His Brother's Ex-Wife

Chapter 2

OPHELIA’S POV.

I arrived at the family house soon. Looking at the giant building before me only made me angrier. I walked into the mansion and met the housekeeper first

“He’s up in his study” she said.

“Thank you”. I went upstairs to father’s study. It stood at the far end of the hallway, closed.

I knocked twice on the door before hearing a cold stern voice come in from the other side of the door.

I went in and stood in front of his table. His back was turned on me while he took a long drag from his cigar.

My nose twitched.

He turned to look at her after a while. His cold eye piercing deep into my soul.

“What was that I heard about you and Winchester?” his old husky voice broke the silence.

I hadn’t told anyone else about the divorce. Surely, Leo must have blabbed it to him

“Did he tell you something?” I asked.

He placed the Cigar in the ashtray before pressing a glass of wine to his lips

“Ophelia, I don’t know what kind of games you’re playing” he started “But if you’re thinking of ruining what I have built for years, you’ll be doomed” he said.

“What you’ve built for years, you mean, my life?” I asked. His eyes finally shifted to mine.

A soft grin. Before he said anything else, I spoke again

“You married me off to Leonardo Winchester without knowing the kind of person he is, don’t you care about what I’m going through in that family?” I said, my eyes began to sting. “Not only Leo, his whole family too. They’re choking me, I’m tired. They treat me like a fool”

Father snapped

“If you stop acting like a fool, they’ll stop treating you like one!” he thundered, forcing a heavy silence in the room.

“You call everything out, reasonable or not. Why won’t they treat you like a fool?” he said

“You expect me to turn a blind eye to everything Leo does to me? He sleeps with women for a living, while I work my ass off like a dog, not even in our family business but theirs?” my voice gave out

“If you’re not willing to give Leo what he wants, do you expect him to stay still?” he asked.

My brows twitched. He was really talking to me like this?

“Was that why you left mum and decided to marry Christie?” I asked, knowing well that’ll it’d trigger something in him.

He got up to me, his eye didn’t shift from him. I had promised myself to remain strong in front of him, but with that look? I can’t

“Say that again” he dared.

I remained silent.

His hand rested on my shoulder, pressing it tightly

“Do what you have to do” he said, low and precise.

I nodded

“Leave” he went bac to his seat and I didn’t waste any more time there, I left.

When I got out of the mansion, I finally let out a less strained breath. A tear formed in my eyes but I refused to let it out. I smeared it off my face and left the mansion in a second.

While I drove and the city lights blurred behind me, I thought about it again. I wasn’t going to fail on this attempt, it’s about time I stood up for myself.

~Next day

Leo showed up at court and we finalized the divorce, finally. A surge of relief rushed over me, it was like breathing in new air after walking out of that courtroom.

I kept my eyes on the view before the court, a small smile curving up my lips which didn’t last long when Leo talked

“I haven’t seen anyone smile after a divorce” he said behind me.

I didn’t spare him my attention either, I just took a few steps ahead when I felt a strong grip around my wrist, pressing my silver bracelet against my skin, he spun me around to face him

“You think because we’re divorced now you can disrespect me?” he grinned “I made you who you are, Lia. Without my family, your family wouldn’t be where they are now.” He said, his face only a finger away from mine.

I was tired of all this but I wasn’t going to give him the reaction he wanted.

“Fine Leo, you have every right to say my family wouldn’t be where they are now if not for you” I saw his brows drop to a slight frown

“But don’t forget what I made you too.” I said and gently took his hand off mine “My father asked for help, I never did. Don’t make me show you what I truly am…Leo” I called his name precisely, placing the wedding ring in his hand while holding that eye contact for a few seconds before walking away.

I went to the hospital to Aria, my little sister. Since that was the only family I had left. I stopped by the nurses’ station and handed them food I bought on the way

“You’re such a nice woman, thank you”

Apparently, my family doesn’t see that.

I stopped by the doors of Aria’s room for a while, trying to put on a smile to match her energy.

I stepped in but she was asleep anyways. I moved quietly around her trying not to wake her up since it was difficult for her to fall asleep too.

I sat by on a chair and kept watching her like a spiritual guardian. I watched how she laid on that bed, sick and unaware of what really went on in the family.

