The Pearls of Betrayal

On our wedding day, it was time for my fiancé's foster sister to give her toast. She smiled, stood up, and raised her glass toward me. "Congratulations, Chloe. By the way, those seven genital pearling beads my brother has down there? I put them in with my own two hands." "One bead every single year. So, how's it feel? Good, right? Consider that my little wedding gift to you." The color drained from my face. All those years we had been together, even during our most intimate moments, he had never let me touch them. And now I found out his foster sister was the one who put them in. I looked at Ethan, waiting for him to explain. He simply replied, "Rachel was just curious about body modifications back then and used me for practice." "They’re just a few tiny beads. Don't be so petty." The guests' gazes darted back and forth between us, whispering and snickering, casting condescending looks my way. Looking at his completely indifferent face, I clenched my teeth until they ached. If that was the case, there was no reason for this marriage to exist. "Chloe, why aren't you saying anything? Don't you like my gift?" Rachel wore an innocent expression, tilting her wine glass higher in a deliberate taunt. Without a word, I slipped off my engagement ring and threw it straight into her glass. Wine splashed across her face, ruining her meticulously applied makeup. Rachel’s face instantly twisted. "Chloe, what the hell is your problem?" I didn't spare her a glance. Instead, I turned to Ethan. His brow was furrowed deep, looking at me as if I were a spoiled child throwing a pointless tantrum. "It was just a few beads. Rachel is my sister. Nothing happened between us, so why are you acting so jealous?" His voice was laced with unmistakable irritation. "Apologize to her right now! Otherwise, I’m postponing this wedding you begged for over the last seven years." Postponing the wedding. Listening to those words roll off his tongue so casually, I realized that over the seven years we’d been together, I had heard that exact threat ninety-nine times. The first time was at a party with friends. Rachel had wrapped her arms snugly around his, dropping suggestive hints. "My brother is amazing at everything in bed. Chloe doesn't even know half of it." When we got home, I couldn't help but mention that Rachel was being way too intimate with him. His face immediately darkened. "Rachel’s dad died saving my life. I’ve treated her like my own flesh and blood since we were kids." "She was just joking around, and here you are stirring up drama. Maybe I need to reconsider and push back our wedding." And so, that postponement stretched into seven years. And for seven years, I let Rachel walk all over me. Rachel had been pampered her whole life and acted without consequences. She would "accidentally" barge into our bedroom when Ethan and I were in the middle of being intimate, "unintentionally" wipe crucial data from my laptop, and deliberately tell the housekeeper to serve eel, knowing full well I was deathly allergic. Whenever I confronted her, even if I merely asked a question, Ethan always defended her. "Chloe, Rachel grew up with me. Can't you cut her some slack?" He’d sneer with impatience. "You're older than her, yet you're throwing a fit over a kid's antics. The wedding is delayed for another three months!" Until three months ago, when Rachel coated the stairs with clear, odorless engine oil. I was carrying a bowl of hot soup up the steps when my feet slipped out from under me, and I tumbled down backward. The porcelain shattered. My lower abdomen slammed hard against the sharp corner of the stairs. Blood rushed down my legs, and I spent an entire week in the ICU. The doctor said I was lucky to survive, but the baby was completely gone. I remembered Ethan clutching my ice-cold hand by the hospital bed, swearing he’d teach Rachel a lesson. Yet the very next morning, he walked into my room smelling of cheap perfume and cigarettes, his throat bobbing nervously. "Chloe, Rachel was just trying to pull a prank. She had no idea you were pregnant." "She really regrets it. Can’t you just forgive her? We can always have another baby later." "Please, don't call the police. Let’s just move past this, and we'll get married right away." Seeing the desperate plea hidden in his eyes, my heart tore apart with agony. Yet in the end, I chose to endure it once more. And now, standing at the wedding reception I had waited seven years for, his foster sister announced to everyone that she had personally inserted seven