Chapter 1

The day I got my acceptance letter from Harvard, my biological parents sent me to prison.

All because their adopted daughter, the fake princess Olivia Bennett, got into a hit-and-run while drunk.

They falsified evidence and framed me for it.

I was sentenced to ten years, and the victim's family broke my leg, ruining my future.

In the depths of my heartbreak and despair, the boy I had secretly loved since childhood, Lucas Henderson, held my hand.

"I believe you're innocent," he said.

"I'll find the evidence to clear your name."

"If not, I'll wait for you to get out, and then I'll marry you with a grand wedding you deserve."

I held on to his words like a lifeline, enduring the pain of prison life.

When I was released early for good behavior, I overheard a conversation between him and my parents.

"Thanks to you for setting everything up years ago," Lucas Henderson said coolly.

"Olivia's been pampered her whole life, she'd never survive prison. But just in case…"

He didn't seem fazed.

"There's no 'just in case.'"

"I'll marry Charlotte Bennet as promised, keep her quiet, and take care of her."

"And no matter what, I'll make sure Olivia's life stays perfect."

My mom sighed softly.

"If we had known this would happen, we never should have brought her back."

"But the people you hired last time—wasn't that a little too much?"

"I heard they didn't just break her leg, but also tortured her so badly her kidneys ruptured and she lost the ability to have kids."

"Letting you marry a woman like that is just too much of a sacrifice for you."

Lucas Henderson was silent for a moment before giving a small, bitter smile. 

"It's not a sacrifice. It's something I owe her."

"If I don't do this, Charlotte Bennet will never learn. What if she gets out and starts talking?"

"What will Olivia do then?"

They all chatted like nothing was wrong.

Meanwhile, I stood frozen, shivering. 

My hand hovered above the door, unsure whether I had the strength to knock.

Then, I saw Olivia Bennett coming downstairs in a perfect designer dress, skipping like a butterfly, and threw herself into Lucas Henderson's arms.

"Lucas, let's go shopping! I found a couple set that would look perfect on us."

Lucas Henderson smiled indulgently and ruffled her hair. 

The two of them strolled out, hand in hand.

I stood there like a stray dog, caught between the door and them.

Lucas Henderson paused for a second, then let go of Olivia Bennett's hand.

"Charlotte Bennet, what are you doing here?"

"You should've told me you were out so I could pick you up."

With that, he took off his jacket and draped it over my trembling shoulders.

He froze when he saw the scars all over my body.

His expression softened, and he gently took my hand, rubbing my stiff, swollen fingers.

"I'm so sorry for everything you've gone through."

"You don't have to worry anymore. I'll protect you from now on."

'No one will ever hurt you again."

I felt the warmth of his hand, but my heart turned to ice.

Years ago, Olivia Bennett's biological mother, who had been our housekeeper, swapped us out.

She hated how clever I was and would beat or yell at me. 

Before I turned ten, I didn't have a single uninjured spot on my body.

Then one day, when things fell apart, she left behind a note and jumped into the river to take her life.

I was sent back to the Bennett family, hoping for a reunion with my real parents, a chance to escape the torture. 

But what I faced instead was disdain.

My parents thought I was too rough around the edges, nothing like Olivia Bennett—she was refined and perfect, unlike me, who could never measure up. 

Out of everyone, only Lucas Henderson treated me the best.

When I was repeatedly ignored and mocked, it was Lucas Henderson who held my hand, encouraged me, and comforted me.

I fell for him, hopelessly.

I gave him all my trust and reliance, thinking he was the one who would always be there.

Who would've thought that the one who treated me the best would also be the one who hurt me the most?

My eyes welled up with tears, and before I could say a word, Olivia Bennett suddenly burst into tears.

"Lucas, is Charlotte Bennet coming back? Are you going to leave me now?"

"It's okay," she cried dramatically. "It was always supposed to be hers anyway."

"I'll just give it back to her."

"A person like me—who's so unnecessary—should never have existed!"

With that, Olivia Bennett pulled out a knife and dragged it across her wrist.

Chapter 2

The knife didn't cut deeply; it just left a shallow red mark.

But my parents and Lucas Henderson all panicked.

My mom sobbed and pulled Olivia Bennett into her arms, while Lucas Henderson, looking stricken, immediately called for a private doctor.

