Trading My Ex For His Brother Novels & Stories

” “Good, those and tears from pleasure are all that you will ever shed,” I knew he meant it. It may not have started out great, but I am happy that I made the deal with my ex-husband’s stepbrother.

I said as pain flashes through my eyes. He looked up at him, his body stiff and eyes holding confusion. “What do you mean chased out of the house” he said as he moved closer. Ohh he did a background check, but was never able to find out about that? How absurd. I looked up at him. “Ohh you didn’t know about that? You didn’t know that I was chased out of the house by your own brother, who I thought loved me and cared about me, only for me to find out that he had been sleeping with my sister all along? You didn't find out about that?” I said.

The Greg I knew better — the one who reached for power when he felt it slipping — resurfaced slowly beneath the other one, the way a tide comes back in. "You're making a mistake," he said. Quietly. Conversationally. Which was worse than if he had raised his voice. "I've made mistakes," I agreed. "Marrying you was one of them." Something sharpened in his eyes. "Collins is not what you think he is." "I'm not interested in your opinion of your brother."

But forty-eight hours ago I still believed Nate loved me. Leaving California and flying to New York just two days after catching my boyfriend, cheating with my stepsister was probably the craziest thing I’ve ever done, which is crazy because I was the girl who didn't do reckless. I was the obedient girl, the girl who always followed the rules. But that version of me died forty-eight hours ago. Now, I was standing in my ex-boyfriend‘s older brother‘s mansion…. because revenge had a way of making people do things they never imagined.

I had expected a day of quietness, maybe some time to adjust—to wrap my head around the fact that I had just signed myself to my boss who wasn't only my boss but my ex-brother in law. Ugh! Why does it sound suddenly so pathetically disturbing!? "Don't you think this is moving way too fast," I protested, my voice nearly drowned out by the aggressive hum of a high-end blow dryer. "We just signed the contract. You’re throwing me to the wolves, and I’m pretty sure my tears haven't dried from this morning yet.” Abraham stood by the window of the dressing room, his back to me, looking like a statue carved from charcoal and arrogance. "The wolves are already at the door, Eloise. It’s a strategy to

“I really hope you’re right.” I scoff. “Yeah?” “Yeah,” he says, lifting his drink. “Because becoming stepbrothers with your ex?” He lets out a low whistle. “That’s not messy. That’s a full-on disaster.” I huff out a laugh, but it doesn’t reach my chest. “Tell me about it.” “Especially,” he adds, giving me a pointed look, “when your ex thinks you’re a lying, cheating asshole.” That one lands hard. I look down at my cup, jaw tightening. “Yeah.”

"Yes. Benjamin saw me when I could not see myself. He believed in me when I stopped believing. He is my partner in every sense of the word." Jessica smiled. "That is beautiful. Some people might judge that relationship. Dating your ex's brother." "Let them judge. I am not living my life for other people's approval anymore." The interview aired three days later. It was honest and raw and real. The response was overwhelming. Donations poured in. Women called asking about programs. Other cities reached out wanting to replicate The Phoenix Center model. "You are becoming famous," Mirabel teased. "I do not want to be famous. I just want to help people."

The rumors were true. It was said that the Gilbert brothers were polar opposites—while the older brother was exceptional, the younger one was nothing but trouble. Outsiders whispered that Norris was an illegitimate son of the Gilberts, with ill intentions and a hidden agenda. Judging by how he was acting now, it seemed like he really did want to fight for the family fortune. With a possessive arm around me, Norris spoke in a low, deliberate voice, "He's nothing more than a breathing corpse now. Stick with me, and I'll take good care of you."

The look that said, We had banked on you to save us, but you failed. It made my heart ache so much. “What did you say you wanted to tell me?” I asked Beta Derick. It was better we started talking already so I wouldn’t notice the people staring at me. He sighed. “I understand that you may feel inclined to help your ex. But it is not a wise decision. I don’t think the company can afford to spare that amount when the chances of benefiting from it are really low. We could lose that money.” “Did I give any impression that I intended to make a deal with him?” I asked, wondering what exactly made him think I would make such a deal with Ryan out of pity.

But Ethan just sat there, calm and unaffected, staring at me with eyes that looked almost… bored. His expression didn’t shift. “Are you done?” he asked, his voice low and even. “Is that the only reason you’re here?” I scoffed again and shook my head in disbelief. He truly didn’t care. I could see it in the way his hands returned to his desk, fingers typing something on his PC as if I wasn’t even worth his time. That made me even more furious. “Ethan,” I said, rising from the sofa and glaring at him across the room, “how could you? How could you have your own brother’s leftovers? His ex! You’re with his ex, Ethan! Have you no shame?”