A Promise He'll Never Keep

During the family gathering, my fiance's mom takes out their heirloom brooch, intending to give it to the next lady of the Sullivan household.

The guests all clap and offer their blessings. "Karli, you've been dating Douglas for six years. Now, you guys are finally going to settle down for real."

But there isn't even a trace of a smile on Douglas Sullivan's face. He takes away the brooch calmly and pins it on his adopted sister, Isabelle Sullivan.

After that, he pinches my face and says, "Belle likes it. Let her have it."

When he sees the thick disappointment in my eyes, he explains in a gentle voice, "In the future, Belle will marry someone else. Everything that belongs to the Sullivan family will then become yours. It's just a brooch. There's no need to be so hung up on it."

Surprised, Isabelle clutches the brooch on her chest fondly. Then, she gives Douglas a light peck on the cheek.

She says, "Thank you, Dougie. You're the best to me!"

A bitter smile plays on my lips as I look at the two of them behaving intimately right in front of me. It's been six years, and Douglas still hasn't made good on his promise to marry me.

I've told my parents that I agree to go through with the arranged marriage and will return in three days to honor it.

Karli Bright's POV

I stared at the dazzling brooch pinned to Isabelle's outfit, feeling as though something heavy had slammed me right in the chest, leaving me with a dull and suffocating pain.

Before I could even say anything, my best friend, Clara Goodwin, who was standing next to me, snapped, "Karli, Isabelle has gone way too far! Everyone knows that this brooch is meant to be a gift for you this evening. Yet, she took it away from you. I'm going to get it back for you!"

I reached out and pulled her back, shaking my head slightly. "Forget it."

Now that things had come to this, it was no longer necessary to fight for anything.

I lifted my eyes and looked toward Douglas Sullivan and Isabelle Sullivan. Isabelle had linked her arms with his, resting her head against his shoulder in an intimate manner. Instead of pushing her away, Douglas raised his hand and stroked her hair gently.

Such intimacy was completely inappropriate. It had crossed the line of what was acceptable between siblings.

The guests were Douglas's and my friends and family. They looked at me with sympathy in their eyes, their gazes making me feel even more uncomfortable than if they were to mock me.

Clara studied me with heartache in her eyes. She was so furious that I could even hear the tremble in her voice. "Isabelle is doing this on purpose. Just because they aren't biological siblings, she not only steals your things, she's even throwing herself at your fiance right in front of everyone!"

A bitter sting welled up in my