I woke to swollen eyes and a stiff back. The couch had been my bed, and the soreness reminded me I hadn’t shifted all night.
And I was late.
Panic surged. I hadn’t made breakfast—the one thing expected of me every single day without fail.
As I hurried into the kitchen, Xavier’s sharp voice cut through the air from the dining room.
“Where have you been?” he barked. “Still in bed? Where’s breakfast?”
Before I could reply, Juliette appeared, spatula in hand, radiating her usual cheer.
“Don’t worry,” she said lightly. “I’ve started cooking. She’s tired, so I let her sleep a bit longer.”
“No!” Xavier snapped. “She should be ashamed. Sleeping while our guest cooks? She stays home all day, and now she’s shirking her duties onto you?”
He whirled on me, fury blazing. “Do something useful for once. Show care for the people feeding you.”
I lowered my gaze, stepping past Juliette quietly. “It’s fine,” I murmured. “I’ll handle it. You just sit.”
Juliette brushed a strand of hair from her face, smiling faintly. “It’s just vegetables—don’t make it a big deal.”
Before I could respond, our father entered, placing a mug on the table.
“Even simple chopping isn’t for you, Juliette,” he said. “You’re a designer, not a maid. Let Liana handle it—this is her realm.”
“It’s fine, Dad,” Juliette laughed softly, taking the knife anyway. “I’ll help.”
“No, I’ll do it,” I said, reaching for the knife.
But she refused, and I didn’t argue. I stood side by side with her at the counter, both of us chopping in tense silence—until—
“Agh!” Juliette screamed.
Blood welled from her finger. The knife clattered to the floor. Xavier stormed in, panic-stricken.
“What happened?!” he shouted, grabbing her hand. “You’re bleeding! Juliette, do you know how important this is? You have a presentation next week!”
“It’s just a scratch,” she said, calm.
Xavier whipped toward me. “This is your fault! You useless woman! You let her get hurt in your kitchen! You couldn’t even chop the vegetables yourself?”
“I—I didn’t—”
His anger drowned out Juliette’s attempt to defend me. Everyone hovered, pressing tissues to her finger, blaming me for the accident I hadn’t caused.
I didn’t even have the chance to reveal my own injury—a cut from the broken vase that had reopened while chopping. I slipped away quietly, hiding my bleeding hand under my apron, retreating to my room.
I perched on the bed, peeled off the bandage, and pressed a clean towel to the wound. The sting was sharp, but the silence stung worse.
The door flung open.
Xavier.
“Apologize to Juliette,” he commanded.
I looked at him. “It wasn’t my fault. She insisted. It was an accident.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Doesn’t matter. You’re responsible. Apologize.”
“I didn’t hurt her.”
“I don’t care. Do it.”
Before I could speak, Juliette entered, finger bandaged.
“It’s okay,” she said softly. “No one’s at fault. It was an accident.”
I nodded, throat tight.
Juliette glanced at Xavier. “We need to talk about the trip. Only three days away.”
“Oh, right,” Xavier said, instantly shifting gears. “France. Business trip. Juliette, you, and your father will go. Pack our things.”
France.
My heart lurched.
“Can I come?” I asked before thinking.
Both stared. Xavier laughed harshly. “You? Liana, it’s business, not a vacation. You’d embarrass yourself. You couldn’t follow the conversations.”
“I could just—”
“No,” he cut me off. “Juliette’s pitching for the brand. You’d be out of place. You don’t even have proper clothes.”
“She’ll stay,” he said flatly, turning to Juliette. “She can finish chores while we’re gone.”
Juliette hesitated, eyes flicking to me—pity or performance, I couldn’t tell. “We’ll bring you something back,” she said with a thin smile.
I forced a nod, feeling the familiar burn behind my eyes, the lump in my chest I had learned to swallow daily.
Then they laughed. Casual, easy, the kind of laughter that made it feel like I wasn’t there at all.
Their voices faded down the hallway, planning restaurants in France, what to wear, how the photos would look.
I turned slowly, retreated to our room, and closed the door.
No tears. Just stillness.
Instinctively, I pulled the suitcase from under the bed, sorted shirts, checked lists, laid out Juliette’s makeup bag, folded Xavier’s blazers. I didn’t think—I simply prepared everyone else’s life while mine sat untouched.
Then I saw it. Xavier’s laptop, still glowing faintly on the nightstand, as if waiting for me.
I approached. One click.
A photo.
Xavier in a tailored suit. Juliette in a white dress, smiling like she had already won. The Eiffel Tower blurred behind them, gold lights twinkling. Pre-nup photoshoot—France folder.
Scrolling revealed the wedding date, confirmed. They weren’t even hiding it anymore.
I stared. But I didn’t cry.
Instead, I picked up my phone.
I dialed the gallery I had once visited in secret, where bridal portraits lined the walls, shimmering with artistry.
The line rang once. Twice.
“How may I help you?”
I inhaled slowly. Then spoke.
“I’d like to schedule a wedding shoot. A pre-nup session.”
“Of course, ma’am. Bride and groom names?”
I paused. Then smiled softly.
“There is no groom,” I said. “Just the bride. Me. Alone.”
Because finally, I was choosing myself.
