Chapter 1 Chapter 1

After three years of dating Nathan Foster, I thought I knew where we were headed. But he never proposed. Instead, he fell in love at first sight with my stepsister. His pursuit of her was bold and relentless, leaving no room for doubt. This time, I didn’t break down or wait around, hoping he’d return like before. I made a clean break. I threw away every gift he had given me, shredded the wedding dress I once secretly bought, and on his birthday, I left Riverdale behind. Just as I was about to board my flight, Nathan messaged me: “Where are you? Everyone’s waiting for you.” I smiled, didn’t bother replying, and blocked him on every channel. He had no idea that, two weeks earlier, I had accepted the proposal of my college senior, Eustace Cooper. When the plane landed in my new city, Eustace and I were ready to begin a new chapter of our lives together—as husband and wife. … "Eustace, I’ve made up my mind," I said, standing in front of the mirror, staring at the pale and fragile reflection of myself. So, making an important decision in life wasn’t as difficult as I once thought. "Roxanne... will you accept my proposal?" Eustace’s deep voice came from the other end of the phone. A faint ache rose in my chest. As tears welled up in my eyes, I nodded lightly. "I will.""Roxanne, did you know? I’ve been waiting for this day since college." Somehow, the reflection in the mirror now carried a soft smile at the corners of its lips. "Give me half a month. I’ll settle everything here.""Alright, Roxanne. I’ll be waiting." Just as the call ended, my bedroom door was suddenly pushed open from the outside with force. "Roxanne," my father began, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Your sister hasn’t been feeling well lately. Since your room gets more sunlight, why don’t you let her stay there for a few days?" I didn’t respond, letting my gaze settle on my stepmother and stepsister, Sophia Williams, standing behind him. My stepmother quickly chimed in, "Oh, Charles, there’s no need to trouble Roxanne over this." Sophia looked pitiful as she added, "It’s fine, Dad. I don’t mind at all. I don’t want to upset my sister because of me.""What’s the trouble? You’re my daughter too," my father said, then turned to me with a stern expression. "Roxanne, you’re her older sister. You should be more understanding." I stared blankly at my father. I thought I’d feel heartbroken, that I’d cry over how my own father seemed to care more for a stepdaughter who wasn’t even his own flesh and blood than for me. But not a single tear fell. Instead, I smiled and nodded at them. "Sure, I’ll switch rooms with her." In just half a month, I would be leaving this place forever. So, it didn’t matter anymore which room I stayed in.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

My father looked pleased with how understanding I was, while my stepmother wore a satisfied smile. After they left, Sophia stayed behind. "Roxanne, let me help you pack," she said sweetly, standing in front of me with an obedient demeanor. Yet, as her gaze swept around the room, a hint of undisguised triumph flickered in her eyes. "I didn’t think Dad would actually agree to us switching rooms," she added. "Roxanne, are you mad at me?" She paused for effect, then continued with a sly smile. "After all, I just took Nathan, and now I’ve taken the room you’ve lived in for ten years." I didn’t respond. Turning away, I went to grab my suitcase. Suddenly, Sophia let out a dramatic "Ouch!" and collapsed onto the floor, clutching her arm. "Roxanne..." she whimpered. Her arm had struck the corner of the desk, leaving a dark bruise spreading across her pale skin. "Roxanne, what are you doing?" Nathan Foster had appeared at some point, now standing at the doorway. He stepped inside with a stern expression, just in time to see Sophia on the floor. He rushed over with a frown and carefully scooped her into his arms. "I’m fine, Nathan," Sophia said tearfully, forcing a fragile smile even as her tears kept falling. "Roxanne didn’t mean to do it.""You’re already bruised, and you still say it doesn’t hurt," Nathan said, his gaze fixed on the dark mark marring her arm. His eyes were filled with worry. But when Nathan turned to look at me, his gaze turned icy cold, like frost sweeping through the room. "Roxanne Evans, if you’ve got an issue, take it out on me," he snapped, his voice sharp and cold. "Leave Sophia alone. She’s been through enough already.""Unlike you," he continued, his words dripping with disdain, "born into wealth and privilege, never knowing a day of hardship." I thought my emotions wouldn’t be swayed by him anymore. I thought I’d never shed another tear for Nathan. But in the end, I was just an ordinary girl. I wasn’t made of steel, and my heart wasn’t unbreakable. This was the boy I grew up with, my childhood friend. The man I’d been in love with for three years. And in just a few days, he’d fallen for someone younger, someone gentler, and now he looked at me like I was some venomous monster. I didn’t want to cry. I even wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. But the ache in my chest spread to my tear glands, and they burned with the threat of tears. "Nathan Foster," I said, my voice steady but strained, "we’ve known each other for so many years. Do you really not know the kind of person I am?" Nathan frowned slightly, his expression shifting. His gaze lingered on my face, and for a moment, something in his cold demeanor seemed to soften.