Two

Marcus entered the hall, his soft smile preceding him as he approached, a radiant expression Lilian had never seen before.

Lilian's eyes snapped open, wide with shock. Her breath hitched, throat constricting. Her heart skipped a beat, racing with a mix of confusion.

Lilian's gaze flicked between the woman and herself, noticing the similarities in their features - the same nose shape, the same eye color, the same curve of their smiles.

Lilian's agitation grew, her fingers quivering like leaves in an autumn breeze, her palms slick with a cold sweat as she struggled to contain her emotions. She rubbed them together and struggled to process the strange sense of familiarity.

Lilian convinced herself that it was just a coincidence, but her eyes lingered on the woman, her mind still grappling with the uncanny resemblance. She wondered who she was to Marcus that made them so close.

Lilian's chest caved under the weight of her emotions. It felt like a physical force, crushing her heart. Breathing became a struggle as if the air had been sucked from her lungs. She gasped, desperate for emotional oxygen, its weight pressing upon her like a physical force, threatening to consume her entirely and drag her down into the dark abyss of hopelessness.

Marcus stood in front of his mom. "Mother," He said.

Mrs. Thompson's eyes shone with a warm, golden light, her gaze radiating a gentle kindness as she nodded, her smile lines deepening. 'My son,' she said, her voice filled with a mix of pride and maternal affection, her excitement palpable.

Marcus' gaze clashed with Lilian's, his expression twisting into a scowl of utter contempt.

“What is she doing here?” Marcus asked her sister.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Aria said with a smirk in mischief.

"Mrs. Thompson." The lady standing beside Marcus called.

"I haven't met you in some time. You looked so beautiful Lily," Mrs Thompson smiled, her voice sounding so gentle and soft, unlike the way she talked to Lilian earlier.

Lily blushed softly when she heard this. "Thank you, Mrs. Thompson.”

“Who is the lady beside Mr. Thompson?”

“I heard he is married maybe that is his wife”

“No, his wife is already here. She is the one sitting down with old Mrs. Thompson”

Lilian's gaze traversed the room, encountering the collective gaze of the guests, their eyes converging upon her like a suffocating shroud, each one a tiny pinprick of judgment that collectively formed a crushing weight that pressed upon her skin, making her feel like an insect under a microscope.

Her seat creaked softly as she adjusted her position, betraying her growing unease.

Mrs Thompson gestured to the seat beside her. "Come sit." Lily obliged, her smile faltering for a moment.

“That’s Lily, right? She is so close to Mr Thompson.” Someone asked in a low voice.

“Yes, even much closer to her than his wife. It’s hard to tell who is his wife.”

Lilian's breath hitched, her throat constricting as if an invisible hand had grasped her windpipe, the words slicing through her defenses like a scalpel, leaving her gasping for emotional oxygen, each one a precise and calculated jab that left her feeling fragile and exposed, like a delicate glass vase on the verge of shattering.

Lilian looked at this happy family, despite being Marcus' lawful wife, Lilian felt like an interloper, a stranger.

She could really use some fresh air. Lilian pushed back her chair, her eyes scanning the room for an escape route, and made a hasty exit into the garden.

Lilian strolled through the beautifully manicured garden, the sweet scent of blooming flowers filling her senses.

With relief, she collapsed onto the bench, feeling the cool shade envelop her like a gentle embrace.

"There you are," Lilian heard a voice in the garden.

She turned her head and saw Aria. Lilian knew Aria was here to mock her, but she was not ready for this, at least not now.

Lilian stood up and was about to walk past Aria with an indifferent expression.

"Don't you want to know who that lady is?" Aria's voice dripped with frankly malignant.

The question made Lilian's feet rooted to the spot.

She wanted to leave but her curiosity about the woman's identity made her stay. It seemed like almost everyone knew Lily but she had no idea who she was. And their names were so similar that she couldn't help but wonder.

Aria smiled victoriously as Lilian halted.

"Lily and my brother have been childhood sweethearts. They even had an engagement. " Aria said. She walked towards Lilian and stood in front of her. She had an arrogant smile on her face.

Lilian's eyes widened.

"We really thought they would get married as soon as they grew up. There was something happened, a terrible thing so they didn't marry as planned.

But good for you. Without that, you wouldn't have the chance to marry my brother." Aria darted upon Lilian a look of contempt and malice.

"You should give up that position of your own accord. It never belonged to you before. Don't you realize you look a lot like her? After all, that is your only use. You are just a substitute. " Aria sneered.

Lilian was clobbered by all the things Aria just said, shocked and heartbroken.

"What's that look for? You don't really think you are perfect for my brother, right?" Aria scoffed while rolling her eyes.

"I thought at least you are smart enough to know my brother is way out of your league. I guess I overestimated you. Worthy of my brother? In your dreams!" Aria's words dripped with malice, each syllable infused with a toxic intensity that left Lilian reeling.

Lilian's eyes grew wide with horror, her mind racing to process the toxic barrage of Aria's words, each one a poisonous dart that lodged deep within her psyche, leaving her reeling and disoriented, unsure of when Aria's venomous presence had departed.

The words reverberated through her mind, each syllable a sharp piercing blow that left her reeling.

"You're just a substitute..." Aria's words kept replaying in her head that dizziness and nausea overwhelmed Lilian, sending her stumbling towards the washroom

As she splashed water on her face, her reflection revealed a sickly appearance.

Her complexion was ashen, her lips parched and fissured, and her entire being seemed to droop under the crushing weight of fatigue.

Lilian slowly breathed in and out as if the simple action of breathing was too much for her.

She exited the washroom and stumbled upon a couple making out.

The man’s wristwatch looked familiar, just like the one she chose as the anniversary gift for her husband.

Lilian's eyes snapped open, her irises shrinking as if recoiling from the shock. The sparkle in her eyes was extinguished, replaced by a dull, frozen stare, as if her very soul had been encased in a block of ice, her heart racing with a mix of fear and disbelief, leaving her face a pale, ghostly mask that seemed to tremble with every heartbeat. She took in the features of the couple before her.

The man with the same piercing eyes and chiseled jawline she had grown to love, now holding a passionate embrace, pulling into a deep and lingering kiss with the woman who shared her name, but not her life.