Chapter Two
Amber’s legs wobbled, her bnce faltered, and her emotions felt like a chaotic storm, but she refused
to turn back and leave without confronting the family that had betrayed her.
She knew it was time to stop avoiding the inevitable. Despite her determination to have nothing to do
with this family ever again, she couldn’t escape confronting them forever.
Even though she understood deep down that it might not change anything, she needed closure, a
resolution to the torment inside her mind.
Standing in front of her family home, a ce she hadn’t visited in three months and had sworn never to
return to, she took a deep breath before walking through the gate and towards the front door. Every
step felt like a challenge, a battle against the anger and humiliation she carried within.
Inside, her father’s familiar voice greeted her, but the surprise in his expression suggested he wasn’t
thrilled to see her so suddenly.
“Amber!” he gasped.
“Hello, Dad,” she replied, her voice devoid of any emotion. Despite the rush of emotions within her, she
couldn’t bring herself to be happy seeing her father again. The disappointment she felt toward him was
immense; he had failed her when she needed his support the most.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, clearly caught off guard.
“What, Dad? Don’t you want me here? Does my presence bother you?” she retorted, her wordsced
with bitterness. She had no intention of pretending she was okay. She was here to express everything
that had been festering inside her.
“It’s not that. I just wasn’t expecting you so soon. But you know you’re always wee here, as long
as you don’t cause trouble,” he replied, his words carrying a tinge of annoyance.
“Oh, please, Dad. Don’t be pathetic. How dare you imply that I’m only wee if I don’t cause trouble?
Does that mean I can’t voice my grievances?” she shot back, her anger simmering beneath the
surface. Her father’sck of empathy fueled her frustration.
“I’m begging you, Amber, don’t do this. This isn’t the time or ce to vent your anger. I can understand
why you’re upset, but you have to move past it and move on with your life. There’s nothing you can do
to change how things have turned out,” he implored, his words leaving her speechless.
“You know what, Dad? I didn’te here to talk to you. The person I have a problem with is inside, and
she’s the one who deserves my wrath, not you. Now, get out of my way,” she snapped, pushing past
him and storming into the living room where the rest of her family sat.
“Amber?” her mother’s voice called out, trying to diffuse the tension that had entered the room.
Amber’s eyes scanned the room, taking in the sight of her family gathered there, seemingly having a
grand time. It struck her then that none of them truly cared about her, not one bit. They were content in
their happiness while she suffered in silence, left to cope with the devastation on her own.
“Mother, Kate, Bob,” she greeted, pointedly leaving out Marlene’s name. Marlene, Kate, and Bob were
her stepmother’s biological children, while Amber was the sole child of herte mother. Her stepmother,
Mary, had raised her, despite the numerous challenges their rtionship had faced.
“Well, isn’t this a surprise, my dear? We weren’t expecting you to show up like this, but we’re very
happy to see you. It’s perfect timing because we’re having a celebration right now, and since you’re
part of the family, you should join us in celebrating,” her stepmother said, her tone cheerful. Amber
nearly scoffed at her apparent obliviousness to the turmoil within her.
“What’s the asion, mother?” she asked, her eyes falling on the invitation cards scattered on the
table. She already knew the answer. The wedding between Kayden and Marlene was imminent.
“We’re celebrating Marlene’s uing wedding to Kayden,” her stepmother announced, her words
dripping with feigned happiness.
Amber couldn’t hold back her disbelief. “I know you have no shame, but are you so shameless that you
can’t see anything wrong in what you just said? Were you so desperate to marry that you had to rush
into a wedding with your sister’s ex-husband? Are you that hungry to be someone’s wife?” sheshed
out, her voice resonating with her indignation.
“It’s been three months, Amber. Three whole months, and you still haven’t moved on? Are you
obsessed?” Marlene retorted, her words slicing through the room like a knife.
“You make it sound like three months is equivalent to three years. Were you expecting me to get over
the fact that my sister and ex-husband were sleeping with each other in just three months? And now, all
of a sudden, you two are getting married as if nothing ever happened? How thoughtless of you, little
sister,” Amber countered, her words sharp with anger.
Marlene, undeterred, mocked her. “Oh, well, Amber dear, I won’t apologize to you for choosing my
happiness over yours. Besides, you keep pretending like your marriage with Kayden was a love story,
but it never was. You two were in an arranged marriage. He could never bring himself to love you; he
fell for me instead. Be a big girl and get over it!” Marlene sneered, her satisfaction evident.
Amber’s mother jumped in, defending Marlene’s actions. “This wedding won’t be a happy asion for
you, but you must let go of your anger. Your sister made a choice, and it’s time for you to ept it and
move forward. You can’t keep tormenting yourself over something you can’t change. Besides, you can’t
stress your pregnant sister; it’s bad for the baby.”
The mention of Marlene’s pregnancy hit Amber like a blow to the stomach. “You’re expecting a child
with Kayden?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
N?velDrama.Org owns all content.
“Yes, Amber. Kayden and I are having a baby. It’s time you ept this and move on,” Marlene replied,
her tone cold and final.
Amber felt her legs weaken for a moment, but she forced herself to stand tall. “Today may be a happy
day for you, Marlene, but it’s a day of betrayal for me. If you can’t be happy for us, please leave and
come back when you’ve epted the new reality,” her father’s voice said, a note of finality in his tone.
She said nothing, her heart heavy with the weight of their betrayal. Turning away, she made her way to
the door, determined to leave this house and the family that had turned their backs on her.
A hand grasped her shoulder, halting her in her tracks. When she turned, she found Marlene standing
there, a sly smirk on her face. “This may seem extreme, but I still hope you’ll attend my wedding. It
would be my pleasure to have you by my side on such a joyous asion,” Marlene whispered,
extending an invitation.
“I curse the days I considered you my sister, Marlene. You’ll pay dearly for this humiliation. I swear it to
you,” Amber whispered back, her voiceced with determination.
“Good luck with that,” Marlene responded, her smirk widening, before patting Amber’s shoulder and
stepping back.
With that, Amber left, determined to confront her family’s betrayal and make Marlene pay for the pain
she had caused.