After Divorce, I Married His Half-Brother

After Divorce, I Married His Half-Brother

Twi Light

5.0
Comment(s)
62.7K
View
115
Chapters

<> - Vanessa thought rock bottom was signing divorce papers with Derek Holland, a man with the emotional depth of a teaspoon. Turns out, rock bottom had a basement, and Ryker Holland was waiting for her down there with a smirk and a plan. Ryker, Derek's older half-brother (aka the family's dirty little secret), shows up offering Vanessa a deal: help her make her ex-husband, Derek Holland, jealous enough to come crawling back. In exchange, he secures his position as CEO. But Ryker isn't doing this out of kindness. He is petty and cruel. He would do anything to trample all over Derek, and now he has the perfect weapon. Vanessa, freshly dumped and just desperate enough to play along. And if she happens to enjoy making her ex suffer too? Well, that's just a bonus. As Vanessa sinks deeper into Ryker's twisted world of fake romance, secrecy and family dysfunction, things start getting real. Because fake love? It's a lot easier to control than real feelings. And Ryker has no idea what to do when the game stops being a game. Is Vanessa walking into a trap or building one of her own? Either way, the Holland brothers are going down. One's going to break, and the other's going to enjoy every second of it. _Disclaimer: This story contains morally complex and flawed characters, who often operate with hidden motives and questionable ethics. Themes explored include emotional manipulation, gaslighting, power imbalance, dual identities, and blurred lines between love, control, and obsession. Certain scenes may be intense or unsettling. Reader discretion is strongly advised.

After Divorce, I Married His Half-Brother Chapter 1 Hope Is A Lie

<< Vanessa's POV>>

-

_

Sitting across from the doctor, fighting back the intensifying burn brewing around my eyes, while hoping life didn't get any worse, was me.

My life-my entire life- was about to take a turn I wasn't ready for.

"I came here for a pregnancy test, not this." I blurted, voice shaky. "It doesn't make any sense. What about the symptoms? The dizziness? The fatigue? That's pregnancy, isn't it?"

He didn't answer and I already knew.

A few days ago, I was elated, convinced I was finally pregnant.

I thought the one thing that could save my marriage was finally within reach.

But no. The universe had other plans. Just like always, it had something cruel for me.

The doctor sat there, staring at me with a grave expression.

His calmness was unsettling. Maddening, even.

"Mrs Holland..." He began.

My breathe slowed on cue.

"I'm sorry but those are symptoms of Colon Cancer. Not pregnancy..." He paused and his gaze traveled down to my neck.

Shame burned against my skin. Without blinking, I pulled the shawl tighter around me to cover up myself.

He cleared his throat and averted his gaze, scribbling something in his notepad.

Who wouldn't give me weird looks too? It was a hot Saturday afternoon, yet there was a large shawl wrapped protectively around my neck.

"You know he shouldn't be doing that to you..." Doctor Adam said quietly, without looking at me.

I froze.

Too ashamed to say anything else.

Because to be honest, the bruises on my body were nothing compared to the ones inside me.

And a sick part of me would rather endure Derek's fists than face cancer.

I had cancer.

After everything I've been through in this world that has known nothing but how to cause me pain. I wanted to scream, break something, and shatter into pieces. But I didn't.

I just sat there, staring at the wall behind Doctor Adam. Somehow, I held myself together.

"So..." He said gently, "I think you should start treatment soon."

Treatment?

For what??

For a life that didn't feel like mine??

"I don't know," I whispered, barely recognizing my voice.

"Mrs Holland." Doctor Adam leaned forward. "There's hope. It's an early stage of your cancer. There are greater chances of survival."

Hope?

That word sounded like a lie.

What does hope even mean when you wake up every day, walking on eggshells and praying your husband doesn't get a temper and beat you over a cold coffee??

What's hope when there was no one to hold your hand? Not even family.

I placed a hand on my stomach, foolishly hoping something was growing inside.

A baby. A reason. A reason to hope. But there wasn't. Just pain and emptiness.

"I don't want the treatment."

"Vanessa..." he dropped formalities.

"I don't.." I repeated as I looked away, my voice breaking. "Why fight for a life that doesn't even feel like mine?"

"Vanessa..." He tried again in a softer tone.

I stood up, pushing the chair back quietly. "Thank you for your time, Doctor."

He opened his mouth, then closed it and said nothing.

Just like that, with a heavy heart and clouded thoughts, I exited the doctor's office.

I couldn't even remember walking out of the building. One minute I was in his office, the next, in the backseat of a cab.

I was staring out of the window the whole drive home but I wasn't seeing the road...just thinking. Drowning and wallowing in my thoughts.

What if I didn't tell Derek?

What if I just let it take me slowly and quietly... maybe that would be better?

Maybe death would feel like....rest?

