All Chapters of On My Ex's Brother's Bed: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Ruby’s POVJohn’s sobs filled the room. He was on his knees, his face buried in his hands, gasping for air between fits of crying. His whole body shook, his pain raw and loud. The sound of his crying bounced off the walls and seemed to fill every corner.I just stood there, frozen, watching him fall apart in front of me. My fingers felt numb at my sides. My face felt stiff. I felt nothing. Maybe I’d already cried out everything I had left. All I had now was a heavy, hollow ache in my chest.He reached out for my hand, desperate, but I pulled it away. I looked down at him, searching his face for even a trace of the man I once loved, but seeing only someone I didn’t recognize.“Do you know why I didn’t let you touch me on our wedding night?”His head snapped up. His eyes were red, his face streaked with tears. He tried to remember, shaking his head, but then whispered hoarsely, “You said you weren’t ready yet?”I let out a laugh, but it wasn’t happy. It was a bitter, empty sound that

Ruby’s POVRebecca showed up at my hotel early on Saturday morning, arms crossed and eyes blazing. She let herself in before I even finished opening the door, and barely glanced at the messy bed or the pile of tissues on the nightstand.“Ruby,” she said, “I swear, if you don’t divorce that man, I’ll do it for you.”I tried to laugh, but it came out choked. Rebecca sat beside me and put an arm around my shoulders. “He’s a scumbag. I always felt he was,.”I wiped my nose, embarrassed. “Don’t say that. I did love him. I just didn’t want it to end like this.”She squeezed me. “You can love someone and still know when to walk away. You deserve so much more than this.”I was quiet. I had replayed John’s betrayal in my head all night, over and over. The truth was simple and ugly: once someone betrays you, there’s no going back. I had told myself I could forgive, but now I saw it for what it was, either someone is loyal, or they never are.“I’m going to fight for what’s mine,” I said. “I’m no

Austin’s POVGhosts were not new to me. In my world, the dead sometimes lingered longer than the living could stand. I’d met many spirits, some gentle, some angry, some lost in endless confusion. I’d learned to treat them with respect. Sally was different, though. The way she hovered in the corners, the way she watched Ruby with sad, careful eyes, it was clear she had no malice. She just wanted to be seen. I found myself thinking about her long after Ruby had fainted and the house fell quiet.I remembered the first time Sally realized she was trapped here. She had been confused, unable to cross the threshold of the office. She’d raged at the windows and screamed at the walls, desperate to leave. She tried again and again to step through the door, her form flickering and distorting each time. When she finally gave up, she just sat in the old armchair by the window and stared out at the street. Sally was lonely. She wanted to talk, to feel something real. When Ruby arrived, and it be

Ruby’s POVThe cold water pressed in on me from every side. My arms flailed, trying to keep my head above the surface, but my right leg suddenly locked up, sending a shock of pain through my body. I gasped, swallowing a mouthful of water. My chest burned, and for a moment, everything went blurry.I tried to scream for help, but no sound came out. All I heard was the rush of water in my ears and the distant shouts from the shore. My vision narrowed, the noise around me fading away. I fought to move my legs, to kick for the edge, but nothing happened. My body felt too heavy, numb and frozen. I started to sink.My mind drifted, letting go of the fight. The world went quiet, as if everything had been wrapped in thick cotton. My last thought was that I didn’t want to die like this. Not here. Not in front of strangers who hated me for reasons I didn’t even understand.Then, just as the darkness closed in, I felt a pair of strong hands wrap around my waist. The grip was steady, pulling me

Ruby’s POVAs I went to the office that morning. I sat at my desk, staring at the photos on my laptop, and my hands started to shake. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Someone had taken new pictures of me, private ones, close-ups I never knew were being taken. Some were at the gym, others at the rink, a few outside my apartment building. Every image made me feel smaller, like there was nowhere safe anymore. Rebecca walked over to my desk, carrying two coffees and chatting about something funny that happened at lunch, but the moment she saw my face, she stopped talking. She glanced at the screen, her eyes going wide. “Ruby, where did those come from?” she whispered, putting the cups down.I shook my head. “I just found them now. Someone emailed them to me, from a blocked address.”Rebecca bent closer, scrolling through the images with trembling hands. “These… these are really private. How did they even get these shots? Did you know anyone was watching you?”“No,” I said, my voi