His Brother’s Rejected Bride

The city’s lights shimmered under Brittney’s gaze. Numerous lights danced in the distance, as far as the eye could see, beyond the tower’s glass walls. Three years ago, Brittney would have marveled at the sight as the most desired heiress in the country. Tonight, however, Brittney only felt a deep emptiness in her chest. The wind blew hard against her hair as she leaned over the rooftop’s ledge. Hundreds of feet below, the street glowed with light. One step, one simple step, and it would all be over. A cold laugh escaped Brittney’s lips as realization hit her. How poetic it would be to end it all right here and now. “Everything would have been perfect if you hadn’t interfered,” said Brittney to herself. She had been the talk of the town not so long ago. The proud heiress and the future CEO of the largest company in the country. She was beautiful, rich, and engaged to the most eligible bachelor of them all. Everyone was envious of her, and for good reason. Everyone, that is, except one particular individual. The rooftop door creaked open behind Brittney. A few seconds passed as the visitor slowly approached the edge. “Enjoying the view, Ashford?” asked Selena, Brittney’s cousin and best friend. “Why are you here?” snapped Brittney at Selena. She turned around to meet her cousin’s gaze. Selena looked stunning in a white designer dress. Diamond earrings sparkled as she waved her hand left and right. A big smile appeared on her face as she noticed her ring. Damien’s ring, to be exact, glinting on her finger. Another wave of grief consumed Brittney as she looked at the sight before her. “Selena,” said Brittney in a low voice. “Why are you doing this to me?” “Doing what? Hiding the truth?” replied Selena, her smile widening. “You of all people should know by now.” “I know,” said Brittney, her voice barely a whisper. “I know you set me up.” Selena looked genuinely surprised. “What are you talking about? That I set you up?” “It was all you,” said Brittney, her voice gaining confidence. “The anonymous letters, the company’s losses, the board members who voted you out of the company. All of it was you.” Selena chuckled darkly. “You think it was me? Oh, Brittney, Brittney, Brittney,” said Selena, shaking her head in mock disappointment. “Were you really that dense, or did you just love him too much to see the truth?” Selena paused to study Brittney’s expression. “Were you really that stupid not to realize that he never loved you?” “What are you talking about?” asked Brittney, narrowing her eyes. “What do you know about it?” “I know plenty,” said Selena, walking closer to Brittney. “I know everything. I know about the anonymous letters, the false accusations of stealing from the company, the votes against you. I set all of that up. I am the one who got rid of you as the CEO. I am the one who caused the scandal with the press. I am the one who forged those documents you found. All of it was me. What else do you want me to say?” Brittney felt as if her heart was being ripped out of her chest. “Why would you do such a thing?” “I did it because everything was always yours,” spat Selena, hatred bubbling in her voice. “Everything always belonged to you. The company was always yours, the inheritance was always yours. You have the money, the power, the love, and even the gorgeous looks. Everything was always yours, Brittney. It was never meant to be mine.” Brittney stared at Selena in disbelief. She had never thought that her own cousin had hated her this much. Her lifelong friend. Her sister. “What about Damien?” asked Brittney quietly. Selena smiled. “Oh, don’t be silly,” said Selena mockingly. “Did you think he never loved you? He never loved you. He only loved himself.” “What are you talking about?” asked Brittney. “Of course he loved me.” “Not really,” said Selena, raising her hand to reveal her engagement ring. “In fact, Damien has been with me for almost two years. He proposed to me last week.” Brittney wanted to scream at this point but all that came out was a muffled gasp. Her knees almost buckled under her as she felt the world spinning out of control. “No,” she whispered. “That can’t be true.” Selena chuckled. “Oh, yes. He told me everything, Brittney. You see, all those late-night dinners, the business meetings, the dates you had to cancel, the long-distance calls. While you were working hard to get the company back and keep his love, he was with me the whole time. All of this happened behind your back. We are officially engaged, Brittney.” Selena’s words gutted Brittney like a knife through her heart. All the efforts to win Damien’s love and rebuild her company were just lies. All the years she sacrificed for the man of her dreams were wasted. Her world slowly caved in around her, piece by piece. “Is there anything else I should know?” asked Brittney, her voice trembling with rage. She clenched her fists in an attempt to suppress her emotions. Selena smiled. “You lost, Brittney. You lost everything. You lost the company, the love of your life, the happiness. Isn’t it ironic? Everything was always meant to be mine. Even your life.” Just then, the rooftop door swung open again. Footsteps echoed from the passage as Brittney turned around. