Chapter 1
After a year of our arranged marriage, my A list actor husband unprecedentedly gave me a high-end designer necklace for our anniversary-identical to the one his ex girlfriend wore last month.
As I listened to his tender confession: “You deserve the best,” something possessed me to post about it online to show it off.
Ten minutes later, his sister exploded in the comments:
[You’re bragging about a fake? You don’t actually think you’re the real wife, do you?]
[My brother only loves Dahlia! You’re nothing but a stand-in. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll return the necklace to its rightful owner.]
[And quietly hand over your endorsement deals, or my brother will kick you out with nothing!]
Clicking on her profile, it was filled with posts like [My brother and Dahlia are true love] and [The stand-in should get lost.]
I laughed mockingly and replied:
[A fake? I OWN this brand!]
[The stand-in should get lost? I think I’d rather withdraw my investment and have both of them pack up and get lost instead!]
As I held the necklace between my fingers, a strange emotion washed over me.
This “Stardust Tear” pendant wasn’t just any piece-I had personally designed it just a month ago.
As soon as it launched, Knox bought it, and now it has become my anniversary gift.
Feeling bold, I picked up my phone and snapped a photo of the necklace with a simple caption: [Loving my husband’s anniversary gift.]
Within ten minutes, my phone lit up as the comments section absolutely exploded.
Thea Riviera’s profile picture topped the feed, followed by a wall of vindictive text.
[Flaunting a knockoff? You can’t seriously think you’re the real wife, can you? My brother only loves Dahlia!]
[You’re nothing but a shield. Return that necklace to its rightful owner and surrender those endorsement deals, or my brother will divorce you with nothing!]
I froze momentarily.
A knockoff?
I’m literally wearing the necklace I designed myself, and this girl has the nerve to call it a fake?
Finding this increasingly intriguing, I clicked through to Thea’s profile to see what other brilliant insights she might have shared.
Unsurprisingly, her page was plastered with cozy photos of her, Knox, and Dahlia together-and there it was-the identical necklace prominently displayed around Dahlia’s throat.
[My brother and Dahlia are soulmates.]
[The stand-in should get lost!]
[When Dahlia makes her comeback, certain people will be kicked to the curb.]
With each post I read, the absurdity of the situation only grew.
Who did this girl think she was?
Some kind of matchmaker ordained by the heavens?
Or perhaps she fancied herself Knox’s personal manager and life coach?
Having seen enough, I returned to my post and replied directly to Thea
[The stand in should get lost? I think I’d rather withdraw my investment and have both of them pack up and get lost instead!)
The moment I hit send, my phone rang predictably-it was Krios.
Before I could even speak, I heard Dahlia’s voice through the speaker:
“Knox, don’t blame Wren, she probably doesn’t realize…”
Knox hurriedly ended the call, then immediately sent a message:
[Thea’s young and doesn’t know better. Don’t take it personally. Delete your post, please-it’s bad publicity.
I stared at his message, fighting the urge to laugh.
Young and doesn’t know better?
Thea was well into her twenties, hardly a child who couldn’t understand the consequences of her actions!
She had publicly humiliated me, accused me of wearing knockoffs, and demanded I return “her” necklace to Dahlia.
What about Knox?
His response said everything: Delete my post. Don’t make a scene. Let it go.
And Dahlia?
Her words on the phone seemed like an explanation on the surface, but looking deeper, she’d said “she probably doesn’t realize.”
Doesn’t realize what, exactly?
That this necklace was Dahlia’s generous hand-me-down to me?
Or perhaps that 1, Wren Lockhart, didn’t even deserve to wear jewelry I’d designed myself in this sham of a marriage?
Having had enough of this charade, I video-called Knox back directly, determined to set things straight once and for all.
When he answered, panic flashed across his face before he quickly shifted the camera upward, showing only the ceiling.
“Wren, let me explain-”
“No need,” I cut him off firmly.
“Have Thea delete her comments and publicly apologize, or she’ll never touch L&W Jewelry again-not in this lifetime.”
Silence stretched for several seconds.
Then Knox’s hesitant voice broke through: “Wren, you can’t be serious…”
“When have I ever joked with you?” I replied, staring at the ceiling on my screen while keeping my voice dangerously calm.
“Knox, you have one hour. Make your sister publicly apologize and admit she was wrong.”
“Otherwise, it won’t just be the endorsements. What else do you think I could take from you?”
I hung up before he could respond.
My phone remained silent for a few minutes, then began vibrating non-stop as Knox’s calls came one after another.
I rejected them one by one.
