Theater: NovelMaster | Language: English | NEW
Synopsis
Tags: True Heiress, Pick-Me Stepsister, Biased Fiance, Female Awakening, Groveling Ex, Career Glow-Up
Early on my birthday morning, Chloe and Ethan blew up our Snapchat group.
[Brooke, I booked that rooftop restaurant for you. Dress to the nines tonight. I'll be waiting!]
[Yes, Brooke, we planned a massive surprise for you! Hurry over!]
I spent the entire afternoon getting ready.
Yet the second I pushed open the VIP lounge door, a bucket of freezing ice water dumped straight over my head!
"Haha! I can't believe you fell for it! Damn, there goes my yacht."
"I won the bet! That yacht is mine now! Brooke, surprised? Happy birthday!"
I stood there shivering violently while the two of them doubled over in laughter.
They were already planning their next prank.
Like stuffing my burger with fiery wasabi, forcing me to skydive when they knew I was terrified of heights, or shoving me into the deep end when I couldn't swim.
All my rage and humiliation, in their eyes, was always brushed off with a casual:
"Come on, we won't do it again. You're just so sweet and easygoing."
I had listened to that excuse for ten years.
I looked down, wiping the water from my face. I didn't cry, and I didn't scream.
Because at midnight, the Vance family had promised to let me go.
I would no longer be the obedient real heiress keeping her head down, nor would I be Ethan's arranged fiancee chained to a loveless match.
Happy birthday, Brooke.
You're finally free.
Seeing no tears or screams on my dripping face, Ethan pulled a designer gift box from his pocket and offered it to me.
"Here. For you. Happy birthday!"
I glanced at Ethan and kept my hands at my sides.
"Thanks. I'll take the wish, but keep the gift."
With that, I gathered my drenched hem and turned to leave.
Ethan frowned, but he didn't stop me.
Chloe, however, grabbed my arm, pouting in her signature baby voice.
"Brooke, are you really mad?"
"Okay, okay, we won't do it again. You know we only mess with you because you never hold a grudge."
She pushed a shiny set of keys into my palm.
"Look, I'll just give you the yacht. I begged Ethan for it forever, and he only gave it up because he lost the bet today. It was just a harmless joke. Don't take it to heart."
"Come on, let's get you changed, okay?"
Looking at Chloe's sweet smile, an alarm bell went off in my gut.
Still, thinking it was my birthday, I assumed they wouldn't cross the line twice in one hour. I nodded.
Two steps forward.
A heel slammed down on the train of my dress from behind. Caught completely off guard, I crashed violently forward. My knees hit the hardwood floor with a sickening thud, knocking the breath straight out of me.
Behind me, Ethan and Chloe burst into deafening cheers.
"Hahaha! Brooke fell for it again! I win again! Ethan, you're buying me that Birkin tomorrow!"
"Only because Brooke is way too gullible! If I'd known, I wouldn't have hidden the prank in the box—it made it too hard to win."
Grumbling, Ethan tossed the gift box to the floor.
The lid snapped open.
A giant fake tarantula sprang out.
Another prank.
Chloe finished giggling, then casually drifted over to lend me a hand.
"Thanks, Brooke. When Ethan buys me the bag tomorrow, I'll lend you one of mine!"
I shoved her hand away and pushed myself off the floor, stumbling as I rose.
A throbbing pain shot up my bruised knees, and water was still dripping from my gown.
"Keep it."
"I'm going to change. Excuse me."
Chloe pouted, feigning innocence as she stepped aside.
Ethan caught the look on her face and rushed after me to play mediator.
"Why take it out on Chloe?"
"She's younger. Cut her some slack. She's just playful. I..."
I ignored him, stepped into the restroom, and slammed the door shut.
When I came out in fresh clothes, Ethan was still laughing with Chloe.
Seeing me, he tried to step in with his patronizing tone again.
"Still pouting? I told you, Chloe's young. You should just—"
"She's young, but are you? Pulling this stunt on my birthday—do you have even an ounce of respect for me as your fiancee?"
I stared Ethan dead in the eye and snapped back.
Then I turned my gaze onto Chloe.
"Not that it matters. Starting tomorrow, she's not my sister anyway."Chloe's face drained of color.
"Brooke, what are you talking about?"
