One Night With The Wrong Brother

I thought I was waking up in the arms of Arthur, the man I loved. But as the morning light hit the Hamptons estate, the man buttoning his cuffs by the window turned around with eyes like chips of ice. It was Augustus Riddle, Arthur’s cruel younger brother, and I had just spent the night whispering confessions of love into the wrong man's ear. The night I thought was a beautiful beginning turned into a devastating nightmare. Instead of comfort, Gus treated me like a stain on his expensive carpet, scribbling a check for "services rendered" before shoving me into a dark service corridor to hide my existence from his brother. "How much does it cost to buy your silence?" He sneered, before leaving me barefoot in a torrential downpour while he drove away in a luxury Cadillac. Four years later, I am a struggling actress in Los Angeles, working double shifts as a barista just to keep the lights on. My life was finally stable until my roommate dragged me to a high-end dinner to meet her new "influential" boyfriend. The man sitting at the table, looking more arrogant and lethal than ever, was Augustus. He spent the entire night humiliating me, calling me a pathetic amateur and a social climber in front of my only friends. When I fled into the rain and collapsed on the sidewalk, skinning my knee until I bled, he watched from his car. He saw me clutching a plastic baggie containing the taped-together pieces of that four-year-old check—the only proof of my shame. He looked at me like roadkill, rolled up his window, and drove off into the dark. I couldn't understand why he was doing this. Why did he hate me enough to crush me, yet remember that I couldn't handle the smell of cigarette smoke? Why did he leave me bleeding in the street, only to send expensive medical supplies and coffee to my door the very next morning? "I'm moving out." I told my roommates, realizing that Gus Riddle didn't just want to destroy me; he wanted to haunt me. I grabbed my suitcase and walked out with eighty dollars to my name, finally ready to disappear into the city before he could burn the rest of my life to the ground.

Chapters

Chapter 5

"Sit, sit!" Kylie patted the empty chair next to her.

Gus sat. He moved with a lazy, predatory fluidity. He was sitting directly diagonally from Katherine. There was nowhere to look but at him.

"This is Beth, and Trixie," Kylie said, pointing around the table. "And that..." She pointed a manicured finger at Katherine. "That's Kat. She's our apartment hermit."

Katherine forced herself to look up. She forced a smile that felt like it was cracking her face. "Hi."

Gus looked at her. He didn't blink. He looked at her like he had never seen her before in his life.

"Hello," he said. The word was flat. Empty.

Katherine let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. He wasn't going to expose her. He was going to pretend they were strangers. It was a relief, but it also stung, a sharp, confusing pain in her chest.

A waiter appeared instantly. "Mr. Riddle. The usual?"

"Champagne," Gus said. "Krug."

Kylie squealed. "You spoil us, Gus." She leaned into him, her breast pressing against his arm.

Gus ignored her. He poured himself a glass of water and took a long drink, his eyes fixed on the tablecloth. He looked bored. He looked like he would rather be anywhere else.

The food arrived. The seafood tower was massive, obscene. Katherine picked at a shrimp, her stomach in knots.

"So, Gus," Kylie said, trying to draw his attention. "I heard rumors about the new film. A Thousand Fools? Everyone is talking about it."

"It's in development," Gus said shortly.

"Kat is an actress too," Kylie said, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Well, she's trying to be... again. She's been back at it for about a year since her... accident. But... you know."

Katherine froze. She gripped her fork so hard her knuckles turned white.

Gus looked up. He set his water glass down. He looked directly at Katherine.

"Is that so?" he asked. His voice was smooth, silky, and laced with poison. "Not talented enough?"

The table went quiet. Beth and Trixie exchanged awkward glances.

Katherine swallowed hard. "It's a tough industry. It takes time."

"Time," Gus repeated. He leaned back in his chair, studying her. "Or maybe you just haven't found the right... connection yet. Is my brother not opening enough doors for you?"

The word hung in the air. Connection.

Katherine felt the blood rush to her face. She knew exactly what he meant. He was referencing that night. He was calling her a user, right here, in front of everyone.

"I don't need anyone to open doors for me," Katherine said, her voice shaking.

Gus smirked. It was a cruel, ugly thing. "Everyone has a price, Kat. Maybe the market just isn't buying what you're selling anymore."

Kylie laughed, oblivious to the subtext. "Oh my god, Gus, you're so savage. But it's true, Kat needs to step up her game."

Katherine felt tears pricking her eyes. She stared at her plate, willing herself not to cry.

Gus watched her. He saw the way her chin trembled. He saw the way she bit her lip.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He tapped one out, bringing it to his lips. He reached for his lighter.

Then, he stopped.

His hand hovered over the lighter. His eyes flicked to Katherine.

She hated smoke. She was allergic. Even the smell of it made her cough until her throat was raw.

Gus stared at the unlit cigarette. A muscle in his jaw jumped. He looked angry. Not at her, but at the cigarette.

With a sudden, violent motion, he tossed the unlit cigarette onto the table.

"Changed my mind," he muttered. He tugged at the collar of his shirt, looking agitated.

Katherine looked at the white stick on the tablecloth. He remembered. After four years, after all the cruelty, he remembered she couldn't handle smoke.

Why?

The question swirled in her head, dizzying and confusing, clashing with the cruelty of his words.

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