1 To placate my adopted brother, my sister sabotaged the Pairing Ceremony. In front of everyone, I drew the worst possible lot: marriage to a crippled, disfigured war veteran. A shocked murmur rippled through the hall, quickly followed by jeers and catcalls. I stood frozen, my eyes burning. Beside me, my sister, Karina, spoke in a low, placating tone. "Don't blame me, Larry. You're the one who pushed Jude into the pool in front of everyone last time. This was just to make him feel better." "He's just a kid, he doesn't have a mean bone in his body. You need to stop being so hard on him." "Don't worry," she added, "it's just for show. You're a Vance. We'd never actually let you marry some broken-down old soldier." … Her words hit me like a physical blow. The blood in my veins turned to ice. Below the balcony, the guests’ whispers became a steady hum. Karina cleared her throat, raising her voice. "My brother's hand slipped! The result is void. We'll draw again." As she spoke, she shot a subtle glance toward Sienna Sterling. Sienna. My childhood friend. The one person I had hoped to draw today. I instinctively looked at her. She was leaning against a marble pillar, her dark green dress uniform accentuating her sharp, elegant features. The brim of her cap cast a shadow over eyes that were, even from this distance, impossibly beautiful. Sensing my gaze, a flicker of cold indifference crossed her face. She straightened up, her voice ringing out, clear and firm. "The Pairing Ceremony is built on tradition and fairness. There's no such thing as a redraw." "Surely the son of General Vance isn't going to break his word in front of the entire assembly, is he?" My heart plummeted. My knuckles, clenched in the fabric of my suit, turned white. A chorus of agreement rose from the crowd. "Major General Sterling is right! You can't just change the outcome." "General Vance is a man of his word. Is his son going to be the exception?" Seeing the situation spiral out of control, Karina's face turned ashen. She pointed an accusatory finger at Sienna. "You… you grew up with Larry! You spent your whole childhood at the Fort telling everyone you'd marry him and no one else!" "How can you say something like this now?" Someone in the crowd let out a derisive laugh. "Isn't it obvious? The Major General has her eyes on someone else." "I saw her at the mall with the younger Vance boy yesterday. They were buying out half the designer stores. Looked like she couldn't get enough." "I heard her family had to drag her here today. The last thing she wanted was to have her name drawn." So that was it. I slowly lowered my gaze, blinking back the moisture that stung my eyes. Taking a deep breath, I walked forward. I took the microphone, my voice quiet but carrying to every corner of the vast hall. "Who said the result is void?" "If my name was drawn, then it was fate. I accept this marriage." Karina whirled around, her voice sharp with panic. "Larry, are you insane?" "You're a General's son! You can't actually marry that… that cripple!" I turned to look at her, my eyes bloodshot. There was a time when she was the one who would stand in front of me, shielding me from the world. But now, because of Jude's throwaway lie—"he pushed me into the pool"—she had just single-handedly turned the most important day of my life into a public crucifixion. A cold, faint smile touched my lips. "Karina, isn't this exactly what you wanted?" "I'm going to marry a broken woman. Your precious Jude should be satisfied now, right?" Karina froze, her brow furrowed. "You're still blaming him? You were the one in the wrong. What he did today was just…" I didn't hear the rest of her excuses. I turned and started down the grand staircase. The guests parted like the sea, creating a path for me. Their gazes, a mixture of pity and morbid curiosity, felt like a thousand tiny needles against my skin. As I passed Sienna, she called out my name. Her voice was laced with a self-righteous sort of pity. "Larry, you don't have to marry someone like that just to spite me." She took a step closer, her tone softening as if she were genuinely concerned. "We grew up together. I've always thought of you as my own brother… I promise I'll help you find a suitable match from a good family." I turned back, a mocking curve to my lips. "A brother?" Sienna was speechless, a flash of guilt in her eyes. My gaze was a razor, cutting right through her composure. "Sienna, if you had just been honest and admitted you'd changed your mind, I might have actually respected you for it." Her face went pale. Her lips moved, but no sound came out. Finally, she just looked away. I didn't pause again. I walked straight past her, the hem of my suit jacket brushing against her polished military boots, and headed toward the figure in the wheelchair in the corner of the ballroom. The whispers in the room died instantly. From the second-floor balcony, Karina leaned so far over the railing she nearly fell. "Larry, get a grip! Stop acting like a child!" Sienna remained where she was, her jaw clenched, her expression a mask of cold fury. In that moment, every eye was on me. I bent down slightly, meeting the gaze of the woman whose face was half-hidden by a silver-grey mask. Her fingers, resting on the armrest, were covered in scars. A thin cashmere blanket was draped over her legs. "Will you… marry me?" The woman's body trembled slightly. Her visible eye, which had been downcast, suddenly flashed with a sharp, piercing light. She spoke, her voice surprisingly clear and crisp. "You won't regret this?" "No