"Lucas! Do I look good in this?" Wendy Langdon beamed as she twirled in her dress, the form-fitting white wedding dress emphasizing her slender waist and long legs. The dress seemed to flow around her like a gentle stream, the fabric catching the light and shimmering ever so slightly. Lucas skillfully slid his fingers over her shoulder, his touch as light as a feather, fastening her straps with precision. Then, he smoothly ran his hand down her back, his palm warm against her skin, to embrace her waist. "Why are you still so careless at your age? You ran out here without even doing up your straps properly. You look beautiful, of course. You're the most beautiful girl, my little princess." His voice was filled with a mixture of affection and a hint of scolding.
The laughter and chatter of the siblings echoed in my ears as I glanced at the wedding dress I was wearing, a feeling of frustration spreading from my heart to every limb, crushing my breath. The dress that I had once envisioned as a symbol of my love and union with Lucas now felt like a heavy burden. Everyone said Lucas and I were a match made in heaven, both in talent and looks, and he usually doted on me. However, whenever his half-sister appeared, he transformed into a doting fanatic, showering her with affection. His attention towards her was so intense that it made me feel as if I was an outsider, looking in on a relationship that I had no part in.
But wasn't their intimacy as siblings a bit too much? The way they interacted, the way he looked at her, it all seemed to cross the boundaries of normal sibling affection. It was as if there was a special bond between them that I could never understand or break into.
"The bride and groom, please come this way!" The photographer waved them over with his camera, his voice cutting through the air. I stared fixedly at Lucas's back, my gaze intense, as if I could burn a hole through him with my eyes. His fiancée was still in the dressing room. Was he really going to take wedding photos with his sister? The thought was both absurd and heart-wrenching.
As expected, Lucas paused in his steps, slightly turning his head as if to say something. But Wendy had already linked her arm through his, her smile sweet and innocent, like a child who had just gotten her way. "Lucas, sister-in-law isn't ready yet. Let's go take some pictures first. When she comes out, I will give you back to her. I'm considerate, aren't I?" Her words were like a dagger to my heart, twisting and turning with every syllable.
Lucas struggled for a moment, his face showing a brief moment of hesitation. But eventually, he nodded with a smile. "Good idea. Let's go." He then took Wendy's hand and strode off, his steps confident and purposeful. He didn't look back, even though a single glance would have shown him that I was right behind him, my heart breaking with every step he took.
The sound of their footsteps faded away, and my heart sank bit by bit, shattering into countless pieces. The pain was so intense that it felt as if my chest was being ripped open. The dressmaker approached me cautiously outside the studio, her eyes filled with sympathy. I thought she was going to ask where the groom was. The cold word "dead" hovered in my throat but never escaped. It was a word that represented the death of my dreams, the end of my hopes for a happy future with Lucas.
Instead, she pointed at the wedding dress I was wearing, her face full of sympathy. "Miss Henderson, Mr. Bailey had a custom wedding dress ordered here..." My expression stiffened. The quality and pattern of the dress I was wearing were excellent, but it was also the most common style. I had seen it several times in this shop. The store's custom dresses were unique creations by the designer, one-of-a-kind. It was clear that the dress I was wearing was not meant for me, but for someone else. And it was easy to guess whom.
From wearing school uniforms together to wearing wedding dresses now, I had looked forward to this for seven full years, only to be harshly slapped by reality. The memories of our time together, the hopes and dreams we had shared, all came crashing down around me. A mix of grievance, embarrassment, and anger kept intertwining, creating a storm of emotions within me. My world was crashing down around me, and I felt as if I was drowning in a sea of despair.
Just then, the doors to the photo studio opened, and Lucas walked out, his arms around Wendy's waist, his eyes full of indulgence. The sight of them together was like a punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of me. The moment he noticed me at the door, his expression flickered unnaturally before shifting back to tenderness as he let go of Wendy and came towards me. His actions were so smooth, as if he was trying to cover up his previous behavior.
"Is Abigail ready? I've been waiting for you." Wendy Langdon also threw me a playful smile. "Abigail, you look so beautiful today. You're going to take the prettiest wedding photos!" Her words were filled with false kindness, and I could see the underlying smugness in her eyes.
But I couldn't muster a smile, stepping back to avoid Lucas's hand. My eyes fell on Wendy's dress, and a sharp pain surged through me. Up close, I noticed her dress sparkling brilliantly, a full moon embroidered at the chest, surrounded by tiny, shining diamonds, as if it were the center of the universe. The dress was a masterpiece, a symbol of the special treatment she received from Lucas.
My eyes suddenly reddened, and I could no longer maintain any decorum, pointing at Lucas and protesting, "I am your fiancée, yet you take wedding photos with your sister first and even choose a custom dress for her. What am I to you then?" My voice was filled with anger and hurt, my words echoing in the empty corridor.
