my sister's husband

chapter two

The reception was a whirlwind of congratulations, speeches, and forced smiles. As the night wore on, Emily and Alex slipped away, ready to start their honeymoon.

I stayed behind, nursing a drink, lost in thought. The music was too loud, the laughter too fake. I excused myself, stepping out into the cool night air.

That's when I saw him, standing by the hotel door, eyes locked on mine.

"Hey," he said, his voice low.

My heart skipped a beat. "Congratulations, Alex."

He took a step closer. "Cut the act. You know I'm not happy about this."

I raised an eyebrow. "You think _you're_ unhappy?"

The air was thick with unspoken words. Without another word, he took my hand, pulling me into the shadows.

We made it to my room. Clothes scattered, lips crashing together. Passion and anger intertwined.

Hours later, I woke up to my phone ringing, it was Emily.

I answered, " hey umm .... have you seen Alex ? she asked

I stood there, phone pressed to my ear, as Emily's worried voice filled the room. "Hey, Em... I haven't seen him," I lied, feeling a bitter taste in my mouth.

Alex sat on the bed , watching me with an unreadable expression.

"What's going on?" I asked, trying to sound concerned, playing the role of a worried sister.

"He just... left," Emily sniffled. "We were supposed to... you know. And then he said he needed air, and he just vanished."

I closed my eyes, guilt twisting my gut. "Calm down, Em. I'm sure he's just... dealing with stress or something."

Alex raised an eyebrow, mouthing, "Stress?"

I glared at him, hissing, "Shut up."

"Maybe check with his friends?" I suggested, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'm sure he'll turn up."

We hung up, and the room fell silent. Alex came closer. "You told her I was missing."

I pushed him away. "Get out. Go be her husband."

He caught my wrist. "Do you really want me to leave?" he asked

but I remained quiet because deep down I wanted him to be with me and not my sister.

Alex released my wrist, a smirk playing on his lips as he turned to leave. "I'll go be her husband," he said, his words l dripping with sarcasm.

The door closed shut behind him, and I was left standing alone in the dimly lit hotel room, my heart still racing from the night's events. I felt a mix of emotions: guilt, anger, and a pang of longing.

I walked over to the bed, sitting down on the edge, and stared blankly at the wall. What had I just done? I'd slept with my sister's husband on their wedding night. The thought sent a wave of shame through me, but it was quickly replaced by a sense of defiance. He was the one who'd chosen to leave Emily, not me.

The phone on the nightstand rang, jarring me out of my thoughts. It was Emily again, her voice trembling. "Hey, sis... I found Alex. He's... drunk, apparently. Can you come help me?"

I hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do. Part of me wanted to tell her everything, to confess the truth. But another part of me kept thinking about Alex , his touch , smile and our love.

"Sure" i finally agreed

I arrived at the hotel bar, where Emily was trying to sober up a slumbling Alex. The smell of stale beer and regret hung in the air.

"Hey, sis," Emily said, relief washing over her face. "Thanks for coming."

I forced a smile, avoiding Alex's bloodshot gaze. "No problem."

The bartender helped us get Alex to their room. As we stumbled in, Emily collapsed onto the bed, crying. "I don't understand... why did he leave me like that?"

I sat beside her, playing with her hair. "Maybe he just got overwhelmed, Em. It was a big day."

Alex groaned, flacing onto the couch. I shot him a warning look: _Don't you dare say a word._

The room fell into an uneasy silence. Emily eventually cried herself to sleep, clutching a pillow.

i went back to my room , thinking about how I'm ruining my sister's marriage , so I decided I was going to leave the next morning , for my sister's happiness.

The next morning, I stood in the hotel lobby, my bags packed. Emily looked up from her coffee, concern etched on her face. "You're really leaving?"

I nodded, trying to sound casual. "Yeah, I'm not really feeling the hotel vibe. And I've got some stuff to do back home."

Emily's eyes narrowed slightly. "Stuff? What stuff?"

I shrugged. "Just... work stuff. I'll catch up with you guys later."

She pouted, but I knew she wouldn't push too hard. Not today, not on her honeymoon. But then, unexpectedly, she launched into a long, impassioned speech about how this was our last chance to spend time together, that after this we'd be living in different houses, starting new lives...

"Em, stop," I said finally, feeling guilty. "I'll stay."

Her face lit up. "Really?"

I nodded, forcing a smile. "Yeah. For you."

We spent the day wandering Lusaka, pretending everything was normal. But the weight of her words lingered: _this is the last time we'll be together like this._

As we walked, Emily slipped her arm through mine. "I'm gonna miss you, sis."

I squeezed her hand. "I'll miss you too."

The day blurred into a montage of laughter, shopping, and fake smiles. But in my head, one thought echoed: _this is the beginning of the end._

After a long day of having fun with Emily, night fell. I said goodnight to Emily, and she asked, "Why aren't you saying it to Alex?"

I looked up, locking eyes with Alex. "Goodnight," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I wanted to hug him, kiss him... but couldn't.

I retreated to my room, thoughts swirling. Alex, Emily,The lies. I fell asleep, restless.

Next morning, breakfast was tense. Emily asked, "So, sis, what's going on with your love life?"

I froze, nervous. "Uh... I have a boyfriend," I lied.

Alex's gaze snapped to mine, angry. He pushed back his chair. "I'll get my phone. Left it in the room."

He left, and Emily smiled dreamily. "I love him, you know. We had s*x last night... and it was amazing"

"That's great Em " I said, forcing a smile

Alex returned to the table, phone in hand, his expression still stormy. The conversation turned stilted, with Emily dominating the talk about her plans for the honeymoon. I struggled to keep my eyes off Alex, feeling guilty and confused.

As we finished breakfast, Emily stood up. "I'm gonna go get ready. You guys chill."

The moment she left, Alex turned to me, his voice low. "A boyfriend? Really?"

I shrugged, trying to play it cool. "It was the first thing that came to mind."

He leaned in, his face inches from mine. "Don't lie to her. Not about this."

I pulled back, heart racing. "I'm not. I just don't want to hurt Emily's feelings, she's my sister " I said

"And why are you concerned about me having a boyfriend huh ? , you slept with Emily last night"

I asked angrily

He remained quiet for a while looking at me with quilt in he's eyes , then he finally said" Well I had to , she's my wife after all"

I felt like I was drowning in my own emotions. Alex's words echoed in my mind: " she's my wife after all."

I turned away, trying to gather my thoughts

. "I need... I need some space."

Alex nodded, his expression understanding. "I'll give you space. But please, don't shut me out."

I didn't respond. I just walked away, leaving him standing there.

Alone in my room, I let the emotions flood in. Hurt, anger, confusion. I didn't know what to do.