Chapter 2

Brooke sat on the couch; her mind had been spinning nonstop; the emotions and memories left her utterly drained. She wanted to shut it all out, to silence the persistent doubts and insecurities that bothered her. Yet, as much as she longed to stop thinking, the ache in her chest refused to let her rest.

Taking a deep breath, she decided to confront all her demons. Maybe if she let herself think about everything, she could find some clarity or at least make sense of why life always seems to feel this way.

Her thoughts drifted back to River. She couldn’t fault him entirely for caring about Harper, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. He had always been devoted to her sister, even after Harper abandoned him for another man. The protective nature and unwavering loyalty were a part of who he was, but sometimes Brooke wondered if he had any left for her.

Three years of marriage should have been enough for him to see her as his wife, not just Harper’s replacement.

She couldn’t bring herself to talk to him while he stood there. She felt a sharp pain in her throat as she knew that she was always overshadowed by her sister. Harper has always been his priority, especially since she got into an accident. She began to use cheap tricks to get River to the hospital even when she was fine; she would lie that she was hurt and she would use that to try to get him back.

In that moment, Brooke felt invisible. “Why doesn’t he see me? The girl who was forced to altar her life and marry him after my sister ran away. The woman who has stood by his side, she had grown into loving him, even if their marriage had started out as something more practical than romantic. She had hoped with time, he would see her as his partner, not someone in Harper’s shadow.

It was as if the world around her stopped, and she was left alone, struggling to breathe.

She cared for her sister but she knew how cunning she could be and now that a child was on the way. She worried if she was actually helping Harper and River get together or if this was a ray of hope for her.

The truth was, River wasn’t the only one who treated Harper like she could do no wrong. Their father adored her too, showering her with the affection and pride Brooke had never received. 

Her gaze fell to her hands, fingers laced tightly in her lap. She remembered the strained conversations with her father when Harper eloped, leaving the engagement in shambles. The scandal had been a threat to both families reputations and the merger of their companies. Brooke had been the last resort since her other sister was married and the youngest sister was still young.

Even then, her father hadn’t wanted her to marry River. To him, she was a curse, the bad luck that had ruined his life from the moment she was born. She could still hear the terrible words echoing in her mind, words that had hurt deeper than she liked to admit. He had lost his job and his wife, Brooke’s mother, on the same day. In his eyes, Brooke’s birth had been the cause for it all.

Her childhood had been a battlefield of rejection and indifference. Brooke had expected that her life would be like the movies, where her stepmother tries to ruin her life, but for Brooke it wasn’t the case. Her stepmother showered her with love while her father and sisters loathed her. Her brother and her half sister, who was the daughter of both her father and her stepmother, were usually in the middle. It was a constant battle of who was with or against Brooke.

Brooke ran her fingers through her hair, letting the memories flood in. Harper had always been the perfect one, and when she left, it had felt like her absence created a vacuum that Brooke could never fill.

“Would River even care about her pregnancy?”, she thought. 

“No”, she immediately removed the thought out of her mind. 

Her hand instinctively went to her stomach, resting over the small life growing inside her.  “This baby…it’s mine. It’s ours, she reminded herself. 

***

After a while Brooke decided to take a short nap for thirty minutes when she woke up she decided that if River could make time to check on Harper, she should do the same. Harper had just survived a horrific car accident, and as much as it pained her to see River prioritize her sister, Brooke couldn’t let bitterness overshadow concern for her sibling. First, though, she needed to stop by her family home. She knew her visit to the family would not be friendly but she needed to know how they were all holding up. 

As she stepped inside, her father wasted no time assigning her tasks. 

“Brooke, clean the house and decorate it properly. Harper deserves a warm welcome after surviving such a terrible accident”, he ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.

“Wait, Harper is coming back”, Brooke thought. “Maybe she wasn’t that hurt.”

Though Brooke already felt drained, she nodded quietly and got to work. She scrubbed the floors, tidied up every corner, and carefully arranged flowers in the living room. Brooke continued to make things perfect for Harper’s return. As she continues to clean, her eldest sister, Ruby and Ruby’s husband Luke arrived.

“Brooke, the family maid”, Ruby mocked, casually dropping crumbs onto the floor. “You missed a spot.”

Brooke bit her lip and silently bent down to clean up the mess.

“She does not even talk back,” Luke added with a smirk, tossing a wrapper to the ground. “What a pushover.”

Their laughter echoed, but Brooke kept her head down and continues her work, unwilling or perhaps too timid to confront them. Years of being treated as trash and less than the rest of the family, she had been left unsure of how to stand up for herself.

“Enough”, Reign’s voice echoed through the room. He stood at the doorway, his expression cold and angry. “What is wrong with you two? She’s your sister, not your servant.”

Ruby shrugged, feigning innocence. “She doesn’t mind.”

“She minds,” Reign snapped, turning to Brooke. “You don’t have to take this, Brooke. Speak up for yourself, even if they’re family.”

Brooke met his gaze, tears welling up. She nodded faintly but wasn’t sure she could muster the courage to push back.

Thanks to Reign’s intervention, the taunting stopped, and Brooke finished cleaning.

Not long after, Harper showed up with River by her side.

The sight of River walking so close to her sister hurt Brooke, but she pushed her feelings aside. Harper had just been discharged from the hospital and Brooke was genuinely relieved to see her healthy.

The family gathered around to welcome Harper with warm hugs and cheers. Brooke decided to keep her pregnancy news to herself for now. This day was about Harper’s recovery, and revealing her secret now would only cause unnecessary drama.

Later, Brooke prepared a tray of food for Harper and brought it to her room. As she approached, she heard River’s voice coming from inside. 

“I need to divorce her, Harper,” he said firmly.

Brooke froze in place, her heart sinking.

“Divorce her? River, she’s your wife,” Harper replied, her tone filled with disbelief.

“She shouldn’t have been,” River said bitterly. “It was always supposed to be you. We can still fix this. Just say the word.”

Brooke’s stomach hurt as Harper hesitated before asking, “And if Brooke has a child? Would that change anything?”

“No,” River said without hesitation. “I’d tell her to get rid of it.”