My Twin Stole My Groom

On the day I was supposed to marry Ethan Miller, I shockingly overslept.

When I finally rushed to the wedding venue, my sister, Claire, was standing at the altar. She had the exact same face as me, and she was exchanging wedding rings with my fianc.

I stood frozen. I knew. He had mistaken her for me. Again.

Claire and I are identical twins.

In the five years I had been with Ethan, he mixed us up constantly.

When we went shopping, he would accidentally grab Claire's hand.

When we were supposed to meet his parents, he somehow ended up taking Claire instead.

Just as I was about to lift my wedding gown and storm the stage, my phone buzzed violently in my hand.

It was a FaceTime call from an unknown number.

I swiped to answer.

The woman on the screen had graying hair and looked completely withered, like a ghost.

"Don't go up there!" she screamed, her voice cracking. "After today, everyone you love will turn their backs on you. You will end up dying alone in a psychiatric hospital!"

I took a hesitant step forward. But the woman on the screen went wild with panic.

"No! Don't! I am you, ten years from now! The one he loves isn't youit's Claire!"

That stopped me dead in my tracks.

I stood frozen in the back of the hall, my eyes locked on the couple on stage.

Under the celebrant's direction, they smiled and slid the ring onto each other's fingersthe very ring I had spent six months picking out.

My voice shook as I whispered into the phone, "What do you mean, he loves Claire?"

The woman on the screen choked back a sob, as if reliving a nightmare.

"Oversleeping wasn't an accident. Ethan put sleeping pills in the milk he gave you last night."

My mind went blank. I couldn't process her words.

But she didn't stop.

"Ethan wanted to marry Claire all along. He planned this for three months. Claire, your parents... they all knew."

"In the original timeline, you ran up and ruined the wedding. Everyone blamed you for driving Claire to a breakdown. She jumped from a building, and you took the blame."

My body went numb. My lips parted, but no sound came out.

"They hated you for Claire's death. Your parents disowned you, and Ethan divorced you, leaving you with nothing."

"Don't go, Chloe. Let's just leave. Let's go home, okay...?"

The woman looked at me, her eyes filled with desperate pleading.

I bit my lower lip so hard it bled. I didn't say a word.

The next second, with a sharp rip, I tore the delicate lace of my wedding dressthe gown I had tried on a hundred times.

"Chloe... what are you doing?" the woman on the screen gasped.

I stared coldly at the stage. My parents, my sister, and my fianc. A happy family of four, smiling and laughing.

"It's their lie," I said, my voice ice-cold. "Why should I be the one to run away?"

I hung up, went to the dressing room, and borrowed a simple casual outfit from one of the hotel staff.

Then, under the gaze of the guests, I walked out from backstage.

Ethan was the first to notice me. His face instantly went pale, and he shot me a warning, threatening look.

I knew what he was afraid of. He was terrified I would expose this pathetic circus.

But I acted like I didn't even see him.

After all, at this moment, I wasn't his bride, Chloe Vance. I was supposed to be the "sister" who arrived late, Claire.

"Where the hell have you been? Why are you so late?"

My mother grabbed my arm, dragging me to a corner table with an annoyed scowl.

"Don't blame Claire. We banged on your door, but you wouldn't wake up. The ceremony had to start, so I told Claire to fill in for you."

"Anyway, you two look exactly the same. The guests can't tell. Once the reception is over, make sure you thank Claire properly."

I looked at her, a bitter, acidic feeling rising in my chest.

Yeah. It wasn't just the guests who couldn't tell us apart. My own parents never could. Or rather, they never cared to.

When we were in high school, Claire skipped her classes to go to a wild party.

The moment my mother found out, she marched into my AP History class, dragged me out by my collar, and slapped me in front of everyone.

Even my teacher tried to explain that I had been in class all day.

But my mother refused to believe it. She just glared at me with pure hatred.

"You don't know Chloe, Principal. She is a pathological liar! She obviously skipped class and set up her sister to take the fall."

"My sweet Claire would never do such a thing!"

No matter how much proof I showed her, she never believed me.

In her eyes, I was always the culprit.

