Years ago, a nurse swapped the name tags on incubators at the hospital. So several babies were switched at birth. And it turned out my fiancé's sister was my biological sister. I thought it was fate bringing us closer, but Sterling had other plans. The night before our wedding, he said, "She's been pampered her whole life. Going back to your family has been hell for her." "I need to marry her first. Give her the title of wife to protect her. That way, the real Astor daughter we just brought home won't make a fuss." I stood frozen as he continued. "You're different. You've been through worse. You're strong and you can handle anything." "Give me two years. Once she's settled, we'll have our wedding ceremony." He expected me to scream and cry. To cave like I always did. Instead, I cut him off. "Got it. I'll be sure to congratulate you and my sister tomorrow." Those words made him freeze. All his rehearsed speeches, all his moral blackmail stuck in his throat. "You're serious? If you're not okay with this, just say so. Don't be passive-aggressive. That makes me more worried." I didn't understand what he had to worry about. Hadn't I always given in before? Every time, he'd push forward one step, I'd step back one step. Until I had nowhere left to go, and I'd nod and say "fine." I lowered my hand from my stomach where it had unconsciously drifted. "Yes. I'm serious." "Tomorrow's ceremony goes ahead as planned. Just swap out the bride. No need to change the program." He was suspicious, but he didn't want to dig deeper now. Because he was afraid I'd change my mind. He reached out and patted my head. "I knew you'd understand." "Blair was my sister before. Now she's yours. We're all family." "It's just that wild girl we brought back from your family who doesn't know her place. Always crying that Blair stole twenty years of her life. Demanding we throw her out." "We'll still go to City Hall as planned, okay?" "As for the wedding ceremony..." "Once Blair's settled, we'll throw you a proper celebration." "Got it," I interrupted. "Go home. You're the groom tomorrow. Get some rest." I turned and tossed the crumpled invitation mockup into the trash beside me. He stared at me for two seconds. Satisfied I showed no anger or hurt, he finally left. The moment the door closed, I opened my phone. [Your marriage registration appointment has been successfully canceled.] Then I pulled up an email from across the Atlantic. Read it eight more times. And I typed back: [I accept.]
At three in the morning, noise from the living room woke me up. I cracked my door open and saw Blair curled up on the couch in nothing but a white button-down shirt, her bare legs tucked under her, sipping milk. Sterling crouched in front of her, massaging her feet. "My sweetie, how many times do I have to tell you not to walk barefoot on these tiles?" "You call me at this ungodly hour saying your feet hurt, so I rush over here like a madman. Don't you know I have important business tomorrow?" Blair giggled and whined, "Well, tomorrow you will be my husband instead of my brother. I'm nervous." He flicked her forehead. "I can be whoever you want. Just go to sleep. I need to get ready." She tilted her head, batting her eyes at him. "You came all this way. Aren't you going to see Harper?" "She spent forever throwing up in the bathroom today. She's obviously still upset about all this." Sterling paused mid-step. "She's fine." His tone was flat. "She's not as delicate as you. She'll be fine once she gets it out of her system." "Besides, I need her help tomorrow. She planned the entire ceremony. She knows every detail. Let her sleep." He reached out and tapped her nose. "You worry too much. You're the bride tomorrow. Get some rest." Blair giggled and swatted his hand. "Okay, okay. Go back and get ready." I stood behind the door, caught between pathetic and absurd. Six months ago, my parents demanded Sterling give them fifty thousand dollars upfront for "family expenses." They weren't satisfied with the amount we'd agreed on and kept calling, threatening to cause a scene at his office. I refused to ask him for more money and got into a screaming match with my father. He grabbed his belt and beat me until I couldn't stand up anymore. That night was late too and I couldn't take the pain anymore and called Sterling. All he said was, "That's just how your parents are. I'll give them whatever they want. Don't fight them on it. I'll come get you tomorrow." That night, I was in agony. But he never came. Because the person who could make him rush over at three in the morning was never me. I was about to turn back to bed when Blair brought up something else, laughing. "By the way, I really have to thank my sister for planning this whole ceremony for us." I froze. "She originally chose champagne gold as the color scheme, but you fought for pink instead. This is literally my dream wedding." Sterling's voice was indulgent. "As long as you're happy." My heart, which I thought had gone numb, twisted sharply. For this wedding, I spent three months visiting every event planner in the city. In the end, just because he said "pink suits a wedding better," I stayed up all night redoing the entire plan. Back then, I thought he had a romantic side and wanted to make him happy. Turns out, even the wedding was someone else's stage. I wasn't the bride. I wasn't even a guest. Just a tool. A tool who would show up tomorrow to greet guests, oversee the program, and make sure everything ran smoothly. I walked back to bed in a daze. Blair's laughter filtered through the door, muffled and grating. It echoed in my head like a curse.
