บท 16: Planning The Engagement Party
Brooke paced nervously across the living room, her heart heavy with disappointment. She had been so excited to tell Brandon about the preparations for their engagement party and now that excitement was deflated.
Immediately they had come back home from Lyse's failed wedding, she had swung into action. She met with Brandon's mom to discuss details of the engagement and wedding.
She had spent the days after meticulously planning the perfect moment, selecting the perfect clothes, the decor and envisioning their shared joy. But Brandon's reaction had been far from what she had anticipated.
"Brandon, are you even listening to me?" Brooke asked for a third time, her voice rising. She had been talking for what felt like hours, her excitement building with each word, only to be met with a blank uninterested stare or vague mumble.
It was a far cry from how he had behaved when she used to flirt with him and tease him while he had been friends with Lyse and through their engagement.
He seemed more interested then and he used to be very attentive to her and would flirt back when she did but ever since they had gotten together he became lackluster. She worried that the thrill for him had been the secrecy and sneaking around.
Brandon looked up from his phone, his expression a mix of annoyance and indifference at being interrupted. "What is it Brooke? Can't you see that I am busy thinking about something important." he replied, his voice flat.
Brooke felt a pang of hurt. "About what?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly. "What could be more important than our engagement plans Brandon?"
Brandon frowned, his eyes turning cold. "What about work Brooke, which you should also be thinking about because time is running out pretty quickly and you are yet to show any results." he answered.
Brooke faltered for a minute, uncertainty clouding her features. It was just a few months to fashion week and she had not gone back to that office since that day that she had gone in hoping to humiliate Lyse but she had instead turned everything on her head and she ended up being the one humiliated.
She did not know how to start work after Lyse had destroyed everything, to make it worse everyone was looking at her with expectation and she did not really know what to do. She had pushed that problem to the back of her mind, choosing to focus on happier things like her engagement party which was going to rival any party that anyone in their circle had thrown.
"This is not about work, I know that this is about my stupid illegitimate sister!" Brooke retorted and at the flicker of remorselessness in Brandon's eyes her temper rose even further.
"Don't think that i did not see how you were looking at her, why are you still thinking about her when you have me."
"So what if I was looking at Lyse?" Brandon snarled angrily. "You got what you wanted, I dumped Lyse at the altar should that not be enough for you?"
Brooke's heart sank at Brandon's words as she felt a wave of anger wash over her. How could he be thinking about her stupid stepsister when they were about to get married? She had thought they were moving forward at last, building a future together.
She thought that getting Sutton's approval and humiliating Lyse so that Brandon could see that she was not good enough to be a candidate as his wife would be enough but she should have known better. Her pest of a sister somehow managed to always stop her from getting what she wanted and it had to stop.
"I am your future wife and you should not be thinking about any other woman besides me!" She screamed near tears and stamped her feet petulantly.
Brandon looked up at her without the slightest trace of guilt in his eyes. "You wanted me and now you have me, deal with the consequences of having me."
"What does that mean?" Brooke asked, her voice trembling.
"Go figure." He answered curtly, without a care for if he hurt her or not.
Brooke felt a lump forming in her throat that made it hard to swallow. She had never felt so hurt and betrayed in her entire life.
"Really?" she repeated, her voice filled with disbelief and anger. "What do you think that your mother is going to have to say about this?"
Brandon stood up, startling her. "Maybe you should get married to her instead of me then."
Brooke felt her heart break. She had been so sure that Brandon was the one. She had imagined spending the rest of her life with him, building a family together. And now he wanted to ruin her plans and for what? Some stupid bastard?
"I won't let you treat me this way Brandon, I am not just some girl on the street you can play with."
Brandon looked at her from head to toe, "are you not?" He taunted.
With that, he turned and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Brooke sat heavily in stunned silence, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew that she was going to have to do something and quick before it got too late.
She stood up, her eyes determined as she picked up her bag and left the apartment without telling Brandon that she was leaving.
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