Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 123: Chapter 123

DEMI

Father stares up from his computer screen as I walk into his study, unsummoned and unaccompanied by any of his sons. This is very unusual especially for me but he and I need to have a conversation outside of other family members.

I tried to talk myself out of it but the truth is that I need to figure out a way to get father’s DNA fast. Hence, I figured that I need to find reasons to get him alone. We can’t only meet at the dining table along with the rest of the family.

"Hello, father." I greet meekly.

"What do you want?" A deep frown creases his forehead. He hates me. I really don’t care at this point.

"I won’t waste your time." I take a deep breath. "I want to resume my job at the office. I can’t be cooped up at home for nine months. I am sick of being idle."

Father leans back in his chair with an air of surprise at my boldness. "Is that a plea or a demand?"

"It’s a demand voiced like a plea, father. I have done everything this family has required of me to despite my feelings on the matter. I have been wronged and hurt. Surely, I am not asking for too much. Pregnant women can still work. I don’t think I’ll be courting any risks by going to the HQ and sitting at my desk for a few hours every day."

"It’s not about what you think, Demi. It’s about what the world thinks. Can you imagine the ridiculous headlines when my pregnant daughter-in-law resumes work?"

"I honestly don’t care about headlines. There will always be headlines, father, whether I work or not. The media will never stop hounding us even when we don’t do anything. We can’t continue to live our lives on their whim."

My eyes skirt around his desk. He has a half-empty glass of scotch that definitely has his saliva on it. I could make a grab for it.

"I am going back to work. That’s what I came here to inform you."

"You’re in no position to make such demands."

"Actually, I am." I grab his glass and swirl the scotch to his chagrin. "Because I am not pregnant. I can down this drink in one gulp and you wouldn’t bat an eyelid in worry. There’s no baby in my womb."

"Set my glass down!" He growls lowly.

"Do you truly have no sympathy for me? Even after everything I’ve been through, father? I was going to bear your first grandchild but Asher killed my unborn baby." The memory causes hot tears to sting my eyes as I give him a burning look. "I still can’t figure out why you keep glossing over that fact and yet here you are, fighting to make sure arrangements to welcome Nicci’s baby go smoothly."

"It’s Ashley’s baby too!"

"SO WAS MINE!" I fire at him, spilling a bit of the drink in my anger. "MY BABY WAS ALSO ASHLEY’SA BUT NOBODY CARES ABOUT THAT, NOT EVEN ASHLEY." I add with a broken, weepy voice.

Father rises to his feet. "You won’t return to work unless I say so. Now, stop these theatrics and go back to your room this minute!"

I back away from him, shaking my head. "I will work and you won’t stop me. If you do, I won’t be signing those divorce papers." I smile when he reacts with widened pupils. "I know you would like nothing more than for me to be out of your son’s life. Ashley still has feelings for me and if I wanted, I could sway him to keep me by his side forever. Would you like that?"

"Are you threatening me?" He throws his head back and roars with laughter. "You have no idea, do you? You have no idea the lengths I can go to remove an obstacle from my path as well as the path I have carved out for my boys. I am warning you, Demi Branson, not to test me. I love my sons and would do whatever I deem best for them. Yours and Ashley’s marriage was a mere contract. You are not worthy to be my son’s wife or the mother of my grandchildren. You will never change that no matter how hard you try. I will make life so unbearable for you that you won’t have any other option but to pack up and run for your life."

Leering at me, he leans forward, his height imposing. "DON’T EVER DREAM OF THREATENING ME OR MY FAMILY AGAIN. YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING!"

Tears blur my eyes. While he was speaking, a scary thought crossed my mind. I know how dangerous Brett Rollins can be but I never imagined he could take things that far simply because of his dislike for me.

"You weren’t p...pleased w-with my pregnancy. Tell me you d-didn’t know Asher was g-going to h-harm my baby."

A swath of dark cloud seems to cloak the room as father gives me a lopsided grin. "Like I said, you are not worthy to be the mother of my grandchildren, Demi. Interpret that statement as you wish. Chances are that you will end up with the right deduction anyway."

stagger backwards, my fingers almost

be surprised but somehow I am and it hurts me to have underestimated this man. My

neck and lock eyes with Asher. "Demi, what are you doing in here?" He asks with

control myself, my rage bubbles hot to the surface. My fingers tighten around the glass cup in my hand. Father’s eyes dim with understanding and dilate with fright when I let out a loud feral cry moments before

thud. His left temple is bruised and gurgling blood. Father rushes to his son and cradles

One quick appraisal

rouses him to no avail.

blink severally and assess the unconscious man on the floor.

to my knees. "Ashton? That can’t be him. That’s Asher!" Tears stream down

pull me away into the living room. The entrance

going on?" Asher asks, putting his

ASHTON’S HURT!" Father calls from

such an egregious mistake? I have never failed to distinguish Ashton from the rest so how I could miss it now?

wrack my body. "I didn’t mean to hurt you, I swear. I’m so

"Are you deaf?"

blink my eyes at the man yelling in my face. It’s

great restraint, I ignore the urge to bash his skull in with the glass in my hand as I remember what he did to my baby. I decide against letting

father and son one last sizzling

I stow the cup away in a zip lock bag to pass to Liam soon. Since my decision to work didn’t go well with father, I text Anna to stop by the mansion later so she can take the glass

I guess I am just starting to realize how meaningless my life is in the mansion and how father can make me disappear whenever he

help but wonder. He wouldn’t believe me if I told him. He wouldn’t do anything about it now. If he could forgive his brother so quickly, then why can’t he forgive his

and my eyes flutter open. My body aches from sleeping in a bad posture on the floor. I stretch my arms and wince in pain while

"Go away!"

moment of silence stretches on until I hear his

"Demi, it’s me."

horror of my imagination in father’s study. Slowly, I open the door and surely, he is standing outside my room. His face is mired with a vague expression I am unable to

"What is it?"

ask you one more time, Demi. Did you slip down the stairs or were

recall Mila standing outside my room just like he is now, days ago. She offered to help me get out of my predicament if I truly wish it. She hinted at a public accident that will give the Rollins family a hard time in convincing the populace that my pregnancy wasn’t

it was everything I wanted to hear, I was still very suspicious of Mila. If I have learnt one thing, it is that she dislikes me and considers me a threat to her happiness. She can never be my ally so if she was offering me help, what that was in truth was a ploy

had asked again that day. I took

to get me in trouble with

hurry to wed me and that stings. I have a feeling that our wedding might be

you blindly. You’ll have to earn

am I supposed to

about accidentally slipping down a flight of stairs and bleeding heavily while the

good."

will have to push

"What?" She shrieked.

only way I will know that you don’t plan to stab me in the back. If you join me to test this out with a small push at my next public sighting, I’ll trust you and handle the real accident myself. C’mon, you wouldn’t trust me either if the roles were reversed. I have been hurt and betrayed more times than I can count by people I consider

let the thought simmer in her head for a few seconds. "A test. Fine but this better not come back to haunt me or I will be your worst nightmare. And,

weeks. If I lose the pregnancy too soon, everyone here

on how well you stage the accident. Two weeks then. Do

up at Ashton’s face before walking back to my closet. Like

This time, his voice is