Chapter 7
When Ethan didn’t move, she turned to the security guards stationed near the door.
“Escort him out”
The guards stepped forward, and Ethan, despite his protests, was dragged out of the house.
I didn’t move or say anything
I just sat there, quietly watching as the brother I once admired disappeared from my life.
I followed him outside.
Ethan was dumped onto the ground by the security guards, looking disheveled and pathetic.
I walked up to him slowly.
“Still holding on, brother?”
Without Mom around, he didn’t bother hiding anymore.
His eyes burned with jealousy and resentment as he glared at me.
“Why is it always you?” he spat.
“We’re both Mom’s kids, but she’s always favored you.”
“Ever since we were little, whenever you cried, it was my fault for not taking care of you properly.”
His voice cracked, and his eyes turned bloodshot.
“Before you were born, I was her whole world.”
“Then you came along, and suddenly, I didn’t matter anymore. All she cared about was you.”
And just like that, everything clicked into place.
To him, I’d always been the rival who stole our mother’s love and attention.
“That’s why I asked Mom to adopt Chloe,” he admitted, his voice low and venomous.
“I made sure to side with her, spoil her.”
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“I wanted to make you feel what I felt–ignored, unloved.”
He gave a bitter laugh.
“You know, every time Chloe set you up and left you scrambling to defend yourself, I loved it. Watching you struggle was the only thing that made me feel better.”
I froze, stunned by his words.
No wonder Chloe’s terrible lies always worked.
He wasn’t just blind to them–he was helping her.
He wanted to see me suffer.
But now?
Now the tables had turned.
“It’s a shame, really,” I said, my voice cold.
“Because Mom and I both came back this time.”
“And you? You’re playing with fire, and you’re about to get burned.”
Ethan’s face went pale, his eyes widening in shock.
“What did you say? Came back? You mean… you and Mom… that’s impossible…”
“Oh, it’s possible,” I said, stepping closer.
“Because we’ve already lived through all of your betrayals once.”
“Not this time. This time, you don’t get to win.”
His breath hitched as he stumbled backward, his legs almost giving out beneath him.
“No… no, that’s not true… I just wanted Mom to pay attention to me again.”
“I didn’t want to lose everything to you…”
“You were never going to lose anything,” I said sharply.
“I never wanted to take anything from you.”
“It’s your jealousy, your pettiness, that brought you here.”
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I exhaled slowly, letting the weight of my anger settle.
“This time, I’ll protect Mom and the company.”
“And you? You’ll finally face the consequences of everything you’ve done.”
I turned and started walking away.
But before I could take more than a few steps, his voice rang out behind me, raw with desperation and
rage.
“I won’t let this go! You hear me? I won’t let you win!”
In the days that followed, Ethan seemed to spiral.
He became desperate, grasping at whatever scraps of power he thought he could salvage.
He tried to rally support among the company’s shareholders, feeding them lies and false promises to get
them on his side.
But Mom shut it all down, publicly announcing that Ethan was no longer involved in the company’s
operations.
Once the shareholders learned the truth, they sided with me.
Ethan lost everything.
Chloe didn’t fare much better.
Without Ethan to shield her, her true colors began to show.
She couldn’t stand the idea of losing her comfortable, privileged life.
I ran into her at a fancy gala one evening.
She was clinging to the arm of a middle–aged man, clearly trying to play the part of a trophy girlfriend.
Her eyes locked on me the moment I walked in.
For a second, she looked panicked, but she quickly masked it with her usual arrogance.
“Well, if it isn’t my dear sister,” she sneered.
“What’s the matter? Here to gloat?”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” I said dryly.
Chapter 7
“I’m here for business, not to waste my time on you.”
She scoffed, crossing her arms.
“You think you’re so high and mighty, but everything I lost is because of you.”
“If it weren’t for you, I’d still have everything!”
I looked at her with nothing but disdain, raising my glass as if to toast to her misfortune.
“Enjoy your pity party, Chloe. I have better things to do.”
As I turned to leave, the man at her side spoke up, his tone sharp.
“Chloe, who is this?”
She immediately plastered on a fake smile and cooed, “Oh, darling, this is my sister.”
“The one I told you about–the one who’s been so cruel to me.”
The man’s eyes flicked over me, sizing me up.
Then, to my surprise, he slapped Chloe across the face.
“How dare you speak to Ms. Carter that way? Apologize now!”
Chloe clutched her cheek, her eyes wide with shock and humiliation.
But in the face of his anger, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and mutter, “I’m sorry.”
I watched the scene with a mix of disbelief and satisfaction.
Without a word, I turned and walked away, leaving Chloe to deal with the mess she’d made of her life.
Family Ties Family Lies.
