He chose my stepsister. I chose his rival

Scarlet POV:

It was already 10 p.m., and Henry had still not gotten back from work, causing me to worry. I tried to call him several times, but he wasn't picking up his calls, which made me very worried. He never took this long to pick up my calls, and whenever he had to stay out late, he would always inform me beforehand. I'm not one to overthink, but for some reason, I had a bad feeling that something wasn't right, and it made me restless. I made up my mind to head to his office. After driving for about half an hour, my black sedan car finally came to a halt in front of my husband's company.

I walked into the company and noticed that there weren't that many people around, but I had expected it since it was already past 10 p.m., and most of the employees would have gone home by this time, except the security guards.

I arrived in front of his office and slowly turned the doorknob, just in case Henry was busy in his office and didn't want to be interrupted.

"Ahh. Harder, baby. Keep pounding me right there!" I heard it as soon as I turned the door open halfway.

I froze on the spot, not wanting to believe that what I was hearing was real. I sharply inhaled and exhaled, pushing the door open further so that I could confirm whether or not I was really just hearing things or if what I thought was happening was happening.

I finally gathered the courage to push the door open completely, and my eyes grew ten times wider when I was met with the familiar faces of both my husband and my younger sister, having sex on his office table. They didn't even notice that I had walked in on them because they were too engrossed in having sex and moaning like two crazed people.

"Henry, Emily," I managed to call out.

Henry and Emily halted and turned their heads when they noticed someone had walked in on them. Henry had a surprised look on his face, as he wasn't expecting me to suddenly show up, but as for Emily, she had a nonchalant look on her face, almost as though she had been waiting for me to finally find out.

"Scarlet," Henry stuttered, pulling himself out of Emily, who let out a soft moan.

"What's going on here? What are you and my sister doing in your damn office?" I asked, saying the first words that came to mind.

"I...I don't know what to tell you, but I hope you understand," Henry responded, causing me to furrow my brows in confusion.

"W...what did you just say?" I asked, hoping I heard wrong. I was trying not to stutter, but I was too furious to help myself.

"Exactly what you heard. I know you're hurt right now, but this is something that you were bound to find out about sooner or later. It's high time you know that Henry and I love each other, and we hope you'll understand," Emily chimed in, not bothering to pretend to be sympathetic towards me, her sister.

I wanted to say something, but nothing was coming to mind, and I just stood there, replaying Emily's words over and over again in my head.

"Let me do the talking, babe," Henry whispered to her.

"What exactly do you want to say to me? What explanation can you give me for something so obvious?" I questioned, raising my voice a little more than I intended to.

"I know nothing I say will make you feel any better, but I need to be honest with you. Our marriage wasn't supposed to happen, and you know it. I forced myself into this marriage even though I loved someone else-your sister. We've been together for a while now," he confessed, his words like a dagger to my heart.

The urge to cry overwhelmed me, but I fought back the tears. "So, you're telling me that all this time we've been married, you and my sister have been together behind my back? Is that it?" I asked, my voice shaking with emotion.

"It's the truth. As painful as it is, your marriage with me was never real. My heart has always been with Emily. I hope you can understand that," he replied, his words like a final blow.

"I hope you two rot in hell," I muttered shakily before turning to leave. But Henry's last words made me pause briefly.

"I hope you find your happiness," he said, a feeble attempt at consolation. Enraged, I ripped off one of my heels and hurled it at him with all my strength.

"Damn you!" I screamed furiously, storming out of the office and slamming the door behind me. With only one heel on my foot, I walked back to my car and let out the tears I had been holding.

***

Three Months Later...

"I am at peace, I'm happy, I'm alive. I'm... I'm..." I paused.

"You're what, Scarlet? Keep going," Isabella, my close friend and therapist, encouraged. We'd been in her office for over half an hour, and I couldn't seem to finish that sentence past "I'm alive."

Therapy had become a lifeline for me in the last few weeks since my divorce from Henry was finalized. Isabella was the only person I could confide in.

"I get what you're trying to achieve, but I can't fake positivity right now," I admitted honestly, and she sighed.

"Can you tell me exactly what comes to mind when you think of your sister?" she asked, her gaze piercing.

"I hate her," I replied after a few moments of contemplation.

"Care to explain why?" she inquired, and I scowled.

"Why should that even be a question? I hate her because she betrayed me by sleeping with my husband," I retorted.

Bella sighed. "I need you to be very honest with me, Scarlet. Do you only hate her for the affair and betrayal, or is there something deeper fueling your anger?"

"I don't think any other reasons matter. It's all because of what she did with my husband," I snapped, not wanting to delve into unnecessary details.

"Let me ask you this, and be honest. Before the affair, has your sister ever done anything that made you almost hate her?" Isabella probed.

