Chapter 3 “I’m supposed to be your wife…. idiot.”ld habits never die?
~Hazel.
I watched as their faces twisted in horror. It was the perfect evening.
I’d ruined their day, just like they’d attempted to ruin my life.
A little trouble to season their peace.
It’s not much, but it’s something.
I made my request known to them all.
Since Hannah and I always wanted the same thing, how about we learned to share?
Share the man we both desperately wanted?
“It’s not possible!” Father declared, slamming his fist hard against the table.
I laughed. Then it faded. “You should have thought about this before making Hannah take my place.”
I’d expected something different—maybe anger, blame, curses… not the loud bout of laughter that burst from Dad’s lips. It shifted something inside me.
He slowly walked toward me, a smile hanging on his lips. “Come on, Haven,” he whispered, his voice solemn.
His hands cupped my shoulders, guiding me as I stood up. I kept wondering what he was up to—why he kept smiling, why he wasn’t panicking.
He led me toward the mirror hung on the wall. Dad stood behind me, his eyes filled with something I couldn’t read.
I stared. Hannah stared right back at me. Mom’s hatred burned in her gaze.
“What’s this about?” I asked, my voice remaining firm.
“Look at you,” he whispered.
Slowly, my eyes lifted. My reflection stared right back at me, then Dad’s words came. “Take a good look at yourself, Haven. Your eyes burn with anger. Your whole body fumes with hatred. You glare like you want everyone dead. It’s way too obvious—how much resentment you have in your heart.” He paused.
I looked into the mirror.
At myself… it hurts to admit, but… it’s true.
It suddenly felt hard to breathe. My eyes welled with tears as pain bloomed in my chest.
He continued, “Now take a good look at Hannah. Look at the warmth in her eyes. The peace that surrounds her can’t be ignored, can it? Now ask yourself this question, Haven. If you were Walter, who would you choose—trouble, or Hannah?”
Trouble. That was… me.
Would I choose me? Would I choose the woman staring right back at me?
Dad’s lips parted with a soft smile. “Exactly, Haven. I believe you know the answer. So that’s why we decided to choose for Walter—to save him the stress.”
Dad let go of my shoulders, casually walking away like nothing had happened.
“There would have never been a reason to choose if you’d just let me have him!” I screamed, breathing heavily as tears built in my eyes.
I tried so hard to push his words out of my head, but they felt engraved into my brain.
“He’d have chosen Hannah himself anyway,” he answered, his voice calm.
My gaze shifted to Hannah. She looked satisfied, unbothered—mocking me with her expression.
“How dare you all!” My voice pierced the silence. “How dare you use who I’ve become against me when you made me this way!” I sneered.
“The earlier you learn to stop passing blame, Haven, the better.”
“You think you can all get away with this? You think you can ruin me and toss me aside afterward?” I asked, slowly walking toward them. They stared at me like I’d lost my sanity. “I’ll make sure every fall I take, Hannah experiences it too. I’ll drag Hannah down with me! I’ll make sure she pays for everything! I—”
“Mr. Sutherland, is everything okay?” a soft masculine voice sounded behind me.
My words seized. My world paused. I’d heard that voice somewhere.
It sounded familiar… way too familiar to forget.
I’d heard it that night at the supermarket, when he told the girl at the counter to take his card.
Walter.
My heart raced at an unhealthy pace, sinking all the way to my feet. My legs felt heavy as I slowly turned.
Our eyes met.
His perfect eyes stared into mine—the way his hair rested flawlessly on his face, the way his lips curved into a smile, the way his hands slid into his pockets. He was perfect. Too perfect for me.
I immediately looked away.
I was afraid he’d see the woman I saw in the mirror—the one who embodied nothing but hate.
“Oh, Walter,” Father chuckled.
Hannah and Mother remained silent.
“I heard Haven raising her voice earlier. Is everything okay?” he asked.
Oh. Right. I was… yelling.
Dad chuckled, laced with a level of hypocrisy anyone could tell. “How’d you know it was her? No one really tells them apart.”
I looked into his eyes.
I knew what those words meant.
He was trying to prove what he said earlier– the difference between Hannah and I.
How are eyes beamed with warmth and mine was dripping with hate.
“Oh, that?” Walter smiled. “I remember you told me Hannah isn’t the type to ever raise her voice. So I figured it was Haven. Hannah’s calm. I doubt she’d do that,” he said.
My heart ached like never before.
Even Walter had failed to see who I truly was.
Fair, isn’t it?
“Darling!” Hannah pitched her voice high as she ran to him, throwing herself into his arms like he was hers.
In reality, he was.
“Meet my sister, Haven,” she giggled. “Haven, won’t you at least congratulate us on the wedding? I know you’re not in such a good mood, but… you should at least hide it. Not in front of your… in-law, Haven.”
Like the fool I was, I whispered, “Congratulations on the wedding, Walter.”
Anything—anything but being ridiculed in front of him.
I no longer wanted to cause trouble. I couldn’t.
I just wanted him to see me as me, not the devil the Sutherlands created.
It’s not too much to ask, is it?
“Oh, thank you, Haven. You’ll make a great sister-in-law—I can tell,” he smiled. “It’ll be nice getting to know you. You can definitely come visit if you want. Spend time with your sister and be the perfect aunt to our children.”
Ouch. I’m supposed to be your wife, idiot.