Hi everyone, I’m Lena.
Three years ago, I thought I had everything—life was unfolding exactly how I wanted. I had rebuilt myself after a painful breakup in my early twenties by focusing on therapy, career, and learning to trust again.
Then Cole came into my life. Charming, steady, and committed—we dated for four years, and he felt like my soulmate. When he proposed last year, I was elated and began planning our dream wedding, even covering most of the costs myself.
But my twin sister Tara behaved oddly after the engagement. Her reactions to wedding talk were uneasy, leading me to wonder if she was jealous—or protectively overcautious.
Two months before the wedding, she changed. She became involved in planning, volunteered to be my maid of honor, and apologized for her earlier comments—saying she feared losing me.
On the wedding day, everything fell apart. Tara showed up in a white gown nearly identical to mine. Then I saw unexpected guests she’d invited. At the altar, she stood beside Cole—and later, Mom pulled me aside to reveal that Tara and Cole had been in love for months. They’d used my wedding to fund theirs—and Mom approved.
My world shattered. Still, I walked away quietly. I moved cities, changed my life, and cut ties. Over time, I healed—therapy helped, I made new friends, and I found peace in independence.
Later, I learned Cole moved on to someone wealthier, and Tara lost him. But I didn’t care. What mattered: I regained my freedom, realized my strength, and rejected everyone who didn’t deserve me.