Chapter 3

Catherine took the elevator down to the hotel's service level. She found the large, industrial trash bin where the room service carts were emptied. Without a second thought, she upended the small trash can from her suite into the bin. The diamond ring, the scarf, all of it disappeared under a pile of discarded napkins and leftover food.

A cleaning lady passing by gasped. "Ma'am! You dropped something! That's a diamond!"

She tried to reach in and retrieve the ring.

"Don't bother," Catherine said, her voice devoid of emotion. "It's dirty."

"But I can clean it!" the woman insisted, looking at her as if she were crazy.

"Some things," Catherine said, looking past the woman, "can never be washed clean."

The night of her birthday party arrived. Derek had booked the entire top floor of the city's most exclusive hotel. The ballroom was a fantasy of white roses and crystal chandeliers. Guests murmured about how devoted Derek was, how he had waited five long years for his one true love.

"You are so lucky, Catherine," a friend of hers sighed, sipping champagne. "To have a man love you that deeply. He's planning a huge surprise for you tonight, you know."

Catherine just smiled.

The party was in full swing, but Derek was late. Just as the whispers started, a commotion erupted at the entrance.

Reporters, who had been kept outside, were clamoring, their flashes firing. In the center of the storm was Anjelica, holding Errol's hand.

"Mr. Alexander's family has arrived!" one journalist shouted, mistaking her for a sister or cousin.

Catherine's face went pale. Her friend looked from Anjelica to Catherine, her expression a mixture of confusion and dawning horror. "Catherine... who is that?"

How could she possibly explain? This is the woman who tried to kill me, who stole my husband and child, and who my parents now prefer to me.

Anjelica glided toward her, a picture of innocence and grace. "Catherine, happy birthday. I'm so sorry, Errol insisted on coming to see you."

Catherine turned to Derek, who had finally appeared at Anjelica's side. "Why is she here?"

Before he could answer, Errol spoke up, his voice loud and clear. "You're a bad mommy! You made Mommy Anjelica cry!"

Her parents materialized, as if on cue. "Catherine, don't make a scene," her mother hissed. "Anjelica is one of the family now."

One of the family. The words echoed in the vast, silent ballroom. Everyone was staring. The pity, the morbid curiosity, the whispered speculation-it was a physical weight, pressing down on her, suffocating her.

Anjelica, ever the master manipulator, looked on the verge of tears. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear. "I shouldn't have come. I'll leave." She pressed a beautifully wrapped gift into Catherine's hand.

Catherine's fingers were numb. She couldn't feel the box, couldn't feel anything but the cold dread coiling in her stomach.

Her friend, trying to salvage the evening, clapped her hands together. "Well! Time for the surprise, Derek!"

The crowd, eager for a distraction, joined in the chant.

Derek, grateful for the interruption, took a deep breath. He got down on one knee.

He opened a small velvet box. Inside was another diamond ring. A perfect, round-cut solitaire.

"I had this one custom-made," he announced to the room. "The other one... wasn't quite right. This one is perfect. Just for you."

He slid it onto her finger. It fit perfectly.

"This stone," he said, his voice ringing with false sincerity, "will only ever belong to you, Catherine. You are my one and only."

The room erupted in applause.

Catherine stared down at the ring. She felt nothing. What did "one and only" even mean to a man like him?

"Time to cut the cake! Make a wish!" someone shouted.

The lights dimmed. A massive cake, blazing with candles, was wheeled out. Everyone sang.

Catherine closed her eyes. She leaned forward, took a deep breath, and made her wish.

"I wish," she said, her voice a low, clear whisper that seemed to cut through the darkness, "that all the impostors in the world would just... disappear."

She blew out the candles.

The lights stayed off for a moment too long. When they finally came back on, Anjelica was staring at her, her face ashen. She understood the message. With a choked sob, she turned and fled the room.

Derek's hand, which had been resting on her back, dropped away.

"Catherine, how could you?" her mother admonished, her face tight with disapproval.

"Derek, go after her!" her father commanded. "Don't let her run off like that!"