SARAH My stomach twists into a tight painful knot. Shit. Shit. Shit. I can tell from the text that he’s mad about something, but I have no idea what it is. Has someone taken a viral picture of Ronan and I? I shake my head. No. That can’t be it. Ronan would have called me to tell me. Has Kevin decided to call me first? Does he want to hear from me before deciding how best to take their lives? I run my fingers from my forehead down the length of my hair as I grunt in frustration. “Fuck.” I hiss. Quickly, I get dressed, hide my vibrator, and clean up my dressing stool. I am about to pick up my phone to call when my phone rings again. I hesitate before answering, forcing a smile as the call connects. “Two times in one week, Kev. I hate to say it, but I’m beginning to feel like you’re addicted to me at this point, and you’re trying to think of a way to tell me you want to come back to Durmont.” I laugh and shake my head as he frowns at me. “What is it, brother? Have you finally realized you can’t function without me?” He still doesn’t laugh. His face, for whatever reason, is set in stone. The way his dark brows are drawn together make my stomach sink further. I fight hard to maintain my smile as I shift on the bed, gripping the phone tighter. “Uhmm, okay,” I let out a nervous chuckle. “Someone is clearly having a bad night. What’s going on?” His lips press into a thin line. “What’s going on? Sarah, I should be the one asking you that. I called you some days ago to ask if everything was okay. I told you Ronan and his brothers were worried about you, and you told me there was no reason for me to be bothered,” I swallow hard. Kevin only calls me Sarah when he’s mad at me. “Why did you lie to me, Sarah? Tell me.” Everything inside me goes still. I have to continue to feign ignorance until I know exactly what he’s talking about. “But I’m fine, Kev. I…” “For fuck’s sake, berry. Cut the bullshit!” He bangs his free fist against the table in front of him, and a cold feeling rushes down my spine. “I saw the video, berry. I was enjoying a calm night out, scrolling on my feed, and guess what I see?”I blink in silence. I’m still confused. “A video of some blonde chick saying you fired her for fucking your husband. Debbi pose, or rose. Whatever the damned slut’s name is.” Kevin is furious, I can see it in his dark green eyes. I suck in a sharp breath. My heart drums so loudly against my chest, I can barely think. Of course, he’s seen it. I should have known. When something goes viral in Durmont, it spreads like wildfire, especially when it involves the CEO of Wellspring Insurance and her picture-perfect marriage. They had asked me about it at the event, but I didn’t think it had gotten this viral. Kevin is in Italy for goodness sake! Kevin’s eyes soften when I do not respond. I can tell he’s sorry for yelling at me. “Berry, please. It’s me. Big brother Kev. Talk to me.” Tears threaten to form in my eyes, but I fight them back. I’m not going to cry. No. I want to tell him everything. Life will be easier once I do. My brother will spare no expense ruining Aaron’s life, but that’ll mean coming to my rescue again. Ever since our parents died, Kevin looked out for me. At such a young age, he had to take over our parent’s company, while being a father and a brother to me as well. I was a huge factor in his life. Mom and dad were never really around even before they died, so Kevin was all I had. He was never able to leave Durmont until I was married. It was one of the reasons I was so eager to get married so young. I needed to be someone else’s responsibility so Kevin could be free. Even then, he helped me with the seed fund and connections I needed to start Wellspring Insurance. He put his name on the line for me, for my business. He trusted me to make the right decisions. To fail is to fail him. I can’t let him know everything is slipping away from me: both my husband and Wellspring. I know he’ll take the first flight back to Durmont, and I don’t want that. He’s looked after me since I was nine. It’s enough. So, I do the only thing I am supposed to do: lie. I force a dry laugh, shaking my head. “What? You’ve seen that already? She’s a silly girl, I assure you. She made a pass at Aaron, and he rejected her. My loving husband told me, of course, because we tell each other everything. I fired her after. She’s just salty, that’s all.” Kevin doesn’t look convinced. “The internet is eating this up, berry. And not in the way you think. People are saying she has proof.” A lump rises in my throat.Proof. Of course she’ll have proof. Fuck Aaron! Fuck him and his whores. I force another laugh. “If she does have proof, she should please bring it forward. You know what? I am going to call the lawyers first thing in the morning. I will sue the bitch for all she has. You just watch.” Kevin heaves a sigh. He rubs the corner of his eyes as he often does when he’s tired. “I just want you to be okay, Berry. You’re all that I’ve got. And if you need me, say the word. I’ll take the first flight back to Dur…” “No.” I cut in. My brother raises a brow. “Don’t, okay? I can handle this myself. I’m not a baby anymore.” “You’ll always be my baby, Berry. But if you don’t want me there, it’s fine. I’ve texted the HawkThornes. They’ll look after you for me.” I swallow