His Betrayal: Choosing Her Over Me

Leia was drowning in a wave of bone-deep exhaustion. She couldn’t even summon the energy to stand up and wash her face. Julian, ever the doting attentive husband, would dampen a warm towel and help her freshen up. When she couldn’t be bothered to keep up with her skincare routine, he even booked a beautician to come to the house to do it for her. All these little kindnesses made her feel like a spoiled, cared-for princess… and a little too dependent on him.

Pulling herself back to the present, she watched Julian’s big hands move deftly through her loose curls, all his focus on styling her hair for her. He looked so unfairly handsome, so charming, that she couldn’t tear her gaze away. But then…

A flash of memory hit her: Julian wrapped in a hug with Piper. The thought made her jerk back and push him away, a deep frown tugging at her mouth. "Julian, stop. I’m not five. Besides, aren’t you worried Piper will see and get the wrong idea?"

Her words came out thick with jealousy, her full red lips trembling against her will. "You’ll always be my little girl," he teased, tapping the tip of her nose soft, his eyes warm with affection. Leia’s resolve melted against the pull of his gentle love.

"Piper’s reasonable," Julian added. "She won’t read into it. Besides, she’s asleep right now." But every single word drifted straight to Piper, who stood frozen in the doorway, listening to every tender exchange. Her nails dug so deep into the wooden doorframe that her fingertips ached, all to hold back the hot, rising fury bubbling up inside her.

When one of her nails snapped clean at the edge, she didn’t even feel it. Leia’s heart dropped into her stomach, heavy with a bitter, unnameable ache, as Julian laced his fingers through hers and led her out of the bathroom. Suddenly, a shrill scream split the quiet of the house.

Julian dropped Leia’s hand instantly and bolted toward the sound, stumbling a little over the rug. Leia hurried right after him, only to find Piper sitting on the hardwood, one hand pressed to her ankle. A cold knot of unease twisted in Leia’s gut. Two accidents back to back? How was that even possible?

Julian’s brow furrowed deep with worry as he skidded to a stop at Piper’s side. "Weren’t you asleep? What are you doing out here?" he asked, urgent.

Piper’s gaze flicked to Leia, then softened when she turned back to Julian. "I woke up and you weren’t next to me," she said, quiet and sweet. "I couldn’t fall back asleep without you, so I came looking… and I slipped. I just… I feel so lost and insecure when you’re not there, Julian."

Leia bit down hard on her lower lip, her eyes burning with unshed tears. She turned her head away, saying nothing. Julian cursed himself inwardly as he gently rubbed her swollen ankle, cooing soft reassurances. "Don’t worry, I won’t leave your side again. Looks like you hurt it pretty bad. I’ll carry you back to your room and get some pain meds."

Leia stood there, a thin, wobbly smile tugging at her lips, as her husband carried another woman in his arms so tenderly. She couldn’t find her voice, couldn’t work up the courage to say a single word. All she could do was stand there and give them her silent blessing. And all the while, the pain in her chest was so sharp it hurt to breathe.

Julian lifted Piper easily, and she turned her soft gaze on Leia. "Leia, can we have a little chat? After you leave?"

Leia’s face drained of all color, going so pale it was almost translucent. After a long, tight pause, she said, "Sure."

Once he’d gotten Piper settled back in her room, Julian glanced over at Leia and noticed how washed out she looked. "Piper’s not feeling well," he said. "Just… be nice to her, okay?"

Leia nodded. "Okay."

When Julian left to grab the first aid kit, Piper’s face split into a sly, knowing smile. "Sit down, Leia," she said.

Leia forced a polite smile and cut straight to the point. "What do you want to talk about?"

Piper’s smile sharpened into a sneer. "Watching us dance around each other like this… it’s eating you up inside, isn’t it?"

Leia froze, stunned. She never expected Piper to be so blunt. The sweet, innocent act Piper put on during the day couldn’t be farther from this sharp, biting tone.

Leia blinked, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Leia, I’m grateful you donated your bone marrow to me," Piper said, leaning forward. "But that doesn’t mean I don’t resent you. If you hadn’t done it, Julian would never have married you. You’d still be working double shifts at seedy dive bars and nightclubs… or worse."

Piper’s words hit Leia like a lightning strike to the chest, leaving her reeling, stunned. Was she really saying Leia wasn’t good enough for Julian? That she was below them?

"You cheated your way into Julian’s life, and now that the whole marriage contract is up, why won’t you just leave? Is clinging to what’s not yours really that fun?"

"You probably think Julian’ll pick you in the end. Don’t forget—you were just a placeholder. A stopgap for him until I got better. You being here just reminds everyone how completely useless you are."

"If I were you, I’d have packed my bags and gotten out a long time ago."

Placeholder. Stopgap. Useless. Piper’s words were sharp little knives, each one sinking deeper into Leia’s heart, carving it into pieces, bleeding with every jab.

She could brush off insults from any stranger, but coming from Piper? It cut deeper than anything. Without Leia’s bone marrow, Piper would have been dead and gone years ago. How dare she talk to her like this? Anyone else could hurl insults, but not Piper. Not after everything Leia did for her.

Leia had never felt so small, so belittled in her entire life. Her nose stung, her eyes burned red, and when she spoke, her voice was ice. "Piper, I never guessed that sweet innocent act of yours hid such a rotten, malicious heart."

"You’re so scared I won’t leave, aren’t you?"

"You don’t trust Julian that much, do you?"

"Then again, you’re right to be insecure. You’re nothing special to look at, after all. It makes sense."

Piper just laughed instead of getting mad. She stood up, gliding graceful across the carpet toward Leia, and smirked, arrogant and sure. "Insecure? That’s rich. Julian’s told me he loves me a hundred times. Has he ever said that to you?"

No. Leia realized it, bitter and raw. He’d never said it. He’d never even kissed her of his own free will—only out of obligation. She had nothing to say back.

Seeing Leia’s pale face crumple into despair, Piper stepped closer. Leia stared up at her, completely thrown, and stammered, "Your ankle… it’s not hurt?"

Piper smirked. "If I didn’t fake a little accident, would you ever have stayed behind to talk like this?"

Leia grit her teeth so hard her jaw ached. "Piper, how can you be this rotten? Julian adores you, I saved your life, and this is how you repay us?"

"You think showing off how much he cares about you will scare me into leaving? That’s ridiculous."

"Is that right? We’ll see. If you’re curious how things really are between us, you can always join us tonight."

Rage bloomed hot and heavy in Leia’s chest, her palms slick with cold sweat. She’d never been this furious in her life. This homewrecker had invaded her house, insulted her, and pushed her right to the breaking point.

Her face flushed bright red, and she snapped, "Piper, I was already planning to move out tomorrow. But after the way you’ve acted? I’m staying. I’m not going anywhere, and I’m not playing your sick little games."

As she turned to leave, Piper’s lazy voice drifted after her. "If you stay, I’ve got a whole lot more tricks where that came from."

"Piper, you’ve gone too far!" Leia’s eyes blazed with anger. Just as she reached for the doorknob, Julian walked back in, the first aid kit in hand.

"Leia? What were you two chatting about? Why are you so flushed?"

Before Leia could get a word out, Piper’s soft, sweet voice cut in. "Oh, I was just telling Leia about that silly time we rented a hotel room together back in college. You got so flustered you ran right out with your pants only half zipped! I still laugh thinking about it."

Hearing her lie so smoothly made Leia’s blood boil, and she almost called her out right then. But Julian shifted awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with Leia hearing that old story, and said nothing.