After Divorce, I Married His Half-Brother

essa's

the intensifying burn brewing around my eyes,

- was about to take a

ice shaky. "It doesn't make any sense. What about the sympt

swer and I a

elated, convinced I

hat could save my marriag

er plans. Just like always,

, staring at me with

s unsettling. M

and..." H

he slowe

lon Cancer. Not pregnancy..." He paused

out blinking, I pulled the shawl t

averted his gaze, scribbli

a hot Saturday afternoon, yet there was a lar

that to you..." Doctor Adam said

fr

to say any

ises on my body were nothing

uld rather endure Derek'

d ca

known nothing but how to cause me pain. I wanted to scre

he wall behind Doctor Adam. So

, "I think you should

atm

wh

at didn't fe

hispered, barely re

There's hope. It's an early stage of your ca

o

sounded

, walking on eggshells and praying your husband doe

was no one to hold your

mach, foolishly hoping so

to hope. But there wasn't

want the

he dropped

y, my voice breaking. "Why fight for a

tried again in

air back quietly. "Thank y

th, then closed i

heart and clouded thoughts,

the building. One minute I was in his of

ve home but I wasn't seeing the road...just t

didn't t

me slowly and quietly...

would feel l

didn't say a word as I stepped out of the cab and headed stra

or. The first thing that caught my eye was a woman's purse

Maybe I was imagining things. But it was still

discover the mess. Bright red lip glos

because I tried to be m

pair of black hee

's sister. May

rents haven't visited s

ing in my

" I cal

egan to climb the stairs, c

but it felt like I was walking

our matrimonial bedro

ggles, an

d draining ou

al. Hell, it was nothing new fo

voi

ll too f

ease.

d the bedroom. My body kept moving forwa

y heart pounded so loudly I t

God, you're

hter. Mor

good. Just li

, giving me a little view of the p

he gap, I

ni

saw my step-sister, naked, r

tened. Of cour

eart, making my chest grow ti

lose everything-Derek, my marriag

s just a shadow. A stand-in for my si

as back. On top of m

never had to fight for w