Chapter 3 A Problem To Solve

Erica's POV

As I sat on the edge of my bed, it felt like my heart was heavy, dragging me down more than the boxes around the room. Tears streamed down my face, soaking the soft fabric of my wedding dress-the dress I had always dreamed of wearing one day, filled with happiness, not sadness.

I couldn't understand how everything had fallen apart so quickly, a storm of feelings, blame, and betrayal that had turned my life upside down, leaving me confused and broken. I quickly wiped my face with my shaking hand, trying to pull myself together, but the harsh truth pressed on me, smothering any hope I had left.

I looked at the empty walls of my bedroom, where happy memories used to play in my mind. The sound of laughter from my wedding still hung in the air, faint but haunting.

Just hours ago, I stood before family and friends, married to Alpha Jaxon Buell-my childhood crush, the man I believed would bring me endless joy. Instead, I felt trapped in disbelief, surrounded by my things and overwhelmed by the sharp pain of betrayal that cut deeper than any knife.

"Mom! Dad! Please!" I shouted in desperation, my voice rising above the noise. "I promise, I didn't do it!" But they looked away from me, their faces toughening because of the harsh lies told by Jaxon and Erin. Their shocked looks switched off any urge to protect their daughter. The ground felt like it had fallen away-this was not the love and support I had always relied on.

"Erica," my mom had said, her voice heavy with disappointment, "you know how serious this is. You have embarrassed our family." Each word hit me like a hard punch.

"Shame?" I replied, my voice shaking with anger. "I didn't do anything wrong! Erin set me up! You all need to believe me!" But no one listened, drowned out by the convincing lies from my sister and husband, who had pushed me away like a bad mark on their name.

"Twins are meant to be together. How could you betray your sister?" Erin's voice dripped with fake kindness and pleasure, hurting me like broken glass. "You should have thought about that before you tried to take what belongs to me, Erica." I understood clearly this was a planned attack from my own sister.

With shaking hands, I started packing my things again, each item reminding me of my past life-a wedding dress, now a sign of pain instead of happiness, a cosy sweater my mom made for me, and gifts from friends now felt ruined by betrayal. The memories that used to comfort me now felt like sharp knives in my heart.

"This can't be real." I murmured, my voice soft among the new tears. I fell onto the bed, hiding my face in my hands. My warm little room felt empty, making my pain and sadness feel even bigger.

As the minutes slowly passed, feeling like hours, I took a deep breath, trying to find a bit of strength in the mess around me. I wiped my tears again, each movement feeling harder, like the air was heavy with sadness. Sitting up, I searched through the desk drawer until I found a piece of paper. Even in this sad moment, something inside me pushed me to write, to share the mix of feelings inside me.

With a shaky hand, I picked up a pen and started writing in my small handwriting, "Mom, Dad. I need you to know... I never cheated. I was framed. I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused, but I'm leaving. I won't come back..." Each letter felt like a relief, the ink holding the pain that almost took over me.

As I finished my letter to Mom and Dad, doubts flooded my mind. Taking a deep breath, I got ready and took another blank sheet for Erin. "Dear Erin," I wrote, my heart heavy with each word. "Why? How could you do this to me? I thought we were sisters-friends! You were the one I trusted! I don't even know you anymore... I just wanted you to be happy. Why did this happen?" My tears fell on the page, making my last words hard to read, but I kept going, not letting the sadness take over.

After sealing the letters, I felt a strong sense of finality as I stood up, my legs feeling weak. Holding the letters, I knew I had to confront this situation one last time. I quietly walked to my parents' room, slipping the letter under the door while fear squeezed my chest. This action felt so permanent, marking the end of something I had cherished.

As I walked toward Erin's room, every step felt like getting closer to a big, scary creature. My heart raced with every breath. Just before I reached her door, I heard laughter from inside-a warm, friendly sound that I knew well. It was Jaxon's voice, mixed with Erin's, and a chill of fear ran through me.

"Not at all." I whispered to myself, feeling panic rise within me.

Trying hard to hear through the door, I felt scared but also drawn to stay put.

"Did you really believe she could be your partner after everything?" Jaxon's voice was quiet and mocking, each word filled with hate. "She doesn't know what's truly going on."

Erin laughed-a sound that used to make me feel good, now changed into something worse. "She still believes she's superior to me. It's kind of funny, actually. But after tonight? She'll understand where she stands."

"What if she remembers? Someone might try to find her." Jaxon warned, his voice becoming serious.

"She won't. We just need to be cautious. It's not like she'll say anything. By the way, I heard you dealt with that guy, right?" Erin's words filled me with fear. What were they even talking about?

"Sure. He won't say anything, not right now." Jaxon said confidently. "Plus, everything will happen as we planned."

"No more Erica." Erin said happily, her tone filled with a strange delight. "It's just right."

In that moment, it felt like I had been tossed into icy water. My heart pounded hard against my chest, fear twisting in my stomach. This was it; everything was falling apart, and I could barely understand the bad situation coming my way.

I was stunned by the news, my thoughts spinning with shock. They worked together on this? How could they betray me and destroy everything I had worked for? My heart hurt as the hard truth hit me-my sister and Jaxon, the one I promised to love, were plotting against me.

I stood there, eyes wide with surprise, a quiet gasp slipping from my lips as I tried to understand how big it all was.

"I think I heard something." Erin said, her voice cutting through the air, sounding more serious and a little scary.

Panic hit me, and without stopping, I turned around and ran back to the living room. My footsteps broke the quiet, a fast and messy beat that matched the chaos in my mind. I reached for the phone on the wall; my shaking hands had trouble remembering how to call for help.

As I grabbed the phone, I felt a strong hold on my waist pulling me back. The familiar smell of cologne hit me hard, reminding me of everything I had lost.

"Hold on, Erica." Jaxon whispered in my ear, his voice soft but threatening.

"No! Let me go!" I shouted, struggling against him, eager to escape.

"Why should I do that?" His breath was warm on my face. "You know, you were only meant to be a piece in this game. And now? You're just a problem."

"Jaxon, please!" I cried out, feeling so desperate. "You don't really mean any of this! Remember what we had! Think about-"

"Erica!" Erin shouted as she walked into the living room, a smirk on her face. "Did you think you could escape? You're so weak. You can't compare to me. You were never going to win."

Suddenly, something pushed against my nose. I gasped, fighting the growing darkness that wanted to take me, but I lost the battle and fell into sleep as my body went weak.

The final thing I sensed was the sharp ache of betrayal burning in my heart, laughter ringing around me, shutting the doors of my dreams and leaving me lost in a dark sea...