Cheated, But A Night With My Ex's Brother

BELLA High school was never a phase of my life I would want to relive. I was never popular—just the fat, nerdy girl with the biggest glasses in the room. I didn’t have any real friends, not because people didn’t try, but because their intentions were never pure. Everyone who approached me always wanted something—something that would benefit them or their family. Being friends with Belle White, the only daughter of the White family, was like holding a golden ticket. People craved that association, and it made it nearly impossible to tell who was genuine and who was simply using me. Boys would act like they were interested, pretending to care. But in reality, I was nothing more than an investment. Dating me meant getting an invitation to my house during summer vacations, tagging along on family trips, and—most importantly—securing a connection with my father. They knew, and their parents knew, that being in Mr. White’s good graces could guarantee them a perfect job and a privileged life after college. More often than not, I overheard those same boys—boys who were supposed to be my boyfriends—mocking me behind my back. They called me fat, laughed at my glasses, and joked about how dumb I was, despite my academic brilliance. The girls who pretended to be my friends were no better. I would catch them whispering about how they couldn’t wait to distance themselves from me the moment they became my brother’s girlfriend. In their delusions, that would eventually make them the daughter-in-law of the White family. Those experiences shaped me. They hardened me. And by the time high school ended, I made a decision—I would never allow myself to be used again. That summer, before college, I hit the gym relentlessly. I was eighteen, and I reshaped myself into the kind of woman every man wanted and every girl envied. But my transformation wasn’t just physical. I realized that to truly protect myself, I had to become someone else. If no one knew who I was, they wouldn’t have a reason to use me. So, I abandoned my identity. I dropped my first name and changed it from Belle White to Bella Ortega, keeping my father’s last name only for official documents. At college, everyone assumed I was just an ordinary girl from an average family, with nothing special to offer. But even with my new identity, I discovered that the wounds from high school had scarred me deeper than I thought. I struggled to trust. Even when people approached me as Bella Ortega, I doubted their words, their intentions. Among them was Caleb. He confessed his feelings, but I turned him down. Not because I wasn’t interested, but because I was terrified of believing him. Yet, he was persistent. No matter how many times I pushed him away, he kept coming back, always showering me with compliments, always saying the kindest things. And eventually, I let him in. Caleb became everything I had ever wanted, everything I had ever dreamed of. We stayed together after college, our love growing stronger with time. I started working at a smaller division of my father’s company, determined to understand the business from the ground up. Caleb, on the other hand, joined his father’s company. Then, on my twenty-fifth birthday, he proposed. And of course, I said yes. Because I couldn’t imagine forever with anyone but him. After proposing, Caleb told me he wanted to meet my parents. I promised to set a date and let him know. I wasn’t in a hurry—I wasn’t ready to face the truth yet. A few days later, my father called, asking me—no, pleading—to come home for the Christmas celebration. I figured that would be the perfect opportunity to introduce Caleb to my family. But visiting my parents meant telling Caleb the truth, and I wasn’t sure how he would react. That fear made me stall for as long as I could. But today was Christmas Eve. There was no more time to delay. So, I left work early, heading to Caleb’s place to prepare dinner and finally have the talk. I knew he wouldn’t be home yet—he had texted earlier, saying he would be working late. I pulled up at my villa. My villa. The one Caleb had been unknowingly staying in. He believed it belonged to my boss, who had supposedly loaned it to me for the holidays. I had let him believe that lie because his house had a burst pipe and was undergoing major reconstruction. Typing in the code, I stepped inside, expecting the quiet warmth of an empty home. Instead, I was met with a sound that made my stomach drop. Loud grunts and moans. My fingers trembled as I slipped off my shoes. My worst nightmare was living right in front of me. Every step toward the noise felt heavier than the last. My feet dragged as if they, too, wanted to turn back. I nearly knocked over a gigantic vase, my vision blurred by unshed tears. The sounds came from the bedroom—the same one Caleb and I shared whenever I stayed over. I wrapped my fingers around the doorknob, my whole body shaking. But before I could push it open, I heard her voice. His secretary. “You claimed not to love her, then you went ahead and proposed to her fat ass,” Claire grunted. I froze. “You have me,” she continued, “so why do you keep going back to that bitter, lonely b***h?” And then his voice—his voice that I had once trusted with my whole heart. “Because Bella White is my ticket to the top.” My breath caught in my throat. “Bella White?” Claire scoffed. “I thought her name was Ortega?” “She’s the only daughter of Mr. White,” Caleb mused. “That’s the only reason I’m with her. Once I get what I want, I’m dumping her ass, and we’re making us formal.” He knew. He always knew. The man I loved, the man I had planned to spend forever with, had known my truth all along. And just like in high school, I had been nothing more than a stepping stone. A soft sob slipped from my lips before I could stop it. This wasn’t love. This was history repeating itself. Something inside me snapped. I pushed the door open with force, the loud bang making both of them jerk in surprise. Caleb scrambled off her, his face paling as he rushed toward me. “Bella, it’s not what you think—” A hollow laugh escaped me. “How long?” I whispered. “How long has this been going on?” Neither of them answered. I scoffed, shaking my head as fresh tears spilled down my cheeks. “You know what?” My voice broke. “Don’t bother. It doesn’t matter anymore.” Because I was done. Reaching for the engagement ring on my finger, I slid it off without hesitation and hurled it at him. Claire let out a mocking laugh. “Good riddance.” She slid off the bed, her bare feet touching the cold floor as she reached for Caleb, attempting to drape her arms around his neck. “You won’t even miss her when you have m—” Caleb shoved her off, his eyes burning. “Have you lost your damn mind?” he snapped, stepping away as though repulsed by her touch. His gaze whipped back to me, and just like that, the arrogant bastard caught in the act was gone. In his place stood a desperate man grasping at straws. “Please… let’s work this out,” he pleaded, taking a hesitant step forward, hands twitching at his sides. “You can’t leave me. Not now.” Claire scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “You told me you didn’t love her,” she sneered. “So why the pathetic begging?” “I said, shut the f**k up!” Caleb roared. If looks could kill, she’d be buried six feet under. A cold chuckle slipped past my lips. “f*****g a man who won’t even defend you?” Claire’s smirk faltered, her jaw tightening as anger flickered across her face. “Don’t feel so high and mighty,” she spat. Caleb let out a harsh curse, raking a frustrated hand through his hair. “Bella, this doesn’t have to end like this! We can fix this—I love you!” “No, you don’t,” Claire cut in. “You said it yourself—you don’t love her.” She rolled her eyes before adding with a taunting laugh, “And she’s not even good in bed! You don’t want to be with someone who can’t even f**k right.” She stomped her foot like a petulant child. “Your words, not mine.” “Yet, here he is,” I mused, tilting my head, “begging me to stay.” Claire’s lips pressed into a thin line. “With all your s*x positions, all your so-called expertise,” I continued, “he’s still here, pleading with me. And if I told him to throw you out, he wouldn’t even hesitate.” A smug, icy smile stretched across my lips as I watched her seethe. “How painful it must be,” I murmured, “to realize that the only thing you have to offer is sex.” Claire opened her mouth to retort, but I had already turned to Caleb. “You know what? You two deserve each other—two empty barrels making the loudest noise.” My finger jabbed in their direction as I exhaled, shaking my head in disdain. “I want you both out of my villa.” His eyes widened. “Your villa?” His voice wavered as his gaze darted around, as if seeing the place for the first time. “You own this place?” I wasn’t entertaining these fools any longer. Slipping my hand into my pocket, I pulled out my phone and dialed the number for security. “I need you to come and remove these idiots from my property.”