Hearing Her Thoughts, Wedding Day Heartbreak

At the wedding, Vivienne Sterling and I were just about to exchange rings.

As the spotlight hit me, I suddenly heard her voice in my head.

[If it weren't for the fact that Caleb is sterile, I would never marry this man!]

Was she planning to cuckold me before the ink was even dry on the license?

I'm done with this wedding!

I turned my head to glance at my twin brother, Caleb Vance, sitting in the front row.

We were twins, but we didn't look much alike.

He was born just a few minutes after me, but he had always been sickly.

That frailty was exactly why he had stolen every bit of affection that should have been mine.

Right now, Caleb was staring at the stage with a look of deep longing and jealousy.

He was watching Vivienne, the woman who was supposed to become my wife in seconds.

Their eyes met, and I saw a flicker of tenderness in Vivienne's usually icy gaze.

But when she turned back to me, her fianc, her eyes went cold, as if she were looking at a total stranger.

"Didn't you beg and crawl just to get me to marry you?" she whispered harshly.

"What are you waiting for? Put the ring on and let's get this over with."

Vivienne held out her right hand, signaling for me to hurry up.

Instead, I instinctively lowered the ring.

In an instant, every eye in the ballroom was fixed on me.

I looked at her annoyed face and heard her thoughts again.

[I already agreed to the marriage. What kind of cheap tricks is he trying to pull now?]

I let out a cold laugh in my mind.

All my years of devotion were nothing but "cheap tricks" to her.

I had never done anything to hurt her in this relationship.

Yet, here I was, being treated like a backup plan for a sterile man.

I grabbed a bottle of champagne from the nearby table and slammed it onto the floor.

After the loud crash, I spoke clearly, making sure every guest heard me.

"The wedding is off!"

The entire hall erupted into chaos.

"Silas, what the hell is wrong with you?"

Vivienne was the first to react, her face frozen in a mask of fury.

I knew this was the calm before her storm.

In the past, I would have apologized immediately.

But after hearing what she really thought, I realized I was just humiliating myself.

"Can't you hear me, Vivienne? I said I'm not marrying you!"

The guests gasped again.

Vivienne remained cold and composed, not showing a hint of panic.

She knew how much I loved her, or at least how much I used to.

She didn't believe for a second that I'd actually walk away from her.

"Think carefully, Silas. If we don't marry today, we're finished."

She was only this confident because she thought I was obsessed with her.

But the moment I stopped caring, she became nothing to me.

I scoffed and ripped the "Groom" boutonniere off my chest, tossing it into the glass shards.

"I'm done with you, Vivienne. We're breaking up!"

Before I could even step off the stage, my father rushed up.

The next second, a sharp pain blossomed on my cheek.

"You ungrateful brat! Are you trying to humiliate the Vance family on your big day? Apologize to Vivienne right now!"

My mother was staring at me from the front row with pure hatred.

It was as if I weren't her son, but her mortal enemy.

"Mom, Dad, let me explain..."

I tried to defend myself, but then Caleb walked up.

He spoke softly to my mother, his voice dripping with fake concern.

"Mom, don't be too hard on Silas. I'm sure he didn't mean to embarrass us like this."

It had been this way since we were kids.

Caleb always pretended to take my side, but his words only added fuel to my parents' fire.

He used this tactic to make himself look like a saint while making me look like a villain.

Slowly, in everyone's eyes, I had become the selfish, cruel older brother.

Sure enough, my mother's glare grew even more venomous.

"Silas, apologize to Vivienne this instant! Otherwise, get out of this family!"

I swallowed the lump in my throat, still wanting to explain.

But as I opened my mouth, I heard her inner voice.

[If I knew this kid would be so rebellious, I should have smothered him in his crib!]

My eyes widened in disbelief.

My mother had always been biased, but I was naive enough to think it was just because Caleb was sickly.

I never imagined she actually wanted me dead.

I forced myself to stay calm and spoke with a steady voice.