At dawn, the bridal car arrived downstairs. As the discarded bride, I had already been forgotten. Sterling carried Blair out of her room in his arms. Several groomsmen followed behind them, muttering as they walked. They weren't far. Every word reached my ears. "I thought I was drunk last night and heard wrong. Can't believe they actually swapped the bride." "You guys didn't know? They had the invitations printed in duplicate from the start. One set with Harper's name, one with Blair's. They planned for this all along." "Man, I thought Harper would throw a fit. A girl from her background, finally landing a guy like this, and she just hands him over to her sister? She'll never get another shot at this family now." "She's really generous. No wonder she's stuck with Sterling all these years." "She probably knows throwing a tantrum won't change anything." They all laughed. Sterling carried Blair to the car. When he heard that last comment, he stopped walking. He gently set Blair in the backseat, then turned to face the groomsmen. "What are you all running your mouths about?" The groomsmen shut up, looking sheepish. "Harper is strong. Blair's been spoiled her whole life. She can't handle hardship." "If I don't protect her, how is she supposed to survive?" One of Sterling's closer friends spoke up with a grin. "Alright, alright. She's your real wife." "We all know this ceremony is just for show. You and Harper are going to make it legal the day after tomorrow, right?" He winked. "That's the real commitment. Once you sign those papers, she's not going anywhere." Only then did Sterling nod with satisfaction and duck into the car. I stood in the shadows, watching him close the door. The bridal car started up. All I could hear in my head was that phrase: "She can't handle hardship." Blair grew up in the Astor household, pampered and spoiled. Of course she couldn't handle hardship. But why should I? Growing up, my parents grabbed me by the hair and called me a worthless bitch. If it weren't for mandatory public education, I wouldn't have even had the chance to go to school. Later, I worked my ass off to get into the best high school in the city, but they refused to give me living expenses. I survived on bread for every meal. Sterling knew all of this. When I got into college out of state, I never planned on coming back. Aside from sending money home every month, I cut off all contact. Never visited. Never called. Those years were the most peaceful of my life. Nobody hit me. Nobody screamed at me. Nobody barged into my room in the middle of the night demanding cash. I thought I had escaped. Until two years ago, when Sterling took me home to meet his parents for the first time. His mother made herself clear right away. "The Astors are a respected family. Our daughter-in-law's family needs to present well. We can't have people gossiping." Sterling pulled me aside and begged, "Harper, just move back in with your parents for now. Do it for us. Just bear with it until my mother agrees to the marriage." To avoid making things difficult for him, I moved back in with my parents and played the part of a harmonious family. For the past two years, to keep the peace, whenever my mother demanded money, I gave it. When my father lost at the tables, I covered his debts. When the neighbors praised me, saying "your daughter's done so well for herself," my mother beamed and said, "Of course. My girl's marrying into the Astor family." She forgot all the times she called me a worthless bitch. But I didn't. I thought all of this had an endpoint. Once we were married, Sterling and I would build our own family, far away from them. If they caused trouble then, they'd be dealing with the Astors' in-laws. Sterling would shield me. But now the wedding cars drove off, and I was left behind in this house.
