Seven Years of Love, All for Nothing

Chapter 1

Seven years with Andrew, and he still hadn't proposed. I thought maybe, just maybe, this time would be different. I put on my wedding dress, hoping it would finally be the moment he'd ask me to be his. But instead, my stepsister showed up, crying, clutching a marriage certificate with Andrew's name on it—ruining what was supposed to be my big moment.

"I have a terminal illness. My dying wish is to have a big wedding. After I'm gone, you can have Andrew, okay?" Olivia begged, tears streaming down her face.

I snapped. "Get out. Both of you."

But Andrew turned on me, his tone cold. "She's still part of your family. Can't you be more understanding, as her sister?"

I almost couldn't believe what I was hearing. Andrew knew damn well that Olivia's mom was the woman who tore apart my parents' marriage. How could he say something so ridiculous?

Andrew scowled, clearly annoyed by my reaction. "That's all in the past. It's between our parents. Olivia has nothing to do with it. Can't you stop holding onto the past and just let her have this?"

Suddenly, the man I thought I knew felt like a stranger. Just this year, when we visited my mom's grave, Andrew had been the one to chase Olivia away when she tried to show up uninvited. But now, I saw the truth—he'd only done that to keep me from confronting Olivia.

Olivia shot Andrew a grateful look, then turned to me, her eyes full of fake tears, holding out the marriage certificate.

"I'm not as pretty or accomplished as you, sis. Only Andrew would marry me. If tearing this up makes you feel better…"

Before she could finish, Andrew snatched the certificate from her hands, clutching it like it was his lifeline.

"Olivia, what are you saying? The wedding, the certificate—it's all part of your wish! It wouldn't be complete without either of them!" Then he turned to me. "Can't you see what's important? This marriage is just a formality. When the time's right, I'll come back to you."

But the way he clung to Olivia and that damn certificate—it didn't feel like a formality to me.

A cold shiver ran down my spine. The wedding dress I'd put on felt less like a symbol of love and more like a costume for a joke.

Before I could say anything, Olivia sobbed again and stepped in front of Andrew, trying to shield him from me. "I asked Andrew to do this. Sis, if you're upset, take it out on me! I don't want to come between you and Andrew!"

I looked at her, fake tears and all, and couldn't help but laugh bitterly. "So your mom was a homewrecker, and now you're just a cheap man-stealer, huh?"

"Someone like you deserves a terminal illness!" she spat.

SLAP!

The sting on my cheek was like a slap to my soul. I stared at Andrew, unable to comprehend what had just happened. The man who promised me he'd always be by my side—who swore he'd marry me—had just slapped me… for the woman I despised most.

In that moment, all the love I thought I had for him started to crumble.

My friends, who had been by my side through all this, couldn't take it anymore. They rushed forward, surrounding Andrew and Olivia, letting them have it.

"Are you serious? You keep Rachel waiting for seven years and then secretly marry the daughter of the woman who ruined her family?"

Fearing things would escalate, Andrew quickly pulled Olivia close, shielding her from my friends' anger. His arm protectively wrapped around her, like this was somehow okay.

What was supposed to be my big proposal moment had turned into a total disaster.

I looked down at my wedding dress, realizing just how pointless it all was.

When had Andrew, the man I thought I could trust, started choosing Olivia over me?

I stopped my friends, trying to understand. "When did this happen?"

Andrew, still holding Olivia close, met my eyes with a mocking gaze. "Rachel, you were just a kid back then. Do you really think everything you saw and heard was the truth?"

"You've blinded yourself with hate. Can't you just let it go? Stop dragging me into this."