Chapter 2

That evening, I returned to the penthouse I shared with Damian.

I entered the code. The lock beeped an error.

I stood there frozen and tried again.

"Incorrect password."

The robotic voice echoed through the hallway.

I stared at the door I'd walked through for five years, suddenly feeling like a complete stranger.

Two hours later, the elevator doors opened.

Damian stepped out, helping Serena walk beside him.

Seeing me still standing at the door, he frowned.

"Why haven't you gone in? Standing out here like a damn statue?"

I looked at him.

"The password's wrong."

Damian slapped his forehead.

"Serena said the old code had unlucky numbers, bad for the baby. I changed it."

He walked up and entered Serena's birthday.

The door opened.

I followed them inside and saw my slippers were gone from the entryway.

In their place sat a pair of non-slip pregnancy slippers.

"Your slippers had hard soles. I was worried Serena might slip, so I had the housekeeper throw them out."

Damian tossed off the explanation casually as he helped Serena toward the master bedroom.

I walked to the bedroom doorway and froze completely.

All my skincare products had been swept from the vanity into the trash.

The closet doors hung open, half my clothes cleared out, replaced with racks of Serena's maternity wear.

"Damian, what the hell is this?"

I pointed at the empty closet space.

Damian was pouring warm water for Serena, not even looking back.

"Serena's pregnant. She can't handle the smell of your perfumes."

"I had the housekeeper move your stuff to the guest room. You'll sleep there for the next few months."

Serena leaned against the headboard, her hand on her stomach as she sighed.

"Sienna, you're not mad at me, are you? The doctor said my pregnancy is high-risk, I need complete rest."

"The master bedroom has better light, better for the baby's development. You care about me so much, you wouldn't mind giving it up, right?"

I stared at her sickeningly fake face with no desire to argue.

The next morning, I sat at the dining table eating oatmeal.

Damian walked out of the bedroom with his phone in hand.

Right in front of me, he pressed the speaker button.

"Hello, is this the wedding planner? Yes, this is Damian Sterling."

"Change the bride's name on the welcome sign. Put Serena Croft instead."

My hand clenched around the spoon.

The voice on the other end hesitated.

"Mr. Sterling, but what about Ms. Hayes..."

Damian pulled out a chair and sat down, glancing at me.

"Ms. Hayes? She'll be the maid of honor."

He hung up and took a sip of his milk.

"Serena said she's dreamed of wearing a wedding dress since she was a kid. She's pregnant now, we can't upset her."

"We're practically an old married couple anyway, it's just a formality. Let her have the bride's spot, think of it as fulfilling her dream."

His tone was casual, like he was discussing something completely trivial.

Serena came out of the bedroom wearing my nightgown and wrapped her arms around Damian's neck.

"You're so sweet, Damian."

She turned to look at me, her smile innocent.

"Sienna, will you be my maid of honor? I want you to witness my happiness with your own eyes."

Damian tapped the table, prompting me.

"Serena asked you a question. Don't be petty, it's just a dress."

I looked down at the oatmeal in my bowl.

Ten years of devotion couldn't compete with one casual request from her, and now even my place as the bride was stolen.

I set down the spoon and wiped my mouth with a napkin.

"Fine."

Damian smiled with satisfaction.

"That's more like it. We're a family, we should get along."