If a neighbor's window was broken, it was me.

If the TV was ruined, it was me.

Even when we applied for college and both got accepted to NYU, she convinced herself that I had forged my admission letter just to steal Claire's spotlight.

She made dozens of angry calls to the admissions office, trying to get my acceptance revoked. It only stopped when our high school principal personally intervened.

The romantic wedding music echoed through the hall, pounding against my eardrums.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging deep into my palms.

"Did I ask her to stand in for me?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

"Or did you all know I wouldn't wake up? This wedding... it was planned for Claire from the very beginning, wasn't it?"

My mother's face turned white. Caught in her lie, she exploded in fury.

"You ungrateful brat! What garbage are you spewing?"

"Claire saved your reputation, and this is how you treat her?"

Some nearby relatives noticed the tension and tried to play peacemaker.

"Hey, why are you two arguing at a wedding?"

"Mrs. Vance, didn't you always say Claire is your favorite, your perfect angel? Why are you yelling at her today?"

I screamed silently in my mind.

Of course she's yelling. Because I'm not her precious Claire. I am Chloe, the daughter she has detested since the day I was born.

My mother choked on her words, coughing awkwardly to change the subject.

On stage, the ceremony was ending. The two of them looked at each other with deep, sickening affection.

During the applause, Ethan cast a brief, guilty glance at me before quickly looking away.

Then, before all the guests, he leaned down and kissed her.

I stared at them.

Without realizing it, my hand had found the steak knife on the table. I gripped the blade tightly.

By the time they parted on stage, my hand was soaked in blood.

The sharp, burning pain finally registered.

But I couldn't tell if the pain was coming from my hand, or my heart.

As the kiss ended, the hall erupted in applause.

Nobody noticed the small pool of blood forming at my feet.

Clenching my bleeding palm, I asked a waiter for a bandage and went to the restroom to quickly wrap it up.

On my phone screen, Future Chloe was sobbing uncontrollably.

"Chloe, please don't hurt yourself like this. Let's just leave them behind, okay?"

I kept my head down, wrapping the bandage tight. "Okay."

She gasped. "Really?"

"Just now, I sent an email to Sarah. I'm accepting the transfer to the high-security project in London. We leave in three days. I'm leaving this city forever."

I looked up at the screen.

She was only ten years older than me, but her hair was gray, and she looked like she was in her sixties.

"I won't let anyone destroy my life again," I told her. "I'm going to give us a real future."

When I walked out of the restroom, Ethan and Claire were waiting for me.

Claire immediately looked down, looking guilty.

Ethan stepped in front of her, protecting her like a shield, and glared at me like a judge.

"Chloe, what is wrong with you? How do you oversleep on your own wedding day? Claire had to clean up your mess!"

Claire tugged at Ethan's sleeve, pretending to be meek. "Ethan, don't. It's fine."

She turned to me with a fake, pitying smile. "Chloe, don't worry. I know you were nervous. It's totally normal to oversleep before a wedding."

"Don't worry, Ethan and I got through the vows smoothly."

Vows?

The rings? Or... the kiss?

Her sweet, understanding act made me look like the crazy, hysterical one.

Even though I was the victim here.

I looked at the wedding gown Claire was wearing. I recognized it.

When I had dragged Ethan to go wedding dress shopping, Claire had tagged along. She got excited and tried on that exact gown.

When I stepped out of my fitting room, Ethan was busy taking dozens of photos of Claire on his phone.

"Claire, you look stunning. This dress was made for you," he had said, his eyes shining.

But when I walked over in my gown, he quickly put his phone away and barely glanced at me.

"It's fine," he had muttered.

It wasn't a mistake.

It never mattered how I looked in a wedding dress.

Because the bride he wanted at the altar was Claire, not me.

I looked at them standing hand-in-hand and let out a cold, hollow laugh.

"Since you two are so good at taking my place, why don't you go ahead and spend the wedding night together too, Claire?"

Claire gasped, looking deeply insulted, and her eyes immediately welled with tears.

Ethan's face turned thunderous.

"Chloe, shut up! How can you say something so disgusting?"