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him. She saw the man, the one she thought would spend her life with. The one she sacrificed everything for. For the first time in centuries, there was a glimmer of hope in Brittney’s chest. Perhaps Selena was lying. Perhaps everything was not as bad as she thought. “Damien,” said Brittney with newfound strength. “Damien, please tell me what she is talking about.” Damien, however, walked up to Selena and put his arms around her waist. He planted a passionate kiss on her lips, and Brittney felt her heart shatter into pieces. “You should have accepted the settlement,” said Damien, finally meeting Brittney’s gaze. “It was the best offer for you.” Brittney couldn’t believe her ears. “You ruined my life.” Damien simply looked at her. There was no regret, no guilt in his brown eyes. If anything, he was relieved at the situation. “You ruined it yourself,” Damien replied coolly. Before Brittney could retort, Selena walked up to her and gave her a menacing smile. “You lost,” said Selena with a grin. “You lost everything.” All of a sudden, Brittney felt the rooftop’s edge disappear beneath her. The city’s lights spun wildly as she plummeted to the ground. She struggled to scream but her body refused to obey. All she could do was watch in horror as the ground approached at lightning speed. The last thing Brittney heard before losing consciousness was the man named Adrian’s anguished cry. She only realized too late that he had tried to save her. “You should have accepted the settlement, Brittney,” said Adrian. “I would have caught you if you didn’t jump off that rooftop.” Brittney’s eyes fluttered open as she stirred. Warmth surrounded her as she blinked her eyes open. Light shone through the canopy as she slowly opened her eyes to see the ceiling of her old bedroom. It was the same room she saw three long years ago. The walls, furniture, and the photographs were all still the same. “No,” she whispered, stunned to see her surroundings. Brittney suddenly shot up in bed so fast her head throbbed in pain. The young maid standing at the edge of her bed looked at her with a worried expression. “Miss Ashford?” Brittney looked around the room, her heart pounding in her chest. Tears of joy streamed down her face as she looked at her hands. She was alive. Happily, she looked up at the maid. “What is the meaning of this?” The maid smiled nervously as she walked closer to Brittney. “What are you talking about, Miss Ashford,” replied the maid. “I am saying that this is a dream come true,” said Brittney, hugging her hands to her chest. “I am home. I am back. I was gone for three years, and I am back now. Do you understand what this means?” “Oh, Miss Ashford,” said the maid, bowing her head in confusion. “You have been asleep for the past few days.” “No, no, no,” said Brittney, shaking her head in denial. “I was asleep for three years.” The maid gave Brittney a strange look. “No, you weren’t. You only slept for three days.” Brittney looked at her shaking hands. Did she really sleep for only three days? This couldn’t be right. “I woke up three years ago,” replied Brittney. “Oh dear,” said the maid, crossing her arms over her chest. “That was a long time ago.” Brittney looked around the room, her eyes widening with horror. “Where am I?” “Miss Ashford, you are in your bedroom,” replied the maid. “It is quite a lovely room, don’t you think?” “I know,” said Brittney, tears of joy cascading down her cheeks. “It really is.” Brittney couldn’t help but smile as she marveled at the beauty around her. Her heart pounded as she realized what was happening. She was back. Back in her old life. Back before the betrayal. Back before her life was shattered. She would have another chance to fix everything. This time, she wouldn’t let everything slip away. This time, she would be the one to make the right choices. A knock on the door made Brittney turn her head. Three soft knocks echoed throughout the chamber. A few seconds later, the door opened to reveal a young man. “Miss Ashford, you must prepare yourself,” said young Adrian Blackwood, entering the room. “Before accepting my brother’s proposal today, there are a few things he needs to tell you.”