Chapter 1
Chapter 1
A week before my wedding, my fiancé used my younger brother’s frozen embryos to get knocked up.
She even had the nerve to flaunt the ultrasound on social media, captioning it, “So blessed that our love will live on in this special way.”
Barf!
My brother, that snake, commented, “Meeting you was the luckiest day of my life.”
My mom, ever the opportunist, chimed in, “Honey, you deserve the world! That condo we bought for him? Put it solely in your name!”
I simply commented: “Congrats.”
Bitch called me immediately, screaming, “Your brother can’t have kids anymore, so what’s the big deal? Besides, it’s still a Song kid! Why are you being such a petty jerk?”
I chuckled, dialing a number I hadn’t called in years.
“Wanna elope?”
Silence.
Then, a freaking explosion of cheers on the other end.
“Seriously? You finally came to your senses! I’m booking a flight back now!”
“Don’t you dare change your mind! County Clerk’s office next week!”
“Hubby~”
That last, breathy “Hubby” hit me harder than I expected. My ears even burned a little.
The regret I’d been feeling about acting impulsively melted away.
Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.
Meanwhile, my lovely fiancé, Ashley, updated her Insta story again.
Clicking it, I saw a pic of her massaging my brother, David’s, legs.
She was grinning like a damn Cheshire cat, not a hint of disgust on her face.
Her cronies, those vultures, were all over the comments with their “jokes”.
Then, I spotted it: David, the absolute scum, commented:
“Wish I’d met you sooner.”
The meaning was crystal clear.
And Ashley? She replied without a shred of shame:
“It’s never too late to fall in love.”
Her gaggle of girlfriends was all over it, showering them with blessings.
Turns out, everyone knew about her affair with David, except me.
Yet every time they saw me, they criticized me from head to toe.
I used to think I wasn’t good enough, but now I realize it’s because they all knew Ashley had the hots for David.
My heart clenched. I felt like a damn clown.
That’s when the hospital called, delivering the knockout punch.
My test results were in. A tumor in my stomach. High risk of turning cancerous. Needed surgery, ASAP.
And guess who needed to sign off on the paperwork? A goddamn relative.
Mom and David were out of the question.
After a moment’s hesitation, I called Ashley.
“Could you come to the hospital tomorrow? I need surgery…”
She cut me off before I could even finish.
“God, David, are you serious? Just because I’m pregnant with your brother’s kid, you’re faking a surgery for attention? Grow up!”
“Do you know how guilty David feels? He’s your brother. Can’t you be happy for us and just love this kid as your own?”
“I’m busy consoling David. Unless you’re on your deathbed, don’t bother me. Or else, this wedding is OFF!”
Bitch hung up before I could even explain.
I laughed bitterly. How many times had she used that threat?
Especially since David’s accident.
“If it wasn’t for you, David wouldn’t have gotten hurt! Why are you so selfish?”
“David’s your brother! I’m his future sister-in-law! What’s wrong with me helping him out? You’re such a baby!”
“David’s been begging me to go through with this wedding. Otherwise, I wouldn’t. You’re not half the man he is!”
I’d heard it all before.
Never mind that David was rushing to meet her for a secret rendezvous when he crashed.
Never mind that while I was working myself sick to afford her dream wedding and better living conditions, she was sneaking around with my brother right under my nose, using “caring” for me as an excuse.
I was too afraid to lose her. I brushed it off, apologized, and moved on.
But now? I was done.
“Fine, then let’s call it off.”
For the first time in years, I hung up on Ashley.
The next day, I went to the hospital alone.
I signed my own consent form.
The doctor asked if I had any family. I just said, “I’m an orphan.”
The surgery went smoothly. I spent three days in the hospital. The doctor said I was good to go home.
During that time, neither my mom nor Ashley bothered to call or text.
But for the first time in years, I felt at peace.
After being discharged, I took the bus home. As we passed the university district, I remembered Ashley and me.
Hard to believe, but she actually pursued me.
She was vibrant, fearless, and confessed her love in front of the entire school.
