Chapter 271: Thane Wasn’t Ethan
Trust was a fickle thing.
And Brooke learned the hard way that love and respect could never be substituted for the other.
"I was drunk."
Ethan told her when her sister’s pregnancy results came back positive. Cassie was pregnant and her husband was the father of the child.
Brooke who had stopped using crutches as per her husband’s wishes, could barely hold onto her cane for support.
Why? Why did this happen? What did she do wrong? Why would they betray her? Was she so greedy for wanting a loving husband?
For wanting something Cassie couldn’t have?
Her days since then became miserable. Her husband would hit her, just Cassie always had if she stepped out of line. Everything she did somehow made Ethan angry, he hated seeing her and when he came home he stayed with Cassie.
Things got so bad that Brooke could no longer take it. One night, when she finally made it to the kitchen, joints swollen, stomach rumbling and heart broken, she made for the sink and picked up a knife.
The cane fell from her hand, Brooke landed on the ground, causing a silent thud.
"I’m so stupid. Why did I think of this sooner?" She thought aloud, her jittery fingers bringing the knife closer to her bruised wrist.
"It’ll all end if I do this." She said convincing herself as the sharp edge of the blade ate into her flesh, causing her blood to drop down the tip of the silver blade.
Brooke closed her eyes, completely ready to end it all, however a hand stopped her from doing so. She opened her eyes to see none other than Zara in front of her.
"Mrs Halton." She cried, pulling a crying Brooke into her arms.
*Present*
Brooke returned to the mansion, and was informed that after she had a meal Thane would be waiting for her in his study. Brooke nodded weakly and went to their bedroom in her wheelchair to take a quick bath.
She instructed the maids to thoroughly wash the dress Susan had given her and make sure it was perfectly intact. After all it was something precious from her mother, she wouldn’t want to mess up Susan’s precious memory.
After she finished eating, she wheeled herself over to Thane’s study, where just like they informed her, Thane was seated behind his desk, engrossed in work.
Stepping inside, she couldn’t help but think, ’This is the first time he’s summoned me.’ most of the time Thane always made his way to her room, he always showed up in front of her.
Would that all change? Was she so presumptuous to believe he was different...
"Brooke."
Thane’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts, she blinked twice, only to see him kneeling in front of her.
She tried to back away, but he held her by the hand, "Are you going to keep running away from me?"
"What?" Fear engulfed Brooke’s heart. He looked angry, irritated, had he had enough of her?
Thane frowned, "How much longer do I have to be patient? A day? A week? A month? How much longer do I have to endure not being able to stay by your side?"
His question left her confused. What was he talking about?
"Mr Grayson-"
Thane clicked his tongue hearing her still call him that. "Brooke, I respected your decision to go with that old fart, but don’t stretch the limits of my patience any further. I can only endure so much."
"I wasn’t-" she had no idea he saw the situation that way. To her he was angry, angry that she kept getting into stupid situations, all because she couldn’t get her shit together.
She shook her head, "I’m the one who should apologize. You were right, I’m always getting you in trouble."
Thane refuted her claim. "I don’t know how else to explain to you that I don’t care about that. The only thing that hurts me is when you get hurt. I don’t want you doing anything that’ll cause you pain. If I could, I’d rather take it in your place."
His voice softer, he confessed, "I don’t want you to have to go through anything awful ever again." He rubbed his thumb against her wrist, and looked into her teary eyes.
Gently, he took his other hand and wiped her tears off, "These tears are too precious to be wasted."
But Brooke felt like a fool. "I really am a fool." Serena was right, she never learned, and maybe that was why her life kept hitting these obstacles.
She had Thane in front of her, everything she ever wanted, and yet she kept creating these problems.
Thane wasn’t Ethan.
And that was something she finally fully accepted.
"I’m sorry for going off on my own, and for making you worried, Thane. Please, forgive me." She sobbed.
Thane was shocked by her words, but nonetheless he leaned in and embraced her tightly to his chest. "I could never be upset with you. I only hated how helpless I was, I need to get stronger, much stronger if I’m going to protect you."
Brooke felt the same. As she cried into her husband’s arms, she realized that the only problem was her weakness.
She couldn’t let herself get fooled. If she felt the weight of Thane’s expectations was too heavy, then she just had to tough it out and live up to those expectations.
Just like him, she was going to get stronger and end things finally with Cassie.
Whilst the lovers made up, other alliances were being strengthened. Inching closer under the umbrella, Jen stared at Axel, who had a hardened look in his eyes.
"This is why, why I must get my revenge on that bastard Ethan Halton. And why I need you to help me." He explained, his gaze facing forward.
Jen traced his gaze to the tombstone in front of them. She stared at the name engraved on the tombstone.
Zara.
"Who was she?" Jen asked.
"My sister." Axel confessed.
"And that bastard, Ethan, killed her."