My Sister's Betrothed Chose Me

Chapter 01 Anastasia Shinoara's POV They say every family has a golden child and ours? She just happened to be dipped in platinum. Catherine was born perfect. Not in the way many people exaggerate, but in the way that makes you wonder if she was sculpted by top angels and trained by celestial royalty. The floor she walked on seemed to glow and when she smiled? The sun seemed to hide from its great rival. She spoke each word like it was rehearsed by a PR team. Me? I was the adopted one. The spare. The charity case with a sharp tongue and an addiction to breaking rules. While Catherine walked in with the elegance of a queen in her beautiful gown, I walked in with my baggy ripped jeans. She was the daughter they prepared for the world to represent the Shinoaras, and I was the one they hoped wouldn’t embarrass them in it. “Asia, for God’s sake, fix that wild nest you call hair!” my mother snapped from the doorway. “You look like you just rolled out of bed.” Of course, I just did. “It’s a party, not a pageant. It's not even any of your business, as if anyone is going to notice if I'm absent,” I muttered, brushing past her. She sighed like I was a burden she had no choice but to carry. “Tonight is important, Asia. Every member of the family has to be present. Don't ruin it.” I rolled my eyes at her words while trying to find one of the hairstylists around to help me with my curly mess of hair. If there's one thing I'm grateful for, then it's the fact that I was always treated like a real Shinoara. And now to tonight's important occasion. In fact—important was an understatement. Tonight was the betrothal party—the grand announcement of the engagement between the two top billionaire families in the city… the Shinoaras and the Devilles. The marriage is an arranged one to merge both empires together, fulfilling a dumb promise made decades ago, when both families were clawing their way to the top. They had vowed to unite through marriage and the only problem? Both families had sons. So they waited. And waited. Then Catherine was born. A miracle. A princess. The answer to a decades-old contract. Most times my heart sank whenever I set my eyes on Catherine. The poor, prepared trophy wife never knew what real life felt like. She wasn't allowed to play even as a kid, she couldn't keep friends or eat whatever she wanted. Throughout the days of her life, she was surrounded by doctors, dietitians, etiquette coaches, and weight scales. And most times, I just shrugged my shoulders. Why feel bad for her? She looks cool with it after all. I stood in front of the mirror, smoothing the wrinkles out of my black satin dress. It was simple, unlike Cath’s gown, which probably had its own zip code. My eyes drifted to the drawer. My heart sank to my belly as my fingers wrapped around the handle. I pulled it open and there it was. A pregnancy test strip. The two pink lines stared back at me like two mocking eyes. I sat on the edge of the bed, the weight of it all pressing down on my chest. Anthony’s baby. The boy who swore he loved me. The boy I've always loved since middle school. The one I gave my virginity to with no second thought. My first love. I sighed, not knowing whether to be happy that I have a responsible boyfriend who loves me and will surely be mad with joy if he realizes he has a baby with me, or be sad that my mother will kill me if she finds out. With a sigh, I shoved the test back into the drawer and locked it. Focus, Anastasia, focus. This can be sorted later! Downstairs, the ballroom was a sea of glitter and gold. Chandeliers sparkled like stars, and violins played some classical piece I couldn’t name—but oh boy, did it feel so heavenly. Waiters floated around with trays of champagne, and the city’s elite mingled like they were auditioning for a magazine cover. Catherine stood at the center of it all, glowing like a glitter fairy. Her dress was a soft pink thing that looked like a mountain of cotton candy, her makeup was flawless, and her smile was fixed in place like a Barbie doll! I dare to say she was a living Barbie doll! She looked like a dream. My mother hovered nearby, beaming and smiling with her teeth out like she’d won the lottery. “Asia,” Cath called, waving me over. “Come stand with me.” I did, because saying no might lead to an argument, and an argument would cause a scene—and tonight, scenes were forbidden. “You look nice,” she said. Her voice was sweet but distant. “Simple but nice.” “Thanks,” I replied. “You look like you were thrown into an ocean of cotton candy and glitter.” She laughed, the kind of laugh that didn’t reach her eyes. Ughh… Botox. The Devilles arrived with the kind of presence that made the room go silent. Sir Deville, all salt-and-pepper hair and tailored, arrogant-looking. Mrs. Deville, cold and elegant with a face that looked as if it was carved out of a tree. And then there was Rowan. He walked in like he didn’t care. Like tonight’s event was a chore and everyone here was beneath him. His black suit was sharp and his tie was undone just enough to say, “I’m rich, and I don’t need to try.” He didn’t smile. He didn’t even greet anyone. He just scanned the room like he was looking for the exit. “God, he’s even hotter in person,” one of the guests whispered behind me. Duhh, that boy looked like a goat. I rolled my eyes. Sure, he was attractive—and perfect if you liked your men emotionally unavailable and carved from ice. He walked past Catherine without a glance. Past my mother. Past me. “Rude,” I muttered just loud enough for him to hear. He stopped, and I quickly looked away while Mother pinched my hand. “Rowan,” Mr. Deville called, forcing a smile. “Come, son. It’s time.” Everyone gathered around the grand staircase. My father stepped forward, clearing his throat. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, “tonight marks the fulfillment of a promise made long ago. The Shinoara and Deville families are proud to announce the engagement of our children—” “Actually,” Rowan interrupted, his voice cutting through the room like a blade and shutting my father up at once, “I’d like to say something.” A murmur rippled through the crowd. My mother stiffened. Catherine’s smile faltered and my heart slightly broke for her. Does he find a flaw in her? He better not. Rowan stepped forward, hands in his pockets, his eyes scanning the room like he was bored out of his mind. “I know tonight I’m getting engaged to Catherine,” he said. “She’s beautiful, polished. Everything a man should want.” Awwn, sweet. Catherine beamed, already stepping forward while Mother and I released the breath we’d been holding. “But I’m not interested.” The room froze. “I choose Anastasia.” My heart stopped. “What?” I whispered. I'm not the only Anastasia in the world—it’s surely someone else. But Rowan turned to me, as if replying to my thoughts. “Anastasia Shinoara. She’s the one I want.” Gasps echoed. My mother’s face went pale. Catherine looked like she’d been slapped before dropping to the floor like a lifeless doll. Wait… what just happened?