At the banquet, the woman who caught everyone's eye was none other than the most favored princess of the realm—Kate Winslet.
She and I bore a striking resemblance, right down to our clothing styles.
But no, my dresses were all tailored to Cassian's taste.
I turned my gaze to him, only to find his eyes fixated on Kate.
Something inside me felt like it had shattered.
I clenched the fabric of my gown, a wry smile creeping onto my lips.
So, I am just a stand-in, a mere substitute? If it weren't for that, I might have starved to death out in the wild by now.
I have been like a weed, lowly and insignificant, so who am I to complain about the brilliance of a gem?
3
I had finally exposed Cassian's lies, and instead of remorse, he erupted into a maniacal laughter. "If I can't have Kate, then what makes you think I can't have you?"
His grip tightened around my neck, pinning me against the bed. My frail body, already weakened by illness, protested against the roughness of the mattress. He smiled at me, but it felt more like the grin of a demon than a lover.
There was no hint of pity in his eyes as Cassian hurled insults, each word slicing through me like a dagger. "You're just a commoner. I provide for you, and you think you can just walk away?"
He yanked my hair, and as he whispered sweet nothings into my ear, his voice turned sinister. "I can't bear to touch Kate; what are you to me? Just a toy to pass the time!"
With the mask ripped away, Cassian revealed his true self. In Aniston Manor, Fiona quickly became pregnant, and I felt like a ghost, drifting through the halls as an outsider.
I pleaded with Cassian to let me go.
By day, he fawned over Kate, but by night, he unleashed his frustrations on me.
As I watched the autumn leaves fall, I couldn't shake the feeling that my time was running out. My body was on the verge of collapse.
Fiona insisted I accompany her on a shopping trip, but I was too weak to keep up. She went off on her own, her belly round with child, while I trailed behind, moving slowly.
In the bustling crowd, I was suddenly knocked to the ground by a passerby. "Sorry, miss!" he called out, urgency in his voice.
With a sigh, I struggled to get back on my feet, only to spot a small sachet lying on the ground. I wanted to turn back to retrieve it, but Fiona's urgent voice cut through the noise. "My stomach hurts so much!"