On the eve of my wedding, I was kidnapped, humiliated and tortured for two whole days and nights.
When I was finally ransomed back, the doctor told me I might never be able to have children again. My wealthy fiancé immediately turned around and married the switched heiress, Camila Reyes.
Rumors spread like wildfire. I fell into deep depression and attempted to end my life by jumping into the river.
As I was on the brink of death, my fiancé’s younger brother, Tomas Graciani, plunged into the freezing water to save me, nearly drowning himself in the process.
When Tomas regained consciousness, he confessed his love for me—saying he loved me more than his own life. He wanted to marry me, to take care of me forever.
Deeply moved, I accepted his proposal.
Two years into our marriage, I was stunned to discover I was pregnant. Overcome with joy, I hurried to share the news with him.
Just as I was about to share my happiness, I overheard his conversation with my parents.
"Back then, Camila lost her mind and hired people to kidnap Samantha. Thankfully, you paid a hefty sum to silence them and protect Camila. And you even married Samantha, who can’t have children..."
"We’ve thought it through. We can’t let the family line end with you! Camila’s first child will be the rightful heir, but the second heir should come from you."
Tomas’s voice was low and heavy. "That won’t be necessary. This way, Camila and my brother’s child will be the sole heir to the family business. As long as Camila is happy, that’s enough for me."
"And Samantha... I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to her."
***
"Good girl, I know this has been hard on you. If it weren’t for you, the Reyes Family's reputation would have been completely ruined."
"I know this is unfair to Samantha, but this is the best solution we have..."
A chill ran through me, my whole body trembling.
So the one who had kidnapped and tortured me back then… was my own sister—the switched heiress, Camila!
I thought Tomas had saved me out of love, that he had pulled me back from the edge of despair—only to realize it was all just to cover up her crimes.
My biological parents too… they had chosen to sacrifice me to protect their precious family name.
I covered my mouth, holding back my sobs, too afraid to make a sound.
Barely holding myself together, I turned and fled. When I got back to our residence, a message from Tomas popped up on my phone.
[Samita, I have a business dinner tonight. Don’t wait up—get some rest early. Love you.]
I didn’t reply. Instead, my eyes landed on the keypad lock of his study.
When we first got married, I had constant nightmares and could only fall asleep holding Tomas’s hand. More than once, I woke up in the middle of the night to find him gone—always in his study.
He never let anyone inside. It was always locked with a separate passcode.
I hesitated for a moment before inputting in Camila’s birthday. Then, with a soft click, the door unlocked.
After stepping inside, I felt my breath catch. The walls were covered with photos and portraits of Camila, from childhood to adulthood.
The shelves were lined with her old belongings, carefully preserved. Gifts, trinkets—every trace of her life, treasured like a shrine.
I remembered—these gifts were all things Antonio, Tomas’s older brother, had discarded. For the past ten years, Camila had been chasing after Antonio, doing everything she could to please him.
So the gifts Antonio discarded… Tomas had secretly collected them and treated them like priceless treasures.
My heart twisted in pain as I went through each item, tears streaming down my face.
In that moment, everything clicked. When I was thirteen, my parents finally found me and brought me home. They told Camila to call me "sister."
That was when I learned the truth—when I was mistakenly switched at birth, they had taken Camila as their daughter and spoiled her for thirteen years.
For the next ten years, I could never truly feel like I belonged in this family.
With me, my parents acted out of guilt, always trying to make up for their mistake. But with Camila… she was their real daughter in every way that mattered.
Later, when the Gracianis chose me—the real heiress—for an arranged marriage, my parents agreed without hesitation.
I never imagined that Camila had already fallen in love with my fiancé. She hired kidnappers to abduct and violate me, hoping to take my place.
And my parents… and Tomas… they all knew the truth. Yet they still chose to cover for her.
I sobbed so hard I could barely breathe.
Just then, my mother called.