When the car pulled up at my house, something in me stirred. I didn't say a word as I stepped out of the cab and headed straight to the house that sat in the middle of the vast compound.

I stepped in front of the entrance and creaked open the door. The first thing that caught my eye was a woman's purse lying on the floor as if it had been thrown away hastily.

My chest tightened as I forced myself to blink. Maybe I was imagining things. But it was still there-the purse was there, staring back at me.

I entered the living room fully only to discover the mess. Bright red lip gloss was on the sofa. Definitely not mine.

I never used bold colors because I tried to be modest and more wife-like.

My eyes caught the pair of black heels under the table.

Could be Derek's sister. Maybe even his mom.

My step-mom?? No. My parents haven't visited since my wedding to Derek.

But something in my gut twisted.

"Derek?" I called out.

No response. I sighed and began to climb the stairs, climbing to the second floor.

Each step should've been light, but it felt like I was walking straight into something worse.

I headed straight to our matrimonial bedroom. Then, I heard it.

Moans, giggles, and whispers.

I froze, blood draining out of my face.

It wasn't even about the betrayal. Hell, it was nothing new for Derek. It was about the voice.

That voice...

It was all too familiar.

No. Please. Not now.

But the noise kept coming as I approached the bedroom. My body kept moving forward even though my mind screamed 'don't'.

My steps were noiseless but my heart pounded so loudly I thought it would give me away.

"Ohh, Derek. God, you're so sweet..."

More laughter. More groans.

"You fuck so good. Just like I remember."

The bedroom door was slightly ajar, giving me a little view of the people inside MY matrimonial bedroom.

Through the gap, I saw her...

Annie.

I thought I'd collapse when I saw my step-sister, naked, riding on my husband, on my bed.

My breath shortened. Of course, it was her.

The betrayal gnawed at my heart, making my chest grow tight until it was uncomfortable.

But the fear that I was about to lose everything-Derek, my marriage, and love life-was more prominent.

Because from the onset, I knew I was just a shadow. A stand-in for my sister who had been away for four years.

But today, Annie was back. On top of my husband. On our bed.

She was back. And she never had to fight for what I was about to lose.

Continue Reading

Other books by Twi Light

More

You'll also like

One Night With The Wrong Brother

One Night With The Wrong Brother

Tangye Wanzi
5.0

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.

The Placeholder Bride's Secret Billionaire Revenge

The Placeholder Bride's Secret Billionaire Revenge

Luo Ye
5.0

For two years, I was the invisible force behind tech billionaire Kieran Douglas, convinced that our "private" romance was his way of protecting us from the tabloid spotlight. I managed his mergers, warmed his bed, and waited for a future that didn't exist. The illusion shattered at 6:00 AM when a Page Six alert debuted Kieran’s "real" romance with socialite Aspen Schneider. Before I could even process the betrayal, Kieran sent me a cold, professional text: "Order flowers for Aspen. Pink peonies. Her favorite." When I tried to walk away, my own mother called me a disgrace and threatened to lock my inheritance forever unless I married a sixty-year-old businessman to save her failing estate. At a high-society gala that same night, Aspen intentionally crushed my burned hand in front of the cameras, while Kieran stood by and dismissed me as a "mediocre assistant" who had overstayed her welcome. I stood in the cold New York rain, drenched in champagne and humiliation, realizing that every sacrifice I made for Kieran was a joke. I was a ghost in a penthouse that was never mine, discarded the moment his "soulmate" returned. To the world, I was just a placeholder whose time had run out. But Kieran forgot one thing: my father’s multi-million dollar trust fund unlocks the moment I legally marry. I didn't need love; I needed a signature and a shield. I walked into a discreet law firm and signed a marriage contract with a man I believed was the city’s most notorious, scandal-ridden playboy. I thought I was marrying a degenerate "beard" to buy my freedom and secure my revenge. I didn't realize the man who signed that paper wasn't a playboy at all, but Gaston Collins—the most powerful and dangerous man on Wall Street—and he had no intention of letting our fake marriage stay fake.

Sexy Behind The Mask

Sexy Behind The Mask

Ellie Wynters
4.6

She hides behind ugly suits and fake names. He's done trusting women. When they meet in a masked sex club, neither realizes they've been fighting each other across boardroom tables for eighteen months. At Taylor Industries, she's Joy Smith-the frumpy CFO who drowns her curves in shapeless polyester and wearing a wig. At home, she's the forgotten wife of a cheating lawyer who hasn't touched her in so long she's starting to wonder if she's broken. When she finds hot pink lace panties stuffed in her couch cushions...definitely not hers, it's not heartbreak she feels. It's freedom. Grayson Taylor doesn't do relationships anymore. Not after walking in on his actress fiancée with another woman. Now he channels everything into hostile takeovers and board meetings, especially the ones where his overcautious CFO fights him on every goddamn acquisition. Joy Smith is brilliant, infuriating, and funny when he pushes all her buttons. But Honey is tired of being invisible. Tired of never having felt real pleasure. So, when her best friend gives her the details of The Velvet Room-Manhattan's most exclusive masked club-she promises herself just one night. One night to find out if her husband's right, if she really is frigid, or if she's just never been touched by the right hands. She doesn't expect the masked stranger who claims her the second she walks in. Doesn't expect the chemistry that ignites between them, the way he makes her body sing, or the orgasms that leave her shaking. Doesn't expect him to hand her an email address with one command: "Only me. No one else touches you."

