Cheated, But A Night With My Ex's Brother

CHAPTER 4

BELLA

As I pulled into the familiar driveway, I let the engine idle for a moment and took a long, steadying breath.

Coming back home without the man I proudly told my father about was bound to raise eyebrows. And honestly, I wasn’t planning to sugarcoat anything this time. No lies, no excuses. I wasn’t going to spin some fairytale version of what happened.

Caleb didn’t deserve that.

I was going to call him exactly what he was—a heartless bastard.

“Bella!” my mother’s voice rang out from the upstairs balcony, bright and excited. I looked out the window instinctively, my lips pulling into a soft smile despite the heaviness in my chest. She stood there grinning, waving down at me. I waved back, my hand trembling just slightly.

She gave me the universal sign to wait—one finger raised, a hold-on gesture—and quickly disappeared through the balcony doors, probably hurrying to meet me downstairs. But I didn’t wait.

My feet moved on their own, carrying me out of the car and into the living room. It has been so long. Three years, to be exact. Three whole years since I last walked through this door.

Before I could take another step, my mother burst into the room, arms wide open, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “Come here!” she cried, wrapping me in the kind of hug that made the world feel safe again.

Logan stood quietly by the staircase, one hand tucked into his pocket, the other hanging loosely by his side. He didn’t say a word, but the smug look on his face said it all—he was proud. Proud that he was the one who finally convinced me to come back home.

He gave me a little nod, as if to say, “Told you they’d be happy to see you.”

“Christmas lunch isn’t quite ready yet,” Mum chimed, her eyes dancing with joy as she beamed at me. Her grin stretched from ear to ear. “But we’ve got time to catch up until then, right?”

She glanced at the suitcase by my side and waved over one of the house staff. “Please take that up to Bella’s room.”

As the staff disappeared with my luggage, we all made our way toward the garden—the family’s favorite place to lounge and talk, especially during holidays.

The winter sun was mild, casting a soft golden hue over the lawn and the well-trimmed hedges. It should’ve felt peaceful. Instead, I felt like I was being gently ushered into an interrogation.

We settled into the outdoor seating area, plush cushions waiting for us beneath the white canopy. Everyone tried to act relaxed, but I could feel the question coming.

Here it comes.

I knew what they wanted to know. It wasn’t just about catching up. No one had forgotten the call I made, the one where I told them I wouldn’t be coming home alone for Christmas.

Dad cleared his throat. “So…” he began, pausing just long enough to raise an eyebrow, “did your fiancé cancel?”

Mum immediately perked up beside him, leaning forward with keen interest. She didn’t say anything, but her face said plenty: Let’s hear it.

And just like that, the spotlight was on me.

I lifted the glass of wine to my lips and took a slow sip—not because I was thirsty, but because I needed time. How do you even begin to tell your parents that after years of staying away in search of something real, something honest… you ended up falling for the most cruel kind of lie?

I set the glass down gently, my fingers tightening slightly around the stem.

“We broke up,” I said, the words falling out flatter than I expected.

Instantly, my mother’s eyes flew wide open in shock. My father’s jaw tightened, his expression hardening, and Logan—oh, Logan—his entire posture shifted.

His hands clenched at his sides, and the way his eyes darkened told me he was barely holding back the urge to leap into action. He didn’t need the details to come to my defence. He never did.

“Why?” Logan growled. His protectiveness wasn’t new—he had seen the way people treated me in high school, the way I built walls to guard my heart. He’d sworn to himself he wouldn’t let anyone hurt me again.

I cleared my throat and looked away, ashamed that I’d ignored every red flag, every gut feeling, all because I wanted to believe in something.

“He cheated on me,” I muttered. “And he knew… he knew everything about me, and he dated me because he believed I was his ticket to becoming the next CEO.”

I paused, swallowing the lump in my throat. “I was just a means to an end.”

My dad slammed down his wineglass. “That bastard,” he hissed, rising halfway from his seat. “He’s not even going to have a job when I’m done with him! Thinking he can use my daughter? That’s going to be the worst mistake of his life.”

“I’ll look into him,” Logan chimed in. “I’ll dig up everything there is to know about him and get back to you, Dad.”

I turned toward him, frowning. “No,” I said, shaking my head. “I don’t want this to become some kind of war. He’s not even worth the hassle.”

