"Serves her right! The old hag is dead—next is the bastard who stole my sister!"

"You deserve to die too!"

I clenched my fists until my nails dug into flesh.

And again, Eliana held me back, pleading, "Don't blame him. He can't control himself right now."

Every time, her compassion went only to him.

And me? I was always the collateral—second place to her pity.

Now, in the wreckage of our wedding hall, Eliana was once again holding Gideon, patting his back gently.

Then she looked at me with that same frosty calm.

"Jared," she said quietly, "if you truly loved me, you wouldn't force me to make this choice."

I looked down at the broken glass and spilled champagne, at the wedding ring lying in the trash.

And suddenly, I found it all absurd.

"I gave you seven years, Eliana," I said evenly.

"Seven years of waiting for you to choose."

"Today is the deadline."

"It's me—or him."

Gideon buried his face in her dress, crying, "Sister, please don't leave me..."

For a brief moment, Eliana's eyes flickered with conflict. But just as quickly, they turned to ice.

"If that's the case," she said, her voice steady, "then let's break up."

The answer didn't surprise me. It only confirmed what I'd known all along.

I nodded once, turned to the stunned guests, and said quietly, "The wedding is canceled."

"My apologies, everyone."

Gideon whispered something into Eliana's ear and she immediately led him away. She didn't even spare me a glance as they left.

After the guests had filtered out, I went back alone to the carefully decorated bridal suite and started packing my things. Not long after, Gideon updated his social feed. The short video showed a haze of club lights and booming music. He held a wineglass in one hand and had his other arm wrapped possessively around Eliana's slim waist, winking and mugging for the camera. Her veil was askew, cheeks flushed with drink, her eyes glassy.

The caption read, "Celebrating my sister's newfound freedom! Best sibling times—let certain dogs stop dreaming." It wasn't the words that stung so much as the image. The wedding dress I'd spent six months choosing looked like a joke.

A few minutes later Eliana messaged me.

[Jared, Gideon's still very emotional. I have to stay with him a little longer.]

[What I said at the wedding wasn't heartfelt. I only said it to calm him down.]

[You know about his condition—I had to be tough.]

[Don't be angry, and take it to heart, okay?]