The Twins He Destroyed

nda' s past, her likely in

Brenda, or worse, if he believed I had put her up

schemes," another attempt to undermine

e Brenda was conce

d sacrificed her health for him. Any attack on th

" I said, the words tastin

estate. Leave all

ating atmosphere, the ghost of

a chance, a life aw

yes filled with a mixture o

said softly. "Perhap

Brenda, before the bitterness,

naive. I believed in his

rned me about the Thornes, about th

cerns, convinced our

nored the red flags, the whispers about his father's inf

ic tale of saving Ethan from a capsi

at the cold water had triggered a ra

nd grateful, became h

that, restless, easily bored. Brenda was ne

fy her place in his heart and in the Thorne dynasty, es

n slip away from me,

together became more o

tings, praise me endlessly in fron

Ethan' s resentment. He felt con

his life, and by extension, he accus

of her desperate efforts, and the final nail

ly chosen Brenda, I had accepted the humili

of them, all vying for his attention, f

lled with petty jealousi

till loved him, because I hoped he

nor needed me, a familiar face in t

, I was partly na

the boy he had been, no

on, my understanding, wou

fantasy, a stubborn re

ns to trap him into a marriage he didn' t want, trea

r of his grandmother' s interference, of

ed, poisoning any cha

like me, women who were perhaps pale imitations of Bren

nt of me, a clear mess

s, each one a fresh stab of pain, a fresh reminder o

andscape of neglect and