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Sophia suddenly burst into tears. "Nathan, please don’t argue with my sister because of me," she said softly, her voice trembling with grievance. "It’s okay… Roxanne has every right to be upset with me." Her sobs were quiet and delicate, like someone who had endured endless wrongs. Nathan’s gaze on me turned completely frigid. "You’re jealous that I care about Sophia," he said, his tone as cold as ice. "Jealous that I treat her well. Jealous that everyone loves her." He paused before delivering the final blow. "Roxanne Evans, you’re not the person you used to be. You’ve changed—you’ve become bitter and twisted, haven’t you?" With that, he turned away, carrying Sophia in his arms as they left the room. I stood there, watching their figures fade into the distance, and suddenly realized that my tears had dried without me even noticing. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. After all, I’d already cried so much over Nathan these past few days. Maybe now, I’d finally reached the point where I’d never shed another tear or feel another pang of hurt for him again. That evening, the group chat with our mutual friends suddenly became lively. Nathan had sent a message. "Out of nowhere, I feel like getting married. What should I do?" The chat immediately exploded with excitement. "Nathan, are you finally going to marry Roxanne?""Guess it’s time to start calling her Mrs. Foster, isn’t it?" The group chat quickly lit up with messages tagging me: "Congrats, Mrs. Foster-to-be! When are you treating us to drinks?""Nathan, when’s the big celebration? We’re all waiting for that wedding party!" The chat buzzed with excitement, messages flooding in one after another. I was about to type a message to clear things up. I wouldn’t be “Mrs. Foster.” Nathan’s dream bride wasn’t me. But Nathan beat me to it. "What nonsense are you all talking about?" he wrote. "I never said I wanted to marry Roxanne." Then, he pulled Sophia into the group chat and tagged everyone. "Take a good look," he announced. "This will be my future wife." The lively chat went silent. For a long moment, no one said a word. Nathan broke the silence. "Why isn’t anyone talking? Say hello to my future wife!” After a pause, a few half-hearted greetings to Sophia trickled in. I thought for a moment, then typed a single message. "Congratulations. Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness." Once I hit send, I left the group chat without a second thought.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Just as I left the group chat, Nathan’s call came through. "Roxanne, get over here right now.""Where?""You know where. The usual spot.""Is something wrong?""You need to apologize to Sophia.""Why should I apologize?""Because you suddenly left the group chat. Do you have any idea what our friends might think of her now?" Nathan’s tone was cold and commanding. "I don’t want anyone talking badly about Sophia. It’s my fault. I’m the one who loves her and wants to give her a proper status. She’s innocent and doesn’t deserve to be labeled a homewrecker because of your impulsive actions." I thought I’d become immune to his words and actions, but this still managed to ignite a dull, suffocating ache in my chest. My fingers trembled slightly as I gripped the phone, my voice shaking as I responded, "Nathan, you can’t treat me like this. What gives you the right to bully me this way? You’re the one who betrayed me. I haven’t done anything wrong. I even congratulated the two of you. Isn’t that enough?" I bit back my tears, refusing to let them fall, though my voice was already tinged with the sound of heartbreak. There was a brief silence on the other end of the line. "Roxanne," Nathan finally said, his voice low. "I’ll let this go this time," Nathan said coldly. "But I hope you remember this—Sophia is innocent. Don’t take your anger out on her or hurt her." The call ended abruptly. I sat down on the carpet, my whole body trembling. On the nightstand, the framed photo of my mother looked back at me, her expression gentle and loving. Suddenly, tears streamed down my face. I reached out and clutched the frame tightly, holding it close as if it were her embrace. Through the cold glass, I pressed my face against hers with tears falling endlessly. At that moment, it felt as though even in the photograph, she was grieving for her daughter. I didn’t want to cry anymore. I didn’t want my mother, wherever she was, to feel sadness because of me. Once her death anniversary had passed, I would gather the belongings she had left behind for me and leave Riverdale for good, never to return.