Father refused to fund her surgery since I was keen on getting a divorce with Leo. He had always used Aria as a threat to me, causing the nine failed attempts of the divorce.

She doesn’t deserve to be in a family full of lies and manipulation. She needs to grow up in a place where she will be loved and that is definitely not here.

I took out my phone to make research on some places to be far away from here but first, I had to cut off any connection between my family and also get my things from Leo’s house.

After the divorce, I left for Leo’s house.

I went in like it was nothing and met him sitting alone at the bar having a drink by himself.

He was already gone from the alcohol. I didn’t bother wasting my time on him, I went straight upstairs to the room to pack up.

Our wedding pictures were face down, the glass already broken and dusty. I had expected it to happen though.

Father had set up the marriage between us but when I couldn’t bring myself to end it, I tried to love Leo maybe he’ll be the man I wanted but he never was.

Seeing myself in that beautiful wedding dress was a dream come true. I felt happiness in the dress but anger while walking down that aisle

I was packing up when I heard the door click shut behind me.

Leo stumbled in and walked towards the bed. I watched him crash onto the bed like a fallen tree.

I continued my business and tore the picture apart, cropping Leo out of it when suddenly, firm arms grabbed me by my waist, forcing me to the bed in a split second

“Get the hell off me” I struggled but his drunk ass held me firm against the bed by my shoulders

“You really want to leave me? After all that happened between us, do you not have a heart at all?” he whispered, closely to my ears.

When he did that in the past when I actually felt something for him, his whispers would send a kind of feeling throughout my body but now it’s just like a passing by mosquito.

“Leo, get off me before I lose it” I warned but he went ahead placing those lips on my neck with me feeling completely irritated by his touch.

I avoid his lips on mine and managed to throw him off me.

I got off the bed a few seconds before he did

“What are you thinking doing that to someone who isn’t yours?” I felt a burning rage within me, ready to let loose anytime soon

“You’re mine and I can do whatever I want with you” he reached out again but I stepped away before he could

“Have you suddenly forgotten the nights we had together? The nights you craved so much and now you’re acting like you don’t want me?” his voce dropped to a low whisper “Come on, I can overlook those papers”.

I grabbed my bag and walked out of the room in a hurry, my heels clanking against the floors of the mansion.

When I got into my car, I held my hand to my chest feeling my heart run wild then- I felt it, nothing around my neck. My mother’s necklace.

I was about to rush in to retrieve it when my guts told me to sit my ass back down. Not with drunk Leo inside, I wouldn’t take chances.

I headed to the family mansion immediately after the divorce, walking with a little more confidence than I used to.

As soon as I stepped in, that awkward silence fell on the building.

Father was seated alongside my stepmom and her daughter.

“You sent for me” I broke the silence then dad got up.

He walked towards me. Old me would have backed away but now, it doesn’t even scare me anymore. I looked him in the eyes.

But his eyes darted to my hand

“Where is your ring?” his cold old voice settled in my ears

“I no longer have it” I stated “I no longer belong to Leo Winchester”

Father’s hand swung across the air, delivering a stinging slap to my face.

The force sent me to the ground, my cheek burned as my palm immediately found my face. Warm liquid dripped down my face as my blood dripped from father’s ring

Vanessa and her mother sat there, watching

“I always knew you were a mistake. I set up the most important arrangement in my business and you broke it down” he spoke through a grin

I got up in no time and straightened my dress

“You are nothing but a huge disgrace and liability to me. you have never caused me happiness and all you do is make things worse than it is” he yelled.

Then my eyes shifted to him

“If you knew that, why didn’t you send your precious step daughter to marry your damned prince and his family since all you do is worship them? She’s doing well at it, I mean she even has a child for him doesn’t she?” I spat.

I could see her face go pale, her hand instinctively reaching for her stomach

“She’ll give you everything you want, but me? I’m done with this” I finalized with him, standing my ground “All these! With you, with Leo, with everyone in this room” I turned to leave

“You better go back and beg on your knees for that ring or you don’t have a place in this family” he said

I let out a mocking scoff “Like I ever had one” I walked out of the mansion wiping my face with a tissue.

I sat in my car for a while, the tears I had held back finally came rushing out.

Frustrated, I slammed my hand against the wheels, shaking my head violently, my ears deafening from my own screams.