Chapter 1

My twin sister Kara, who had been missing for years, was finally brought home. After that, all her pain transferred to me.

Whenever she got hurt, I would pass out from the agony.

She even seduced my fiancé, Ashton Pierce.

Just so he could hook up with her in my bedroom, Ashton locked me in a dark room for five whole days.

I smiled as I counted the ninety-ninth time he'd hurt me, then left town.

Three years later, he knelt backstage at an awards ceremony. "I was wrong," he begged. "Please, give me another chance."

I laughed softly, my arm linked with my new boyfriend's. "Ashton, do you know what I was thinking during those five days you locked me up?"

His eyes reddened. "You were waiting for me to save you..."

I shook my head. "I was thinking that when you finally regretted it, I had to tell you-"

"The moment you destroyed me, I decided I would personally destroy everything you have."

Sage's POV

On the live reality show, Ashton had done this ninety-eight times. left me to rush over and tend to a tiny scrape on Kara's leg.

Kara acted like she couldn't feel any pain at all, her face full of sweet charm. "Ashton, you're so good to me..."

Meanwhile, I pressed down on my own knee, sucking in a sharp breath of air.

The comment stream instantly exploded.

"That wound looks so painful... Kara is such a strong girl!"

"Cold billionaire and innocent sweetheart... this dynamic is perfect! I'm totally here for it!"

"What's that look on Sage's face?"

At that comment, everyone's eyes turned to me.

Kara twisted around, blinking her innocent eyes at me. "Sage, are you feeling alright?"

"Are you blind? I-"

Before I could finish, Ashton cut me off.

"Kara, why bother talking to her?"

At his words, Kara's fans in the comments went even crazier.

"Can Sage stop making such a big deal out of everything?"

"Look how good Mr. Pierce is to Kara. Sage must be dying of jealousy!"

...

I gritted my teeth as the live comments scrolled past. My body hurt. My heart hurt more.

It all came down to one thing: Kara was my fraternal twin. A genetic fluke in the womb meant every bit of her pain, every last drop, landed on me.

And Ashton? was my fiancé. The man I'd grown up with.

There was a time when I was the most envied girl in the city. Spoiled, willful, and still loved by everyone.

But the deepest love, the kind that burned, belonged to Ashton.

Ashton was recognized in elite circles as a genius heir. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs, and a face so handsome it could anger both gods and men.

Those deep, affectionate eyes used to hold only me.

At fourteen, his confession caused a sensation across the entire school. At sixteen, our families held a lavish engagement party. At eighteen, Ashton, as the Pierce family heir, gave me heirloom jewelry worth hundreds of millions.

Until the day I announced my debut, my father brought home a timid girl.

She was my twin sister who'd been kidnapped over a decade ago-Kara.

To make up for lost time, my parents poured all their love into her.

Even Ashton became obsessed with her from the moment he laid eyes on her.

When Kara wanted to travel, Ashton cancelled all his work to accompany her. When Kara got sick, Ashton abandoned me on a mountain film set and rushed back to take care of her. When Kara wanted to enter the entertainment industry, Ashton waved his hand and established a management company for her, providing top resources to launch her career.

When I learned everything, I broke down. Like a madwoman, I confronted Kara.

"Why are you doing this?"

Kara dropped her harmless public persona, her face twisted with malice as she looked at me. "All those years of love and luxury you enjoyed more than me-I'm going to take them back, piece by piece!"

The next second, she deliberately rolled down the stairs, but I was the one who felt the pain.

Ashton, who witnessed that moment, lost his temper at me for the first time.

"You have everything. What's wrong with giving a little to Kara?"

Tears streamed down my face. "She's faking it! Between her and me, you can only choose one!"

Ashton was busy comforting Kara and didn't even look up. "Stop being childish."

That night, negative news about me hit the trending topics.

I knew this was Ashton's warning to me.

So I went to Ashton's place and smashed up his entire house.

"Let's break up."

Ashton just pulled me onto the table with a teasing look, lowering his head to kiss my collarbone, completely certain of himself.

"Sage, you can't bear to leave me."

"Don't worry, I'm just playing around with Kara. After we get married, you'll be the only one by my side."

My face flushed red as I bit my lip hard. "Ashton, if you hurt me ninety-nine times, I won't want you anymore..."

After the live broadcast ended, the director pulled me aside to film promotional content.

When I finished and returned to the dressing room, I suddenly froze in my tracks.

Kara was lying across Ashton's lap. Ashton was stroking her hair with one hand while devotedly kissing her lips.

Crash.

The cup in my hand fell to the floor.

Words caught in my throat. It took me a long moment to make a sound. "What are you doing?"

Kara immediately sat up, her face flushed with apparent anxiety. "Sage, you've got it wrong... please don't fight with Ashton..."

Tears blurred my vision. I swallowed hard, tasting blood in my throat. "Shut up!"

Then I looked at Ashton. "I want to hear you say it."

Ashton casually rubbed his fingertips together and said reproachfully, "You scared Kara."

"Fine. Very good." I nodded, laughing bitterly in my fury. "Ninety-nine times..."

"What?" Ashton asked impatiently.

I looked at him with a dead heart. "Let's break up."

Then I pushed hard through the door and walked out.

"It's all my fault..." Behind me came the sound of Kara crying sweetly against Ashton's shoulder.

"It's not your fault." Ashton wiped away her tears without concern. "I know her. Give it three days and she'll be begging to get back together."

Their words stabbed into my heart like knives.

I laughed mockingly at myself and tossed the diamond ring that represented his promise into the trash.

Ashton, this time I really don't want you anymore.

When I got back, I immediately made a call.

"That movie you mentioned-I agree to sign the contract."