Chapter 2

Serena Davis always got what she wanted.

“Mom decided,” Vivian declared. “This dress is yours, a wedding gift from her.”

Serena feigned modesty. “Won’t Chloe be upset?”

“What’s there for her to be upset about? Matters of the heart can’t be forced. It’s her own fault for being ill-tempered and malicious. Ryan not liking her is her just deserts. What does it have to do with you? She always used to bully you; giving you a wedding dress is the least she could do.”

Serena happily slipped into the gown, twirling joyfully in front of the mirror.

Mom watched Serena with a look of profound satisfaction.

That was a look I could only ever wish for, never attain.

For Serena, Mom was always hands-on, meticulous about every detail.

She said she wanted her precious daughter’s big day to be perfect in every way.

As for me, after being stolen as a baby, I was simply an extra person, a nuisance.

I watched Mom, day and night, altering Serena’s wedding dress.

Serena was a bit heavier than me, and she refused to pick another dress.

Mom, who loved her daughter more than life itself, disregarded her own health, insisting on altering the gown personally.

My mom, Vivian, was a highly sought-after fashion designer in the industry.

Serena, year-round, pretty much wore only clothes designed by Mom.

I never had that privilege.

Later, I became a designer myself, designing my own clothes.

No one loved me, so I learned to love myself.

The night the wedding dress was finished, Mom collapsed.

She was rushed to the hospital, and her condition was critical.

“The patient’s leukemia has relapsed.”