chapter 1

The living room was dimly lit.

Tristan sat beside me, his back straight.

He was dressed in an expensive tailored suit, with a polite smile on his face.

As the heir of the company, he was young, handsome, and seen by everyone as a perfect match for me.

I held his hand tightly, feeling the warmth of his touch, which only strengthened my determination to marry him.

"Dad, Grandma," I spoke, my voice a bit dry, "Tristan and I have decided to set the wedding date for next month."

My dad, Victor, put down his mahogany pipe, glanced at Tristan, and smiled with satisfaction.

"Good, Tristan is talented and outstanding. The Kensington family is a good match for ours, and Sienna is lucky to marry you."

Grandma nodded in agreement, "It's good to get married early and have a child soon."

But her gaze drifted towards Luna, my stepsister, sitting at the other end of the sofa.

Luna was wearing an expensive white lace dress, carefully peeling an apple with a small knife.

"Luna is also graduating soon. It would be great if she could find someone like Tristan."

Upon hearing this, Luna shyly raised her head and softly said, "Grandma, you're teasing me again. How can I compare to my sister and find as good a match as my brother-in-law?"

She glanced quickly at Tristan with watery eyes as she spoke.

Tristan's expression stiffened for a moment, but quickly returned to normal as he turned to me with a gentle smile, "Uncle, Auntie, Sienna is great. I am honored to marry her."

Victor nodded in satisfaction, "Tristan is mature and rare in his ways. Sienna has always been strong-willed since she was young, unlike Luna, who is more caring. You'll have to be more tolerant of her in the future."

I lowered my eyes. In their eyes, I could never compare to Luna.

At that moment, the kitchen door swung open.

My stepmother, Vivian, came out, carrying a plate of sliced imported fruits.

When she saw me, her eyes were as cold and critical as ever.

"Sienna, are you just standing there?" she said coldly, with a hint of reprimand, "We have guests, don't you know to go pour some water? You're standing there like a log."

My heart sank.

Tristan immediately spoke up, "Aunt, I was discussing something with Sienna, it's not her fault."

But Vivian didn't even look at him, she just stared at me, "You don't need to speak up for her. She's always been lazy and clueless. When you marry into the Kensington family, don't embarrass the name of Ashmore."

Grandma chimed in, "Yes, Sienna has never been well-behaved since she was young. Luna is much more sensible, nothing like her."

I took a deep breath, suppressing my anger.

After all, today was supposed to be a good day to discuss the wedding date, and I didn't want to ruin it.

I let go of Tristan's hand and obediently went to pour water.

Vivian's eyes followed me the whole time.

As I poured the water, a few drops accidentally splashed out, and she immediately spoke up, "Sienna, you can't even pour water properly? Clumsy and useless, what else can you do? You have no life skills at all."

I stood frozen in place.

Vivian's constant criticism of me had never stopped since I was young, and I had gotten used to it.

She never gave me any pocket money, forcing me to work since high school, but she would tell others it was to toughen me up.

But in my eyes, it was just her disgust towards me.

I handed the cup of water to Tristan.

Just then, Luna suddenly stood up.

She walked over to me and knelt down with a "thud."

"Sister, I'm sorry..." she cried, her voice trembling, "I'm sorry for what I did to you."

Grandma hurried to help her up, "Get up quickly, the floor is cold."

Luna refused to get up, just shaking her head repeatedly.

She looked up at me, eyes filled with guilt and pain.

"Sienna, I didn't mean to... I really didn't mean to get pregnant with your husband's child..."

The living room fell into dead silence.

My dad suddenly stood up, pointing at Luna, his lips trembling, "You... what did you say?"

With a loud bang, Tristan's cup fell to the ground.

I looked at him, his face drained of color, looking pale.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Before I could react, Vivian's fruit plate crashed to the ground with a loud bang.

She rushed out of the kitchen and kicked Luna's stomach with a great deal of force.

Luna cried out in pain, falling to the ground.

"You're really asking for it!"

Vivian's voice was sharp, her eyes bloodshot, "What kind of demon are you! Going after this scumbag too!?"