hard. Surely, he wouldn’t be saying that if he’s aware his best friends have filled all my holes. I nod. “I’m fine, Kev. I promise.” Lying to him feels like swallowing glass, but it’s the right thing to do. I already owe him too much. After a long pause, he finally nods. “Alright. But if anything happens—” “I’ll call you.” Another lie. I end the call before he can push any further, then drop my phone onto the bed. My whole body feels heavy, like I’ve just run a marathon with bricks strapped to my chest. It’s going to be chaos at work tomorrow. How am I going to face this? How do I pull everything back together? I let out a shaky breath, rubbing my temples. It’s fine. It’s going to be fine. I hope. I crawl out of bed and head down the stairs. I sit in the living room, waiting. I have no idea what I’m waiting for, but when the door swings open and his laughter fills the hall, I realize it. Aaron. I tilt my neck towards the door to find my husband strolling in, drunk, the brunette from the event strapped to his arm. Her cologne is the only scent that fills the room. Her lipstick is all over his face. She’s strapped to his left arm and he makes a silly joke and squeezes her ass. She throws her head back and laughs. Bile rises to my throat as I stand on my feet. I walk slowly towards the door, taking a stand in front of me. Aaron sways slightly, blinking at me like he’s surprised to find me here. “What? Why are you looking at me like that? Haven’t you seen a hot man and a pretty lady…” His words are cut off by the sound of my right hand crashing on his cheek. The sharp crack echoes through the silence. Aaron’s head jerks to the side. The girl gasps with wide eyes, and I turn to her. “If you don’t want to be next, I highly suggest you get the hell out of my house.” For a second, she hesitates. I take one step forward to let her know that I will drag her across the floor with her cute brown hair if I have to. Then, with a nervous glance at Aaron, she scurries toward the door, slipping out without another word. I slam the door shut behind her. Aaron barely reacts. He just stands there, rubbing his jaw like the slap was nothing but a mild inconvenience. If one slap didn’t do the job, I can always make it two. Rage churns inside me, bubbling dangerously close to the surface. “You are nothing, you hear me?” I point at him. “If you think you are going to ruin everything we’ve worked so hard to build, you’ve got another thing coming.” I can’t hold my tears back anymore. “Why, Aaron? Why do you insist on bringing me down with you?” Aaron lets out a low, bitter laugh. “You’re a pathetic, insecure, jealous bitch, Sarah. Has anyone ever told you that?” I blink. Is he fucking for real? I’m done. Oh. I’m so done. I shake my head, and a sour chuckle follows. “That’s it, Aaron Connor. I’m done with you. I’m calling the lawyers.” I say it with a firm unwavering tone, so that he knows I’m not bluffing. Aaron cocks his head. Then, slowly, he smirks.“Go ahead. I dare you.” I flinch. Not because of the words, but because of the way he says them. He takes a step forward. I step back. “You won’t leave, Sarah,” he says, his voice dropping to something dangerously smooth. Another step forward. I step back again. “You can’t.” He keeps moving toward me, his eyes locking me in place. “Because that would mean admitting failure.” I hit the wall. My breath hitches in my throat. “You’ve got some nerve to think I wouldn’t drag your ass to court, Aaron.” He smirks, leaning in slightly as his voice drops to a whisper. “It would mean telling the world that the brilliant, flawless Sarah Wellspring, CEO of Wellspring Insurance, the woman every girl in Durmont envies, wasn’t sexy or beautiful enough to keep her own husband.” I shake my head. I’m fighting a losing battle against the tears in my eyes. Aaron tilts his head. “It would mean facing the fact that every single time I sleep with someone else, you lose a little more respect in their eyes. And you hate that, don’t you?” Tears blur my vision, but I refuse to let them fall. Aaron just smiles. “You won’t leave because part of you still wants me to change. You hope…God, you hope that one day, I’ll wake up and realize that you were always enough.” I let out a shaky breath, my fingers digging into the wall behind me. “But that’s not the worst part,” he laughs, stepping even closer. “No, the worst part is that you’re terrified, Sarah.” He leans in, and his warm breath grazes my cheek. “Terrified of admitting that life didn’t turn out the way you wanted it to. Terrified of starting over. Terrified of losing the only thing that’s really yours: Wellspring.” I stagger, his words slamming into me like a punch to the gut. “I dare you to take me to court, Sarah. Call your superhero brother and cry to him like the helpless bitch you are. Face it, Sarah. You’ll always need someone. You can’t stand on your own.” Aaron shakes his head and finally moves backward, giving me ample space to breathe. “When your brother got tired of looking after you, he handed you over to me. He knows what you and I know. You can’t make it on your own, Sarah. Don’t try to.” With those words, Aaron walks up the stairs, leaving me behind.And I crumble to the ground. The sob rips through me before I can stop it. Because he’s right. Everything he said is right.