I didn't waste another breath. I walked straight out.
Back at the Vance mansion, I dragged my packed suitcase downstairs, ready to head to the airport.
In the living room, Ethan walked in from the foyer. He spotted my luggage and blocked my path, his expression dark with annoyance.
"It was a minor prank. Are you really throwing a tantrum and running away from home?"
I was done with him.
"I'm not running away."
"If you want to know why, call your parents or mine. They'll tell you. Now move. I have a flight to catch."
Ethan didn't budge.
Chloe dashed over, her eyes brimming with theatrical tears as she clutched the handle of my suitcase.
"You can't leave! Are you pulling this stunt just so Mom and Dad kick me out?"
"You're their biological daughter! The moment they hear you were upset, they'll cast me out on the street! Brooke, I was just playing around. We've always been like this—why are you suddenly making such a scene today?"
I yanked on the handle, but she refused to let go.
"I tolerated you in the past. I don't want to anymore."
"Let go. Move!"
Chloe started sobbing.
"No! You can't leave! You can't go run to Mom and Dad to play the victim!"
Ethan stepped in to back her up, clamping his hand tightly around my wrist to hold me in place.
My grip slipped.
Chloe wrenched the suitcase out of my hands.
Splash!
She hurled my luggage straight into the indoor pool beside the living room.
"There! Now you can't go!"
Only then did Ethan let go of my wrist.
Panic surged through me, and I threw myself toward the edge of the pool.
The heavy suitcase bobbed twice on the surface before slowly sinking toward the bottom.
Ever since Chloe pushed me into deep water a year ago, I had developed severe aquaphobia. Watching the rippling water made my hands shake violently, cold sweat breaking out across my neck.
Worse, I still didn't know how to swim.
All I could do was drop my handbag and lean down fruitlessly, trying to reach for it.
Chloe walked over, deliberately splashing the surface with her foot to push the sinking suitcase farther out.
"Give it up, Brooke."
"You're stuck here anyway. Whatever was inside, I'll pay you back later."
I glared up at Chloe, then turned to Ethan, hoping against hope for help.
Ethan folded his arms. "Promise us you won't leave, and I'll jump in to grab it."
I turned my face away and swallowed the plea.
Chloe wasn't crying anymore. She leaned against Ethan, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she planned another game.
"Do you think she'll jump in for it?"
Ethan glanced at my stiff back and chuckled softly.
"She's terrified of water. She won't."
Chloe smirked.
She crept toward me on tiptoe, keeping her voice low.
"I bet she will. She cares about that suitcase too much. She'll definitely..."
Splash!
Before she even finished her sentence, two hands shoved me hard from behind.
The world flipped upside down. Water surged brutally into my mouth and nose, choking out my screams. I couldn't open my eyes. The bottom of the pool was slick, offering no footing. I thrashed wildly, but oxygen burned in my lungs and terror pulled me under. My body felt heavier by the second.
In that suffocating darkness, I genuinely thought I was going to drown.
Until someone plunged into the water, locked an arm around my torso from behind, and dragged me up, hauling me step by step toward the pool steps.
It was Ethan.
I collapsed onto the cold tiles, curled into a ball, coughing and gasping for air until my chest felt torn open.
Ethan let go, looking down at me with a smirk.
"Still leaving?"I couldn't speak. I clutched my chest, drawing in jagged, agonizing breaths.
Ethan asked again, his tone dripping with mockery:
"Brooke, are you still running away?"
I kept silent.
Chloe walked over and squatted beside me, her eyes dancing with schadenfreude.
"Brooke, stop being so stubborn."
"Mom and Dad aren't going to let you go. If you leave, what happens to your engagement with Ethan? What about the family business? Tell you what, I'll apologize. I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have thrown your bag or pushed you in. Please forgive me."
She held out a delicate hand, pretending to be gracious.
"Come on. Let me help you up."
I hesitated for a second, then reached out and took her hand.
Chloe flashed a triumphant smirk. The moment she tried to jerk her hand away to let me fall back on my bruised tailbone, my fingers locked around her wrist like iron cuffs.
Using her own weight as leverage, I pushed up, twisted my body, and dragged her forward.
With a massive splash, she went flying into the pool.
Water sprayed everywhere.
"I don't accept your apology."