regrets." "Alright. I'll marry you." Karina bolted down the stairs, only to be stopped on the last few steps by Sienna's outstretched arm. "If you go over there now, you'll be giving him exactly what he wants." "What are you talking about?" Sienna let out a cold laugh, her eyes still fixed on my back. "He's just throwing a tantrum. He would never actually marry a cripple…" I heard their muffled argument behind me but didn't turn around. I simply extended my hand to the woman in the wheelchair. Her palm was rough and warm as her hand closed firmly around my wrist. Karina, Sienna, and I had been inseparable growing up on the military base. That all changed three years ago. I was visiting Sienna near a border deployment when I went missing, losing all contact with them. The event devastated my parents. The laughter in our home vanished. Until Jude appeared. He was the son of a distant cousin on my mother's side, and he bore a startling resemblance to me. After his parents died in a car crash, my parents adopted him immediately. Jude was cheerful and charming, and within days he had won over the entire household. His presence slowly breathed life back into our cold, quiet home. Over time, it seemed everyone began to forget I ever existed. Six months ago, I finally escaped a war zone in Southeast Asia, making my way back home after a journey that nearly killed me. I expected a warm, tearful reunion. Instead, I was met with a carefully maintained distance, all for fear of upsetting Jude. The night I came home, I overheard my mother comforting him. "Jude, you will always be our most beloved son. Nothing and no one will ever change that." "Besides," she'd added, her voice softening, "your brother spent years in that horrible place. He's not the same person. He's coarse now, rough around the edges… not thoughtful and kind like you." I stood outside the door, feeling as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over my head. I was still clutching the St. Christopher medal my mother had given me for protection before I disappeared. … The news that the General's son was marrying a disabled veteran spread like wildfire through our circle. When I got home, my parents and sister were sitting in the living room. "It's madness!" my father boomed, slamming his hand on the coffee table. "He's disgraced the Vance name!" My mother, organizing a jewelry box, didn't even look up. "Don't yell at him when he gets here. You'll just make things worse. He's only saying he'll marry that woman to get back at Karina for embarrassing him. He doesn't even know her name or where she lives. Do you really think he'll go through with it?" Jude, sitting beside her, squeezed out a few crocodile tears. "Mom, it's all my fault… If Karina hadn't stood up for me, Larry wouldn't be doing this." My mother pulled out a tissue and dabbed his cheeks. "Silly boy. We've all had to walk on eggshells around your brother since he came back. You've put up with so much." My father's voice softened. "Don't blame yourself, Jude. Your brother is just throwing a tantrum. He's not going to ruin his life over it." My mother picked up a designer watch and fastened it around Jude's wrist. "Here, pick out what you like. Before your brother comes back and tries to start a fight over it…" She trailed off, her eyes catching sight of me standing silently in the entryway. The watch slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor. Every face in the room froze. The old me would have screamed. I would have demanded to know why they treated me like a thief when I had never once fought with Jude over anything. I would have asked my father and sister why they only had eyes for him. But I was just… tired. Or perhaps, in the moment I decided to leave, I had already given up on this family. Under their tense stares, I simply turned and went upstairs. Three days later, I met the woman at a quiet cafe in the South End. Rain tapped against the windowpane. I stirred my latte, lost in thought, until the soft whir of a wheelchair stopped at my table. I looked up and froze. In the dim light of the ballroom, I hadn't seen her clearly. The half of her face not covered by the mask was strikingly handsome, with sharp, well-defined features and superior bone structure. "Mr. Vance. You don't recognize me?" Her voice held a hint of amusement, like a clear mountain spring. Today, she wore a crisp white dress. The silver-grey mask glinted under the daylight, and her visible eye was a piercing, rare shade of amber. Her gaze was locked on me, direct and unflinching. I cleared my throat, forcing myself to sound composed. "What's your name?" "Vera," she said, effortlessly maneuvering her chair to the opposite side of the table. She picked up the water pitcher with a long, slender hand and poured herself a glass. The simple movement radiated an undeniable grace and authority. Suppressing a strange feeling in my gut, I took a credit card from my wallet and pushed it across the table. "In two weeks, come to the Vance estate. This should be enough to cover any necessary expenses." Vera's eyes flicked to the card but she didn't take it. Instead, she looked directly at me, her gaze assessing. "Are you certain you want to marry a… cripple like me?" My fingers tightened. I lifted my chin. "What, are you afraid the Vance family will throw its weight around?" She let out a low laugh at that. With a gentle but firm motion, she pushed the card back toward me. "What's this?" I frowned. "I haven't married you yet. I have no reason to spend your money." When she looked up, her eyes were sharp, her