Lucas was stunned for a split second, his eyes widening in surprise. Then he softened his voice to beg for mercy. "Made Abigail mad? It's my fault, I should have waited for you a little longer and gone back to make it up to Abigail, okay?" His apology seemed insincere, as if he was just trying to pacify me without really understanding the depth of my pain.
The feeling of a fist hitting cotton screams at me, every time! He's one of the fastest to admit he's wrong, and one of the best at temper tantrums! It's never me who gets hysterical! Lucas is from a good family and was my childhood friend. He has always been gentle and speaks in a soft voice and never gets angry. How much I loved his gentle nature before, how much I hate it now! His gentleness now seemed like a weapon, used to manipulate me and make me forgive him for his wrongdoings.
With tears in my eyes, I refused to take this step, preferring to ask about right and wrong! "Don't you change the subject! What kind of a brother takes wedding photos with his sister! Are you marrying your sister?" My voice was shaking with anger and disbelief.
Wendy Langdon, startled, cowered in Lucas's arms and her voice colored with sobs. "Abigail! My brother and I are brother and sister!" She was petite and delicate, like a frightened deer in Lucas's arms, which made me look like a man-eating dire wolf. Her act of innocence only made me more angry, as if she was trying to play the victim and make me look like the bad guy.
For the first time, I could see a pout on Lucas' face as he tightened his arms around his sister, his voice still gentle, but utterly cold and devoid of warmth in my ears. "Abigail, you've gone too far!" As if afraid of scaring Wendy Langdon, he suppressed his anger again and looked down at him with favor in his eyes. "Abigail, I only have one sister, Wendy, so it's inevitable that I favor her a bit, you're the sister-in-law, be generous, don't be jealous with your sister." His words were like a slap in the face, making me feel as if I was being blamed for something that was not my fault.
Generous? I just feel funny, obviously he is the one who did something wrong, why should I be generous! But these years of feelings are always not fake, and even though my heart was broken by him, I couldn't say anything vicious for a moment. The memories of our past together, the good times we had shared, held me back from saying something I might regret.
Eventually I looked at them with red eyes, my otherwise bright eyes filling with tears, and it took all my strength to say the decisive words. "Break it up, Lucas, I don't
want to be married to you." My voice was filled with determination, even though my heart was breaking inside. I fled from the bridal store in a mess, my steps hurried and unsteady. I went home and cried all night, sobbing so hard that my buckwheat pillows sprouted, and my heart was still clogged with pain and sadness.
Lucas called me dozens of times, and I was reluctant to answer it, but I couldn't be bothered to pull the plug on him, so I had to throw my phone in a drawer and lock it, afraid of a moment of weakness. I didn't want to hear his voice, his empty apologies, or his attempts to make me change my mind.
Lucas is the best at coaxing me into a swoon every time I'm angry, and I can't give him that chance again. I cuddled the soft and fluffy Tamagotchi dog doll and my memories drifted back to the old days. The doll was a comfort to me, a reminder of a simpler time when things were not so complicated.
At that time, I was still a famous boxer in the school team. My family thought it was not good for a girl to practice this, and I was stubborn, so how could I get married in the future? My dad personally came to my door to apply pressure, and in the face of the major shareholders, the principal nodded his head and ordered me off the varsity team in two sentences. I can't box anymore. I'm sad all day. The loss of boxing was like a part of me being taken away, and I felt empty and lost.
Lucas is the only one who understands; he says there's nothing wrong with me sticking to my hobbies, and secretly got me an annual pass to the boxing gym, and offered to be my sparring partner. His support was like a ray of light in the darkness, giving me hope and a reason to continue. But he was like a wind-blown bean sprout, I was afraid of really hurting him, and he sparred with the punches are not too hard, boxing skills are getting rusty, but the young love is gradually sprouting. The time we spent together in the gym was special, a time when our relationship was growing and evolving.
Then we grew up slowly, the Pei family's head wife had a lot to learn, I didn't have time to practice boxing any more, and the gloves got dusty when I left them at home. Maybe pick it up afterward. I tied a sharp high ponytail, dropped my usual delicate dress, put on my sportswear, and washed my tear-stained, sticky face, which revealed some girlish vigor in the mirror. I cheered at myself in the mirror and pushed open the door to my room, only to see a familiar figure on the couch, and my body instantly froze in place.
Lucas raised his eyes just then, the daylight hitting the side of his crisp face, adding a gentle touch. Before I would have been drunk in the trap of tenderness, dreaming sweet dreams, but now cold sweat creeps up on my forehead, as cold as ice on a three-volt summer's day. "Abigail, don't be mad at me, I reordered your wedding dress and we'll take another set, okay?" His voice was filled with hope and a desire to make things right.