Chapters
Read Now
Download Book
After Divorce, I Married His Half-Brother After Divorce, I Married His Half-Brother Twi Light Romance
“> - Vanessa thought rock bottom was signing divorce papers with Derek Holland, a man with the emotional depth of a teaspoon. Turns out, rock bottom had a basement, and Ryker Holland was waiting for her down there with a smirk and a plan. Ryker, Derek's older half-brother (aka the family's dirty little secret), shows up offering Vanessa a deal: help her make her ex-husband, Derek Holland, jealous enough to come crawling back. In exchange, he secures his position as CEO. But Ryker isn't doing this out of kindness. He is petty and cruel. He would do anything to trample all over Derek, and now he has the perfect weapon. Vanessa, freshly dumped and just desperate enough to play along. And if she happens to enjoy making her ex suffer too? Well, that's just a bonus. As Vanessa sinks deeper into Ryker's twisted world of fake romance, secrecy and family dysfunction, things start getting real. Because fake love? It's a lot easier to control than real feelings. And Ryker has no idea what to do when the game stops being a game. Is Vanessa walking into a trap or building one of her own? Either way, the Holland brothers are going down. One's going to break, and the other's going to enjoy every second of it. _Disclaimer: This story contains morally complex and flawed characters, who often operate with hidden motives and questionable ethics. Themes explored include emotional manipulation, gaslighting, power imbalance, dual identities, and blurred lines between love, control, and obsession. Certain scenes may be intense or unsettling. Reader discretion is strongly advised.”
1

Chapter 1 Hope Is A Lie

23/10/2025

2

Chapter 2 Borrowed Love

23/10/2025

3

Chapter 3 Not Her. Never Her.

23/10/2025

4

Chapter 4 Wife By Hook Or Crook

23/10/2025

5

Chapter 5 The Brother You Shouldn't Trust

23/10/2025

6

Chapter 6 What-Fucking-Ever

23/10/2025

7

Chapter 7 Watching Me Unravel

23/10/2025

8

Chapter 8 Let's Make This Official

23/10/2025

9

Chapter 9 Let It Go!

23/10/2025

10

Chapter 10 CEO Fight Club

23/10/2025

11

Chapter 11 Derek's Forthcoming Wedding

23/10/2025

12

Chapter 12 What Am I Fighting For

24/10/2025

13

Chapter 13 Nothing Could Have Prepared Me

24/10/2025

14

Chapter 14 A Bit Of Chaos

24/10/2025

15

Chapter 15 Fuck Me Like You Stole Me, Please

24/10/2025

16

Chapter 16 Vanessa Doesn't Even Want You!

24/10/2025

17

Chapter 17 You Think You've Won

24/10/2025

18

Chapter 18 We're Going To The Hospital

24/10/2025

19

Chapter 19 I Can't Promise To Be Gentle

24/10/2025

20

Chapter 20 It Wasn't Legal

24/10/2025

21

Chapter 21 Under Derek's Wings

24/10/2025

22

Chapter 22 The Youngest Holland Brother

24/10/2025

23

Chapter 23 Her Delusion Of A Happy Ending

24/10/2025

24

Chapter 24 The Proposal

24/10/2025

25

Chapter 25 My Breaking Point

24/10/2025

26

Chapter 26 The Cost Of Being In My World

27/10/2025

27

Chapter 27 My Fiancé Kills People

27/10/2025

28

Chapter 28 It's Annie

27/10/2025

29

Chapter 29 Good Night, Lamb

27/10/2025

30

Chapter 30 Come To Me

27/10/2025

31

Chapter 31 He Found Out

27/10/2025

32

Chapter 32 Derek Wants Me

27/10/2025

33

Chapter 33 Going Against Derek

27/10/2025

34

Chapter 34 Joining Global

27/10/2025

35

Chapter 35 Possession Wrapped In Veil

27/10/2025

36

Chapter 36 Ryker's Fiancée

27/10/2025

37

Chapter 37 I Hate It

27/10/2025

38

Chapter 38 This Is My World

27/10/2025

39

Chapter 39 Try Me

27/10/2025

40

Chapter 40 I Can Remind You

27/10/2025