My voice dropped a little as I added, “The important thing is he didn’t get what he wanted. He thought he could use me, and he failed. I ended things—and that’s where I want it to stay.”

But Logan wasn’t having it.

“Like hell we’ll let him off that easy!” he barked. “You think he won’t go around bragging? Telling people how he played you and walked away untouched?”

“Logan!” I snapped, my patience thinning. “This is my life. And I said—let. him. be.”

His jaw clenched tightly as he glared at me, nostrils flaring, clearly itching to argue more. But he swallowed his anger, leaned back, and said nothing else.

Just then, the chef stepped into the garden and bowed slightly. “Lunch is ready, ma’am,” he announced politely.

Grateful for the distraction, I stood and brushed my hands down my pants, letting out a quiet sigh. The tension eased just enough as we all began making our way toward the dining room.

Halfway there, Logan cleared his throat.

“I, uh… invited someone.”

I glanced at him briefly, not particularly curious. “It’s Christmas,” I said with a shrug. “It’s normal to invite someone.” Inviting his girlfriend isn’t an issue.

As if the universe had timed it perfectly, the doorbell rang.

Logan’s head snapped toward the sound. “That must be him,” he muttered, already moving toward the front door.

Him? My brow creased. “Him?” I called after him, confused, as he strode off.

“My friend!” he tossed over his shoulder before disappearing down the hallway.

Mum leaned in close with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “Logan always surrounds himself with good, responsible friends… and now that you’re single, maybe—”

“Mum!” I cut her off, glaring. “Are you being serious right now?”

She raised both hands in mock surrender, though the smirk on her face didn’t budge. “I’m just saying,” she said innocently.

Dad chuckled behind his wineglass. “She’s not wrong,” he murmured.

Rolling my eyes, I shook my head and walked into the formal dining room. The long table was already set with gold-rimmed plates, polished silverware, and folded napkins shaped like stars. I pulled out a chair, sat down, and placed my phone face-down on the table with a quiet sigh.

A moment later, Mum and Dad entered and took their usual seats. The door creaked open again.

Footsteps.

Logan’s.

Followed by someone else’s.

I looked up.

And froze.

The breath hitched in my throat. My eyes widened.

It can’t be…

But it was.

The man who stepped into the room—the one walking right behind Logan, looking far too calm and collected—was the same man from last night.

The man I thought I’d never see again.

My pulse skipped.

The moment his eyes landed on me, his head tilted slightly, as if he were trying to place my face.

Did he recognize me? I wondered, trying not to squirm in my seat. The lighting last night hadn’t exactly been generous—dim and shadowy

He might not remember.

But I did, because I woke up before he did.

“Mum, Dad, this is my friend, Alex,” Logan said as they stepped fully into the room. Then he gestured toward me. “And that’s my sister, Bella.”

Alex took a step forward, offering Dad a handshake, which was met with a wide, welcoming smile. “It’s nice to meet you, sir,” he said, his voice smooth, confident.

My father nodded approvingly, clearly liking him already.

Then Mum, as she always did with people she took an instant liking to, greeted him with warm cheek kisses. “Such a handsome young man,” she beamed.

Alex turned to me next, stepping in for the same greeting. I could feel it coming—my heart already thundering in my chest.

As he leaned in, his hand lightly touched my waist. Innocent. Casual. But then… he paused.

He inhaled deeply.

And I felt his fingers tighten just slightly, his touch no longer innocent, like he did remember.

And I swear, I died a little on the inside.

I cleared my throat and pulled back, reaching quickly for my phone. “Oh—I just remembered,” I said, grasping for an escape. “I was supposed to send out a few reports.”

Dad raised a brow, clearly unconvinced. “On Christmas?”

“Work doesn’t exactly know it’s the holidays,” I muttered with a strained smile, avoiding Alex’s gaze at all costs.

Because if I looked at him now—if our eyes met—I wouldn’t be able to pretend that last night never happened.

“I should have done it last night, but I was…” My eyes flicked toward Alex for a brief second before I looked away. “Busy. So now I have to catch up.”

Dad looked like he was about to argue, but I shook my head, and he swallowed the words.

I turned to Alex and gave him a tight smile. “It’s nice to have one of Logan’s friends join us for lunch, but unfortunately, duty calls. Enjoy your stay.”

Without waiting for a reply, I hurried out of the room, my heart pounding, already looking forward to the moment I could finally hide under my pillow and drown in shame.