Part 1The Illusion of Vows

My sister invited me to her wedding, but standing at the altar was a face I knew all too well.

It was the man who had pressed a soft kiss to my lips just this morning before leaving our apartment.

Now, I was watching them recite their vows and exchange wedding rings.

My sister looped her arm through his and elegantly reminded me: "I specifically asked Caleb to take care of you before, but now, Hazel, it's time you found a real boyfriend."

I glanced at Caleb Wright. He smirked slightly, gazing lovingly at my sister, offering absolutely no explanation.

Whatever. I didn't want him anymore.

Even if Caleb stood outside my rundown apartment door in the future, calling me "sweetheart" over and over again, I still wouldn't want him.

* * *

When Caleb left the house this morning, he had pressed a light kiss to my cheek.

He reminded me, just like he always did: "Food is in the fridge. Heat it up when you wake up, and make sure you eat."

So, when I saw Caleb's face at the wedding, my first reaction wasn't anger, but pure, disorienting disbelief.

As the officiant read the vows, Caleb looked at my sister with absolute devotion, leaving me with only a view of his profile.

There was a tiny mole right at the corner of his eye.

So many times, when he had to cancel a date because he was "busy" and made me mad, he would cling to me and whine sweetly.

"I'll let you kiss the mole by my eye. Don't be mad. I know it's your favorite."

I never mistook him for someone else, but why was it Caleb?

After being taken back to the Thorne family, I rarely appeared in public. I never told anyone I was a member of the Thorne family, and I never coveted anything that didn't belong to me.

I didn't get to choose my origins, but I had tried my absolute hardest to stay away from the Thornes.

So why was my boyfriend standing at the altar with my sister?

My eldest brother, Sebastian, suddenly grabbed my wrist tightly just as the officiant asked Caleb:

"Do you take Vivienne Thorne to be your lawfully wedded wife, regardless of..."

At the same time, Sebastian's voice dropped into my ear.

"Forgot to tell you, Caleb and our little sister are childhood sweethearts. We've spoiled her rotten, so she does whatever she wants."

"I apologize to you on her behalf."

The "little sister" he was talking about wasn't me. It was Caleb's bride, Vivienne, the elegant heiress of the Thorne family.

Sebastian always did whatever he pleased. He was speaking to me so politely not out of respect, but out of sheer disgust.

I deliberately ignored Sebastian's words and stared intensely at Caleb.

He didn't even spare me a glance out of the corner of his eye. He just looked at my sister, his gaze tender and affectionate, and answered firmly: "I do."

I couldn't ignore those words. A sharp, stinging pain pierced my chest, and tears instinctively rolled down my cheeks.

The hand gripping my wrist pulled away. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sebastian using a tissue to meticulously wipe his long fingers.

His disdainful voice floated down lightly.

"Hazel Thorne? You really have some nerve, dreaming about things way out of your league."