

Anna laughed, high and melodic. "Oh, sweetheart, that's such a sweet thing to say."

There was a pause. Then Ethan's mother leaned forward, her smile tight. "Children say the darndest things, don't they? But they also speak from the heart." Her voice dripped with malice and mockery.

My throat tightened. My spoon clattered softly against the plate as I reached for the water I didn't need.

"You know," Madam Elsa, Ethan's mother continued, turning her gaze towards me, "Anna would've been the perfect wife for Ethan. Such poise. Such charm. But not everyone is strong enough to step into a ready-made family, right?"

I swallowed my hurt like glass. "I tried—" I began softly.

"You tried," she interrupted, waving a dismissive hand. "Trying isn't always enough, dear. Ethan needed someone who could shine beside him."

And as if on cue, Ethan reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a velvet box.

I stilled.

Anna's smile widened.

"I saw this and thought of you," he said, opening it with a flourish. A diamond bracelet shimmered in the candlelight, catching the glow just right. "You've always said you love diamonds. I hope this matches your taste."

He got up, walked past me without a glance , and gently clasped the bracelet, which must have cost a fortune around Anna's wrist.

I looked away, my chest rising and falling with quiet betrayal. The same kind of betrayal that never roared— just bled silently.

Anna cooed, admiring the sparkle. "It's beautiful. Thank you, Ethan."

Mayisha clapped. "It's like a princess bracelet. Miss Anna, will you be my mummy?"

I pushed my chair back. The scraping sound drew eyes, but no concern.

I walked into the kitchen, the hum of the dishwasher the only noise in the silence I carried. My fingers curled around the edge of the sink as memory crashed in— unwelcome, uninvited.

That night. The investor party.

I'd worn the soft blue silk dress Ethan never noticed. Had styled my hair for once, even put on a touch of lipstick. I had hoped—stupidly hoped—that maybe, he'd see me.

But it was Anna on his arm. And when one of the guests raised a glass to toast "The happy couple," Ethan didn't correct them. Not even when I had confronted him after introducing her as his fiancée.

He smiled.

"Ethan," I'd whispered afterward, pulling him aside near the hallway, trembling. "Did you... Did you just let them think she's your fiance?"

He didn't flinch. "It's just for the investors. Avery. They like her image. She fits what they expect."

"But I'm your wife."

"On paper," he said coolly. "I needed someone they'd respect. Someone who looks the party. Don't start being paranoid and dramatic. You know what this was."

I stood there, staring at him like he was a stranger.

He had never chosen me. I was just the caretaker— the one that looked after his daughter when her mother died during her birth. The same girl now rejects me and wishes someone else was her mother.

I grilled the edge of the counter, eyes burning.

They were laughing in the dining room again.

Anna's voice rang out, mayisha'e giggle followed. My family. My husband. My stepdaughter. All woven around a woman who was never willing to love them until it was convenient.

The bracelet sparkles on Anna's wrist. The same wrist that once pushed me aside at the party, the same one that now wore Ethan's affection like a crown.

I looked down at my bare hand. The one without a ring. He'd never given me one.

A sob clawed up my throat, raw and stifled. I pressed my fist to my lips.

Not because I wanted luxury. Not because I wanted diamonds .

But because I had poured everything into this home—love, time, care— and all of it had vanished, swallowed by shadows.

And the worst part? No one even noticed I was breaking.

I swallowed the burning lump in my throat and forced a smile, pretending the words hadn't just scraped my heart raw.

Back there, when I stood up, my appetite was long gone, so I had to excuse myself to the kitchen. My legs moved fast, like they were trying to outrun the sting in my chest. I grabbed the sink for balance, my knuckles turning white as memories flood in—nights rocking a crying baby, fevered foreheads wiped with cool clothes, bedtime lullabies sung through exhaustion.

Yet, all Mayisha wants is Anna.

Tears blurred my vision as I opened the cabinet for water, but before I could calm myself, Ethan stormed in.