My dad stormed over to me, his face twisted in fury, and slapped me across the face.

"You disaster," he spat.

"Why are you back? Every time you show up, something bad happens."

"What did your sister ever do to you? Why are you doing this to her?"

"Someone like you, with such a vicious heart, should've stayed in prison!"

Olivia Bennett's sobs only made my dad angrier.

He grabbed a teacup off the table and threw it at me with all his might.

I braced for the pain, but it never came.

When I looked up, I saw Lucas Henderson standing in front of me, blocking the cup from hitting me.

"Uncle, Aunt, please don't take it out on Charlotte Bennet," he said, his voice steady.

My parents glared at me, then hurriedly took Olivia Bennett to the hospital, still looking anxious.

Once they were gone, Lucas Henderson gently pulled me into his arms, soothing me.

"Charlotte Bennet, don't be upset. You've got me."

"My love for you will always be just for you."

I looked up at him, his eyes full of tenderness, as if he truly loved me.

I lowered my gaze, a bitter smile tugging at my lips.

"I'm fine, I've gotten used to it."

"You don't need to worry about me. Go take care of your hand."

Lucas Henderson smiled softly.

"My little Charlotte Bennet, always so understanding."

"I'm going to marry you as soon as I can, and no one will ever hurt you again."

He ruffled my hair like he did with Olivia Bennett, then turned and walked away.

Watching him walk off, my heart felt like a barren wasteland.

The CEO of the Henderson Corporation, willing to marry someone like me—a prisoner, a broken mess—just to make Olivia Bennett happy.

This kind of love was honestly... amazing.

I took a deep breath and returned to the small, dusty attic room.

I quickly tidied up, but before I could lie down, I got a message from Olivia Bennett.

In the video, my parents sat on either side of her, looking overly concerned.

And there was Lucas Henderson, crouching in front of her, feeding her slowly, gazing at her with all the affection in the world.

"You probably don't know yet," she said with a smug smile, "but Lucas and I are already engaged."

An engagement? What about the promises Lucas Henderson made to me?

In disbelief, I opened his social media account, clicking on it with shaky hands.

The first post at the top was a photo of them getting engaged.

Scrolling down, every post was about Olivia Bennett.

While I was stuck in prison for five years…

Lucas Henderson used his connections to get Olivia Bennett into Harvard, taking my place.

But instead of focusing on her studies, Olivia Bennett spent all her time with him, enjoying the high life.

The two of them, holding hands in a lavender field.

Whispering sweet nothings under the Eiffel Tower.

I was locked up, enduring beatings and insults.

They, on the other hand, were living out every romantic dream in the world.

I was penniless, couldn't even afford a cab after I was released.

Meanwhile, they were throwing money around, buying jewelry worth more than my entire life's savings.

While I was in the dark, they had already become the golden couple in their social circle.

No wonder, over these five years, Lucas Henderson and my parents hadn't come to visit me even once.

I naively thought he was out there working on my case, trying to clear my name.

Turns out, he was too busy enjoying sweet moments with Olivia Bennett.

The pain in my chest felt like it was tearing me apart.

I lay on the bed, letting the tears fall freely.

Suddenly, my phone rang.

I picked it up without thinking, and the voice on the other end caught me completely off guard.

"Charlotte Bennet, I heard you're out of prison. How are you doing?"

Of all people, it was the old professor I had only met once, who was asking how I was.

We exchanged some pleasantries.

Then he told me that all these years, he'd been working hard to investigate my case, fighting for my reduced sentence, all so I could join a secret research center once I was free.

"You're a rare talent. Whether you agree or not, I'll keep looking into that car accident and clear your name."

His words sent a warmth through my cold heart.

Back then, I had worked my butt off to earn my parents' approval.

I not only received acceptance letters from prestigious schools, but I was also selected for a national research team.

But I never got the chance to make a choice.

Instead, my closest loved ones conspired to send me to prison.

Now, I saw right through my parents and Lucas Henderson's fake faces.

I would never again foolishly yearn for a love that wasn't meant for me.

With tears streaming down my face, I agreed to the professor's invitation.

His voice was filled with excitement. 

"That's fantastic! I'll come personally to pick you up in five days."

"We'll see each other then!"

