Chapter 3

The woman who almost became my sister-in-law, but ended up being the homewrecker between Jason and me, was named Serena Sullivan.

She was sweet and considerate, and my parents adored her.

Back then, Jason and I were close to our wedding date. The invitations were already printed.

But every time we got together, I kept catching the way Serena looked at Jason. Her gaze was wrong.

Tender and lingering, full of undisguised affection, like she was holding a pool of spring water in her eyes.

She never looked at my brother that way.

I'd hinted to Jason about it several times, but he always just smiled and ruffled my hair, saying I was overthinking things.

"How could I possibly like your brother's girlfriend? You think I'm that kind of scumbag?"

Seeing how straightforward he seemed, I suppressed my unease and temporarily dismissed my doubts.

But before long, their behavior became increasingly intimate.

Laughing and playing around in front of me became routine.

Once, Serena even held up her half-finished cup of coffee to Jason.

And he drank it without any hesitation, right from where she'd been drinking.

In that moment, my heart sank.

Jason and I had a huge fight. My tears fell on the floor, shattering into pieces.

"How can you do this? How can you face my brother? How can you face me?"

He fell silent, head down, not speaking for a long time.

Finally, he looked up, his face calm, and promised me he'd never get too close to Serena again.

Over the following days, he did seem to restrain himself and stopped being so close to Serena.

But I also keenly noticed that his attitude toward me had visibly cooled.

No arguments, no conflicts—just that intimacy and warmth had vanished into thin air.

An inexplicable unease began growing in my heart.

Three days before the wedding, I went to our new apartment with a newly purchased celadon vase to decorate.

I'd carefully selected it to place on the display shelf in the living room.

I entered the passcode, turned the handle, and pushed open the door.

The scene before me made all the blood in my body instantly freeze.

The bedroom door wasn't closed.

On the festive red wedding bed, two figures were tangled together.

Disheveled clothes were scattered all over the floor, stabbing at my eyes.

The vase in my hand crashed to the floor with a loud clatter.

The celadon shattered into pieces, making a piercing sound.

The people on the bed were startled. Jason whipped his head around. When he saw me standing in the doorway, his face turned ashen.

He practically roared three words at me: "Get out!"

I was shaking all over. I didn't even have the strength to cry. I stumbled out of the apartment.

My phone buzzed. It was a message from Serena.

Just one short line, like a poisoned knife stabbing straight into my heart.

"Sorry, Jenna. Some people, you just can't hold onto."

Tears poured out. I crouched by the roadside, sobbing my heart out.

I couldn't understand how they could do something so vile.

How could they face me? How could they face my brother?

Right—I couldn't let him stay in the dark.

I pulled out my phone, my fingertips trembling, wanting to call my brother.

But before I could tell him everything, an accident happened. My brother was in a car crash.

With a roar, my world completely collapsed.