Misunderstood By My Stepbrother

Chapter 2

Freya’s POV :

The world around me feels distant and muffled as someone rushes me into the hospital.I can barely keep my eyes open.

My head is heavy and everything is spinning.I hear faint voices, the beeping of machines footsteps moving quickly across the floor.

Someone is checking my pulse.A cool hand touches my forehead.A woman’s voice speaks calmly.

“Hayden,can I take Freya home now?” he asks.

“Yes,” the doctor replies. “I’ve given her an injection and prescribed some medicines.

She fainted because she drank too much and was in extreme shock.She’ll be fine after proper sleep and rest. There’s nothing to worry about. You can take her home now.”

“Okay,thank you Dr. Winifred,” Hayden says.

Their voices fade as darkness pulls me under again.

12:00 PM, the next morning

Soft sunlight is slipping through the curtains and falling on my face.The warmth touches my eyelids and I slowly begin to stir.My head feels heavy,like someone has filled it with sand.

I open my eyes and sit up slowly wincing at the dull ache in my temples.

This isn’t my room.

I look around confused.The furniture, the walls, the soft pastel curtains,everything feels unfamiliar, yet strangely known at the same time.

I press a hand to my forehead.

“How did I end up here? I was at the party…”

The moment I say the word party, the memories come crashing back.

The music.

The crowd.

The poolside lights.

And then,Nash.

His arms around another girl.

His lips on hers.

The way he looked at her.

My chest tightens.The scene replays in my mind like a cruel movie I can’t turn off.

I jump out of the bed, my heart racing.Just then, the door opens and Luci walks in.

“Freya… why are you standing? When did you wake up?”

I just stare at her.My throat feels tight like the words are stuck somewhere deep inside me.

She walks closer her voice softening.

“Did you sleep well? I already called your aunt and told her you’re with me.”

“But where did you find me?” I ask slowly. “I mean… I was—”

“You drank a lot last night and fainted,” she interrupts gently. “After that, Wren brought you here.”

“Wren?” I frown. “But where did he find me? I was at the party.”

“Yeah but he only told me that you fainted.He said it was too late to take you home from the hospital so he left you here with me.”

I fall silent.

After drinking I left the party…So where did Wren find me?

Did he save me last night?My thoughts swirl in confusion.Luci lightly nudges my shoulder.

“Freya, what are you thinking about?”

“Nothing… it’s nothing,” I mumble.

“Alright. Go freshen up. I’ve asked them to bring your breakfast to the room.Eat and get some rest.”

I nod quietly.

After washing up I sit at the small table and eat breakfast though I barely taste anything.My head is still aching so I take a painkiller and return to the bed.

I normally can’t drink much.Even a little alcohol makes me dizzy.But last night… after seeing Nash like that I couldn’t control myself.

The memory makes my chest ache again.

I lie back on the bed and pick up my phone.

As soon as the screen lights up my eyes widen.

50+ missed calls from Nash.

Anger burns inside me.

I trusted him so much.I believed every word he said. I thought he loved me.

But he cheated on me like it meant nothing.

My vision blurs as tears slowly fill my eyes.

I turn the phone face down on the bed,not wanting to see his name anymore.

It hurts too much.

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Hayden's pov:

I still remember the first day I saw Freya.

She was standing near the college fountain sunlight falling over her hair laughing with her friends like she didn’t have a single worry in the world.Everyone else around her looked ordinary forgettable.But she… she stood out.

Soft.

Bright.

Untouched by the ugliness of the world.

And from that moment something inside me decided she was different.

Mine to watch.

Mine to protect.

But then I found out she already had a boyfriend.

Nash.

The name alone left a bitter taste in my mouth. After that I kept my distance.I never approached her, never spoke to her never gave her a single hint about how I felt.

We studied in the same college but our lives barely touched. She was in her first year and I was in my final.

Still I noticed everything.

The way she laughed.

The way she trusted people too easily.

The way she looked at Nash like he was her whole world.

It irritated me more than I liked to admit.

Last night when I saw her on the road I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Freya… drunk.

Stumbling in the middle of the street like she didn’t care whether she lived or died.

For a second, I thought I was imagining it.She never struck me as the kind of girl who would lose control like that.But then I saw the tears on her face the emptiness in her eyes.

Something had broken her.

And I didn’t like that.

Not at all.

If I hadn’t been there,that truck would have crushed her. The thought still makes my jaw tighten.

Luci’s older brother Wren, is my best friend. Since I had no idea where Freya lived I took her to the hospital first. After the doctor treated her I called Wren and told him to take her to Luci.

I knew Luci was her closest friend. At least there, she would be safe.

Safe… and away from whatever had pushed her into that state.

The next day at college I spot Wren near the corridor.

“Hey, bro. What’s up?” he says casually.

“Yeah, fine…” I reply, though my mind is still stuck on last night. “So… how is Freya now?”