I sighed. "We're sisters. Of course, she did things that upset me, but I never hated her for it. We fought like siblings do," I replied.

"That wasn't the answer to my question. Has there been a time when you truly resented or almost hated your sister for something she said or did to you?" She pressed, and I hesitated.

"Emily and I grew up together. Two years after my mother died, my dad suddenly brought her mother into our lives. They got married, and she was born a few months later. We did everything together, but as we grew up, things changed. We stopped talking as much, and her attitude toward me shifted. She made me feel like I was to blame for my mom's death and said hurtful things about my appearance. I chose to ignore it because I loved her," I admitted, my voice wavering.

"Okay, I hear you. There's something I found out today, and I want to share it with you before you hear it elsewhere. It might be a shock, so stay calm," Isabella said, leaving me bewildered.

"What are you talking about? What's this news?" I asked, eager to know.

"You've been off social media, right?" she inquired.

"Yes, I deactivated my accounts, but what does that have to do with anything?" I replied.

"Take a look at this," she handed me her phone, and I glanced at the screen. The first thing I saw was a picture of Henry and Emily.

'Billionaire and business mogul, Henry Jones, set to wed Emily Taylor this Saturday!'

A surge of anger, disappointment, and embarrassment washed over me. Tears welled up, but I also felt an overwhelming desire to confront them.

"Can you believe this? It's only been a month since my divorce from that bastard, and they're already getting married," I exclaimed, my voice trembling and my eyes fixed on their picture.

"I understand you're upset, but please try to calm down," she advised.

"Don't tell me what to do, Bella!" I snapped, my anger misplaced. "Do you realize how painful it is that they didn't even consider me once and act like I never existed?" I said, my voice filled with pain.

Isabella sighed.

"So what will you do? Your anger is justified, but will it change anything?" she asked, and I chuckled bitterly.

"I won't let them get away with this betrayal. I won't sit quietly while they have their happily ever after," I vowed, my determination unwavering. "Thank you for trying to help, Bella, but my anger and pain won't subside until I see Emily and Henry pay for making me a fool," I declared, getting up to leave, but she stopped me.

"Don't let them have so much power over you," she urged.

"They already do, but not for long," I replied, gently removing her hand and leaving her office.

My legs wobbled, my balance faltered, and my emotions felt like a chaotic storm, but I refused to turn back and leave without confronting the family that had betrayed me.

I knew it was time to stop avoiding the inevitable. Despite my determination to have nothing to do with this family ever again, I couldn't escape confronting them forever. Even though I understood deep down that it might not change anything, I needed closure, a resolution to the torment inside my mind.

Standing in front of my family home, a place I hadn't visited in three months and had sworn never to return to, I took a deep breath before walking through the gate and towards the front door. Every step felt like a challenge, a battle against the anger and humiliation I carried within.

Inside, my father's familiar voice greeted me, but the surprise in his expression suggested he wasn't thrilled to see me so suddenly.

"Scarlet!" he gasped.

"Hello, Dad," I replied, my voice devoid of any emotion. Despite the rush of emotions within me, I couldn't bring myself to be happy seeing my father again. The disappointment I felt toward him was immense; he had failed me when I needed his support the most.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, clearly caught off guard.

"What? Don't you want me here? Does my presence bother you?" I retorted, my words laced with bitterness. I had no intention of pretending I was okay. I was here to express everything that had been festering inside me.

"It's not that. I just wasn't expecting you so soon. But you know you're always welcome here, as long as you don't cause trouble," he replied, his words carrying a tinge of annoyance.

"Oh, please. Don't be pathetic. How dare you imply that I'm only welcome if I don't cause trouble? Does that mean I can't voice my grievances?" I shot back, my anger simmering beneath the surface. My father's lack of empathy fueled my frustration.

"I'm begging you, don't do this. This isn't the time or place to vent your anger. I can understand why you're upset, but you have to move past it and move on with your life. There's nothing you can do to change how things have turned out," he implored, his words leaving me speechless.

"You know what? I didn't come here to talk to you. The person I have a problem with is inside, and she's the one who deserves my wrath, not you. Now, get out of my way," I snapped, pushing past him and storming into the living room where the rest of the family sat.

"Scarlet?" My stepmother's voice called out, trying to diffuse the tension that had entered the room.

My eyes scanned the room, taking in the sight of my family gathered there, seemingly having a grand time. It struck me then that none of them truly cared about me, not one bit. They were content in their happiness while I suffered in silence, left to cope with the devastation on my own.

"Mother, Hannah, Sam," I greeted, pointedly leaving out Emily's name.

