"Whose lipstick is that?" Leslie asked.
Denver glanced at it, confused. "Isn't it yours?"
It wasn't.
A sickening thought crept into her mind. 'Have they been here earlier? Did they kiss in my fucking car?'
Her stomach turned. She quickly pulled her hand away from his and said flatly, "I'm tired. I don't want to talk. Just focus on driving."
Her mind was a storm of anger and heartbreak, but after it all burned through, there was nothing left—just a heavy, empty silence.
She and Denver were already engaged. The wedding was only a month away.
Invitations had already been sent out to family and friends. Some guests had even started sending them gifts.
But now… Now, she had to deal with the fact that her fiancé was cheating on her. What was she supposed to do?
She turned her head to look out the window, lost in thought.
On the outside, Denver always seemed so gentle and attentive, but Leslie knew better.
Underneath, he was controlling, the type of man who wouldn't take no for an answer.
If she told him she wanted to cancel the wedding, he'd never agree.
And why should she have to walk away like some brokenhearted fool?
Why should she be the one to lose everything?
A wild, dangerous thought came to her: 'I want revenge'
When they got home, Kiana had already made dinner.
As soon as Denver stepped inside, she rushed to place his slippers neatly by the door and took his coat like she always did.
Before, Leslie hadn't thought much of it. She'd chalked it up to sibling affection.
But now, those gestures looked more like a wife welcoming her husband home.
Kiana must have sensed Leslie's stare because she quickly put on a sweet, innocent smile.
"Leslie, I made your favorite corn chowder tonight!"
Leslie's mind flashed back to the day Denver had first brought Kiana home.
That day, she wouldn't stop crying on his lap and calling him "my brother" over and over.
For the past six months, Leslie had felt sorry for Kiana and had treated her like her own sister.
And now? That so-called sister had been eyeing her fiancé the entire time.
Looking at Kiana's fake, sweet expression made Leslie's hatred flare all over again.
She sat down at the table, her face cold and unreadable.
Travis, Denver's younger brother, stood nearby and noticed her mood. Frowning, he called her out, "Leslie, Kiana's talking to you. Why are you being so rude to her?"
Travis was someone Denver had adopted from an orphanage. He was in his second year of college now.
He and Leslie used to be close like real siblings, but ever since Kiana moved in, he acted like his new sister was the only person who mattered.
Denver tapped the table. "Travis, watch your tone when you're talking to your soon-to-be sister-in-law."
Grumbling under his breath, Travis backed off.
Kiana, of course, tried to smooth things over. "Let's not argue over this. It's no biggie, anyway, plus we're all family here!"
'Family?' Leslie almost laughed. 'The three of you might be a family, but me? I'm just an outsider.'
Kiana picked up a bowl of soup and handed it to Leslie with a smile.
But Leslie couldn't stomach the fake kindness anymore. She raised her hand, lightly pushing the bowl away.
That's when Kiana's hand suddenly jerked, and the bowl tipped, spilling hot soup all over her hands and clothes.
"Ahhh!" she screamed, dramatic enough to quickly draw everyone's attention.
Travis quickly jumped up. "What's wrong with you, Leslie? If you didn't want it, you could've just said so! Why'd you push Kiana?"
Denver immediately grabbed Kiana's hands, examining the burns.
His gaze then shot to Leslie, filled with disbelief. "My love, how could you do that?"
He led Kiana to the sink, running her hands under cold water while Travis scrambled to find burn ointment.
Leslie just sat there, watching the ridiculous scene like an outsider.
She hadn't pushed the bowl. All she did was lightly block it with her hand.
She didn't use any force at all. It was impossible for the soup to spill.
Kiana had done this on purpose!