“She should be fine,” Wren says. “I explained everything to Luci. She’s taking care of her. Don’t worry.”

Don’t worry.

Easy for him to say.

I lean against the wall crossing my arms. “After seeing her condition last night I keep thinking…

what if something had happened to her? If I hadn’t been there…”

The image of the truck flashes through my mind again.

My expression darkens.

“She’s so careless.”

Or maybe someone made her like that.

If that i***t Nash is the reason behind her tears…

My jaw clenches at the thought.

Wren lets out a small sigh. “Good thing you were there yesterday.Come on we’ll be late for class.”

He starts walking,but I stay still for a moment.

Good thing I was there.

Yeah.

Because from now on,nothing bad is going to happen to her.

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Freya's pov:

I am sitting by the window staring outside without really seeing anything.My mind feels heavy like it’s filled with fog.The world beyond the glass looks quiet and normal but inside me everything feels broken.

“Freya… I told you to rest. Why are you sitting here and thinking so much?”

Luci’s voice comes from behind me but it takes a moment for the sound to reach my mind.I don’t respond. I’m still staring outside lost in my thoughts.

She nudges me gently.

“Freya…”

I flinch slightly and turn around.

“Y-yes… Luci, it’s you!”

She looks at me carefully her eyes full of concern.

“Freya, are you okay?”

“Yeah…!” I answer quickly, but even I can hear how unconvincing my voice sounds.

Her expression changes.

“Freya tell me the truth.What’s wrong with you? Ever since you woke up you seem so different.”

My head lowers on its own. I can’t meet her eyes. The words feel stuck in my throat.

Luci steps closer and places her hand gently over mine.

“Freya… what happened? Did something happen between you and Nash?”

The moment she says his name everything inside me shatters.Tears spill out before I can stop them. My chest tightens, and I start crying.

Between sobs I tell her everything,what I saw at the party,the girl the way he was holding her.Every detail hurts to say but once I start I can’t stop.My tears keep falling.

“Freya, please don’t cry… please,” Luci whispers.

She tries to say something else, but I suddenly hug her tightly burying my face in her shoulder. My body shakes as I cry even harder.

That night Luci somehow manages to make me eat a little.I barely taste anything.Everything feels dull and distant.

She gives me a sleeping pill and stays beside me until I fall asleep.

I don’t know how long I sleep.

At some point my mom calls Luci’s phone. I hear Luci talking softly in the next room but I’m too tired to listen properly.

She tells Mom that I’m with her, that I’m just tired from a party and fell asleep. I know she’s covering for me. She always does.

Mom says she has to leave early the next morning for a business trip and asks Luci to take care of me for a couple of days. Luci promises her she will.

And she does.

For the next two days I stay at Luci’s house.She keeps me busy with small things,movies cooking together silly conversations,anything to stop me from thinking about Nash.

She understands me better than anyone else. That’s probably why Mom trusts her so much.

Two days later Mom returns from her trip, and I go back home.

The moment I see her, I run forward and hug her tightly.

“Mom, I missed you.”

She hugs me back, gently stroking my hair.

“I missed you too, my princess.”

She pulls back slightly and cups my face.

“Freya, are you okay? You seem so different these past two days.”

I try to smile.

“Nothing’s wrong, Mom. I’m fine.I just missed you a lot.”

“I’m sorry, my princess.I left without telling you properly.”

“It’s okay Mom.Luci told me everything.”

She looks nervous.

“Freya…”

“Yes, Mom?”

“I have something very important to tell you.You know your mom well… I hope you won’t misunderstand me.”

My curiosity grows.

“Why are you saying it like that? Just tell me.”

She leads me to the sofa and sits beside me, holding my hands tightly.

“Freya… I got married. Please don’t be angry. I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t get the time. I’m sorry.”

For a moment,I can’t process her words.

“Mom… what? Are you serious? What are you saying?”

She looks frightened by my reaction.

“Freya I know you’re not prepared for this.But I had to think about you and Rose.Please don’t be angry, my princess.”

A small irritation rises inside me.

“Mom,how could you get married without telling me? You didn’t even let us meet him once.Do you trust your Freya or not? I couldn’t even celebrate my mom starting a new life.What else would I be angry about?”

She blinks in confusion.

“You’re… only upset about that? You’re not angry that I got married?”

I let out a small smile.

“Mom,,,what are you saying? Why would I be angry? You’re starting a new life.What could make me happier than that?”

Her eyes fill with tears, and she hugs me tightly. I hug her back and gently wipe her cheeks.

“Congratulations Mom. How could you think I’d be angry? Since we were little you gave up everything,your dreams, your wishes,just to raise me and Rose.You never let us feel what hardship was like. You never even thought about yourself.

So now when you’ve finally made a good decision for your own life, why would I be angry? I’m really happy for you.I love you so much, Mom.”

She can’t hold back her emotions anymore. She hugs me again crying softly this time,out of happiness.