Viona's POV
The next morning, I drove to Houston Hospital—Roman's family hospital—where my sister was admitted. My body ached. I had fallen asleep on the carpet in my tears last night.
My mother's message had said Vivian collapsed last night—the reason Roman had abandoned me mid-rage.
Did he choose Vivian because he still loved her? This was the fear I'd buried for these years, that I was only Roman's fiancée because Vivian had left him once for her treatment.
Even if I was just a substitute, he couldn't treat me this way. I deserved a better explanation.
The elevator chimed.
I slowed, hesitant to enter the room.
Did the parents already know about this? There had been no sign that Roman would break his word after he rejected Vivian first.
Through the glass, I saw Vivian sitting up, a weak smile on her face, with Roman right beside her.
What a touching reunion, as if they were relieved to be free of me.
Was Vivian genuinely terminally ill? Was I mistaken about the conversation I had overheard that night?
Then I saw the band-aid already glued to Roman's cheek.
I bit the inside of my cheek.
I threw the band-aid from my pocket into the trash bin outside the room. If only discarding my soft heart for him were that easy.
My finger pressed the button to open the sliding door.
Then I heard:
"You two don't have to worry, the invitations were corrected and re-sent a while ago. Luckily, you are both identical twins, so we can still keep the pre-wedding photos. Hm… If someone asks why you look slimmer, let's just say you lost weight for the wedding." My mother-in-law-to-be chirped, buzzing with a giddy excitement that suggested she had expected all of this.
Suddenly, all eyes turned to me. The looks were disturbed, all of them screaming: Here she is, the unwelcome intrusion.
The awkwardness on their faces was all I needed. I instantly regretted coming here. They knew everything. And I was the very last to know.
"Mother, what did you just say?" I glared at Caroline. Then something bitter snapped on my mind. I shouldn't call her that anymore. What do you even call your ex-fiancé's mother?
"Vio darling, you're here." My mother rushed to me, her worried gaze somehow making me more anxious. Stella Island only ever worried about her weakest twin, and that wasn't me.
I shrugged off her arm and approached the hospital bed where Roman and Vivian watched me with open caution. I gave them a sharp side-eye, but my focus stayed on Caroline.
"It's exactly what you heard. My dear…" Caroline brushed the hair back from my face. "Roman has decided to marry Vivi. And the family agrees. This is the only way to ensure Vivi's happiness in the short time she has left. You understand, don't you?"
Caroline's words crushed my last shred of hope. I thought the family would take my side. Instead, it seemed they were more eager than Roman to change the bride tomorrow.
"No. I don't understand. Why are you so happy after publicly humiliating our family by changing the invitations? And what? You'll leave the pre-wedding photos the same? Am I invisible? Did my sacrifice mean nothing?" I said, cold yet shaky.
"Viona!" My mother yelled at me. "Watch your manners. This is exactly why I messaged you not to come here."
Ah… so her worried look was just fear that I would cause a scene? I turned to her.
"Mom, your daughter just lost her wedding, lost her fiancé, shouldn't you be asking how I am?" I raged.
"Vivian doesn't have much time, Viona… Doesn't it break your heart to think she'll leave us? Look at her, she's so weak. My… my heart shattered when… when she collapsed last night because she hadn't taken her painkillers in a week. She lost the will to live because her last wish couldn't be fulfilled. Why are you so selfish, Viona? Just give in…" My mom's voice broke in a ragged sob.
And that shattered my heart the most. She made me feel like I was the bad one.
I couldn't stop my tears, and I cried with her.
This wasn't the first time. Whenever something bad happened to Vivian, I became the villain. That's been the pattern for twenty-two years.
"Sister… My dear sister Vio…" There it was—the voice I had dreaded since high school. "I'm sorry if this hurts you. When I proposed to Roman when I first came back, I didn't think. I regret that. And I was glad Roman rejected it. I didn't realize you still wouldn't allow it. Roman, what is this? You said my sister had already agreed."
I turned to see her push Roman's hand away. With her weak palm, she gently hit his chest.
I know this scene. It was a stage she set to make me insignificant in his eyes.
To declare that my feelings were useless to him, just like back in high school.
Roman caught Vivian's hand, lowered it gently, and stroked her face, wiping her tears.
It was suddenly, painfully clear. My fear was confirmed. He still loved her.
And again, like that time, I could only fall silent, let him go, do nothing.
"You don't need to worry, honey. She agreed to it. It's just her hormonal imbalance flaring up. And I upset her a little yesterday. She'll calm down soon. Right, Vio? I'm sorry about yesterday. I'll make it up to you soon, after the wedding." He lied smoothly.
Did I know him? He was suddenly like a random stranger who just walked by.
No—I wanted to slap him. To unleash my burning, raging emotion.
To rake him, to claw at him, to grab his hair.
But my body just stood, shaking. It was like the floor had chained my feet, refusing to let me move.
What the hell do you want to make up? The fact that you'll marry the main course in the morning and warm the side dish at night?
My mom looked confused, unsure whether to confirm Vivian's claim or believe Roman. But she stayed silent, leaving me to swallow my emotions alone. Like usual.
He knew damn well I wouldn't dare bring up our intimacy in this conversation—my family was conservative, and I was their sweet, naive, pure girl.
Yes, I was. Until he coaxed me last night like a wolf in heat.
If my father knew I lost my virginity before marriage, I would be chained and locked away.
For this case, being kicked out of the family register would be a blessing in my family's culture.
"Do you think my rage is just my hormones? You didn't even care. What do you know about it?" I whimpered, my chest heaved, feeling like it was being ripped open.