Claire had been cheated on.
To be precise, she and another guy were cheated on—together.
The morning after coming back to the Spencer house, Claire was passing by her half-sister Grace Spencer’s room when she noticed the door was half-open, and clothes were scattered all over the floor.
Her cheeks instantly flushed. Pretending not to see anything, she kept walking downstairs.
But after a few steps, she froze.
That suit—she’d seen it before.
A face popped into her mind, making her stumble slightly.
Trying to convince herself it was just a coincidence, Claire still couldn’t help but turn back, her legs moving on their own.
In a few seconds, she was at the edge of the bed.
The man lying beside Grace...
Claire took an uncertain step back, almost tripping.
Her eyes turned red, tears falling uncontrollably. “Why, Grace? How could you do this to me? And you, Lucas! Last night you said... you said you were going to marry me!”
Lucas Bennett. Second son of the Bennett family. Her fiancé.
Over twenty years ago, right after Claire was born, her mother was forced to divorce and take her to live in the countryside. Because of this marriage arranged before they were born, the Spencer family suddenly remembered her. Just last night she was brought back home, and Lucas even came over for dinner wearing that exact suit. At the table, he smiled and said they’d be getting married soon.
She had waited full of hope, and this was what she got?
She’d thought at least he’d try to explain.
But instead, the two of them, having been woken up, simply got up, picked up their clothes, and casually got dressed right in front of her.
They clearly weren't bothered at all.
Grace even straightened Lucas's tie and said, “Lucas, I think Claire’s really upset. Maybe we should at least clear things up with her?”
Lucas just laughed, pulling Grace close and planting a kiss right on her lipstick-smudged lips.
“What’s there to explain to someone who looks like that?”
Claire felt her heart crack.
Grace chimed in, “But your brother still wants her to marry into the family.”
At that, Lucas frowned and let go of Grace, walking over to Claire.
Her face went pale.
It was only last night she’d found out that Grace was supposed to marry Ethan Bennett, Lucas’s older brother, who had been in a coma for a year. Doctors said he might not even survive the next.
Before she could process more, Lucas grabbed her chin roughly.
Hatred filled his eyes.
“About last night? I lied. Just looking at that scar on your face makes me sick.”
The pain was sharp, but even more piercing were his words. Claire tried to speak through the tears.
“My face... the scar—”
He cut her off coldly. “Grace is mine now. She can’t marry my brother. So you’ll take her place.”
Everything in Claire screamed in protest. Staring into Lucas’s cold eyes, she felt like her world was collapsing.
She was done. Completely done.
Jerking his hand away, she stumbled back. “No way!”
It all made sense now—Lucas didn’t want to marry her, Grace didn’t want to be a sacrifice. So they hooked up, made sure Claire saw it, crushed her hope, and forced her into a corner.
How cold-blooded could they get?
Lucas sneered. “You don’t get a say.”
Claire turned to run, but her head exploded in pain before she could move.
Darkness came fast as she collapsed.
Behind her, Grace stood holding a vase triumphantly.
“Lucas, your move now.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll personally go pick up the bride.”
What broke Claire even more was the last thing she heard before blacking out—it was her dad and her stepmom’s voices.
—
By the time she woke up, it was already dark.
She sat up slowly, clutching her throbbing head, and realized she was lying on a stranger’s bed.
The man beside her wore a black suit, his striking face pale as snow.
She looked down—a white wedding dress, and she even had a veil on.
They really sent her to the Bennett house?
Was this the comatose brother, Ethan Bennett?
No. She had to get out of here. She had to expose Lucas and Grace for who they truly were!Just as her feet touched the floor, the door swung open from the outside.
A group of people poured in.
Claire Spencer immediately stood up, on guard.
Before she could say a word, the old man at the front took her hand with a kind smile, slipping a bracelet onto her wrist. “From today on, you're Ethan's wife. Thanks for taking care of him.”
“I’m not—”
She was just about to explain she wasn’t Grace.
But Lucas Bennett suddenly yanked her wrist. “Grandpa! Something this important, how can you give it to her?! It should go to—”
He cut himself off and tried to grab the bracelet.
Claire immediately thought of Grace.
She hadn’t intended to keep the bracelet—but there was no way she’d let him give it to Grace.
She quickly pulled her hand away and hid behind Mr. Bennett.
She could live without the bracelet, but she wasn’t going to let Lucas and Grace get what they wanted that easily.
Mr. Bennett’s eyes turned cold. “So what, I can’t decide who I give it to now?”
“Of course not, Grandpa.”
Lucas froze, not daring to come closer.
Seeing Mr. Bennett upset, the others quickly dragged Lucas out.
Soon, everyone left, and the door closed.
Claire lifted her veil.
She stared at the bracelet curiously, hesitating if she should run away from the Bennetts tonight. That’s when she heard a faint vibrating sound.
She followed the noise to a bag she’d brought from the Spencer house.
Unzipping it, she found her phone.
There were a bunch of unread messages.
She unlocked it and clicked on one of the chats.
Seeing the name “Ethan Bennett,” she couldn’t believe her eyes and turned to look at the man in bed—that was it, escape was no longer an option.
She placed the phone on the nightstand, lifted the blanket, and checked Ethan’s condition.
A moment later, the door creaked open behind her.
She quickly pulled the blanket back up and turned around.
It was Lucas who came in alone, making her instantly alert. “You got what you wanted—what else do you want now?”
Before she could finish, the man was already standing in front of her.
He held her hand, voice full of fake affection.
“Claire, last night… Grace came on to me, I was drunk, I didn’t mean it…”
“I won’t marry her, but now that you’ve married my brother, I can’t marry you either. How about this—once my brother passes, I’ll talk to the family about marrying you?”
If Claire hadn’t seen him for who he really was, she might’ve bought that crap.
She stayed quiet, waiting for him to cut to the chase.
“Claire, Grandpa’s bracelet is super valuable. It's not safe with you. Let me keep it for you, okay?”
As he reached for the bracelet, her heart chilled.
Without hesitation, she shoved him away.
“Lucas Bennett, you disgust me!”
His face darkened instantly.
His voice dropped threateningly. “Claire, this is the Bennett house. If I wanted to make your life hell, I totally could.”
He noticed her glance over at his big brother and laughed coldly.
Then, he leaned down and viciously pinched Ethan’s leg. “See? My brother’s just a breathing corpse. Don’t count on him. Be smart—hand over the bracelet.”
Claire had held back enough. Seeing that, she lost it.
“Bam!”
She kicked Lucas to the floor.
Before he could even react, she landed a loud slap across his face.
“Your brother is still your brother. Show some damn respect!”
She slapped him again.
This time, her nails scratched his cheek, leaving bloody marks.
“That one’s for balance. From your sister-in-law. Now get lost!”
Lucas looked at Claire like she was a whole different person, stunned by the strong presence she suddenly radiated.
Clutching his burning face, he wanted to fight back—but her sharp glare made him shrink back. Still, he hissed, “Claire Spencer, you’ll regret this.”
Once he was out, Claire locked the door.
Silence filled the room instantly.
She sat by the bed, looking at Ethan, and the tears started to fall.
She wasn’t crying over the future—she was mourning the fool she’d been. That was the last time she’d shed a tear for Lucas.
Through her blurry eyes, she thought she saw those soft, almond-shaped eyes.
She quickly wiped her tears and looked down carefully.
Ethan wasn’t just awake—he’d even lifted his hand to gently wipe her tears away.