Even after I rejected her multiple times, she never gave up.
She showered me with a kind of devotion I’d never experienced before. And just like that, I fell. Hard.
Senior year, her dad got screwed over by a business partner and got seriously ill. Their affluent life turned upside down overnight.
I was working two jobs while doing an internship. I had to support both of us and try to keep her spirits up.
That was when I developed stomach problems.
Luckily, a benefactor helped her dad.
His stolen money was partially recovered.
Things gradually improved. Our wedding date was set.
Then David came home, and Ashley changed…
I got off the bus, pushed open my front door, and almost passed out from shock.
The wedding home I’d carefully decorated was a disaster zone.
Takeout boxes littered the floor. Roaches crawled all over them.
My beloved succulents had been ripped out of their pots.
Through the open bedroom door, I saw David sitting on my bed while Ashley was kneeling on the floor, giving him his medicine.
My mom was sprawled on my brand-new sofa.
The throw pillows with Ashley’s and my picture on them had been chewed to shreds by David’s mutt, exposing the stuffing.
“What’s going on?”
My mom just glanced at me and sneered.
“Ashley’s carrying our grandchild. We figured since this place was supposed to be your love nest anyway, she and David could move in.”
“My wedding home? And he’s living here?!” I glanced at David, who was hiding behind Ashley, a smug look on his face.
Taking a deep breath, I said, “Besides, I’m not marrying Ashley anymore…”
Mom lunged at me, slapping me across the face.
“I should beat you to death, you heartless bastard! David’s your brother. He’s disabled because of you. You should just be grateful and let him live here. You should just give him the deed!”
“Ashley’s pregnant with David’s baby! Of course, the parents should live together! And what are you even doing with your life, anyway? How will you support Ashley and David’s kid?”
I almost laughed.
Mom hated me, ever since I was born, because my dad had an affair while she was pregnant with me.
She blamed me for it, even though it wasn’t my fault.
As a kid, I tried so hard to earn her love. I got good grades, did all the chores, bought her gifts…
I walked on eggshells.
But nothing was ever enough.
When I told her I was getting married, her first reaction was to say she wouldn’t pay for anything, let alone buy me a house.
Then, she handed me a ledger, demanding I pay her back for every penny she’d spent on me since I was born.
Even the $0.15 eraser was included.
The irony? She’d only spent about $5,000 on me.
From that moment on, I stopped hoping for her love.
I felt something warm trickling down my forehead. I touched it. Blood.
Taking a deep breath, I looked at the three people in the room: my mom, my brother, and the woman I thought I’d spend my life with.
My mind had never been so clear.
“David, you know how you lost your legs!”
David’s eyes flickered.
I gave a sarcastic laugh.
“I paid for this house! If you want it, cough up the cash! And…”
I looked at Ashley. “If you didn’t hear me on the phone, let me say it again. I’m letting you go, and calling off the wedding!”
The room went silent. The three of them looked shocked. Ashley even looked a little panicked. She approached me, as if trying to explain.
Just then, my phone rang.
It was a text from the County Clerk’s Office, reminding me of my appointment for tomorrow at eight AM.
It was from Stacey Collins.
We hadn’t spoken since that call. I thought she was joking.
Marriage is a big deal, after all.
But she’d actually booked a time at the Clerk’s Office. She was eager, apparently.
Her breathy “Hubby” echoed in my head. My ears burned again.
Ashley glanced at the text and seemed relieved.
“David, I know you’re just saying this because I’ve been ignoring you. Don’t worry. I’ll be there tomorrow. Promise.”
She noticed the pharmacy bag in my hand, grabbed my arm, and softened her tone.
“Are you really sick? I thought you were faking. Well, you look fine. I promise I’ll make time for you in the future.”
I didn’t explain.
She took it as acceptance and dragged me into the study.
“Where’s that lucky charm I gave you? David wants it.”
Her words hit me like a bomb.
“What?”
The charm wasn’t worth much, but Ashley had knelt every three steps to pray in a temple, just to get it for me.
She even got sick.
