My Bartender Husband is a CEO

Chapter 7.

(Brianna's POV)

My world felt so shattered. It felt so hard to breathe like the air had simply vanished from the earth. My chest felt so tight and I squeezed it with a pain that made me feel like a thousand sharp knives were slashing me. The stabbing left such a deep wound that I could see the bottomless pit becoming a grave for me. A grave of endless misery.

I fell to the floor on my limp legs. Everything was a blur, covered by my uncontrollable tears. My voice disappeared as if it had been swept away by a powerful wave. I just whimpered at the loss of the father I loved so much.

It's too fast for me. A while ago I was still arguing with her about my marriage to Garth. I didn't expect God to take away my precious person when I was in such a fragile state. And I'm even more fragile over the loss of my father.

All of this felt like a dream. A nightmare that felt so real that I tried to run but it was useless. My breathing was ragged and every time I tried to catch my breath, it only made my chest feel even more tight. Blow after blow the pain I felt made me almost lose my resilience.

I never expected my happy life to be shattered like this. I thought losing Garth would be the only spear that would hurt me, but it turned out that there was something more painful and terrifying than that.

"Dad..." I cried out sobbing while squeezing my chest that had been hurting. I was attacked by panic until I couldn't move. Falling limp without me being able to do anything. My tears were unstoppable.

At that moment, I heard my cell phone ring. I took my phone out of my bag and saw Chloe's name on the screen. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand. I wondered why she contacted me after all the things she had done to me.

Did she have no shame or was she just a cold-hearted woman who didn't think about my hurt feelings of losing two people I loved?

"What else does she want from me? Isn't it enough that he ruined my happiness? I'm really sick of all this."

I no longer have the energy to fight with people who don't even deserve my attention. They were too trashy and full of nonsense. Talking to them is just a waste of my precious time.

I ignored Chloe's calls for the second time. She was very talented at making my patience run out by continuing to contact me non-stop. I didn't know what her motive was, but the constant ringing of my cell phone was making my ears hurt more and more.

So I decided to take the call from Chloe. Just a few words and after that, I would cut off all my ties with her. Because I don't want my life to be disturbed again after I lost my father. I had no energy and I just wanted to settle down and leave all this crazy pain and chaos behind.

"What do you want?" I asked curtly as soon as I pressed the green button on my phone screen.

"Why do you sound so rude, Bri."

"Don't beat around the bush, Chloe. Say what you want to say. I don't waste my precious time on people like you," I insisted.

"Well, come to the bar. I have a gift for you."

"A gift?" I smiled wryly. "What gift? Isn't exposing your illicit relationship with Garth my engagement gift from you? I think it's the best gift anyone could ever get!!!"

"Don't be a b***h, Bri. I'm telling you this important news because I think you deserve to see it. And you'll know who your real enemy is."

I ended our phone call just like that. I was so sick of hearing her voice, which was so haughty and annoying. But I was curious about what she meant by that.

"Enemy? What enemy is she talking about?" I asked myself.

She was my enemy for taking Garth away from me. Then what other enemy is she referring to? I had to go to the bar to find out because this was bothering my mind and I suddenly felt uneasy after hearing what Chloe said.

"I never even knew that I had so many enemies." I smiled wryly.

How many enemies are trying to destroy me? I've never even done any harm to those closest to me. But why did I get betrayed by them instead? What was my fault that they had a heart for me?

"I wish it wasn't about Garth anymore. I've had enough of dealing with an asshole like him. I hope he dies soon and suffers in hell!"

I drove my car straight to the bar. When I got there, I didn't see Chloe at all. I thought she would also be there to show me the enemy she was referring to and explain it to me.

[Go inside the bar and you'll find out soon enough.]

I suddenly got a text message from Chloe. I furrowed my brow as I read the message.

"What's all this about?"

I stared at the door of the bar and somehow I felt so uneasy as I tried to step my feet inside. This feeling ... I squeezed my chest. The same feeling I had when I stepped into the hotel room when I caught Chloe and Garth making love.

Those feelings of fear, disgust, and anger that I felt came back and I didn't like it. It always made my anxiety flare up until my chest felt like it had been hit by a boulder. It made me want to vomit every time the nausea of fear and disgust rose inside me.

But I had to brace myself and stand tall. Being a strong woman to see with my own eyes. Who was the enemy Chloe was referring to?

The doorknob felt so heavy when I pulled it down and I walked into the bar with my heart beating so fast. Even louder than the boisterous voices of the customers there.

Several sets of seats were filled with customers I didn't know, and the bartender's table, and then a corner of the room with a sofa set. More classy and luxurious than the other seats, I saw my mom, my brother, and Garth clinking their glasses together as if celebrating something.

I got goosebumps seeing the happy smiles on their faces. There didn't seem to be any sadness, regret, or even the pain I was feeling right now.

"What the hell is going on here?" my voice sounded hoarse.

How could they look so familiar and exchange wine with bright smiles when my father had just died? Even my relationship with Garth was so bad that they couldn't be that close.

I bit my lower lip. My hands clenched into fists as I listened to their conversation which felt like salt being sprinkled on my wounds. The pain felt so real that it made me grimace in pain.

"Cheers to our victory!"

"He's finally dead and now our plan is one step closer to our goal," said Brandon.

"And with that, Brandon will become the single largest shareholder and President of the company!" my mom exclaimed. Her glowing face full of happiness made me want to vomit.

Garth grinned. "And Brianna will still be married to me. And just like we planned, I'll make sure she end up in the mental hospital."

I swallowed hard. What was going on here? Why are they talking like that? Didn't I hear them wrong?

My tears spilled out uncontrollably. My body was trembling violently, my legs felt weak and I almost fell to the floor if I didn't immediately take hold of the wall beside me.

How could they plan such a cunning and terrible thing while I was their family? How could they laugh happily at my father's death?

I thought we were a loving family. But I didn't expect that they would rather be snakes biting me from behind just to achieve their aiming.

I wrung my hands. My eyes stared intently at them.

"I will never let their plan succeed," I said, "I swear by my dead’s father. You all will pay for what you have done."

I will never let them win and laugh over my destruction. Because I will continue to stand strong with my resilience that can never be broken.

"If you want to reach your aim, you have to step over my dead first," I sobbed.

I walked out of the bar with a broken heart. When I opened the door, I suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of panic. My chest felt tight and my breathing was labored. Everything was spinning and my vision was getting blurry.

I tried to grab onto something before I fell.

"Ugh ... h-help me...."

I bumped into someone until I ended up falling into his arms as my consciousness began to fade.