All Chapters of Rejected Plus Size: Her Four Stepbrother’s Obsession : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The scale beeped.Emma Carter stared at the numbers glowing in the dim morning light, her fingers gripping the bathroom sink so tightly her knuckles had gone white.One hundred and sixty-seven pounds.The number hadn't changed in three weeks. Three weeks of eating nothing but dry lettuce and plain chicken breast. Three weeks of running until her lungs burned and her legs gave out. Three weeks of starving herself while spending eight hours a day surrounded by the most decadent pastries in the city.But the number hadn't changed.Her husband's footsteps echoed in the hallway, and Emma's stomach clenched with familiar dread. She stepped off the scale quickly, grabbing her robe and pulling it tight around her body as if the thick cotton could protect her from what was coming.The bathroom door swung open.Michael Carter filled the doorway—tall, handsome, with the same boyish charm that had made her fall in love with him at nineteen. But his eyes held no warmth now. They never did anymore.

The night air was cold, but Emma barely felt it.She walked aimlessly through the city, her tears mixing with the drizzle that had started to fall. She had no plan. No wallet. No phone. No place to go.All she had was the knowledge that the life she'd built for ten years had just collapsed around her.She stumbled into a bar—a dark, dingy place that smelled like motorcycles and sweat. The kind of place she'd never be caught dead in on a normal night.But nothing about tonight was normal.She found a stool at the counter and ordered whiskey. The bartender raised an eyebrow at her trembling hands but poured the drink without comment.Emma downed it in one gulp. Then another. Then another.The alcohol burned going down, but it numbed the pain. That was what mattered."You look like you could use a friend."The voice came from beside her. Emma turned, her vision slightly blurred, and froze.It was him. The customer from the bakery.But he looked different here. His expensive suit was gone

Emma woke up alone.For a moment, she didn't know where she was. The room was unfamiliar, the sheets were soft and expensive, and the faint light filtering through the curtains was nothing like the harsh morning sun of her apartment.Then she remembered.Michael. The cheating. The motorcycle bar. Ethan. The most incredible night of her life.She sat up, clutching the sheet to her chest, and looked around. There was a note on the nightstand, written on expensive stationary.Had to handle something at work. Stay as long as you want. I'll be back tonight.- EEmma smiled, hugging the note to her chest.For the first time in years, she felt... free. Light. Like the weight of her marriage had been lifted from her shoulders.She got up, wrapping a sheet around herself, and wandered over to the window. The view was incredible—the city sprawling out below her, glittering in the morning light.She was starting over.It was terrifying and exhilarating all at once.Her phone—which Ethan must hav

"You're my mother's husband's son.""Which means nothing." He caught her face in his hands, tilting it up toward him. "What happened between us wasn't a mistake, Emma. It was the best thing that's ever happened to me.""I can't—""You can." He pressed his forehead to hers. "You have to understand—I've been obsessed with you for months. Every morning, I came to that bakery just to see you. I've wanted you longer than I've known your mother existed.""The family—""I don't care about the family." His voice was fierce. "All I care about is you. And I'm not going to let some technicality stand in my way."Ethan's lips were an inch from hers, the temptation overwhelming. Emma should push him away. She should leave the room and never look back.But the memory of last night was too powerful. The way he'd touched her. The way he'd worshiped every inch of her body.She was helpless against it."Ethan," she breathed. "Please—""Please what?""Please kiss me."He didn't need to be told twice.Hi

Emma stared at her phone for a long time after she put it down. What was she doing? She'd just poured her heart out to a man she'd met yesterday. A man with tattoos and piercings and an expression that suggested he'd rather wrestle a bear than have a conversation about feelings. A man who, by all accounts, seemed to barely tolerate her existence. And yet. There was something about Jax. Something that made her feel safe in a way she couldn't explain. He hadn't tried to fix her problems. He hadn't told her what to do. He'd just... listened. And then he'd told her to take care of herself first. No one had ever told her that before. She pulled the covers up to her chin and stared at the ceiling. The house was quiet—too quiet. She could hear the distant hum of the air conditioning, the occasional creak of old wood settling. It felt like the whole world was holding its breath. Take care of yourself first. Emma closed her eyes. Tomorrow, she would figure out what that meant. Morning