At three in the afternoon, the whole family got ready to attend the wedding ceremony. My brother Tyler fumbled with his tie, grinning like an idiot. "Blair's got it made. Grew up over there, now she's marrying back in." "Damn, wish I was the one they swapped at birth. Could've been a rich kid too." "Shut your mouth." My mother shot him a look. "Polish your shoes." I sat quietly on the couch, saying nothing. Blair was different from the other babies. The other babies were passively switched. Only she was actively abandoned. The day my mother gave birth to her, she didn't even pay the hospital bill, left the baby on the bed and snuck out. She never imagined that the daughter she discarded would be switched into the Astor family and raised as their precious princess for all these years. When Blair first came back, she cried every single day. When no one else was around, I told her the truth. "Biology doesn't trump upbringing. They never wanted you in the first place. These bloodsucking parasites aren't worth keeping as family." "You've had an elite education at the Astors' for years. You can stand on your own two feet." Her eyes were red, so I thought she understood. Until Sterling showed up at my door, his face dark. "Blair says you told her to move out. That you think she's a burden. That you look down on her." "Harper, I let it slide when you targeted her before, but now you share the same blood. Are you really going to push her out like this?" I stood there stunned. What he said had nothing to do with what I meant. But I wasn't surprised. This had happened too many times before. Back when Blair was still "Blair Astor," she pulled the same tricks. The first time I met his parents, she spent the whole dinner piling food onto my plate with a smile. My plate filled up with foods I was allergic to. I didn't want to embarrass her, so I forced down a few bites but still left half the plate untouched. Afterward, I rushed to explain to her that I was allergic to those foods. She smiled and said she understood. Then turned around and cried to Sterling. Told him I looked down on the food she picked for me. Another time, the three of us went out to eat. She leaned against Sterling, acting coy, making him cut steak and feed her. When the server brought our dishes, she smiled and said, "Your girlfriend and you make such a sweet couple." I set down my knife and corrected her. "They're siblings." The next day, Sterling showed up again, his tone weary. "She cried for hours last night. Why were you so quick to clarify our relationship? Do you not like her?" After enough incidents like that, I stopped explaining. I just tried to show him through my actions that I didn't have the ulterior motives his sensitive little sister claimed I did. Now they weren't biologically related anymore and his accusations came flooding back. I wanted to explain. But when I saw that look in his eyes—that "here we go again" expression—I suddenly didn't want to say anything at all. Did he really not know what kind of people my parents were? Did he really not understand why I told Blair to move out and support herself? He knew but he just didn't care what I thought. Over the past two years, I'd seen Blair curled up in bed with Sterling in nothing but a thin nightgown, reading together. I'd seen him hold her in his arms and wipe away her tears. Every single time, I wanted to scream. But every single time, I told myself to wait. Just wait until they each got married to other people. Then, the night before the wedding, he sat me down and seriously discussed marrying her instead, and I finally understood— Even after marriage, nothing would change. My hand drifted unconsciously to my stomach. This was the only thing in the world that was truly, completely mine. Growing up, I got beaten, screamed at, starved. I had no choice in that. But this child was different. I couldn't let it grow up being weighed, measured, and always at risk of being discarded. When it was just me, I could endure any suffering. Bloodsucking family. A boyfriend with no boundaries. A future sister-in-law who targeted me at every turn. But now that I had this baby, I couldn't do it anymore. My phone buzzed, pulling me from my thoughts. It's a reminder about tonight's flight. I stood up, ready to leave. My mother's face changed. "Where do you think you're going? Didn't we already say you don't need to attend the wedding ceremony?" Before I could answer, she started in on me. "You're pathetic. Couldn't keep your man, and now you want to crash your sister's wedding and cause a scene?" "Give it up. They've been inseparable since childhood. Now they've found out they're not related by blood. What makes you think you ever had a chance?" "I'm not going." I cut her off. She froze, clearly not believing me. After staring at me for a long moment, something strange crossed her face. "Sterling was right about you after all."
She clicked her tongue twice. "He called us this morning specifically to warn us. Said you're stubborn and we need to keep an eye on you. Make sure you don't do anything stupid." She grabbed my wrist and yanked. "Come on. You're coming with us." I stumbled. "I already told you I'm not going." "Not going?" My mother let out a harsh laugh. "And leave you alone here? You think I trust you to behave?" "The second we leave, you'll run over there and make a scene. Where does that leave us? You're coming. I'm watching you." She shoved me toward the door. ... The wedding was held at a luxury hotel owned by the Astor Corporation. My parents flanked me on either side. Onstage, Blair held onto the groom's arm, her eyes crinkling with her smile. Sterling reached up and brushed a strand of hair from her face. The crowd below started chanting, "Kiss her! Kiss her!" He smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. My mother leaned in and whispered in my ear. "Look how perfect they are together. Stop holding onto something that was never yours." I didn't respond. When she first found out the great Sterling Astor was my boyfriend, she said the exact same thing. The officiant launched into a sentimental speech about childhood sweethearts and destiny, about obstacles overcome by true love. I lowered my head and pulled my lips into something resembling a smile. This officiant was one I had personally selected from the top ten in the city. He certainly knew how to work a crowd. Childhood sweethearts that was them. I was the obstacle in their love story. I looked around the ballroom. The crystal chandeliers were the exact color temperature I had chosen. The centerpieces were arrangements I had selected. The background music was from a playlist I had built. Every single party favor had been carefully curated by me. A wedding I planned with my own hands, only to watch him marry someone else. Suddenly, I thought maybe this is for the best. I got to close this chapter myself. My phone buzzed in my bag. The screen lit up. 9:45 PM flight to... I stared at the notification and felt relief. My hand brushed lightly over my stomach. Soon, I would have family tied to me by blood and a career worth building. My heart finally felt like it had somewhere to land. I turned off the screen and stood up to leave.
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