"I won't apologize."

"Fine! Then get out of this house! From today on, the Vance family doesn't have a son like you!"

[Truly a cursed child born with a silver tongue and a black heart!]

My father's eyes were full of disgust as he looked at me.

Beside him, Caleb put on a sympathetic face.

"Silas, don't say things you'll regret. Mom and Dad are just doing this for your own good."

[You should have left a long time ago. I am the only true heir. People like you were born to be stepped on.]

Hearing Caleb's thoughts while seeing his smug expression made my heart ache.

My own family felt like total strangers.

The woman I loved didn't love me, and the family I cared for wanted me gone.

Fine. If everyone hates me, then I don't want any of them either.

"If that's how it is, let's settle the estate. I want my share of Vance Group!"

"What a joke! Your share? Silas, I'm the Chairman. You have no right to anything!"

My father was practically shaking with rage.

I looked at him calmly.

"I have every right. Since I graduated and joined the firm, I turned it from a local business into a public company. More importantly, I hold fifty-five percent of the shares!"

The room went silent.

My father only held forty percent, making him the second-largest shareholder.

Everyone looked at me as if I had grown a second head.

"How could you possibly have fifty-five percent?" my father stammered.

I smiled, and it felt mocking even to me.

Years ago, when the company was in crisis, he sold off a lot of stock.

I knew it was his biggest regret, so I spent years secretly buying it back.

I wanted to give it to him as a surprise for his upcoming birthday.

Now, I realized he didn't deserve a damn thing from me.

"I'm the majority shareholder now. If you want me out of the family, be prepared to lose the company."

Their faces turned pale as they looked at each other.

I didn't care what they were thinking anymore and turned to leave.

Suddenly, Vivienne grabbed my wrist.

Her expression was dark as she looked at me.

"Silas, are you really sure you want to go through with this?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"I'll do whatever I want. Who the hell are you to ask?"

She didn't expect me to snap back, and her face turned bright red with anger.

Caleb rushed forward to stand between us.

"Silas, don't take your frustrations out on Vivienne! If you're mad, take it out on me!"

He looked at her with such tenderness it made me sick.

He actually pulled her behind him to "protect" her.

"Silas, leave Caleb alone. You don't need to bully him because you're upset," Vivienne added.

I looked at the two of them and let out a harsh laugh.

"'Caleb this, Caleb that.' You two sound so close. People might think you're the ones getting married!"

Caleb's face stiffened, as if I'd hit a nerve.

A flicker of panic crossed Vivienne's eyes.

"Silas, don't be ridiculous. Caleb and I are like siblings. Why are you insulting us?"

[Even if you found out, so what? Vivienne loves me, not you!]

I felt a twitch in my cheek.

My own brother was a backstabbing snake.

I ignored them both and walked toward the microphone at the front of the stage.

I grabbed the mic from the stunned MC and addressed the entire room.

"Attention, everyone. Today, I am officially cancelling my wedding to Vivienne Sterling. From this moment on, we have nothing to do with each other!"

"You bastard! Who gave you the right to say that?"

My father finally snapped out of his shock and ran over to grab the mic.

I dropped it on the floor before he could reach me.

The feedback screeching through the speakers made everyone wince.

"You said it yourselfDyou don't have a son anymore. So you have no right to tell me what to do. As for the company, my lawyers will be in touch."

I didn't wait for a response. I walked out of that ballroom without looking back.

Before I even got home, the news of the wedding disaster had spread across the city.

People were talking.

Once word got out that I'd been kicked out of the family and dumped by Vivienne, the gossip turned nasty.

"Imagine being kicked out by your own parents and dumped at the altar. I'd be too ashamed to show my face."

"Everyone knows Silas chased Vivienne for over a decade. Talk about a pathetic loser."

"He's nothing compared to his brother. He's a disgrace to high society."

I didn't give a damn about the rumors.

The people talking were just trust-fund kids like my brother who had never worked a day in their lives.

