My Brother's True Obsession

I shot up from my seat, the glass in my hand shattering into pieces on the floor.The room was full of music and laughter, so no one really noticed, except Melvin Frazier. Sitting right next to me, he turned his head, his eyes sharp and watchful. His voice came out soft, almost too soft. "Sheila, what's wrong?"I shivered, teeth clenching as I looked at the man in front of me—the same man who would one day hit me so hard until I lost my baby, the same man who'd push me, fresh out of the hospital, to sleep with clients.As I recalled the tragedy that was my past life, the feelings I thought I had for him disappeared in an instant. It was as if I had woken up from a dream and realized I didn't love him anymore."My stomach hurts. I need to use the restroom," I whispered, my face pulling into just enough pain to sell the lie."Go on. I'll wait for you," Melvin said smoothly, not doubting me for a second.I nodded like a good girl, stood up, and walked out slowly. But the moment th

This time, I wasn't giving anyone else a chance.I was going to change my fate. Even if I was just a throwaway side character, I refused to die miserably."Ryan, I'm taking you out of here."I grabbed his arm, trying to pull him off the floor, but I had overestimated myself. I tugged a few times, and instead of lifting him, I fell down from being pulled by his weight."Sheila." His breathing was shaky, his eyes bloodshot but locked on mine. In his voice, I heard something I almost missed—hurt."I thought you didn't care about me anymore. Since you don't care about me, why are you here?" His words sounded stubborn, but underneath, I could hear the crack in his voice.Even as he tried to hide it, I saw relief in his eyes. He was glad I was there.My chest tightened.Damn it. What the hell was wrong with the old me?Why would I throw myself at some guy who treated me like dirt while hurting the one person who loved me like his whole world?"How could I not care about you? You'

I froze. Hold up. Vanessa knew Ryan?But that was impossible. In the book, the poisoning was supposed to be the first time they met.So why…Ryan's cool, steady voice cut through my spinning thoughts. "I'm fine now. Thanks, Vanessa. I really appreciate it.""It's nothing. I'm glad you're okay." She gave him a soft smile.The scene looked warm and perfect. My chest tightened. Did that mean the story was still pushing forward on its set path, no matter what I tried?Even though I had stopped Vanessa from saving Ryan with her body, I still couldn't stop them from meeting.And the fact that Ryan called her first when he was in danger meant he trusted her more than anyone.I hated admitting it, but I was jealous."So, Ryan, you two know each other?""Yeah," Ryan said. His gaze shifted to me, deep and unreadable. "She's my business partner."I froze. The story was moving ahead earlier than it should.In the novel, Vanessa was supposed to join Ryan's company later, and that was

Yesterday, Melvin had called me 36 times, but I hadn't picked up a single time.So now, his face looked stormy, like a thundercloud ready to explode.Melvin almost never called me first. To him, reaching out meant lowering himself. Between us, it was always me pursuing him, while he acted as if he was untouchable.If he told me to go left, I didn't even dare look right.But now, with 36 missed calls and me ignoring every one of them, he was understandably furious.If this was the old me, I'd already be scrambling to beg for forgiveness.But the awakened me just stood there, cool as a cucumber. Honestly, being near him made me want to throw up a little."I lost my phone," I said flatly.The guy I'd been obsessing over just yesterday didn't stir a single ripple in me now. Guess once I stepped out of the script, my taste finally went back to normal."You lost your phone and couldn't find any other way to reach me?" His voice cut sharp. Then his eyes narrowed. "And what happened w

I pulled myself out of old memories and poured Ryan a glass of orange juice before sliding it across the table to him. I'd tasted it earlier—it was sweet enough to cover the bitterness of the drug."She came by for work," Ryan said after a sip. "That's all it was. Why? You worried about her?"He didn't notice anything strange. Or maybe he just never doubted anything I gave him."I don't know," I said, pretending to joke. "I think she kinda has a thing for you. Maybe you two are the real main couple of this world. Maybe one day, you two will fall in love, and I'll just fade away."Ryan frowned, his expression tight. "Was that why you were showing off in front of her? Marking your territory?" He lifted the glass again, almost finishing it. The more he drank, the faster the drug would work.He tugged open the top button of his shirt, his pale skin showing. He pressed his hand against his temple as drowsiness started creeping in."Do you think you'll fall for her?" I asked."What…"