Chapter 267: Damn Condescending Look
*Flashback*
The proposal was sudden, it wasn’t grand, it wasn’t like anything Brooke would’ve dreamed of, but it happened, and along with it came a huge change in Brooke’s life.
Naturally, she rejected the proposal, "I’m sorry sir, but I can’t marry you." But when she tried to take off the ring, Ethan stopped her.
"Why take off what you’ll end up wearing in the end?" He rubbed his thumb against the ring.
Brooke blushed, was he really serious? Or was he just toying with her? If he wanted to have sex with her, then wasn’t he taking this joke too far?
But the joke didn’t end there, it stretched for three more months. For the next three months, Ethan was more persistent, and made grander gestures. He sent expensive gifts and flowers to her home, making sure she received his intentions.
Serena was overjoyed with the development, but Cassie was livid.
Not only did her vegetable sister get the attention of the richest man in the city, she got so many gifts and her father had forbidden her from taking any of them.
"Ethan must see Brooke wearing them. If you so much as touch any and post online he’ll know and get angry. We can’t afford to make him upset." Luther would consistently tell her.
But Cassie couldn’t stand the look of happiness on Brooke’s face when Ethan came over to their house to discuss his engagement to Brooke.
That night, she swore the skimpiest dress she owned, dolled herself up with makeup from the agency, and did her hair in curls. When Ethan was shown his chair at the dining table, Cassie rushed over, nearly shoving Brooke and sat next to him.
Brooke nearly fell from her crutches, but Ethan got up and caught her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and helped her to the dining table.
"Oops, my bad!" Cassie faked a laugh, "I didn’t see you there."
Luther frowned at how obvious Cassie was being. He tried to smoothen the conversation by offering wine, but Ethan was already upset.
He turned to Cassie, "Who said a skank like you could sit next to me?" He demanded.
Cassie’s smile faultered, did Ethan just call her a skank?
She pretended not to hear. "I was just so excited to finally meet you-"
"Shut up and get the hell out!" He harshly scolded.
Brooke tried to intervene, afraid that Cassie would get her later for the incident, "I-It’s okay, I can sit elsewhere-" Ethan cut her off.
"I said she should sit elsewhere, and that’s what she’ll do!" he raised his voice, startling everyone.
He looked to Brooke, who seemed scared and flashed her his usual gentle smile. "Don’t worry, while I’m here, no one will ever harm you ever again." He promised, making her heart beat so loudly it drowned out her doubts.
Ethan was being kind, and Cassie had it coming. She was a spoiled brat who had never been scolded before.
Serena harshly scolded, "Cassie don’t you have any shame?! That’s your sister’s fiance! Why are you even wearing that?!" Her mother got up and went to Brooke’s side.
Cassie widened her eyes, "You bitch-"
Luther cut her off before she could swear at her mother in front of Ethan, "That’s enough! Go upstairs and change out of that! Now!" He ordered.
Cassie looked at Brooke, her jaw clenched and her hand wrapped tightly around the dinner knife. She directed her gaze to the side of Brooke’s neck, her eyes alternated from the knife to her neck.
"Didn’t you hear me?! I said now!" Luther scolded, snapping her out of her thoughts.
Cassie dropped the dinner knife and furiously got up. She marched to the stairs, her arms kept furiously at her sides balled in tight fists. On her way out she could hear her father apologizing to Ethan and her mother babying Brooke.
"I’ll get you bitch!" She cursed, "Sooner or later I’ll get back at you!"
*Present*
After changing into the clothes the driver brought, Brooke washed her hands and made for the exit to the washroom, but she was intercepted by Cassie, who seemed to have been waiting outside.
Brooke took three steps back, as her sister stepped inside and locked the door behind her.
"Cassie, what are you doing here? Didn’t you leave already?" Brooke asked, recalling what had happened last night.
After Kayden threatened to drop the video evidence, the police got a call from somebody and immediately dropped the charges against Brooke. Naturally, her sister threw a tantrum, but the police refused to listen.
Kayden tried to file a complaint against Cassie, but the police insisted he needed to come down to the station to do it the next day.
Her mother and sister left the area as more people arrived, trying to protect Cassie’s image. But, with Cassie standing in front of her now, Brooke realized that Cassie must’ve just waited for a chance for her to be alone.
"Ah, don’t try and get rid of me so easily sister. We haven’t seen each other like this in forever." She said, her eyes glued to Brooke’s leg.
"Some parts of you have changed, it’s like I’m staring at a completely different person." She chuckled, but the air around them was thick.
Brooke took a deep breath, in a bid to calm her racing heart and tensed senses. Since meeting Thane, this was the first time she had been alone with Cassie.
She had nearly forgotten how deranged her sister could look. But oddly enough, Cassie looked surprisingly calm, she was speaking to her without acting crazy too.
Why was that? And what was the errie feeling she got from Cassie’s relaxed grin.
"Cassie, what is it you want from me? Why won’t you leave me alone-"
"No, on the contrary Brooke, you’re the one who keeps following me. Why do you always show up wherever I am?" She took a step forward.
"Are you that obsessed with me? Why can’t you let me have something of my own? First you take my mother away, then you take Ethan, and then that acting role, and now you’re taking my father away from me." She lectured, her eyes scanning the clothes Brooke had on.
"Why do you always steal the things I want with that..." she raised her gaze to Brooke’s eyes, "With that damn condescending look in your eye!" She spat out, then suddenly started approaching Brooke.
Before Brooke could blink, Cassie reached into her back pocket and pulled out a knife!