Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 113: Chapter 113

DEMI

"Are you okay?" Anna asks, coming in after Ashley leaves my room. I dry my eyes and sit upright. "What did Ashley say?"

"What else would he say? He’s livid that I didn’t tell him about the baby and partly blames me for his pain." I sniffle and wipe my nose. "This can’t be real, Anna. My baby is gone. I have already lost too much at the hands of this family and now my own child was taken from me." Anna’s arm wraps around me while I choke back my tears.

"Asher did this. He overheard me that night. I felt it in my gut. I thought the worst thing he could do was reveal my pregnancy to the family or at the very least, blackmail me with exposing it." Tears clog my throat. "I didn’t think he hated me this much. How could he kill my baby?"

Anna sobs with me. "I’m so sorry, Demi. You were right all along. He isn’t a good person. He’s a liar and a cheat. I’m so sorry he hurt you. If I hadn’t let him into my life, he wouldn’t have had a reason to come into my house. He wouldn’t have found the pregnancy sticks or overheard our conversation that night. This is also my fault."

"No, don’t blame yourself. It’s ALL my fault. I shouldn’t have been so reckless. Pregnancy was never part of my contract. That child suffered because of my mistake. If I hadn’t gotten drunk, I wouldn’t have allowed Ashley in my bed. I wouldn’t have conceived. I brought this upon myself."

We hug each other and cry some more.

"How am I supposed to move past this? It took a lot to pull myself together and focus on my revenge. Now, I feel broken and weak all over again. They’ve literally taken everything from me."

"You have to be strong. You can’t give up now. You have one more reason to follow through with your plan; your dead child. Find the strength to move on as fast as possible because your problems are far from over." She stares deadpan at me.

"W-What do you mean by that?"

As I stare at mother and Ashley now, I can’t believe Anna had been right. She had overheard Ashley on phone talking to a woman who is undoubtedly his ex. She had heard him mention that the woman was carrying his child.

I don’t know if I would have been more shocked to find out that Nicola is pregnant if I was still carrying Ashely’s child. How devastated would I have been to feel betrayed and played like that? Probably as devastated as I feel now.

Mother’s role in this only worsens my feelings. She always made me feel like I mattered. She convinced me that I was special just for being me and marrying into the family. For that reason, she always tried to take my side instead of Nicci’s. I am shocked to discover how quickly she is switching camps because Nicci is going to bear her long awaited grandchild now. I guess mother is not particularly attached to me but only fancied me when she thought I would help bear her son’s child. Now that another woman’s womb is carrying her heir, she couldn’t care less about me.

Liam is right about this family, about mother. They don’t care about me and never will.

"Nicci is having your baby?"

Tears stream down my face. My body is hardly healed from the loss of my child and here I find my husband and mother-in-law celebrating his ex who is having his baby.

"Demi." Ashley breathes. His eyes dart to his mother’s for support. Typically, mother advances towards me. I stand my ground and give her a burning look.

"Demi, I’m so sorry you had to find out like this. You’re not fully recovered. Please, don’t do anything to aggravate your health."

"What do you care? Your son Asher just ripped my baby out of existence. My husband chooses to blame me for the loss of our unborn baby rather than his brother who orchestrated my attack. Father is probably relieved that I won’t be birthing his grandchild and while I am trying to get past this traumatic experience, I find out that my husband not only cheated on me as usual but he’s now expecting a baby with his ex. You, mother, you are supposed to have pity on me but instead of chiding him for his betrayal, you’re more focused on helping him keep everything out of the press? I can’t believe this."

"Demi, like I said, I am truly sorry for everything that you’ve had to go through at the hands of my sons but I can’t be unjust to Nicci’s innocent child who also happens to be my grandchild simply because Nicci is going to give birth to him/her. The deed has already been done. I can’t change what Ashley has done."

I stagger backwards and close a hand over my mouth to stifle a moan of pain.

"Demi." Ashley calls, coming to touch me but I slap his face.

"Did you also conveniently forget to use a condom or pull out? Did you plan this to punish me when you thought I wasn’t prepared to give you a child?"

voice but I hate the tears streaming down my face more. "I thought you were one of the good guys, Ash. I didn’t think you would hurt

"Please Demi..."

him hard

scolds me but Ashley warns her tacitly

I am sorry. I fucked up. I shouldn’t

asked me to give you a real chance, I thought having your loyalty would be

"Calm down, Demi."

himself between us so mother will let me air my feelings. I am not the least bit impressed by his protection right now. I wish he had been this intentional about guarding my heart. My eyes find his face again

your insecurity get in the way of our fledging romance. You didn’t give us a chance. You let your jealousy consume and blind you to the reality which is that neither Ashton nor I are willing to pursue whatever feelings we might have for each other. We have moved on with our different lives. I expected you to trust me on that but no, you ran to your exe’s bed to stroke your manly ego

nothing in

out to hurt you. The

also wasn’t an accident since you planned it all. The only difference between Nicci and I is that Asher won’t be going after her child like he did mine." I swipe the tears in my eyes. "I don’t think he would have done it even if he found out about it before mine. I am a nobody after all but

will say

room, mother’s hand shoots out to fist in

going to say a word

from the rest of the family? Ashley here blames me for the loss of our child because I kept him in the dark about it. Why then is he planning on keeping Nicci’s pregnancy a secret even from father? Father likes Nicci, doesn’t he? I am sure he will

innocent child in this. I will tell

"I

heated glare before turning to leave. From the corner of my eye, I notice how mother grips Ashley’s hand when he tries to come after me. My blood is boiling and I feel

you murderer! Come out and face

me away, I yank my arm free and swear at him. Ashton and Ashal also hover close. I bang on Asher’s door once more and yell for him to come out again. Mother tries in vain to get through to me but hers is

the lapels of his shirt. "The child you killed was your own blood! How could you hate me so much that you were prepared

"Demi, please stop."

the hands trying to

worth it? Are you satisfied now or do you still

clutches my hands and breaks my grip. Gently, he moves

refuse Ashley’s touch like it burns and scream at the top of my lungs that he keeps his filthy hands

a child wasn’t part of our agreement. I told you we should have stuck with our original contract terms but you didn’t listen. Now, your brother has killed my child and everyone here is pretending like I am the crazy person." My blurry eyes find mother’s pitiful face. "Won’t you even chastise him? Is this normal behavior

end of the hall. A sudden chill goes up my spine but I ignore it. I am allowed to make

roll down my face as I gesture towards Asher who hangs his head low in front of his bedroom door. "That monster killed my unborn

follow. Through the curtain of my shaggy hair, I touch my sore cheek and look

and squats to place her hands

call MY son a monster!" Father

still holding

Having kids wasn’t part of the agreement you signed with my son. Don’t think you can trap him by falling

me up. "She’s been through enough. Don’t make her

as I continue to retain my heartbroken stare despite the insults he just showered on me in front of the entire family. Could father have been privy to Asher’s plot? Most importantly, did he

shutting my door. Inside, I want to rip my own hair out of my head or break everything on my dresser but

the strength to move on very fast. It’s almost like a switch flips in my head. I dry my

somehow, I know it won’t stop here. Well, sentiments be damned. I’m coming for you with everything I’ve got. I won’t stop or look back until you are writhing with pain

to care when in fact, you don’t, pretend to be nice when you’re a mean, hateful woman

the family and when I fail to answer, he uses a spare key to unlock my door and enter. I have barely slept a wink.