Chapter 1

At Vivian's welcome-home dinner, someone suggests we play a game called “Whose Lie Is the Wildest?”

To win, I point at my fiancé, Jasper, and my younger stepsister, Vivian.

“Okay, real talk. Those two have slept together.”

The whole table freezes, then bursts out laughing.

“Gardi, you already lost. Jasper and Viv have been dating for years. Of course they’re sleeping together.”

I roll my eyes.

Whatever. Just a stupid party joke.

But that night, when I get back to our family's apartment, all my things are gone.

My toothbrush, my skincare, even my robe on the bathroom hook are all replaced with Vivian's.

The framed photo on the wall, the one where I'm leaning on Jasper's shoulder, now shows her leaning on him.

Same pose. Same smile. Different girl.

For the next two weeks, they're glued to each other.

Jasper treats me like his girlfriend's slightly annoying stepsister: polite and distant.

I can't wrap my head around it.

I scroll through every photo on my phone, text every mutual friend we have, and drive to every restaurant, park, and hotel Jasper and I ever went to.

Nothing.

Not a single trace that Jasper and I were ever a thing.

My parents look at me like I've lost my mind.

“Sweetie, Jasper is Viv's boyfriend. They've been together for years. You know that.”

I start to wonder if I'm the one losing it.

The day of my psychiatrist appointment, I come home and hear laughter through the door.

Vivian, giddy: “Ha! The way she went from dismissive to suspicious to a full-on breakdown is unreal! I’m gonna take first place in the National Photography Prize with this.”

Then my mom, softer: “She's lost weight, Viv. Maybe we should just tell her now.”

Then Jasper, laughing: “Nah. Wait till the exhibit. I'll propose in front of everyone. She'll forget the whole thing the second I go down on one knee.”

So that's what this is.

The game wasn't a game. It was all for Vivian's photography project.

Fine. Then I'm not playing anymore.

...

Inside, the laughter keeps rolling.

Vivian slaps Jasper's shoulder. "I knew you'd come through for me, babe."

"You sure she'll go to the psychiatrist today?"

Mom snorts. "Please. Jasper's got it handled. You'll get the reaction you want."

"Thanks, Mom!"

I always knew Mom liked Vivian more than me, always comparing us and propping her up while cutting me down.

I just never thought she'd use her own daughter as a stepping stone.

My fingers shake as I enter the code.

The pad flashes red. Access Denied.

Inside, there's dead silence.

The door swings open, and my stepdad, Richard, is there, pretending to be worried about me.

"Gardi, you're home."

He hands me my slippers.

"Sweetheart, this delusion of yours has gone on long enough. You really need to see someone."

"He's right, Gardi." Vivian glides up beside me, and I catch the tiny red light blinking through her pocket.

She's filming. Of course she's filming.

I shake my head. "I don't need to."

I reach for a glass of cold water on the counter.

Jasper steps in front of me and presses a mug of hot tea into my hand.

The mug warms my palms, and for a second, I let myself believe he still cares.

During our first month together, I had cramps so bad I was doubled over, sweating through my shirt.

Jasper was frantic. He couldn't cook to save his life, but he made me soup from scratch, spilling half of it and burning his hand on the pot.

When it actually helped, he pulled me into his arms and let out this shaky breath.

"I'm gonna take better care of you. Next time you feel like this, let me help."

And for five years, he always made sure I had something warm to drink when I wasn’t feeling well.

"Viv said you weren't feeling well."

My throat tightens. I force a nod and look up to find Vivian watching me, her eyes bright.

Right. The tea isn't kindness. It's bait.

They need to film me going from touched to gutted in real time.

"Just get checked out, honey…" Mom dabs at her eye. "For me. Please."

She loops her arm through mine and pulls me out the door, straight into the car.

The whole drive, Jasper and Vivian sit up front with their fingers laced, whispering and giggling, until at some point Vivian twists around in her seat.

"Gardi, remember when Jasper brought me gardenias and told me he loved me? God, he was such an idiot. He knew I loved roses, but he brought me gardenias anyway."

She watches my face like a hawk.

I'm the one who loves gardenias. He brought those flowers to me, and I was the one he said he loved.

My name is literally Gardenia.

Any other day, I'd be crying. Today I just paste on a smile.

"Really? Aww. You guys are so cute."

The car jerks to a stop. Jasper turns around and studies my face. "Gardi… you okay?"

"I'm fine." I point out the window. "Aren't we here?"

The doctor is thorough, running a few tests, asking some questions, and finally leaning back.

"Ms. Carter, you're just anxious. There's nothing wrong with you psychologically."

Vivian's smile cracks.

"That can't be right. She keeps telling everyone my boyfriend is her fiancé."

She elbows Jasper, and he immediately pulls out his phone.

"Doctor, are you sure? She's been sending me stuff like this every day."

On his screen is every desperate text I sent him over the past two weeks.

[Jasper, I don't know if you're crazy or I am. You're my boyfriend. Why won't you admit it?]

[Why are all our photos suddenly of you and Viv? When did you swap them?]

[Today's your birthday. Last year you said you wanted to go back to the hotel where we first—]

The doctor scans the messages. His expression shifts, then hardens.

"Ms. Carter, this could be a delusional episode. But more likely, it's a boundary issue."

Nurses drift in and out, eyeing me like I'm the other woman caught red-handed.

Someone whispers, "The actual girlfriend brought her boyfriend's mistress in for treatment? You can't make this up."

"These homewreckers really will say anything to steal a man."

It gets louder. Uglier.

My face burns, and my hands won't stop shaking.

I look at Jasper, desperate, and catch Vivian grinning at him, flashing an OK sign behind his back.