Then, there was his older brother, Xavier. From the moment we met, I sensed his disdain.
He never bothered to hide it, his cold glances and snide comments aimed at me whenever Sylus was not around.
But Xavier was away most of the time, studying abroad for his medical degree, and I did not see him as a threat.
In the end, Sylus and I were getting married and enjoying our married life.
However, one day, my beloved cat, which I had raised with care, was found dead because Xavier kicked it viciously.
I confronted Xavier, furious and heartbroken. But instead of apologizing, he sneered at me.
“Do you really think Sylus loves you?” he spat, his voice dripping with contempt.
His words rattled me. Confused and hurt, I demanded to know what he meant.
Without warning, Xavier grabbed me by the collar and dragged me into a room Sylus had always forbidden me to enter.
I had never questioned it, thinking it was related to their dangerous mafia business. But nothing could have prepared me for what I found inside.
The room was filled with photos, hundreds of them, plastered across the walls. Every single one of them was of a girl who looked exactly like me.
From her childhood to adulthood, the images chronicled the life of Charlotte, the real woman Sylus loved.
Xavier’s voice was cold and cruel as he stood beside me, watching my reaction. “Take a good look. This is the woman my brother has always loved. You are nothing but a replacement, a poor substitute for his fiancée.”
The truth was a dagger to my heart. I had been living in a lie, playing a role that was never meant for me.
From that moment on, I distanced myself from Sylus and searched for the news online.
It was said that before Charlotte left for abroad, she and Sylus were the kind of couple everyone admired. They seemed perfect together.
They attended events hand-in-hand, their connection so strong that those around them whispered about how lucky they were to have found each other so young.
But then, tragedy struck the Hooper family. A devastating accident changed everything, and Charlotte, burdened by her grief, made the difficult decision to leave.
She went abroad, disappearing from the public eye, letting time and distance ease her pain.
Sylus, meanwhile, never involved himself in any scandals or rumors. He kept to himself, stoic and composed.