tone absolute. "Wait for me. In two weeks, I will come for you in style." I was stunned. Thinking of the coldness and calculation I faced at home, my eyes welled up against my will. I took a deep breath, but my voice was steady. "If you can… please be quick." Vera noticed the redness in my eyes. She paused, her throat moving slightly. When she spoke again, her voice carried a new, solemn weight. "I will." Dinner had already started when I got home. Sienna was there, sitting next to Jude. The moment I walked in, the conversation stopped. The smiles on their faces froze. The lively dining room fell into an awkward silence. Karina was the first to recover. "Larry, come and eat." "I'm not hungry. I'm going upstairs." I turned to leave. "Larry," my mother called out, standing up. "We need to discuss something with you." I stopped. "What is it?" She walked over, hesitating for a moment. "Your father and I have decided it's time to formally announce Jude and Sienna's engagement." I looked over at Sienna. She quickly averted her gaze. A bitter smile touched my lips. My mother took my hand. "I know you and Sienna grew up together, but love has to be mutual. It's not about who was there first… I promise I'll make it up to you…" I gently pulled my hand away. "I have no objection." "I wish my brother and future sister-in-law a long and happy life together." I didn't expect Sienna to follow me out. She grabbed my wrist, her grip so strong I couldn't break free. "Sienna, what are you doing?" I said coldly, frowning. She looked down, her voice softening. "I know you're just saying those things to hurt me." "You must be… in a lot of pain right now, aren't you?" Pain? Not really. Not anymore. Maybe just a sense of weary disappointment. I once thought Jude might steal everyone away from me, but never Sienna. When I first came back, he was constantly framing me, painting himself as the victim. No one believed me when I tried to explain. Except for Sienna. She would take my hand, her gaze firm. "Larry, I believe you." "I will always be on your side." She had kept her distance from Jude, repelled by his attempts to imitate me and take my place. I thought she, the girl who had sworn to marry only me, who had never stopped searching for me during the three years I was gone, would be my last bastion of support. But in the end, she joined the others in turning against me. "Larry," she had screamed at me once, "no wonder your own parents love an adopted son more than you! Who could possibly love you when you're so full of thorns?" "I say one word to Jude and you interrogate me endlessly, as if I've betrayed you! You're paranoid and completely irrational!" "Fine! I'll tell you! Jude is kinder than you, more thoughtful than you, and more deserving of love than you! I've fallen for him, alright? Are you happy now?" Back then, I was drowning, and she was my only lifeline. Even after she said those cruel words, my first instinct wasn't anger, but a sickening doubt that maybe I was the one who was wrong. It wasn't until much later that I understood. Sienna had only ever said she disliked Jude. She never actually rejected his advances, his constant crossing of boundaries. Her words and actions never matched. It was her wavering, her hypocrisy, that pushed me to the brink. It was never me. It was always her. Seeing my prolonged silence now, Sienna assumed she'd guessed my thoughts correctly. Her tone became softer, almost patronizing. "Larry, we grew up together. We were in love once. I don't want us to end up as strangers." "How about this? I can talk to your parents. After Jude and I are married, you can come live with us. Don't worry, I'll treat you both equally. I won't play favorites." I looked up at her in disbelief, certain I had misheard. How could she be so shameless? She misinterpreted my shock as delight and smugly adjusted the cuff of her uniform. "But first, you have to promise me. After we're married, you can't keep picking fights with Jude over every little thing…" I couldn't listen anymore. I shoved her away, the fury I'd suppressed for so long finally erupting. "Get the hell away from me!" Half a month later was Jude's birthday. It was also the day Vera had promised to come for me. The gossip in our circle had mostly died down, thanks to my father's efforts to suppress it. After all, no one really believed the son of General Vance would actually leave his family for a disabled veteran. Even my parents and sister thought my deKarination was nothing more than a childish tantrum. They didn't know that my heart had already turned to ash. My resolve to leave had never wavered. Early that morning, as I was about to open my door, I heard hushed voices in the courtyard. It was Karina. "Be quiet. If he wakes up and finds out we're taking Jude to Miami for his birthday, he'll throw a fit and none of us will get to go." My mother's voice was hesitant. "Are we really just leaving Larry here alone? I have a bad feeling about this…" "Don't be ridiculous," my father grumbled, zipping a suitcase. "I worked hard to get this leave approved. The house has guards and maids. It's not like he'll be neglected." Jude put on a show of concern. "Maybe… maybe we should ask him to come with us?" Karina scoffed. "And ruin your birthday? I don't think so." My mother sighed. "Well, we'll make it up to him when we get back." Soon, the courtyard fell silent. I opened the door and looked up at the clear, cloudless sky. A perfect day. I turned back inside and put on the suit I had prepared.
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