My Stepsister Livestreamed My Billion-Dollar Wedding Gown Chapter 02
“Who are you calling? Do you want the whole world to hear you fighting with Talia on your wedding day?”
“I’m not fighting. This gown—”
“Gwen.”
He cut me off, lowering his voice. His gaze turned icy.
“Do you still want your fashion showcase next month? Without the family pulling connections for you, do you really think everything will go smoothly?”
“Today’s a celebration. Don’t ruin Talia’s fun.”
My hand froze where it rested.
Viewer counts on the livestream kept climbing higher.
Talia held her phone tight, her eyes locked on the scrolling viewer counter.
Every time the number jumped, her voice grew louder.
Suddenly, she screamed and jumped in excitement.
“We hit a million viewers! Guys, I’m about to put Gwen’s wedding gown on!”
I stood behind her, staring at the gown, and thought about the life I’d lived before.
Life had never been peaceful after Talia joined our family.
When I’d just passed my advanced piano certification exam as a kid, she’d thrown sheet music across the piano, crying and complaining that she had no talent and the sound upset her.
Dad got rid of the piano without a second thought.
I never played again.
Later, she took a birthday gift Sterling had given me.
She fell in love with the necklace the second she saw it and insisted it belonged with her.
I went to Sterling to settle it, but he only tried to calm me down.
“She’s still young. Cut her some slack.”
One incident after another.
Not a single person ever spoke up for me.
I’d long grown used to it.
Then came another wedding just like this one.
She’d demanded to try the gown.
I fought desperately to stop her, begging and reasoning, until I finally forced her out.
The wedding went off without a hitch.
And what happened then?
She went live the second she left, sobbing and claiming I’d hogged the gown and humiliated her in public.
Her tearful accusations painted me as a cruel sister who hated her own sibling.
Guided by her words, the whole internet turned against me.
I lost everyone I cared about.
I ended up alone, never receiving a single apology.
Not this time.
I wouldn’t stop her.
Talia kept stirring up trouble.
She stretched out her long-manicured fingers.
Her fingertips traced slowly up the gown’s skirt until they reached the sash studded with faceted diamonds.
She ran her nails across the stones one by one, making a sharp clicking sound.
I frowned and moved to stop her, but Hale stepped between us and blocked my way.
My expression tightened.
Every diamond on this gown was precious. Remove just one stone, and the whole design would be ruined.
But she didn’t care.
She turned toward Hale and spoke in a sweet, wheedling tone.
“Hale, I’d look way better in this gown than Gwen, right?”
Hale grinned until his eyes crinkled shut.
“Obviously. This gown was practically made for you.”
“Will I be the most beautiful bride at the whole event if I wear it?”
She drew out the last words in a playful lilt.
“Yeah, yeah. Our Talia’s the prettiest of all.”
Hale soothed her.
Mom came over beside us, still smiling widely.
“Gwen, look at Talia’s ability to sell to an audience! Once she blows up, we can all run livestreams together. Your brother’s business will benefit, and even your struggling atelier can attract more attention through Talia’s audience.”
“I don’t need that.”
I stepped away from her.
“What kind of talk is that, kid?”
Mom’s expression darkened.
“Talia’s doing this for you. Why can’t you appreciate it?”
Sterling jumped in to back her up.
“Gwen, if Talia gets famous, you won’t have to worry about your atelier anymore. You’d be lucky to benefit from her popularity. Why ruin everyone’s good mood right now?”
[Your sister has zero grace.]
[She’s jealous that Talia’s getting popular.]
[How can a family have a sister like this?]
I stared at Talia’s hands still tracing the diamonds, my voice low and deliberate.
“You can still stop now. Just say it was an accident.”