I grabbed my dry handbag from the floor and walked away without looking back.
Chloe actually knew how to swim, yet she immediately began flailing like a helpless victim.
Seeing that, Ethan dove in without hesitation to play the savior. But as soon as Chloe got her footing, she conveniently slipped back into Ethan's arms. The two of them tangled together in the shallow end.
It didn't look like a rescue. It looked like foreplay.
I didn't care to watch.
The suitcase was completely ruined, but my passport, ID, and cards were in my handbag. Nothing could stop me from boarding a flight. All I wanted was to head to my bedroom, change into dry clothes, and get the hell out.
When I reached my bedroom door, I found it locked from the outside.
The key was jammed into the exterior lock.
It wouldn't budge.
I pounded on the wood with both fists.
"Ethan! Chloe! Open the door!"
"What the hell is this? You're locking me in my own room?"
Sure enough, Ethan's cold voice came from the hallway.
"Brooke, you went way too far this time. No matter what happened, you had no right to throw Chloe into the pool. She swallowed dirty water and feels sick. You think you can bully her and just walk away scot-free?"
"Not a chance. Apologize to Chloe, right now!"
A violent shiver ran through my soaked frame.
My temper snapped, and I kicked the door hard.
"In your dreams!"
"For ten years, you two treated me like a punching bag for your bets and pranks! I give her a taste of her own medicine once, and she falls apart? Why the hell should I apologize? Open the door!"
Instead of unlocking it, Ethan dragged two heavy hallway chairs and wedged them under the handle.
"Because I'm your fiance!"
"I refuse to marry a woman with such a toxic temper. I'll say it once more: apologize. Or consider this engagement over!"
I laughed out of sheer fury.
"Do you think I give a damn? Let me out!"
"Ethan, I am completely, utterly sick of you!"
The hallway went quiet for a beat.
Then Ethan's voice turned chillingly harsh.
"Sick of me? Brooke, who do you think you're talking to?"
"You clearly need time to cool off and reflect. When your parents get back tomorrow, I'll deal with them personally."
I refused to beg him.
I kept banging on the door, shouting toward the stairs.
"Martha! Martha, help! Let me out!"
"Martha, they locked me inside! Please unlock the door!"
...
I screamed until my vocal cords burned, but the housekeeper never came.
Instead, Chloe's voice drifted through the door.
"Save your breath, Brooke."
"I sent Martha home early. Why can't you just sit in your room and think about what you did? When Mom and Dad get back tomorrow, we'll let you out. You're fine in there, but what about me?"
She let out two frail, exaggerated coughs.
"Cough, cough... You made me choke on pool water. My head is pounding."
"Ethan, would you take me to Urgent Care? I think I'm coming down with a fever."
Ethan hummed in agreement. Before walking off, he hurled a final warning through the door.
"Brooke, don't try any tricks."
"You've got a roof over your head. Wait until tomorrow morning, and I'll unlock it myself!"The footsteps faded down the hall.
I walked over and checked the window.
Third floor. Jumping would be suicidal. They were going to open the door by morning anyway, and I wasn't going to risk my neck for a twelve-hour delay.
I pulled out my phone, rescheduled my flight to tomorrow afternoon, and crawled under the covers.
At first, the blanket provided some comfort.
Soon, however, it felt like wrapping myself in a sheet of ice. I curled tighter into a ball, shivering uncontrollably.
Within two hours, the freezing chills morphed into a raging fire.
A scorching fever took hold. My vision blurred, my teeth chattered violently, and every joint in my body ached with deep, throbbing pain. That was when I realized the central air was blowing arctic air into the room.
I dragged myself up to turn off the thermostat, only to hear the vents roar even louder.
Someone had set it to the lowest possible temperature and locked the panel.
Cracking the window didn't help against the relentless blast of AC.
My stomach churned violently, acid rising in my throat.
My legs gave out. I collapsed over the edge of the bed and dry-heaved repeatedly. First came bitter bile, then ragged, raw coughs that brought up streaks of blood.
There was no medication in my room. I tried to stand, intending to go downstairs for aspirin, only to collapse on the rug as I remembered the locked door.
I lay on the floor panting for what felt like hours until I gathered enough strength to grab my phone and dial Ethan.
It rang for a long time before he finally answered.
Ethan's voice was full of irritation.