My mom also came out with washed fruit and looked at me like I was a child who didn't know any better. "The original cause of the matter Lucas told me, that is a misunderstanding, you also collect your temper, don't fight with Lucas, away from him, where can you find such a husband who can love people?" Her words were like a push in the wrong direction, making me feel as if I was being forced to accept something that I didn't want to.
I sat numbly on the couch, listening to Lucas and my mom talk to each other and just feeling out of place in the family atmosphere. Lucas spun a beautiful jewelry box out of nowhere, and when he lifted the red velvet cloth, a diamond ring lay peacefully inside, patterned with tiny, beautiful orchids. The ring was a symbol of his love and commitment, but I wasn't sure if I could trust it anymore.
Lucas smiles and pushes the jewelry box toward me, handing over two more packets of black sugar ginger tea with detailed instructions. "Your physiological period is coming up, don't be capricious and wear so little again, carefully when the time comes your stomach hurts, call me heartbroken." His concern for my well-being was still there, but it was overshadowed by his actions towards his sister.
So another warm current flowed into my dry and broken heart, and I blinked away the words to break up. The kindness he showed me was a reminder of the good times we had shared, and it made me question my decision. Lucas remembers my physiological period for many years. Every time I am on my physiological period, he will remember to make me black sugar ginger tea and bring spare sanitary napkins when I go out in case of emergency. His attention to these details was one of the things I loved about him.
My mom nudged me at that moment as well, pushing me into Lucas' arms. I leaned into his arms and listened to his heartbeat, one after the other, steady and strong. The little bits of kindness he'd shown me came flooding back to me, and I looked up into his eyes full of love, the guilt in my heart almost drowning me. Maybe I misunderstood him, he is an only child, his mother left early, rare stepmother brought a sister to, favor some should be, just forgive him once again. "Yeah, then we'll shoot again, but you can't bring your sister anymore." This is the last chance I'm giving you, Lucas, if you really know you're wrong, I'll teach you a little bit about spoiling your sister in the future.
Lucas rubbed my head and looked like he swore with all four fingers together facing the sky. "Yes, my Mrs. Bailey, I swear not to bring Wendy." Lucas made it a point to find a new bridal store, still cleared out, and aside from the staff, we were the only two people in the store. I changed into a high fashion wedding dress with an elegant orchid embroidered on the bodice, and it was like a dream from the moment I put on my makeup and styled it properly, to the moment Lucas joined me in the studio for the shoot without seeing Wendy Langdon. I felt like stepping on a cloud, floating lightly. The dressmaker and make-up artist were wishing me a
good love, saying that Lucas was gentle and gentlemanly, and that he had fallen in love with me alone, and that it was a perfect marriage. The makeup artist helped me remove my veil and crown, and on my way to the dressing room to change out of my wedding dress, Lucas was standing under the crystal lights waiting for me, his eyes burning with affection. My heart then raced uncontrollably again and my face burned so red that Lucas stepped forward and took my hand, moving it to his lips and dropping a soft kiss. "Go on, I'll meet you at the door." The red burned down my cheeks all the way to the base of my neck, and I ran quickly into the locker room with my dress in The red burned down my cheeks all the way to the base of my neck, and I ran quickly into the locker room with my dress in hand, a soft laugh coming from behind me. I changed quickly and couldn't take off my makeup before heading to the door to find Lucas, lest he get impatient. Normally, I'm most abrasive when I'm shy, but I'm about to enter the hall of happiness, and the joy and anticipation overpowers the shyness in a flash. I crept toward the door without letting my My creeping toward the door without letting my shoes make any noise, wanting to surprise Lucas by blindfolding him. Instead, when he was only ten steps away, he heard Wendy Langdon's voice in his earpiece, and Lucas, with the external playback on, was laughing his ass off. "Listen to me right, brother bought these things and coaxed Abigail back in a couple of times, Wendy was worried about her hair to save her brother's love, how is brother going to make it up to Wendy?" "Wendy didn't even go to be with her brother in order to reassure Abigail that she was alone and lonely..." My feet felt like they had been nailed down hard, and I stopped where I was, my heart flooded with an infinite amount of bitterness. I watched Lucas grip his phone tightly, his voice doting. "I'm sorry Wendy, your sister-in-law has a sensitive nature, I'll talk to her afterward." "Wait for the delivery, when has brother ever treated Wendy poorly, everything Wendy has liked on her social media apps, except for the icescream, brother has bought." Wendy Langdon grunted on the other end of the line. "Brother bad! Why don't you buy ice cream!" "You're on your physical period for two days now, how dare you eat it? My brother won't allow it." The words exploded in my ears like a thunderbolt, and I could barely stand, tears sliding down my face, shattering my glued-together heart once again! It was the same two days that I had my period, and it turned out to be a bump with Wendy Langdon that he remembered. It turns out that everything was just me being self-absorbed...
To continue reading the online novel 《Is My Fiancé in Love with His Sister?》, please click to continue reading>>>