"If you two can do it, why can't I say it?"

Ethan's jaw clenched. He took a step toward me, but suddenly stopped.

His eyes fell on my hand. The thick bandage was already soaked through with fresh, red blood.

His anger instantly vanished, replaced by sudden panic. He grabbed my hand.

"What happened to your hand? Why didn't you go to the hospital? Come on, I'm taking you right now."

He tried to pull me toward the exit, but Claire called out from behind him.

"Ethan!"

He froze.

"The guests are still here. If you leave now..." She looked at us with a pitiful, conflicted expression.

After a few painful seconds of hesitation, Ethan let go of my hand.

"I'll take you to the ER right after the reception, okay?" he whispered.

I just stared at him and nodded slowly.

For a split second, I actually thought the old Ethan had come backthe man who once swore he would never mix us up, who promised to love and protect me forever.

It was just a pathetic illusion.

Compared to Claire's reputation and feelings, my bleeding hand was nothing.

He patted my head, giving me a rare, relieved smile. "Good girl. I knew you'd understand."

"I'll make it up to you tomorrow, I promise."

With that, he let go of my hand and walked back to Claire's side.

I watched his retreating back.

But Ethan, we don't have a tomorrow.

My transfer request was processed immediately. Sarah, my manager, called me to confirm.

"Are you sure about this, Chloe? I tried to convince you so many times and you refused. Why the sudden change of heart right before the deadline?"

"Are you really ready to leave your handsome fianc behind?"

I looked through the glass doors of the banquet hall. Ethan was currently laughing and drinking with his college friends, holding Claire's hand.

"Yes," I said quietly. "We broke up."

The line went silent for a few seconds. Sarah was smart enough not to push.

"Alright. Your flight is the day after tomorrow. I'll email you the details."

"Keep in mind, Chloe... this project means you'll be in London for at least several years."

"I know," I replied.

I had no intention of ever coming back.

When I walked back to the reception, Ethan was surrounded by his old fraternity brothers. They were all drunk, laughing loudly.

As I approached, his chubby friend, Ben, grabbed my arm and pointed at Ethan.

"Claire! You have no idea how crazy this guy was for you in college. He did everything to get your attention, but you ignored him and went off with another guy. He was depressed for six months!"

I had heard rumors about Ethan pursuing Claire in college.

We were in different departments back then, so I only knew vague details. I didn't realize he had been that obsessed.

Ben, clearly too drunk to filter his mouth, laughed loudly.

"I still remember when this idiot said if he couldn't have the older sister, he'd settle for the younger one as a rebound. It was like a twin fantasy come true. But damn, who knew he'd actually get stuck with her!"

The table instantly went dead silent.

My brain buzzed, and the blood in my veins turned to ice.

So that was why he always "accidentally" held Claire's hand.

That was why his parents liked Claire so much better when they first met.

Then why did he propose to me?

Why did he bring me to meet his family?

It turned out that in both my family and my relationship, I was nothing but Claire's second-choice replacement.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Ethan snapped, slamming his glass down. He shoved Ben away and frantically grabbed my hand.

"Chloe, he's wasted. He's talking nonsense. Don't listen to him."

My vision blurred with tears. I yanked my hand back with all my strength.

"Ethan, you are disgusting. We are done."

Ethan panicked, trying to pull me into his arms. "Chloe, stop making a scene! Why would we break up? Today is our wedding day! Don't overthink it, I'll explain everything when we get home."

I pushed him away, my voice cutting through the air.

"Wedding? The bride you married today is Claire, isn't it?"

"The sleeping pills in my milkthat was you, wasn't it?"

"Ethan, the person you wanted to marry was always Claire. I don't get it. Why are you still acting?"

His face drained of color. "Who... who told you that?"

Seeing his reaction, even though I already knew the truth, a wave of profound nausea hit me.

I gripped my wounded hand, intentionally ripping the healing cut open again.

I forced myself to look him in the eye. "Ethan, I hate you."

Our argument was drawing a crowd.

To the guests, Claire was the one in the wedding dress, which meant they thought I was the "sister" Claire making a scene with the groom.

