Owned No More
I've been in a secret relationship with my stepbrother, Caesar Kane, for eight years. He promises he'll marry me after graduation.
As graduation approaches, he tells me he's tired of me and has found someone younger and prettier. I throw away the ring he gave me and cut up my wedding dress.
All of his friends place bets on how long it will take before I come crawling back to him.
Caesar has always treated me like I'm his property and declares with complete confidence, "Give it three days tops. She'll come crawling back in tears, begging me to take her back."
So I accept the invitation from a prince from my Farbourne University prep program. I follow him to Snowcall, leaving behind the stepbrother who clearly doesn't care about me anymore.
Caesar finally cracks and calls me. "Miranda, enough with the drama. Come home."
A man's low, amused chuckle comes through the phone. "Pro tip—you shouldn't wait around if you want to win your woman back. Someone else might sweep her off her feet."
Caesar practically snarls into the phone. "Put Miranda on the phone!"
The man leans down and kisses me. "Sorry, we wore each other out pretty thoroughly just now, and she's out cold. Give me a second to wake her up properly."