Unwanted Substitute’s comeback

Dinah's POV ***** The chandeliers sparkled like stars above me, casting a soft light on the marble floor of the Redwood Estate ballroom. Everything screamed luxury... white roses, elegant gowns, the decorations. It was all perfect. Just like the life I thought I had. Tonight was supposed to be the happiest night of my life. I was turning twenty-two. My parents had thrown a lavish birthday celebration that doubled as an engagement party. By this time tomorrow, the world would know me as Dinah Redwood, heir to Redwood Industries, and fiancée to Daniel Callum... the family friend turned lover. I stood close to a food table, my hands clasped together in front of me while I smiled and waved at guests. A small band played soft music from a corner of the ballroom, and my mother’s laugh echoed as she greeted the guests. Everything should’ve felt perfect. But it didn’t. I spotted Lincoln, my older brother, standing near the champagne glass tower with Daniel. Both wore tailored tuxedos, though Lincoln looked tense, his jaw clenched and his fingers tightening around his glass of wine. Daniel’s calm smile was present as always, but I’d come to know the difference between the real one and the one he wore to play a part. Tonight's smile seemed... Forced. My parents had been acting strange for weeks. Avoiding eye contact, whispering behind closed doors, throwing glances my way when they thought I wasn’t looking. Even Daniel had grown obviously distant. But every time I asked, they brushed me off with small reassuring smiles. “You’ll see soon, sweetheart,” Mom had told me just last night. “Everything will make sense.” I had thought maybe they were planning a surprise. Maybe that was all there was to it. Drawing in a deep breath, I wore a smile when Daniel's gaze went to me briefly. But he looked away as quickly as he had brought his gaze to me, forcing my smile to fall. Suddenly, a spoon tapped against a glass as the music died down. My father stood at the center of the room, smiling broadly as he stretched out his arms. “Ladies and gentlemen!” He announced, and the crowd instantly became silent. “Thank you all for coming tonight to celebrate our daughter’s birthday and..." He paused dramatically, glancing at me before he added. “... What was meant to be her engagement.” Was? I blinked, my heart skipping a beat. The crowd glanced at themselves, murmuring with confusion while my father stood unfazed. “Now, please welcome,” He continued, a warm smile etched on his face. “Our true daughter… Lilah Redwood!" The crowd gasped in collective shock. I felt a cold shiver run down my spine, my body frozen as the glass of wine I held in my hands fell to the ground, shattering into a hundred pieces. But only a few people glanced at me before fixing their gaze on the ballroom entrance. From the ballroom entrance, a figure emerged, her high heels clicking on the marble tiles. She had long black hair, hazel eyes like mine, and a smug smile. Lilah. I knew that name. I’d seen the old pictures. The daughter who’d been in a coma since she was a teenager. A tragedy that had struck the Redwood family years before I was adopted. They had stopped speaking of her altogether. She was supposed to be brain-dead. But there she was, in a flowing white gown, her hands protectively cradling her stomach. The small bump made me realize that she was pregnant. "T–This can't be happening," I whispered to myself in disbelief, blinking repeatedly as if that would help me come to terms with any of this. Something led me to swerve my head to Daniel just then. He wasn’t surprised at all, although a small smile curled up his lips as his eyes lit up. Lilah walked slowly down the path made by the guests who gave way and when she reached the center, she took Daniel’s arm and turned to the crowd. “I’m two months pregnant,” She said immediately, a victorious smile on her face. “And Daniel is the father.” I took a step back, shaking my head as tears began swelling from my eyes. No... This couldn’t be happening. I turned my gaze to my mother and then to my father. The look in my eyes was a silent plea for them to say this was some cruel misunderstanding. But they were beaming with smiles and ignored my existence entirely. “Dinah,” My mother suddenly said, finally turning to me. Her voice was void of sympathy, and her expression was plain. “I just want to make it clear here that we took you in because we needed a stand-in while Lilah was… Unavailable. But now that she’s back, your role is complete.” Stand-in? Unavailable? I couldn’t breathe, resorting to clenching my jaw while holding back my tears. “You were never meant to have Daniel or the company,” My father added with a cold voice. “We’re simply correcting what was always temporary. You." The guests stared at me with wide eyes and hushed whispers. I felt like I was drowning in my own shame. I wanted the ground to open up and take me into its depths. Meanwhile, Daniel didn’t say a word. He simply held Lilah’s hand tighter, drawing her close to his body and kissing her on her forehead. That single kiss was like a thousand slaps on my face. “W-why would you… Why didn’t you tell me?” My voice cracked as I stuttered, my head spinning as I tried to understand all of this. Lilah turned her gaze to me, her lips curling in a cruel smile. “Because you were so good at pretending to be me. It was almost funny.” The tears I had been holding back all this while began falling freely now and I didn't even try cleaning them. “You’re nothing now, Dinah,” She added, a pretentious apologetic smile on her face now. “Just a useless substitute.” There was laughter from a few people in the crowd after that last part, further adding salt to my wound. At this point, I couldn't hold in my shame anymore and ran with all my might, heading out of the ballroom. I went down the corridor and then into the cold night air. My heels clicked against the pavement until I collapsed at the fountain where Daniel first kissed me months ago. I sat there, hugging my knees, trying to understand how everything could fall apart in minutes. Was this some kind of cruel prank? Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me and slowly swerved my head to see who it was. Lincoln. “Dinah—” He was about to say something but I interrupted sharply. “Don’t.” He paused, biting his bottom lip before he spoke with an awkward tone “I didn’t know they’d do it like that.” “You knew,” I blurted bitterly, rising to my feet. “You knew she was back. You knew all this was happening behind my back." He flinched at first but then sighed. “It wasn’t my place to say.” “I’m your sister!” I yelled into the night with frustration, my voice trembling and my eyes stinging with more tears. However, his silence confirmed what I feared. I never was. And I never truly was the Redwood family's daughter. Just a pathetic substitute...