"What do you want?"
My voice was barely a rasp.
"Please... come back and open the door. I think... I have a severe fever."
Ethan didn't believe a word. He scoffed, convinced it was another ploy.
"Are you seriously playing the sick card over being grounded for one night?"
"Do you have any idea that Chloe is hooked up to an IV at the clinic right now because of you?"
My throat felt like it had been shredded by glass.
Every breath tasted of copper, but I forced the words out.
"I'm not lying. I really can't breathe."
"Ethan, please. Come unlock the door. I can't stand up."
Ethan let out a cold laugh through the speaker.
"Now you know how to beg? Where was this attitude earlier?"
"Fine. I'm handing the phone to Chloe. Apologize to her, and I'll drive back to let you out."
Rustling sounds came through the line.
"Hello? Brooke?"
Before I could part my lips, Chloe's shrill sobs exploded through the receiver.
"Brooke, why are you screaming at me?"
"Please, don't tell Mom and Dad to kick me out! I was wrong! I'll apologize to you, okay?"
She sobbed hysterically, putting on a masterclass of fabricated victimhood.
The next second, Ethan snatched the phone back.
He unleashed his fury on me:
"Brooke, have you completely lost your mind?"
"I gave you a chance to apologize, and you use it to verbally abuse her? To think I almost bought your sick act!"
I fought through the dizziness to defend myself.
"I didn't... I didn't say anything to her. I swear—"
"Bullshit! I don't have time for your drama. If you're really dying, call 911!"
Ethan slammed the phone down.
When I tried to call back, the line went dead. He had blocked my number.
My vision went dark, spots dancing across the glowing screen.
With trembling fingers, I tapped 911.
The call connected, but before the operator could finish her greeting, the phone slipped from my limp fingers. My eyes rolled back, and I collapsed into total darkness.
In the void, I felt like I was being roasted over an open flame, only to be buried under an avalanche of snow the next moment.
A splitting headache. Nausea.
Then, absolute silence.
The last thing I registered was a violent crash as someone broke through the bedroom door. Hands lifted me onto a gurney.
Faint voices echoed around me:
"In here! She's the one who dialed 911! Her phone is on the floor!"
"Severe septic fever! She's in hypovolemic shock! Prep for resuscitation! Move, move!"
"Hello, are these the parents of Brooke Vance? Your daughter collapsed from a life-threatening fever. She's in the ER right now. The address is..."
...
Meanwhile, Chloe had insisted on getting an IV bag at the clinic, only to complain that the saline drip was running too fast and making her uncomfortable.
A single bag of saline dragged on until sunrise before she let the nurse remove the needle.
Leaving the clinic, she pulled Ethan toward a high-end brunch spot.
"Even though Brooke yelled at me last night, I don't hold grudges. She probably hasn't had breakfast. Let's eat and pack some pastries for her. Then we can go let her out, okay?"
Chloe chattered on.
When she looked up, she noticed Ethan hadn't touched his coffee. He was staring blankly at his phone.
"Ethan? What are you looking at?"
Ethan didn't answer.
After several seconds of internal conflict, he unblocked my number and dialed.
No answer.
He dialed again. Still nothing.
A knot tightened in his stomach. He abruptly stood up and walked toward the exit.
"Ethan! Where are you going?"
"Aren't you going to eat? Ethan, come back!"
Chloe yelled after him, but Ethan had already sped away in his car.
When he threw open the doors of the Vance estate, he didn't expect to find my parents sitting in the living room.
Even more shocking, his own parents were there as well.
The moment Ethan walked in, his mother crossed the room and slapped him hard across the face.
"You reckless bastard! Do you have any idea what you did? You locked Brooke in her room with a life-threatening fever! At four in the morning, paramedics were performing CPR on her in an ambulance!"
"A fever that high could have killed her!"
Ethan froze, his mind screeching to a halt.
"Which hospital? How is Brooke now?"
My mother wiped her tear-stained eyes in silence.
It was my father who finally spoke, his voice heavy with cold finality:
"I promised Brooke that once her birthday passed this year, I would let her walk away. From this moment on, she is no longer the Vance family's heiress, nor is she your fiancee."
"She's gone. The moment her fever broke, she headed straight to the airport."
Chapters (4)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Watch & Promotions
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