My Brother's Betrayal, My Lover's Lies

I thought my life was perfect. I had a loving boyfriend of five years, Jaxon, and was getting ready to celebrate my brother Hanson' s wedding. I even picked out the perfect cream-colored dress for the rehearsal dinner.

But that perfect world shattered when I found Jaxon in the parking garage, tangled up with my brother' s fiancée, Karla. They had been having an affair for three years.

When I tried to expose them, they twisted the story, painting me as a jealous liar trying to ruin the wedding.

My own brother, Hanson, believed them. He slapped me across the face, his eyes filled with hate.

"You stay away from this wedding," he snarled. "If you try to ruin this, I swear, I will make you regret it."

Jaxon just stood there, choosing his mistress over me, watching as my own family turned on me.

They thought they had broken me, casting me out as the crazy, unstable sister.

But as I fled that night, I made a vow.

They would all pay. And I would be the one to collect.

Chapter 1

Alexandra Hoffman POV:

The silk dress slipped through my fingers, cool and heavy, a stark contrast to the boiling heat simmering beneath my skin. It was the color of fresh cream, a subtle elegance I had chosen for the rehearsal dinner, a night meant to celebrate my brother Hanson' s impending marriage. I held it up to the mirror, my reflection a picture of serene anticipation. Jaxon would love it. He always loved me in white.

"What' s with the bridal gown, Alex?"

Jaxon' s voice cut through the quiet of the bedroom, sharp and unexpected. I turned, a smile already forming on my lips, but it faltered at the sight of him. His jaw was tight, eyes narrowed, a muscle ticking in his cheek. He wasn' t smiling.

"It' s not a bridal gown, Jaxon. It' s for the rehearsal dinner. Do you like it?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light, but a knot had already begun to form in my stomach.

He scoffed, a short, humorless sound. "You' re really going all out, aren' t you? You know, sometimes it feels like you're trying to outshine everyone, even your own brother on his big day."

My smile vanished completely. "Outshine? Jaxon, what are you talking about? It' s just a dress. I thought it was appropriate." My mind raced, trying to understand his sudden hostility. Had I misjudged the occasion? But no, my mother had specifically said elegant, not flashy.

He walked over, snatching the dress from my hand. His touch was rough, his gaze dismissive as he crumpled the fabric. "Appropriate? You mean, 'look-at-me-I' m-the-perfect-sister-and-girlfriend' appropriate. Honestly, Alex, give it a rest. This isn' t about you."

Confusion clouded my thoughts. Jaxon had always been my biggest supporter, admiring my style, encouraging my ambitions. This was… new. It felt like a deliberate jab, aimed squarely at my confidence. Perhaps he was just