My Husband Thinks I Love His Dead Brother

Hugo Lambert never showed up, even as my father, Bernard Colgan, took his last breath.

Perhaps the double blow had left me numb with pain. I couldn't even shed a tear at Dad's funeral.

The people around me sighed when they saw me in that state.

"They used to be so in love. Now Hugo won't even show up to his father-in-law's funeral."

"Didn't you hear? Hugo hired a few young models and went to Brinor with them the day after their wedding."

"Cathy brought this on herself. I heard she is actually in love with someone else."

Just then, a cold sneer came from the doorway. "Yeah, Cathy got what she deserved. She was the one who used Hugo as a stand-in."

I turned my head and saw Hugo's newest mistress, Janelle Langdon, speaking. I paused when I noticed how much she resembled me.

When I didn't respond, Janelle stepped forward and knocked over the vase of flowers in front of me. "If you really love Hayden, then die and be with him! Stop clinging to Hugo!"

I flinched and let out a muffled groan. Then, I looked at Janelle, my expression emotionless. "If you're done, please leave. You're not welcome here."

Angered by my reaction, Janelle glared at me with a nasty smile. "Cathy, do you know why your dad died with regrets? It's your karma for toying with other people's feelings!"

My breath hitched, and before I could stop myself, I slapped Janelle across the face.

The next second, someone shoved me, and I lost my balance. Dad's portrait crashed to the floor, shattering the glass. I hurried to pick it up.

A designer shoe came down on my hand, pinning it against the broken glass. The pain was so intense I nearly passed out.

I looked up, tears in my eyes.

It was Hugo, glaring down at me with a cold expression. "How dare you hit her?"

Janelle immediately clutched her face and collapsed into Hugo's arms, sobbing. "Hugo, I was only trying to stand up for you. I didn't expect her to hit me!"

Hugo stroked Janelle's face, his expression unreadable, before turning to me. "Cathy, apologize to Janelle now!"

I bit my lower lip, fighting back tears. "Hugo, she's the one who showed up here to cause trouble, and you're asking me to apologize to her? Don't forget. No matter what happens, I'm your wife!"

Hugo briefly fell silent before laughing. "You're right. We're married."

His eyes filled with malice as he pressed down harder on my hand. "You know damn well whether you married me because you love me or because of my brother!"

I gasped in pain as Hugo grabbed my face, his eyes swirling with an unreadable emotion. "I heard that when Hayden died, a girl cried herself unconscious right there and then. She even became a vegetarian to honor him. That girl was you, wasn't it? Cathy, if you didn't love him, why did you react so strongly?

"Now your dad is dead, and you don't even shed a tear."

I felt more humiliated than hurt. I thought I'd run out of tears, but soon, they streamed down my face, and everything started to blur.