Her Substitute Groom

Connor Hughes

“You bastard!” Carl snapped angrily as he sent a punch hard to my face as soon as I walked into the living room, and I scoffed unbelievably as I rolled my eyes.

“How dare you bastard! How dare you!” Be roared again as he grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and punched me hard in the face for the second time, but I only smirked at him.

“How does it feel, brother? Did you enjoy it, huh?” I smirked at him after I yanked his hands off my collar, adjusting my clothes.

“How dare you!” He snapped again as he grabbed my collar again, but this time, I retaliated and punched him hard in the face, sending him staggering back.

“What the hell is happening here?” Mom shrieked as she finally showed up with the kids, since Dad traveled immediately after the wedding yesterday. Mom gasped sharply and stopped on her track when she found Carl standing with me.

“Carl! Where the hell were you? How dare you run away from your wedding? You were the one that asked her to be your wife, how could you have stood her up and ran away?” Mom snapped at him angrily, and he scoffed.

“Why don’t you ask your son,” Mom turned to me after she heard that from him, giving me a look that asked for an explanation, but I only scoffed and turned my face away.

“Can someone tell me what the hell is happening, huh?” Mom yelled as she was getting frustrated.

“Can you speak up, Connor? What the hell is Carl saying?” Claire yelled at me.

“You should speak up, brother. What if he talking about?” Chase asked too, everyone getting curious.

“Well, if he is not going to talk, then I guess I would have to say it myself. This bastard here had me abducted yesterday for some reason best known to him,” Carl finally explained, and everyone gasped.

“Connor!” Mom gasped again, and I sighed briefly. Yes, you heard that right. Carl and I haven’t been on good terms for the past few years, but I have been keeping up with him because of my parents and my siblings. Everything was planned by me. I had him abducted and made a fake note saying he never liked Janice, because I wanted to take my revenge. You would ask, what the hell happened between us in the past that would make me do that to my brother, yeah? Well, you would know he really deserved what I did to him after you find out about what he did to me.

“Did… did you really do it, Connor? Tell me Carl is joking,” Mom turned to me and stuttered as she covered her mouth with her hands.

“Why should I deny it? I did it, and I will do it, over and over again!” Those were the only words Mom needed to send a hot slap across my cheek.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“How dare you do that to your brother? Have you lost your mind?” She yelled at me as tears brimmed in her eyes. The pain in her eyes was evidence of the one she must be feeling inside, as much as it hurts to see her like that, I still didn’t regret what I did, and I will do it over and over again.

“Why? He can hurt me but I can’t do the same to him?” I scoffed and rolled my eyes as I tucked my hands inside my pockets.

“Connor!”

“What? Do you know the pain he made pass through? Do you know what I had to endure seeing the one that betrayed me every day? Do you know how hard I tried to endure this all those years and eating with the bastard that doesn’t even deserve to be called my brother…”

“I told you to forget everything! I told you to let go of the past and live happily with…”

“You are saying that as if it’s easy to do! Have you ever been betrayed by the person you trusted the most? If you have ever been treated like that, then you would understand the pain I’ve been passing through!” I couldn’t help but raise my voice at Mom this time because I was already losing it.

“Still, he is your brother…”

“And that is the only reason why I didn’t kill him that day. If he weren’t my brother and it were to be someone else, I wouldn’t have hesitated to kill him and go to jail! That is why he is still alive because he is my brother!” I reminded my mom, and she huffed as the tears in her eyes finally found their way down her cheeks. I wished I could comfort her, but I was hurt, myself. My heart was broken into pieces, and my blood was boiling in rage as the thirst for vengeance wouldn’t stop trying to take control of me, but then, I had to suppress it.

“How could you do this to me, Connor? I told you it was my mistake… I shouldn’t have ever done that to you, how could you still do this to me? Was holding grudges against me not enough? Why the hell would you go to this length to make me miserable?” I watched as tears streamed down Carl’s eyes, and seeing him like this made me so satisfied. I remembered asking him the same question. I asked him why he had to do this to me, I asked why it had to be him of all people, I was broken, I cried and thought of ending things forever, but I had to keep staying alive.

“Why? You know why, Carl. Do you really think that I will fold my arms and watch you get married and live happily ever after when I can’t even find happiness? Do you think I will be so foolish to do that? If I am going to stay miserable, then I won’t be alone in this, Carl. You caused this after all, so you should take responsibility,” I smirked at him before I turned to leave.

“You would have to let her go, Connor. Janice… You can’t marry her. Carl liked her first, asked to marry her first, and she agreed to marry him first. You have to let her go. She needs to marry Carl, and not you, Connor,” Mom finally said while looking away, and I scoffed.

“And what makes you think that I will let her go, Mom? What makes you think that I will give her up for Carl?” I scoffed unbelievably, and she finally rose to her feet since she was sitting on the couch all this while

“Because you don’t even like her! This marriage was built on revenge. Look at me, son…” She paused and came to stand in front of me, holding my cheeks in her palms as she stared into my eyes.

“Please, do this for me. I will forever be grateful. I know you are hurt, but you can’t do this, ok? Just let her go,” She pleaded with me, but I sighed and gently removed her hands from my cheeks.

“Yes, he saw her first, asked her out first, and she agreed to be with him first. I don’t like her, but I’m going to keep her with me. I’m sorry, Mom, but I would have to disobey you this time. I’m sorry,” I replied to her before I finally turned to go upstairs, but I paused when I found Janice on the staircase.

She was staring at me. I ignored her and headed to my room…