beads into my fiancé's private parts. I tilted my head back to force down the tears stinging my eyes. This time, I was truly exhausted. My voice came out dry and flat. "Ethan, if that's how it is, let's just postpone this wedding indefinitely." "Indefinitely?" Ethan fell silent for a few seconds before barking in rage, "Just because Rachel helped me with a few body modifications? Chloe, can you grow up? She’s my sister! What could we possibly have going on?" I let out a bitter, mocking laugh. "The kind of sister who can freely touch you down there and whom you tuck into bed every single night?" The entire banquet hall fell dead silent. The guests' eyes shifted excitedly between the three of us, soaking in the drama. Ethan froze in awkward humiliation for a second, clearly caught off guard that I would expose him in front of so many people. His chest heaved violently. His expression turned menacing, and he snapped, "Rachel has severe insomnia! What's wrong with me tucking her in?" "She's an innocent girl! How dare you slander her reputation like this? Apologize to her right now!"His brutal interrogation rang loud and clear through the quiet hall. The murmurs around us grew sharp and cruel. "Man, what a loser. She followed him around for seven years with no ring on her finger, and for what?" "Wait, if she's telling the truth, he's sleeping with his foster sister? That's messed up." Hearing the chatter, a flicker of panic crossed Ethan's eyes, quickly swallowed by surging desperation. He spun around toward the guests, stammering an explanation. "You all know Rachel comes from a respectable background! Don't listen to this jealous woman's lies!" He snapped his head back to glare at me, his tone venomous. "Clear this up right now, or I swear to God I will never marry you!" He looked at me with pure fury and contempt, as if I were a vile, deceitful monster. Behind him, Rachel put on a perfectly timed expression of hurt innocence, as if pleading to know why I was framing her. Suddenly, I felt nothing but sheer exhaustion. For seven years, it had always been like this. Whenever there was friction between Rachel and me, I was the one forced to compromise. It was only now that I realized how pathetic I had been. "Fine by me. Nothing would make me happier," I said with a faint laugh. Ethan froze, dumbfounded. He never expected me to talk back instead of caving, and rage flared across his features. "You..." "Ethan, you've always treated me like an idiot, haven't you?" I cut him off, keeping my tone deceptively calm. "Six months ago, Rachel tricked me into eating eel. I had a severe allergic reaction and was writhing in bed, practically dying, begging you to stay by my side. And where were you? In her bedroom, holding her until she fell asleep." The fury on Ethan's face stalled. He couldn't understand why I was bringing this up now. "Three months ago, she poured motor oil on the stairs, causing my miscarriage and putting me in the hospital. When I needed you the most, you took her on a vacation to Disney World." A flash of guilt crossed Ethan's face, and he fumbled for an excuse. "Rachel is young! She didn't know you were allergic, and she had no idea you were pregnant!" "Besides, she has sleep trauma. Seeing you covered in blood traumatized her! I only took her away to help her clear her head..." "Ethan, she's a year older than me." "If she killed me tomorrow, would you still treat her like a clueless little girl?" Ethan was stunned by the cold, dead seriousness in my eyes. His face stiffened, completely at a loss for words. "Chloe, are you jealous?" Rachel dabbed at her tears, looking at me timidly with a choked sob. "Ethan, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I ruined your relationship." As she spoke, she peeked through her fingers to check Ethan's reaction. Seeing his tight jaw soften, she dialed up the drama immediately. "Chloe, Ethan loves you so much. Please don't be mad at him. I was the one who begged him to let me do the pearling..." She rushed to explain, acting as if she cared deeply about our relationship, yet her words dripped with poison. "You can yell at me or hit me, I don't care, as long as it makes you feel better." "But Chloe, please, I beg you, don't spread dirty rumors about me! You only suffered minor injuries, but my reputation will be ruined forever! Everyone will laugh at me... sob...""Rachel..." Ethan pulled her into his arms with aching tenderness, then looked up at me, his eyes blazing with fury. He gritted his teeth, his voice distorted with rage. "Chloe! You