My Brother-in-law, My Ruin

004: On her bed

Her breath faltered. Her lips shook like feathers, and her chest rose and fell in a way that wasn’t normal. She wasn’t normal. Everything that was happening. Whatever was happening. None of it was normal. Her eyelids pressed tightly against each other, her heart thudded in her chest. Heat seeped into her back, travelling slowly down her thighs before stopping at her knees.

She had to do something. Scream. Fake a faint. Just anything to get rid of this feeling and him! Like feathers, a warm air brushed her skin, and her elbows went weak. Her breath hitched in her throat, and she gulped, insanely loud.

“Do not come any closer.” She gritted, voice laced with warning. She waited. It was the longest wait of her life. For him to cross the line. Get closer and press his body against hers until she couldn’t feel her legs anymore and then whisper, “What will you do, Le-ah? If I held your waist and kissed you senseless ?” God! What was she thinking? Blood pulsated through her veins.

“I just wanted to drop the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, Mrs Leah.”

Leah flinched and turned around to see the servant who had served them dinner. Her eyes darted around, but she couldn’t find him.

“Where’s he?” She muttered. Breathe haggardly.

“Master Brandon is answering a business call, and Master Sebastian is in the gym.” The servant answered, her gaze lingering on Leah’s face.

“Are you sick, Mrs Leah?” There was concern in her voice. “You’re sweating profusely. Let me get you a towel.” She dashed off.

Leah wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, and truly, she was sweating. A deep, long exhale escaped her. Did she imagine that? She palmed her face, cheeks hot from shame and embarrassment. Her phone beeped, dragging her out of the foggy world she’d found herself in.

“Come to the hospital. There’s been an emergency.” The text read. Something bitter suddenly lingered in Leah’s throat. All the thoughts in the world danced in her mind, and in less than five minutes, she was running out of the Ashtons’ mansion, clinging her handbag to her side.

“Where to so late at night?” A distant voice stopped her. She draws in a sharp breath before turning in its direction. Brandon held a phone to his ear, his white long-sleeved shirt tucked into grey pants.

Leah swallowed a lump that was annoyingly thick. “There’s an emergency at the hospital.” She answered, almost sounding impatient.

“Is that so?” Brandon asked, his brow raised. He approached her and sized her up with his eyes. “Or that is just an excuse to leave the mansion.”

Leah closed her eyes and exhaled. “This is an important emergency. It could be my father. Are you going to stop me from going?” She asked, her voice slightly raised. Her spine straightened of the blue, the feeling of eyes from the balcony watching her made her pulse hammer.

Brandon scoffed and dipped his phone inside his pants pocket. “Or what, Leah? Are you going to argue? Fight?”

Leah swallowed, eyes looming over his face. A distraction from looking over her shoulder. Another lump had formed in her throat, and swallowing it felt like swallowing a stone.

“Remember, Leah. You are married to the heir of the Ashton fortune. You can’t leave this mansion as you wish. You can’t do what pleases you. You will take permission from me before you step foot outside this house. Is that understood?”

Leah’s throat felt like she’d swallowed a cactus. She looked away, battling with her eyelids. She must not blink. Never. Not there.

“This marriage means nothing to you. If you can do what pleases you. Why can’t I?” Her voice was low, but it didn’t break, and for that, she was grateful.

Brandon took a step forward, forcing her backward, and grabbed her chin, not roughly, not gently, but enough to make her stomach flip and heart tremble.

“Do not compare yourself to me, Leah. I am not the one whose father is dying. Not the one who’s drowning in debts. I am doing you a favour for marrying you, and the least you can do is be obedient. Submissive and swallow that fighting spirit in you…” He paused, his grip on her chin tightening. His words were cruel as well as his gaze.

“Or I’ll serve you divorce papers and let your debts swallow you.” He let go of her chin and turned to leave but stopped and turned back.

“The driver will take you, and don’t stay more than an hour.” He said flatly and walked away unfazed.

Leah’s mouth opened, a distressing gasp escaped her lips, and warm tears streaked down her face.

Meanwhile on the second-floor balcony, Sebastian watched, hands fisted by his side. He didn’t hear their conversation, but the way Brandon approached and held Leah’s chin? They definitely kissed.

Leah looked behind her at the balcony, and her eyes caught Sebastian watching. How long had he been watching? She shook her head and got into the backseat of the car.

Minutes later, she arrived at the hospital. Turned out her father had a heart attack after a heated argument with his wife, Meredith.

After making sure her father was alright, Leah went in search of Meredith. There was no way she was going to leave without talking to that woman.

“Have you seen my father’s wife?” She stopped to ask a nurse.

“Meredith Sinclair? She just left. I saw her heading to the parking lot.” The nurse answered, and Leah dashed off.

“Meredith Sinclair,” Leah called, stopping Meredith before she could enter the car.

Meredith recognised the voice. She’d heard her husband’s daughter call her with so much anger and hate countless times. It wasn’t the first.

Meredith turned, face plastered with makeup as usual. “Hello, Leah.” Her voice was neutral as usual.

Her gaze scrutinised Leah’s face, and in the next second, her hand was reaching for Leah’s face. Leah threw her face away, unable to hide her anger and irritation.

Meredith withdrew her hand, her neutral expression replaced with a frown. “Have you been crying?” She asked, concern laced her voice.

Leah blinked and calmly exhaled. Her lips parted, but Meredith spoke before she could.

“Looks like your honeymoon isn’t as sweet as honey at all. Are you having troubles in your marriage?”

Leah rolled her eyes. Acting like a caring stepmother now?

“I will not speak of my marriage with you, Meredith.” Leah’s voice was calm and dismissive.

“It’s okay. I pray you get all the happiness marriage brings.” Meredith patted Leah’s hand, and blood pumped through Leah’s veins, boiling. “If you will excuse me, I need to be somewhere.”

“Somewhere more important than your husband?” Leah asked, not moving an inch from where she stood.

Meredith stilled and exhaled loudly before waving her hand dismissively at Leah. “I don’t have time to entertain your tantrums tonight, Leah.”

“Do you even care about him or just his money?”

Meredith laughed, as if Leah’s question was silly.

“Can’t you tell, Leah? Are you that dumb and blind not to see?”

“I can tell that you never cared about him. All you wanted was money.” Leah answered, voice unwavering. She never supported her father’s marriage to Meredith. It was obvious from the beginning that Meredith was a gold digger!

“Leah, we’re not so different, you and I. The only difference? My husband adores me. Can you say the same?"

Leah’s teeth were gritted, throat squeezed and eyes stung. With blurry eyes, she watched Meredith’s car fade into the distance. She pushed down the burning stone in her throat and sniffed, lashes wet.

She pulled out her phone, and the time sucked every drop of blood from her face.

Oh no. She’d spent more than two hours.

Less than half an hour later, heart pounding, Leah climbed the stairs. Not meeting Brandon in the living room was supposed to relieve her but it didn’t. She reached for her doorknob and slowly pushed the door open.

She locked the door behind her and leaned against it, eyes shut, and when she opened them, her heart froze and her knees buckled as his scent overwhelmed her nostrils. He was there. On her bed!

“Welcome, Rabbit.”