Prologue

GWEN's POV

A throbbing pain pounded in my head as I slowly drifted back to consciousness. My limbs felt heavy, my throat dry, and my vision blurred as I tried to make sense of my surroundings. The room where I woke up was unfamiliar.

My body ached, my dress slightly rumpled as if I had collapsed into bed without knowing how I got there. 

Where am I? 

I struggled to sit up, but before I could even lift myself off the bed, the door burst open. 

It was Lucas. My dear husband.

He stood there, his harsh eyes with rage. His broad shoulders were stiff, his jaw clenched so tightly I thought he would break his own teeth. In his hands, he held a stack of photographs, his fingers curled around them like they carried the weight of his disgust. 

"You're disgusting, Gwen!” he spat, his voice laced with venom. 

Confusion surged through me as he strode forward and threw the photos onto the bed. My breath caught in my throat as I picked them up with trembling fingers.

The images sent a sharp chill down my spine.

Pictures of me lying in bed, tangled in sheets, next to a man I didn't even recognize. My heart pounded against my ribs, panic rising like a tidal wave. 

This isn't real. 

"I... I don't understand," I whispered, my voice barely above a breath. "Lucas, baby, this isn't true. I didn't—" 

"Don't you dare lie to me!" he roared, his anger exploding like a violent storm. "You betrayed me, Gwen! You threw away everything we had just to spread your legs for another man!" 

Tears welled up in my eyes as I shook my head frantically. "No, Lucas! I swear, I didn't do this! I would never—" 

"Shut up!" His voice was sharp as a blade, cutting through my feeble protests. "Do you know how humiliating this is? To have my wife, the woman I loved, whoring around like this?" 

His words were like a slap to my soul, but nothing could prepare me for what came next. His hand swung across my face, the force knocking me sideways onto the bed.

A sharp sting bloomed across my cheek, and the taste of blood filled my mouth. 

I gasped, my hands clutching my face as I stared at him, stunned beyond words. 

"I don't want you anymore," he growled. His voice was cold, final. "I don't touch what another man has already tainted." 

A sob broke from my lips. "Lucas, baby... please." 

Before I could say another word, the door opened again. This time, my parents stepped in. And her. 

Winter. My half-sister.

She stood behind them, her perfect angelic face glowing with false innocence, but I saw it, the smirk she quickly masked. And just like that, the fog in my mind began to clear. 

Last night, Winter had invited me to go out for drinks, claiming she wanted to make amends, to 'bond' as sisters. I had been hesitant, but she insisted. After a few drinks... nothing. I couldn't remember anything.

And now, this happened. 

My fingers curled into fists as I turned to her, my voice shaking with rage. "You did this." 

Winter let out a small chuckle, placing a hand on her chest as if offended. "Me? Gwen, you're losing your mind." She turned to Lucas with a soft, pitying smile. "She's just trying to blame someone else for her own mistakes." 

"You liar!" I lunged at her, my anger exploding like fire in my veins. "You set me up! You drugged me, didn't you?! You planned this!" 

But before I could reach her, strong hands grabbed me, stopping me in my tracks. It was Lucas. He pulled me back harshly, glaring down at me with disgust. 

"How could you attack your own sister?" His grip tightened. "After everything, you're still trying to shift the blame?" 

My breath hitched, and I looked at him, my vision blurred with tears. "Lucas, please! You have to believe me!" 

But my pleas fell on deaf ears. 

My mother's cold voice rang through the room. "What have you done, Gwen?" 

I turned to her, desperate, but the disappointment in her eyes made my heart shatter into a million pieces. "Mom, I didn't do this," I begged. "Please, believe me." 

I received no response. 

Then, my stepfather, Winter's father, stepped forward, his gaze filled with contempt. "You are a humiliation, Gwen,” he hissed. "Not only to this family but to the Grayfords as well." 

Tears streamed down my face as I dropped to my knees. "Please, I swear—" 

A sharp slap across my face silenced me. 

The room spun. My ears rang. 

"You are no longer part of this family," he declared, his voice like ice. "You have shamed us enough." 

The final blow came when Lucas stepped forward, his eyes empty, hollow. He pulled out a document and tossed it in front of me. 

Divorce papers. 

My breath hitched as I stared at them, my hands trembling. My world was crumbling, and I was powerless to stop it. 

"No," I choked out. "Lucas, please. Don't do this." 

Winter let out a dramatic sigh. "Just sign it already, Gwen. Stop making this harder than it needs to be." 

I turned to my mother, searching for even a sliver of support. But she looked away. Ignored my pain. 

I was alone. 

With shaking hands, I picked up the pen. My vision was blurred, my chest aching as I signed my name, sealing my fate. 

Lucas snatched the papers from me without a second glance. Without another word, he turned and walked away, taking my parents with him. 

Only Winter remained. 

I looked up at her, my body trembling, my heart shattered. "You did this to destroy me," I whispered, my voice raw. 

Winter's lips curled into a satisfied smirk. "This happened because you always wanted to be the star of the show, dear half-sister." She leaned in, her voice dripping with cruelty. "Now look at you. All alone. Exactly where you deserve to be." 

After smirking, she turned and left. The door clicked shut. 

I pressed my hand against my chest, trying to hold myself together. Sobs wracked my body as I crumbled onto the floor, broken, abandoned.   

“You will all pay for this!” I shouted while wailing.

They will all pay for what they did to me. I’ll make sure of that.