That’s why I vowed to never let her down. I wore that charm every day.
Ashley rolled her eyes. “I can buy you a new one later. David’s depressed about his legs. Can’t you do this for your brother?”
Give? Hadn’t I given enough?
David always got everything he wanted, even my goddamn girlfriend!
I took the charm off my neck but didn’t hand it over.
“Ashley, have you ever loved me?”
She snatched it from my hand. “Don’t be ridiculous! I’m marrying you! What more do you want? You can’t even share a trinket. How can I expect you to be good to me in the future?!”
She stormed out of the study.
I stood there, watching the blood drip onto the floor. My last shred of affection for Ashley vanished.
Leaving that house, the first thing I did was put it on the market.
I hadn’t told them, but I got promoted! It required a transfer, but I was hesitant because of Ashley. Now, I was relieved.
I checked into a nearby hotel and received a video.
It was at a club, full of flashing lights and loud music.
Ashley, wearing a skimpy dress, was sitting on David’s lap.
They were feeding each other mouth-to-mouth, surrounded by cheers.
Someone asked, “Aren’t you supposed to marry David tomorrow? Won’t he be mad if he sees this?”
Ashley snuggled against David, smirking.
“He knows I’m pregnant with David’s child. Besides, David is his brother! Family is everything! After this wedding, who cares? Why can’t my fiancé be happy for us?!”
Everyone laughed.
“You know how to control a man!”
“Just treat him like a dog!”
The video ended. Then, a text:
[David Collins, you were born to be a loser!]
It didn’t take a genius to figure out who sent it.
But I felt surprisingly calm. I even started looking forward to seeing Stacey Collins at the County Clerk’s Office.
I wondered if she was still the same after all these years…
That night, I slept better than I had in weeks.
Waking up, I thought about seeing the girl who used to follow me around everywhere. We were getting married! I felt nervous.
I almost ran late.
Arriving at the County Clerk’s Office, I saw Ashley, dressed to the nines, pushing David in a wheelchair.
She sized up my suit and chuckled.
“Looks like you take this seriously. All dressed up!”
She pulled a piece of paper out of her bag.
“Before we get married, sign this.”
I frowned, about to tell her I wasn’t marrying her, but she forced the paper into my hands.
“Just making sure our marriage is fair. I don’t want you thinking I took advantage of you!”
David chimed in, “Yeah, bro. Ashley worked on this all night! And had our mom review it to make sure it was fair!”
I rolled my eyes and glanced at the paper.
It was insane.
[Agreement 1: After the marriage, David agrees to treat the child in Ashley’s womb as his own, accept parental responsibilities, and pay monthly child support of at least $10,000.]
[Agreement 2: After the marriage, David agrees to have his brother, David, move into their home and promises not to interfere with David and Ashley’s interactions with their unborn child.]
[Agreement 3: After the marriage, Ashley has the right to choose whether to have more children. David shall not interfere.]
[Agreement 4: After the marriage, David promises to leave all of his assets to the child in Ashley’s womb…]
I didn’t want to read anymore.
This wasn’t just unfair. It was ridiculous.
Ashley frowned. “David, what are you waiting for? Do you want to get married or not? Sign it!”
I looked up and ripped the paper into pieces, throwing them in their faces.
“What do you think I am? Do you think I would sign something like this?”
Ashley’s face twisted. She tried to threaten me. “You—”
I glared at Ashley. “And who told you I was marrying you?”
Her face froze.
David quickly said, “Bro, don’t be like that. Everyone knows you worship Ashley! Don’t ruin it by joking around!”
“Besides, your appointment’s at eight, right? If you’re not marrying Ashley, who are you marrying?”
Ashley crossed her arms, giving me a smug look.
“David, are you doing this for attention? Just sign the agreement and we’ll get married!”
I checked my watch. Eight-ten.
Stacey hadn’t shown up.
Maybe something came up. Or maybe she changed her mind.
Either way, I was done with Ashley and David!
Before I could speak, a car horn blared, followed by a bright, sweet voice.
“Sorry I’m late, honey!”