I Thought It Was Stress—It Was Betrayal

Jared's POV

I stood frozen at the doorway for a long time before taking a step inside.

Two familiar bodies were tangled together, stark naked right in front of me.

"How far along… are you?"

At the sound of my voice, they both whipped around.

My fiancée, Gracie Howell, scrambled off the bed. She nearly slipped on a stray condom wrapper while pulling her dress up. It was nothing like her usual calm demeanor.

"Jared? What are you doing here?"

The wall lamp was still glowing with a soft, warm light.

It illuminated the sweet wedding photo of Gracie and me while also casting light over the bright red scratch marks across my younger brother Luca Norton's chest.

Seeing him cowering in the corner, I picked up the quilt off the floor and gently tossed it over him.

"I came to decorate the house. But I guess…"

I came at the wrong time.

A faint, bitter smile tugged at my lips as I looked down, laughing at myself.

Come to think of it, this was the first time I'd ever taken time off work. And it was all for the wedding I had been looking forward to so badly.

On the drive over, my head was bursting with excitement, spinning with plans. Where to hang the wedding banner, how many floral garlands to drape along the windows, and what kind of centerpiece and refreshments to set out at the reception area.

I'd even bought a few of the pricier suits for Luca, knowing he was a fashion influencer and wanting him to look great on the big day.

I never imagined the two people I loved most would prepare a surprise like this for me.

It felt like a massive fist had slammed into my chest, squeezing tight. My breath hitched violently.

I turned to bolt from the room, accidentally knocking a glass off the table. A sharp crash rang out. The sound of it shattering made me flinch.

"Jared! Your hand is bleeding!"

Noticing the blood on the floor, Gracie rushed over to grab my hand.

I yanked it back instantly. "Don't touch me."

"I've looked after you all these years! Who else would take care of you like I do?"

Gracie held my wrist in a vice grip. She looked so genuinely frantic and concerned, as if she still loved me.

She used to rent an apartment near my company just so I could sleep ten minutes longer. She would cook breakfast for me every single morning.

The fridge was always stocked with my favorite drinks, my clothes were always freshly washed, and my phone was always fully charged before I left for work.

Everyone called her the ideal girlfriend. So why had she suddenly changed?

While I was out of it, Gracie had already picked the glass shards out of my palm.

Her eyes were filled with concern when she saw me wince.

"I'm sorry, Jared. Luca and I are really nothing. We were just messing around. You know he's just an annoying brat. He gets on my nerves more than anyone."

I looked at the gentle, attentive woman in front of me and felt a chill go down my spine.

Getting pregnant with someone else was just "messing around" to her?

And to make it worse, that someone else was my younger brother.