Emily, Hannah, and Sam were my stepmother's biological children, while I was the sole child of my late mother. My stepmother, Jane, had raised me, despite the numerous challenges our relationship had faced.

"Well, isn't this a surprise, my dear? We weren't expecting you to show up like this, but we're very happy to see you. It's perfect timing because we're having a celebration right now, and since you're part of the family, you should join us in celebrating," my stepmother said, her tone cheerful.

I nearly scoffed at her apparent obliviousness to the turmoil within me.

"What's the occasion?" I asked, my eyes falling on the invitation cards scattered on the table. I already knew the answer. The wedding between Henry and Emily was imminent.

"We're celebrating Emily's upcoming wedding to Henry," my stepmother announced, her words dripping with feigned happiness.

I couldn't hold back my disbelief. "I know you have no shame, but are you so shameless that you can't see anything wrong in what you just said? Were you so desperate to marry that you had to rush into a wedding with your sister's ex-husband? Are you that hungry to be someone's wife?" I lashed out, my voice resonating with my indignation.

"It's been three months, Scarlet. Three whole months, and you still haven't moved on? Are you obsessed?" Emily retorted, her words slicing through the room like a knife.

"You make it sound like three months is equivalent to three years. Were you expecting me to get over the fact that my sister and ex-husband were sleeping with each other in just three months? And now, all of a sudden, you two are getting married as if nothing ever happened? How thoughtless of you, little sister," I countered, my words sharp with anger.

Emily, undeterred, mocked me. "Oh, well, I won't apologize to you for choosing my happiness over yours. Besides, you keep pretending like your marriage with Henry was a love story, but it never was. You two were in an arranged marriage. He could never bring himself to love you; he fell for me instead. Be a big girl and get over it!" Emily sneered, her satisfaction evident.

Emily's mother jumped in, defending Emily's actions. "This wedding won't be a happy occasion for you, but you must let go of your anger. Your sister made a choice, and it's time for you to accept it and move forward. You can't keep tormenting yourself over something you can't change. Besides, you can't stress your pregnant sister; it's bad for the baby."

The mention of Emily's pregnancy hit me like a blow to the stomach. "You're expecting a child with Henry?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes. Henry and I are having a baby. It's time you accept this and move on," Emily replied, her tone cold and final.

I felt my legs weaken for a moment, but I forced myself to stand tall. "Today may be a happy day for you, but it's a day of betrayal for me."

"If you can't be happy for us, please leave and come back when you've accepted the new reality," my father's voice said, a note of finality in his tone.

I said nothing, my heart heavy with the weight of their betrayal. Turning away, I made my way to the door, determined to leave this house and the family that had turned their backs on me.

A hand grasped my shoulder, halting me in my tracks. When I turned, I found Emily standing there, a sly smirk on her face.

"This may seem extreme, but I still hope you'll attend my wedding. It would be my pleasure to have you by my side on such a joyous occasion," Emily whispered, extending an invitation.

"I curse the days I considered you my sister. You'll pay dearly for this humiliation. I swear it to you," I whispered back, my voice laced with determination.

"Good luck with that," Emily responded, her smirk widening, before patting my shoulder and stepping back.

With that, I left, determined to confront my family's betrayal and make Emily pay for the pain she had caused me.

Scarlet used to think that she was someone who couldn't be angry for too long, but after the situation with Emily and Henry, she had come to realize that she had just never been in a situation where she needed to be angry for a long time.

Currently, she was watching Emily walk down the altar to where Henry stood with a massive smile on his face, and every fiber of her being was boiling with so much anger that she felt like she could explode at any moment.

She wanted to avoid standing out too much, so she made sure to wear something casual that wouldn't draw any attention to her because the last thing she wanted was to get caught in this place. She didn't even want to imagine the look people would have on their faces when they saw her there, attending her sister's and her ex-husband's wedding.

She knew she was already a laughingstock to many people, but she certainly wasn't ready to get caught and watch them laugh in her face.

The fact that nobody seemed to see anything wrong with what was happening here made her even more upset because it was public knowledge that he and she had just divorced four months ago.

Now all of a sudden, he was marrying her sister, and the typical moral police that usually saw a problem with anything and everything were quiet and supportive.

The hypocrisy!

When Henry and she first got married, she saw several news outlets and articles questioning her character and claiming that she simply married him because of his money, even when they had no idea how they got married in the first place. Their marriage happened so suddenly because neither one of them had expected that they were going to be getting married to each other. Because of this, everybody else assumed that she rushed the marriage because she was a gold digger who wanted to cement herself into his family and have a taste of his family fortune.

It was very upsetting at first because she didn't even want to marry him of her own free will, and yet, she was getting dragged by people who had no idea who she was over something that she had no control over.