The next morning, I went straight to the office and called a board meeting.

I officially declared my status as the majority shareholder.

The majority owner has the power to remove the current Chairman.

I didn't hesitate. I fired my father right then and there.

The other board members didn't even argue.

They only cared about profits, and since I was the one making them money, they trusted me more than my father, who only showed up twice a year.

When the termination notice reached the Vance house, the gossip changed.

The insults turned into flattery and desperate phone calls.

I was sitting in the Chairman's office when my father called.

"Silas, you ungrateful wolf! How dare you fire me?"

My voice was flat.

"The majority shareholder has the right to remove any personnel. Those were your rules, remember?"

He was speechless for a moment.

"Silas, listen... we're family. Your mother and I were just stressed yesterday. We can talk this out. There's no need to be so dramatic."

I smirked. He was trying to play the "family card" because bullying didn't work.

"Dad, you were very clear about disowning me. I'm just following your wishes. We'll settle the rest on your birthday."

"You little prick! I should have killed you when I had the chance! YouD"

I hung up before he could finish.

But a doubt started to grow in my mind.

Why did they hate me so much?

Even if they favored Caleb because he was sick, their hatred for me felt personal, almost primal.

I decided to hire a private investigator to dig into the past.

Just as I was finishing work, the door to my office slammed open.

Vivienne and Caleb marched in.

My secretary followed them, looking panicked.

"Mr. Vance, I'm so sorry. I couldn't stop them."

I waved her off.

"It's fine. I just forgot to mention that dogs and these two people aren't allowed in the building anymore."

Caleb, who had been pampered his whole life, turned purple with rage.

"Silas! Watch your mouth!"

"Why? Did I use too many big words for you?" I replied coolly.

Caleb stepped forward as if he wanted to hit me, but Vivienne held him back.

"Silas, if you're still angry, take it out on me. Don't hurt Caleb."

She looked so tragic, acting like a martyr protecting her man.

Caleb looked at her with pure adoration.

"Vivienne, you're too kind. That's why people like Silas think they can walk all over you."

He pulled her into his arms right in front of me.

I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt.

A few days ago, they were "just like siblings." Now they were practically merging into one person.

"If you two are sick, go to a hospital. Don't perform your little drama in my office."

Vivienne glared at me.

"You're so cruel, Silas. You aren't even fit to clean Caleb's shoes!"

Cruel?

I had given her a decade of my life, and that was all she had to say?

I guess I really did throw my heart to the dogs.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll give the Chairmanship back to Mr. Vance and leave the company. If you don't, the Sterling family will make sure you regret it!"

She was still acting tough, protected by Caleb's embrace.

"Haha! Vivienne, get this through your head: I am the Chairman. Every deal between the Vances and the Sterlings goes through me. You're in no position to demand anything."

The Sterling family was struggling. This marriage was their only lifeline.

She was desperate, and it showed in the sudden flash of hatred in her eyes.

"Don't worry, Vivienne," Caleb whispered. "I'm a Vance too. I won't let him ruin us."

She leaned her head against his chest, looking relieved.

[Caleb is so good to me. He even risked his life to save me back then. I owe him everything.]

I watched them with a cold stare.

When they realized I wasn't going to budge, they finally left, fuming.

But after they were gone, I frowned.

When did Caleb ever save Vivienne?

I remembered only one incident where Vivienne was in danger.

Back then, our families didn't even know each other.

She and I had been kidnapped together.

I was the one who dragged her through the woods while she was unconscious.

I was the one who got us out, nearly dying in the process.

That event was why our families started doing business together.

It was me, but in her memory, it was Caleb.

It didn't take long to figure out.

My parents must have lied while I was in a coma so their favorite son could take the credit.

I finally understood why Vivienne chose him.

The whole foundation of her love was a lie.

I couldn't wait to see her face when she found out the truth.

The day before my father's birthday, the PI sent me the file.

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