vicious bitch! Do you get off on dragging Rachel's name through the mud?" "I spoiled her growing up, and mentally she's far younger than you! Why do you constantly have to pick fights with her?!" His accusations felt like icy needles piercing my already shattered heart. Resting her head against his shoulder in feigned distress, Rachel turned slightly to cast a mocking smirk at me. Her eyes practically screamed: See? You can never beat me. Ethan will always choose me. To break me completely—or perhaps just to prove a point—a vicious glint flashed in her eyes. She raised her hand and slapped herself across the face with full force. Smack! The sound cracked sharply through the quiet room. She kept slapping herself while crying hysterically, begging for mercy. "Is this enough, Chloe? I've punished myself!" "I swear I'll keep my distance from Ethan! Just please don't blame him, and stop spreading lies about me!" She didn't hold back; bright, horrific red welts instantly bloomed across her cheek. Ethan's pupils shrank, his heart bleeding for her. "No—!" His eyes turned bloodshot. "Chloe! How far are you going to push her?!" His arm whipped through the air, and a vicious slap crashed against my face. Then, he clamped down on my shoulders, violently forcing me to my knees on the ground, his tone cold and merciless. "Apologize to her right now! Otherwise, you can forget about ever setting foot into the Miller family!" The slap was heavy and deafening. Within seconds, a burning sting flared across my cheek. My knees pressed into the hard floor, my spine bent, surrounded by the mocking stares of the crowd. I froze in place, unable to move. Ethan's eyes remained locked on me. A fleeting hint of regret showed on his face, but it quickly dissolved into cold confidence. He was certain that, just like the countless times before, no matter how terribly he treated me, I would always submit. Yet seeing him holding Rachel to comfort her, combined with the throbbing burn on my face, snuffed out the very last ember of hope in my heart. My voice was ice. "I will never apologize. Let's call off this wedding and break up." "You really have the guts, don't you, Chloe?" Ethan scoffed in anger. "Fine! Have it your way! Our engagement is over!" "Let me warn you: unless you beg Rachel for forgiveness, don't expect me to show you any mercy when you come crawling back!" With that, he wrapped his arm around Rachel and walked away without looking back. With the groom gone, the restrained guests began buzzing, throwing even more disdainful glances and venomous whispers my way. In the past, no matter how humiliating things got, hosting the guests on Ethan's behalf would have been my duty. Now, I couldn't care less. I ripped off my veil, threw it to the floor, and turned to leave in silence. Right outside the banquet hall, however, I ran straight into Ethan's parents, who were rushing over. His father blocked my path, his face full of disbelief. "Chloe! What kind of tantrum are you throwing now?!" His mother pointed a shaking finger toward the banquet doors, her lips trembling with rage. "You just abandoned all those guests in there? You've completely humiliated the Miller family!" I looked at them coldly. "Rachel publicly announced that she personally did body pearling on her foster brother, and Ethan slapped his bride in front of everyone just to defend her. That blatant incestuous mess isn't humiliating enough for you?" Both of them choked up for a second, but that quickly gave way to a torrent of scolding. "Over such a trivial thing?!" "Ethan and Rachel grew up together! They are strictly brother and sister!" "How did we raise you? As a daughter-in-law of the Miller family, you should be patient and understanding!" "Even if there was a misunderstanding, you handle it in private! Aring out dirty laundry in public makes you proud, does it?!" The two of them teamed up to berate me relentlessly, utterly furious that I hadn't apologized on the spot and had instead escalated the scene. I let out a bitter, mocking laugh. "Strictly brother and sister?" A flicker of guilt crossed Mrs. Miller's eyes, but she quickly masked it with an even harsher glare. "What else would they be?! Go back in there right now and tell the guests Rachel was just joking, and that you were being overly sensitive!" "Then go home and apologize to them! Otherwise, you can forget about being part of this family..." I slapped her hand away from my arm, leaving behind a cold, "I wouldn't want to anyway," and walked straight out.I didn't return to the