She hadn't seen any article, not one, criticize the fact that these two people were getting married, and for every article that she had read in the last few days, they kept praising Emily and indirectly shaming her by writing that she was nothing like her because she was a genuine person who fell in love and helped Henry get out of his previously loveless and forced marriage.

How ridiculous, right?

So, right now, her father, who had walked her down the aisle about a year ago, to marry Henry, was walking her younger sister down the aisle to marry the same man that his first daughter had married not too long ago.

She was seated way behind, but she could see every one of her family members staring at Emily with massive smiles on their faces, and it reminded her of the day she was getting married and how they all had similar smiles on their faces like they were genuinely happy for her.

The situation just made her realize that they weren't happy that she was getting married; they were just happy because of who she was getting married to and how her marriage to him was going to elevate their status in society. It took her a while to realize it, but now she knew that the only thing they wanted was to keep Henry Jones as their son-in-law, even if he had to divorce one daughter to shamelessly marry the other daughter.

They didn't care what people thought, and people also weren't concerned with the weird situation because Henry's family was a big-shot family in the country, and no one would want to get on their bad side simply because of their unsolicited opinion.

Emily and her dad continued making their way down the aisle, and she just kept watching them with the feeling of emptiness and hurt growing inside her. After what felt like a decade, Emily finally arrived at the altar, and she watched her dad place her hand on Henry's with the same smile he had on his face on her wedding day.

"Dearly beloved," the priest started, "we're gathered here today to witness the lovely union of two wonderful people who are about to be joined in holy matrimony."

Hearing him use the words 'lovely' and 'matrimony' made her have the sudden urge to puke.

He kept going on and on about how God had brought them together and blah blah blah, and her eyes kept rolling continuously. She was pretty certain that anyone who saw her right now would think that she was a bitter witch who wasn't happy for them, and even though it was true that she was the farthest from being happy for them, she had very valid reasons not to be.

The more she heard him speak and the more she saw the reaction on people's faces, the more it dawned on her that everybody in this hall except herself was a bloody hypocrite because about 80% of the people here right now were also present for her wedding, and they were simply repeating the same reaction they had when Henry and she were getting married.

The fake smile, the fake gasp, the teary eyes, and the most common one of them all, the showering of comments on how they envy you, how they wish to be in your shoes, how beautiful you look, and how happy they are for you. The comments and the lies were just never-ending.

Bloody hypocrites!

"Now, you shall recite your vows to each other, promising before God and man what your partner will always mean to you," the priest encouraged, and her heart clenched a bit when she realized that she would have to hear him making vows to her sister, just a year after vowing to always be with her.

"I, Henry Jones, take you, Emily Parker, to be my lawfully wedded wife, my best friend, my companion, and the love of my life from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family, and friends, I vow to be a faithful partner to you, to love and to cherish you in sickness and good health, in the good times and the bad, to love and support you unconditionally and to respect you for as long as we both shall live," Henry recited and hearing it directly from his lips broke her heart even more.

It made her sad, but even more than that, she was mad because he didn't even put any effort into his vows. He repeated almost the same things that he said to her when they got married, and it pissed her off to realize just how much he didn't regard her or their wedding, that he even went ahead and repeated the same vows he made to her, to her sister.

"I, Emily Parker, take you, Henry Jones, to be my lawfully wedded husband. To love and to cherish you, to be with you through the good and the bad times, to support and encourage you in everything you do, and to respect and honor you for as long as we both shall live," Emily said in her vows, and she couldn't help but scoff at both of them.

Two liars, cheats, bastards, fools, idiots, and betrayers, that deserved to rot in hell were getting married, and she was unfortunate enough to witness such a disgusting event.

She could feel herself getting angrier and angrier, and she knew that was her cue to leave so that she didn't end up reacting in a way that would expose her because the last thing she wanted was for everybody there to find out that she also attended this sham of a wedding.

She stood up quietly after a while and proceeded to walk out of the hall. She bowed her head, carefully covering her face with the scarf over her head while walking briskly out of the place.

She had successfully managed to leave the wedding hall, but just when she was about to heave a sigh of relief that she didn't get caught, a hand grabbed her arm suddenly, and when she looked up to see who it was, she was met with the face of a man that literally almost took her breath away.

So angel-like humans exist? She wondered internally, momentarily forgetting that she was supposed to be bolting out of there at full speed.

"Who-" she was about to ask after snapping out of it, but he cut her off before she could say anything else.

"Forgive my audacity, beautiful, but I'm going to have to ask you to come with me," he said in the most calm and respectful tone ever, and before she knew what was happening, she was getting pulled away by some strange guy.

Sadly, she couldn't scream for help because that would only call attention to her, and she'd get caught, so she had no choice but to allow herself to get dragged to heaven knows where.