Faking Sickness To Avoid Vows, His Regret Knows No Bounds

[Brianna, can you stop making a scene? Can you please know your place?]

At that moment, a strange sense of relief washed over me, knowing Sebastian hadn’t answered the phone.

I couldn’t even fathom the venomous words he would have thrown at me, each one a cruel reminder of the wreckage between us.

I didn’t respond, choosing instead to stay in bed, drained until I found the strength to move.

When the sunlight poured in, I decided to step out and headed for the rooftop garden, seeking warmth. Unexpectedly, I ran into Sebastian’s brothers.

Each of them held a fruit basket or bouquet, but their eyes weren’t kind. They circled me like predators, mocking my hospital gown.

"Yo, so you knew Sebastian was here with his girlfriend, huh? Playing the pity card now?"

"It’s just a little blood donation. Why act so fragile?"

"Not bad, though. The makeup looks pretty natural. No awkwardness at all. I always said you were a scheming girl, but Sebastian never believed it..."

Sebastian’s brothers always thought I wasn’t good enough for him.

If it hadn’t been for him forcing them to call me "sister-in-law," they would have never accepted me.

But now, with Sebastian by their side, they could speak their minds freely, no longer held back by the pretense.

When Sebastian walked downstairs to join them, he froze for a moment when he saw me, his brows knitting together.

"Brianna, is this really necessary?"

"I’ve already agreed to marry you and now you’re bribing the doctor to pretend to be sick and spy on me? Is this some kind of joke to you?"

"Do you have any idea how suffocating this makes me feel?"

"I’ll be honest with you: if you keep acting like this after we marry, it won’t be long before we end up divorced."

"No need to make it so complicated. I don’t need you to marry me!"

For six years, he had lived free.

Whenever he wanted a drink, I silently accompanied him, never pushing him to change.

If I didn’t fit into his plans, I’d simply pick him up the moment he called.

When he was drunk, I cared for him; he had no complaints, just a quiet presence.

When he wanted to travel alone with his brothers, I’d organize everything, buying tickets and planning the whole trip.

Even when he handed me his phone without hesitation, I never once thought to check it.

I loved him and feared repeating the tragedy of my mother, whose controlling nature had driven my father away.

I thought I had always kept the balance right between us.

At least, that’s what I believed before this incident, when everything seemed perfect, our relationship burning bright with passion.

But now, it hit me: my love had suffocated him.

So, was this the real reason he pretended to be sick, seeking some kind of thrill?

When our eyes locked, there was nothing left of the affection I had once seen.

The question that almost slipped from my lips was swallowed by silence, heavy and suffocating.

Sebastian, noticing my gaze, furrowed his brow, his impatience evident.

He snatched a lily from one of his brothers and shoved it into my arms with forced finality.

"Enough, stop pretending to be so virtuous. Take the flowers and leave!"

He thought I was still the same girl, easily pacified by a simple gesture, content with a token gift.

He didn’t believe that I, the one who had always vowed I would only marry him, could truly refuse him now.

I handed the flowers back to his brother, my voice steady but distant.

"This is for your girlfriend. It wouldn’t feel right for me to keep them."

"Donating blood was my choice. You don’t need to force yourself to marry me."

Sebastian’s face paled, his panic creeping up like a tide he couldn’t stop.

Wasn’t Brianna supposed to be thrilled by this?

Why was she suddenly insisting that I didn’t need to marry her?

Could it be that she was actually angry?

A flicker of confusion flashed in his eyes and he stammered. "Brianna, I..."

Before he could finish, his brothers all coughed in unison, signaling him to backtrack.

He quickly recovered, his voice laced with an edge of desperation.

"Brianna, I always keep my promises."