Miller residence. Instead, I checked into a nearby hotel, planning to head back home the next day. Late into the night, Ethan sent me a text on Snapchat. Are you trying to threaten me by running away? That trick won't work on me. As long as you refuse to apologize to Rachel, I will never forgive you. I typed back: Okay. Almost immediately, a long voice message came through, as if he had been glued to the screen. "Glad you know you were wrong. Where are you? I..." His voice sounded noticeably lighter. I didn't bother listening to the rest, simply typing the remainder of my thought. I don't need your forgiveness. The other end went dead silent. The "typing..." indicator flickered for a long time before a message finally popped up. Fine, Chloe. Don't you dare regret this! I won't... The message failed to deliver. An exclamation mark appeared—he had blocked me. A moment later, my phone pinged with another notification. It was a message from Rachel. Chloe, do you really think your miscarriage was just an accident I set up? Ethan knew the whole time. If you want the truth, come back to the house right now. What did that mean? My breath caught violently in my chest. I still vividly remembered Ethan resting his head against my stomach, full of eager anticipation for our child. When he learned about the miscarriage, the devastation and agony in his eyes didn't look fake. Logic told me this was just Rachel trying to drive a wedge between us. But what if it was true? I didn't know what possessed me, but I rushed out of the hotel and ran through several red lights on the drive over. When I arrived at the Miller villa, my sharp hearing picked up bursts of soft laughter coming from the master bedroom. I froze. Peering through the cracked door, I saw Ethan lovingly holding Rachel in his arms, stroking her hair as she lay on the bridal bed I had painstakingly decorated. "Ethan, maybe you should go comfort Chloe. She didn't come home tonight, I'm worried..." "Relax, Rachel. She's madly in love with me. She'd never actually leave." "In a few days, she'll come crawling back to beg for forgiveness. And when she does, I'm not going to let her off easy." Ethan's voice came through, dripping with arrogance and lingering annoyance. Rachel sounded worried. "Really? But today she looked like she wasn't just throwing a tantrum..." "Don't bring her up!" Ethan's tone turned unusually sharp. Seeing Rachel flinch, he quickly softened his voice. "It's late. Go to sleep, Rachel. Don't ruin your sleep schedule over her." "Okay, Ethan~" Rachel snuggled obediently against his chest, wearing a look of pure, sweet devotion. Yet her eyes flicked subtly toward the crack in the door as she casually pouted. "So, when are you going to let me have your baby?" My entire body froze. "I was so mad when she got pregnant first. You promised me your firstborn would only be mine." "Good thing she miscarried. She has no idea we set that up on purpose, otherwise she'd be throwing an even bigger fit." Ethan affectionately pinched her nose. "Stop pouting. I haven't forgotten my promise. Once you recover your health in a few weeks, we'll..." The two of them exchanged sweet promises like newlyweds. Every single word plunged like a knife into my bleeding heart. Rachel gave Ethan an excited kiss, but then seemed to remember something and hesitated. "What if Chloe finds out?" Silence fell over the bedroom for a second. Then, Ethan let out a dismissive chuckle. "She won't. And even if she does, I'll just make up an excuse. She always believes whatever I say." The moment those words left his mouth, a chilling numbness crawled from my spine and spread throughout my limbs. In a daze, my mind drifted back to the day I told Ethan I was pregnant. His face had frozen, utterly speechless for a long time. Back then, I thought he was just overwhelmed with excitement at becoming a father. Now I finally saw it for what it was: guilt and cold-blooded calculation. The world went completely silent and gray. Whatever shred of love I had left for Ethan died entirely. A screaming wave of devastation threatened to tear me apart from the inside. Yet I didn't kick the door open to confront them. Instead, I turned around and walked away into the dark, as if I had never been there. Outside, rain poured from the sky, washing over my face until I couldn't tell the difference between raindrops and tears. I pulled out my phone and dialed my father back in New York. "Dad, I'm not getting married," I said, my voice eerily calm. "I'll take you up on that offer to move abroad."