3| Lisa is mine and brian will pay for this.

MONICA

My phone began to ring nonstop, the loud sound cutting through my bedroom. I dragged my hand across the bed and grabbed it, sighing when I saw the name on the screen.

**Lilian.**

My little rat in white scrubs.

I pressed the answer button.

“What is it now?“ I asked, my voice sharp. “You better not be wasting my time.”

Lilian sounded breathless. “Ma… ma, you asked me to watch Lisa, right? To tell you everything about her.”

I sat up slowly, rubbing my forehead. “Yes. So talk.”

There was silence for two seconds before she said the words that almost made my heart jump out.

“Lisa is pregnant!!”

I froze.

“What?” I whispered, then louder, “What did you just say, Lilian!!?”

“She’s pregnant ma. I saw the test results myself this morning.”

I pushed my hair back with shaky fingers. I felt heat rise in my chest and anger burn in my stomach.

“How… how is that even possible?” I hissed. “That useless girl? Pregnant? For who… don’t tell me it’s Adrian.”

Lilian swallowed loudly. I could hear her fear.

“That’s the thing, ma. I don’t know who the father is. But… but she didn’t look shocked by the news. More like she has been expecting it.”

My nails dug into the bed sheet.

“She has been *expecting* it?” I repeated slowly. “So she was planning this… maybe she wants to use the baby to hold Adrian.”

“Maybe, ma. I don’t know.”

I stood up, pacing the room. I couldn’t believe it. Lisa….dirty, worthless Lisa….pregnant? After everything? Hell no.

“How dare she,” I said under my breath. “How dare she get pregnant after Adrian threw her away….”

She should abort that baby or I’ll help her get rid of it. I thought inwardly.

Lilian cleared her throat softly. “Ma… there’s something else.”

“What now?”

“I saw her leaving the hospital with Brian, Adrian’s brother… and ma, they seemed close. Real close.”

I stopped walking.

“**Brian?**” I whispered.

“Yes ma.”

“How close is real close, Lilian?” I asked again, slower this time.

“Close like… he held her by the arm when she almost slipped. And he wouldn’t let any other nurse touch her. He took her to the car himself.”

I clenched my jaw hard.

“That stupid girl,” I muttered. “She’s playing with fire.”

I was about to ask more questions when my bedroom door opened without a knock.

Adrian walked in.

I turned fast, with my eyes wide and my phone pressed to my ear so he wouldn’t suspect anything.

He didn’t seem to have heard anything yet. His eyes were cold, unreadable as usual, as he stepped in with slowly.

I forced my voice to sound normal.

“Lilian,” I said quickly into the phone, “repeat what you said before. The part about why you called.”

But Adrian was already close enough to hear the rest.

“Ma,” Lilian continued, “I called to tell you Lisa left with Brian. They were together the whole time.”

My heart almost stopped.

Adrian’s eyes snapped to me.

He heard that part.

Not the pregnancy at least. That was a relief.

But he heard everything about Lisa and Brian.

Lilian kept talking, unaware.

“They looked like they have something going on ma. I think Brian cares about her.”

My breath caught.

Adrian’s jaw tightened so hard I thought it would crack.

I ended the call immediately.

Adrian stared at me. “Lisa… was with Brian?”

I slowly nodded. But spoke anyway.

“ So what Adrian. If she is with Brian what difference does it make. Just forget about her and focus on me, I’m…..”

He didn’t wait for me to speak again, He turned around and walked out of the room.

“Adrian!” I called after him. “Where are you going?!”

He didn’t answer, and now I heard the front door slam.

I saw real anger in Adrian’s eyes.

Not the fake one he uses on me.

Not the playful one.

Real, deep, dangerous anger.

And all of it…

Was for **Lisa**. That piece of shit.

I kicked the chair beside my bed, screaming into the air.

“THAT GIRL ALWAYS RUINS EVERYTHING!”

ADRIAN

I didn’t know when I reached the garage.

I didn’t know when I entered my car.

I didn’t know when I started driving.

All I knew was that the moment I heard Brian’s name… paired with Lisa’s…

Something snapped inside me.

The snow was falling lightly outside. But I didn’t care. The cold didn’t matter to me right now.

Only one thing mattered:

**Brian touched something that wasn’t his.**

When I got to his hospital, I pushed the door open so hard that two nurses flinched. They stared at me, whispering to each other.

“Where is he?” I said.

They pointed down the long hallway.

I walked fast, moving towards his office.

I saw him at the end, standing by his desk, writing something down.

“BRIAN!” I shouted.

He lifted his head. His calm eyes met mine.

“Adrian.” He closed the file slowly. “I didn’t expect you.” He said giving his annoying smile.

I walked toward him, my chest rising and falling.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I asked.

He stared at me looking totally confused. “Doing my job?” He responded.

“Don’t play stupid with me,” I growled.

He sighed. “If this is about swallowing your pride and coming to apologize for being a…”

“This is about Lisa.”

He went silent for a moment.

I took one step closer.

“You think I didn’t hear?” I said with a cold smile. “You think I don’t know you’re trying to take what belongs to me?”

Brian looked at me long and hard.

“She doesn’t belong to you.”

“Everything about her…her body, her time, her heart…used to be mine,” I shot back.

“That’s the problem. *Used to be.* You broke her, Adrian.”

I clenched my fists.

“And you think you can fix her? You think you can step into my space? Touch what is mine?”

“She came to me for help. That’s all.”

“Don’t lie to me,” I snapped. “I know your type. You want her.”

“And if I do?” Brian asked quietly, which sounded extremely annoying.

I stepped even closer until our faces were inches apart.

“Stay away from her.”

“No.”

My head jerked back a little, shocked.

“What?”

Brian’s voice was calm, and I knew this face… he wasn’t going to give up easily. Neither will I.

“I said no, Adrian. I won’t stay away from her.”

My chest tightened with rage.

“You always took what I had growing up,” I said slowly. “But you won’t take Lisa.”

Brian gave a small smile. “Why does that sound like you Adrian. As kids you always took what was mine… just because you were everyone’s favorite. I only took what I couldn’t bare seeing you with.”

“ And secondly I didn’t take her. You lost her and I decided to claim her.”

I shoved his shoulder. Nurses gasped behind us.

Brian didn’t move. He just looked at me like he wasn’t afraid of me anymore.

Fine.

If he wanted war…

He would have it.

“Let’s end this,” I said. “Since you want to act like a man.”

Brian crossed his arms. “What do you want, Adrian?”

“A bet.”

He raised a brow. “A bet?”

“Yes.” I grinned, full of anger. “Let’s see who she chooses to stay with.”

Brian’s eyes hardened.

“And if she chooses you?” he asked.

“She will,” I answered coldly.

“And if she doesn’t?” he pushed.

I swallowed. My jaw twitched.

“If she doesn’t…” I breathed out slowly, “I’ll stay out of her life forever.”

Brian nodded slowly.

“Fine,” he said. “But I already know the answer.”

I took one step back.

“Then let the game start.”

And I walked out of the hospital, the cold wind chilling my face and the snow hitting my coat…

But none of it cooled my blood anyways.

I didn’t know what Lisa was planning.

I didn’t know why she was suddenly close to Brian.

But I knew one thing…. Lisa was mine.

And Brian would learn that the hard way.