Chloe had always thought she’d gotten relationships right. She felt loved and happy with Jack. Things seemed perfect. But one day, everything changed.
As Chloe walked into Jack’s kitchen, she was on cloud nine. She was so excited to cook a nice dinner for them both, a perfect evening after a busy day. She smiled, thinking about the evening ahead. But then, as her eyes landed on Jack’s fridge, her heart skipped a beat.
There, right in the center of the fridge, was a magnet she knew all too well.
It was the same one from her trip to the Caribbean with Mike, her ex-boyfriend. Her stomach dropped as she stepped closer. She couldn’t believe her eyes. It was a souvenir from the trip they took together — the same one Mike had given her as a joke. She remembered how she had dropped it when the vendor handed it to her, leaving a small chip at the top. She hadn’t replaced it, deciding it would be a silly waste.
But now, here it was, staring at her from Jack’s fridge.
And under the magnet was a note in Mike’s handwriting, a message that took her back to a time she thought she’d forgotten.
“Love You, Bun!” — it read, a term of endearment Mike used to say. Chloe’s heart sank.
She tried to calm herself, but the memories flooded in. She had met Mike in university. He was popular, a star football player with a smooth charm, while she was a quieter law student, studying hard but unsure of herself. They’d met by accident when Chloe stumbled into the wrong lecture theatre.
For a while, it seemed like they were building something serious. But the more Chloe tried, the more Mike kept her at arm’s length.
Mike came from a wealthy family. His future was secure, and he didn’t need to work as hard as Chloe. He’d once told her, “My dad made me get a degree, but I don’t even need it. I’m already set for life.”
When graduation came, Mike broke up with her.
“Look, Chloe,” he had said. “We had a good run, but now, I’m moving on. I need someone who matches my level, who’s in my world.”
Chloe felt a sharp sting. After all those months of supporting Mike through his darkest times, when his depression had taken over and left him isolated from everyone else, he was walking away.
Two years passed, and Chloe moved on, focusing on herself. She entered grad school and worked hard. It was during this time that she met Jack, a man who was everything Mike wasn’t. Jack was kind, compassionate, and caring. He treated her like she was the most important person in the world. They met at a walkathon for animal welfare, and Jack quickly became someone Chloe could depend on.
But now, as Chloe stood in Jack’s kitchen, staring at the magnet and the note, her mind was spinning. How was Mike’s keepsake here in Jack’s house? And why hadn’t Jack told her about his connection to Mike before?
Jack, seeing the shock on her face, came rushing into the kitchen.
“Chloe, we need to talk,” he said, his voice tense. His face was pale, like he knew this was bad. He led her to the living room, and they sat down, the air thick with unspoken words.
“Mike is my stepbrother,” Jack began. The words hit Chloe like a thunderclap. “I should’ve told you earlier, but I didn’t know how.”
Chloe was stunned. Mike? Jack’s stepbrother? She was silent for a moment, trying to process what Jack was saying.
“Mike is… my stepbrother?” she repeated, her voice shaky.
Jack nodded, looking down. “Yes. We grew up together, but we didn’t really get along. Mike has always been spoiled. When we were kids, he tried to ruin our parents’ wedding because he didn’t think his father should marry my mother. She was a nurse, not ‘good enough’ for his dad in his eyes.”
Chloe could hardly believe it. This was all so unexpected.
“And you never told me?” she asked, trying to understand. “All this time, you kept this from me?”
“I didn’t know how to tell you,” Jack admitted. “When I met you, I didn’t want to risk losing you. But Mike, he knew about us. He’s been talking about you ever since.”
“So he knew about me?” Chloe asked, feeling betrayed. “Why didn’t you say something before?”
“I didn’t want to complicate things,” Jack said quietly. “But last night, Mike came home with me. We had a family dinner, and I asked my mother for the ring that’s been in our family for generations. It’s always been mine to give to the person I want to spend my life with. I wanted to give it to you, Chloe.”
Chloe’s heart skipped. “The ring?” she asked in disbelief. “You’re serious?”
Jack nodded, but his face grew darker. “Mike didn’t take it well. He’s known about us for a while, and he doesn’t like it. Last night, after the dinner, he flipped out. He kept talking about you, about how I’d ‘let you go.’”
“So, Mike put the magnet on the fridge and wrote that note?” Chloe asked, her mind spinning with confusion.
Jack sighed. “Yeah. He’s always been this way, trying to mess things up. I should’ve told you everything before, Chloe. I just didn’t want to lose you.”
Chloe felt like she was drowning in the sea of confusion and betrayal. She got up and went to the kitchen, her hands trembling as she grabbed a yogurt from the fridge. She threw the note away, still processing everything Jack had said. She needed time to think.
“I don’t know what to believe anymore, Jack,” she whispered, more to herself than to him.
Jack stayed silent, watching her walk away. Chloe felt her heart sink even further. She had thought everything was perfect with Jack, but now she wasn’t so sure. Was Mike’s interference the real reason Jack had gotten close to her?
Chloe spent the rest of the evening in turmoil. Jack kept asking if she wanted to talk, but she wasn’t ready. She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know if there was a future for them anymore.
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