Whispers started spreading like wildfire.

Claire stepped in, taking Ethan's hand with an air of fragile grace.

"Ethan, let's talk about this at home. Right now, I am Chloe. I am your bride." She placed extra emphasis on the last words.

Ethan regained his composure. With red eyes, he took a step back, distancing himself from me.

Watching him back away, a wave of pure disgust washed over me.

For Claire, he would do anything.

Even though she had another boyfriend.

Even if it meant using me as a pathetic substitute.

And now, to protect Claire's reputation, he could throw me to the wolves of public gossip without a second thought.

I turned to leave, but a sudden, terrifying screech of metal echoed from above.

Before I could react, the massive steel rigging of the main chandelier snapped, crashing down toward the center of the hall.

At almost the exact same moment, Ethan, who was standing closest to me, didn't hesitate. He threw himself over Claire, shielding her with his body.

The hall erupted into pure chaos. Screams and crashes filled the air.

I felt a violent impact crush my legs and back, and everything went black as I slammed into the floor.

After Ethan dragged Claire to a safe corner, he finally realized I was trapped under the debris. He turned to run back.

"Ethan!" Claire sobbed, holding onto him.

Ethan froze. He gritted his teeth and turned back to her. "Are you hurt? Where does it hurt?"

Claire, clutching a minor scratch on her forehead, whimpered, "I'm okay... go look for Chloe. She's trapped under there."

"Don't worry about her! She's always been tough. She'll be fine!" My mother's voice cut in as she rushed over, completely ignoring the pile of rubble where I lay.

I was trapped only a few yards away. Every single word they said pierced through the ringing in my ears.

My fading heartbeat went completely cold.

When the rescue team finally pulled me out from under the steel frames, my legs and face were covered in deep, bloody gashes from the shattered glass of the chandelier.

The excruciating pain kept me from making a sound.

As they loaded me onto a stretcher, Claire suddenly let out a dramatic cry.

"Ethan, my head hurts so bad!"

My mother panicked. "Oh my god, she must have a concussion! Doctor! Save her first!"

The paramedic looked at me on the stretcher, conflicted. "But this patient..."

A desperate urge to survive made me force my eyes open.

I reached out with my bloody hand, grabbing Ethan's sleeve, silently begging him with my eyes.

His eyes were red, and his throat bobbed.

In the end, he averted his gaze, unable to look me in the eye.

Amid the chaotic noise of the hall, his voice was horribly clear.

"Save Claire first."

An overwhelming wave of exhaustion washed over me.

I closed my eyes, and the world finally went silent.

By the time I woke up, it was the next afternoon.

My face was wrapped in thick, heavy bandages.

Outside my door, two nurses were gossiping as they walked by.

"The patient in Room 522 is so lucky. Her room is packed with flowers. Her parents and her fianc haven't left her side for a second."

"I know, right? But the girl in this room... she's hurt so badly, and not a single person has come to visit her."

"Their names are so similar too. Claire Vance and Chloe Vance."

Listening to them, I licked my dry, cracked lips.

The water pitcher on my nightstand was empty. My throat felt like it was on fire.

I slowly pushed myself up.

My hand brushed against the bandages on my face. I froze.

I picked up the small mirror on the nightstand.

In the reflection, the face that used to look exactly like Claire's was gone. In its place was a horrific, jagged wound stretching across my cheek, held together by ugly stitches. It looked like a monstrous centipede.

I stared at it, and then, I began to laugh.

It was so ironic, yet so liberating.

I had spent my entire life wishing to escape sharing a face with Claire.

I never thought it would happen like this.

Just then, my phone buzzed. It was Sarah.

"Chloe, the flight has been rescheduled. We leave tonight. Are you ready?"

"Yes," I said. "I'll be there."

Half an hour later, ignoring the doctors' protests, I signed my own discharge papers.

As the plane lifted off into the clouds, a profound, long-awaited sense of peace finally filled my chest.

Meanwhile, having finally heard that I was awake, Ethan pushed open my hospital room door.

His eyes widened in shock.

The bed was empty.