I froze when Manuel stepped onto the stage and pulled a small velvet box from his pocket. He opened it, and there it was—a delicate crystal tiara, sparkling under the lights.
Someone in the crowd gasped. “Isn’t that the Davenport heirloom? I heard Old Madam Davenport left it for the wife of the eldest grandson.”
Another voice added loud enough for people nearby to hear, “Wow. Giving the family tiara to his wife’s younger sister? President Davenport is basically shoving Aurora aside in public.”
Manuel carefully placed the tiara on Amber’s head. Perfect fit.
Amber looked toward the corner where I was standing, her voice soft but deliberate. “Dad, Mom, Manuel… doesn’t this feel wrong? After all, Aurora is the Moore family’s real daughter and your wife. Shouldn’t these things belong to her?”
My parents immediately grabbed her hands, shaking their heads. “What are you saying? Aurora married well, and she has the Davenport family backing her. This is just planning ahead for you, giving you what’s rightfully yours.”
Manuel’s calm voice cut through. “If it hadn’t been for that accident, this would have been yours anyway.”
I felt like someone had ripped the air out of the room. My parents’ words hit like slaps, Manuel’s like knives. The crowd’s eyes felt like spotlights scanning me, full of pity, ridicule, enjoyment of my misery. I could practically feel Amber smirking, showing off her victory.
I should have felt sick or crushed, but I didn’t. I felt… calm.
I set down my wine glass quietly and turned away. People whispered behind me.
“Look, her eyes are red… she must have cried in the bathroom.”
“Poor thing, her parents and husband all favor the adopted daughter.”
I didn’t care. I went straight to the restroom.
The reflection staring back at me wasn’t crying. My makeup was intact, my eyes dry. I’d forgotten everything. The way I’d begged my parents for love, begged Manuel to notice me, begged for scraps of care. All of it was gone. Those people I once worshiped felt like strangers now.
I touched up my lipstick and was about to leave when I stopped.
Down the corridor, Manuel had Amber pinned against the wall, kissing her hard. His hands were in her hair, his other hand gripping her waist like he didn’t want to let go. Amber leaned back, tilting her neck, letting him.
After what felt like forever, he pulled back slightly and rubbed her lips with his thumb. His voice was low and rough. “Satisfied now, baby?”
Amber smiled against him, soft and sweet. “Manuel, I know I’m asking a lot. I already have the family tiara, but I still wanted a kiss… If my sister saw this, she’d probably be crushed again.”
He shook his head and held her tighter. “That’s not my fuckinv problem. I never liked her. I could never like her. You’re the one I’ve always loved, Amber.”
He kissed her again, and I froze, feeling my chest tighten as if someone was squeezing it. Is this… the leftover warmth from when I loved him? I raised my hand to my heart, wondering if it would ever go away.
The kiss went on for what felt like three minutes, and then Manuel finally stepped back and walked away.
I waited until Manuel and Amber disappeared completely before stepping out of the shadows. I took a shaky breath, straightened my skirt, and was about to head back to grab my bag and leave.
But the second I walked into the hall, Amber ran up to me and grabbed my wrist hard. “Sister, if you like the tiara Manuel gave me, I can give it to you. So why would you steal it?!”
I froze. “Steal it? What are you talking about?”
“You’re still pretending!” Amber’s voice shook, her eyes red. “I just went to the restroom and the tiara was gone. The waiter said you were the only one near my bag!”
Before I could even respond, my parents rushed over. They slapped me, no words, just pure anger. “Aurora! You can’t be happy unless you’re causing trouble every single day, can you?!”
My cheeks burned from the hit, and before I could even speak, my mother screamed. “Guards! Search her now!”
Waiters swarmed me, yanking at my dress roughly.
“I didn’t steal it! Let me go!” I yelled, trying to pull away, panic rising.
The sound of fabric tearing echoed, and suddenly my shoulder was exposed. Gasps and snickers swept across the hall, making my stomach twist.
“Found it!” a waiter shouted, pulling the crystal tiara out of my bag. “It was with her all along.”
Amber grabbed it immediately, tears streaming down her face. “Sister, what do you have to say for yourself now?”
I shook, my words stuck in my throat. My mind felt like it was breaking again. I wanted to scream, to explain, to make them see, but no sound came out.
Then the crowd seemed to part by itself. The echo of heavy, measured footsteps grew louder, cutting through all the noise. I looked up and froze.
Manuel was walking toward me. Each step made my chest tighten, his polished leather shoes clicking against the marble like they were stamping on my heart.
“Why would you steal it? Have you forgotten? I’ve never treated you like my wife.”
I looked up at him, at the coldness in his eyes.
“Aurora, some things aren’t meant for you. And they’ll never be yours.”
I blinked and a small smile spread across my face, one he didn’t expect. I could see his brow twitch slightly, subtle but noticeable. He’d seen me cry, scream, make a scene, but he’d never seen me look like this. Like I’d let something go.
“I didn’t steal it,” I said softly, my voice carrying clearly across the hall. The light from the chandelier hit my eyes and made them shine, though it wasn’t tears—just… clarity, maybe.
I took a deep breath, forcing the words out slowly, one by one.
“And… I don’t like you anymore.”
The room froze. Every pair of eyes turned to me, wide with shock.
They couldn’t believe it.
Me. Aurora. The girl who had thrown herself at him, who had begged for scraps of attention, who had cried for him endlessly. Saying I didn’t like him anymore.
But it was true. I didn’t.