"We'll see each other then," I replied, a quiet determination in my voice.

Looking at the photo on my phone of Lucas Henderson and Olivia Bennett wrapped in each other's arms, I turned and drew a line across the wall.

It was a habit I had developed in prison.

Back then, I had hoped for the day I'd be free and able to see Lucas Henderson again.

Now, I only wished for the day I could leave it all behind for good.

Chapter 3

The window in my attic was drafty, and the cold air sent sharp, agonizing pain through my broken leg.

Just when the pain was becoming unbearable, Lucas Henderson knelt by my bed and gently began massaging my leg.

When he saw that I had woken up, his eyes were red, and he looked at me with a mix of sorrow and guilt.

"I had no idea you went through so much in prison," he said, his voice breaking.

"I swear, I'll make sure everyone who hurt you pays for it."

The one who hurt me most was you.

I bit my lip until the taste of blood filled my mouth, desperately trying to keep the surge of emotions inside under control.

I lowered my head, trying to avoid his gaze, but then I heard him speak again.

"Charlotte Bennet, marry me. I can't stand seeing you suffer in this kind of place."

"This room is so run-down, the housekeeper from Bennett family wouldn't even stay here…"

Looking at him, with all his supposed love and care for me, I couldn't help but sneer bitterly.

"Do you really want to marry me?" I asked, the sarcasm barely hidden in my voice.

"Of course, I do," he said, his voice softening.

"You don't remember? We've known each other since we were kids."

"I liked you the moment you were brought back to the Bennett family."

He paused, then added with a hesitant smile, "It's just... my parents might make it difficult."

"If it doesn't work out, we could just elope."

"We can get married secretly, and let Olivia stand in for you at the ceremony."

"That way, no one will gossip about you."

He slipped a massive diamond ring onto my finger, a smile full of affection and care on his face.

But I instantly recognized it.

This was the same ring Olivia Bennett had worn.

It was a piece of jewelry once owned by the Queen of England, worth millions.

A symbol of eternal love.

The love was real.

But the ring on my finger was a lie.

I wasn't the one he truly loved.

With tears stinging my eyes, I forced myself to speak, my voice trembling with anger and hurt.

"After I came to the Bennett family, my parents never wanted me to be seen."

"They said I was unfit for public life, that I was just a 'foster daughter,' and made Olivia take my place, living a life of luxury and attention."

"Now you're doing the same thing."

"You can't stand me either, so you want her to replace me and marry you."

"Is that what I am? Someone who doesn't deserve to be seen?"

"I didn't even do anything wrong! It was Olivia Bennett who caused the accident and ran away."

"She's the one who's been bullying me this whole time!"

"And yet, she gets all the love, all the attention, while I'm stuck here, taking the blame for everything."

I felt a searing rage build up inside me, and before I could stop myself, I ripped the ring off my finger and hurled it across the room.

"Lucas Henderson, I don't accept it!" I yelled.

The ring soared through the air in an arc and, without warning, hit Olivia Bennett, who had been lurking by the door, square in the face.

She stumbled back, clutching her face, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Are you really this much of a monster, Charlotte Bennet?"

"Do you think you'll only be happy when I'm gone?"

"Fine, if that's what you want, I'll go die," she sobbed.

"Goodbye, Lucas Henderson. I hope you and my sister find your happiness together."

With that, Olivia Bennett ran off, crying.

Lucas Henderson didn't hesitate.

He pushed me away with a force that caught me off guard.

My injured leg gave way, and I collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Blood started to seep out from my previous wound, turning the floor beneath me red.

Lucas Henderson didn't even look at me.

He was too busy hovering around Olivia Bennett, his face filled with concern.

"Charlotte Bennet, don't think just because you spent a few years in prison that you can boss her around!"

"If you hadn't come back, Olivia wouldn't have been so triggered and started drinking to cope."

"This is all your fault! You can't blame Olivia for any of it!"

"You spent a few years behind bars, but Olivia has been quietly suffering all this time."

"She's been through so much! Why can't you just let her be?"

"You're so disappointing…"

His words cut through me like a sharp knife, splitting my heart wide open.

I stood frozen.

It wasn't until he left, holding Olivia in his arms, that the tears finally began to fall.

So this was his version of 'special treatment.'