In His Brother's Arms

Aria's POV

My head was starting to ache from the high ponytail on my head. It was D'Cruz's, my father-in-law's, birthday today so I had to endure everything.

I took a sip from the wine glass in my hand and continued watching the Swan Lake performance. He has been a steady lover of ballet performances so I arranged it as a surprise for him on his sixtieth birthday.

He turned around, searching for me with his eyes, I smiled and waved, and he returned my smile immediately when he saw me. He was such a sweetheart.

After the performance, I realized I hadn't seen my husband, Justin, for a while now. He literally missed the whole show. Is he busy with work at this important moment? Well, I have to stop him myself then.

I stood up, lifting my dress so I could walk properly, my head was still bowed when I ran into someone. It was Aaron, my brother-in-law.

"Sorry about that Aaron", I said, adjusting the bangs almost entering my eyes.

"I should be saying that, I wasn't watching where I was going." He chuckled.

Aaron, my brother-in-law, was the kind of man who never made anyone feel small. Calm. Steady. Always present when the company needed him. Everything Justin wasn't. My husband preferred spending, chasing pleasures, and buying his way into excitement. No wonder his father hardly trusted him with anything important.

"You're so kind." I chuckled in return. "Have you seen Justin? He missed the whole ballet show." I said, worry filled in my voice.

"I think I saw him moving towards the kitchen earlier," he stretched his neck towards the kitchen's hallway, as if he could see him in the midst of the crowd.

I smiled at him and started walking to the kitchen, Aaron followed me at my back.

It took about 20 minutes to get there... guests kept stopping us for greetings and small talk. That's one thing about being in a prestigious family, everyone is important and no one must be or feel ignored.

The kitchen door was slightly open when we arrived. As I held on to the doorknob, nothing could have prepared me for what I heard.

"Uhhhh... Justin... you're so good." That was a female's voice. A familiar one at that. And... Justin? What are they doing?

I wanted to push the door open, but Aaron placed his hand on mine, stopping me.

I turned instantly to him, his eyes said, 'Just wait for a minute'. I didn't want to, why should I? If it were my Justin, then I would have to see and stop whatever was going on in there.

I made up my mind to open the door, when I heard clattering. Two figures had come into sight, the female was sitting on a counter, the man was holding her waist, nibbling on her breasts, and I could see their faces.

It was indeed Justin and his secretary, Summer.

My heart skipped a beat, I think it skipped two beats. My heart beat became painful, like it was knocking against my ribs. My hands became weak, and it slid down the doorknob, but I couldn't take my eyes off both of them. How she was running her hands through his hair and how he was caressing her other breast and making sounds. I wanted to evaporate.

"Seriously Justin?" Aaron's voice brought me back to my senses.

As soon as they noticed us, they began scrambling–Summer hurriedly pushed Justin away and turned to fix her exposed breasts into her dress, and Justin turned away fast, wiping his lips with his hands and then buttoning his shirt.

"Shit." He ran a hand through his hair. And started walking toward me. "Aria? What the hell? I thought that was you."

What?

"What are you doing here? Am I that drunk?" He looked genuinely confused. He came closer, and I could feel his breath on his cheek, he was actually drinking. "Aria, are you okay?" He cupped my face in his hands.

Great observation Justin... How will anyone feel about their spouse sucking someone else's breasts and moaning? Obviously not "okay".

"Uhm... I don't... I think...", words decided to fail me as soon as I set my eyes on Summer whose back was still facing me. "I think you're drunk honey. Let me get you back to our room." I managed to say.

I wanted to put his arm around my neck so I could walk him upstairs, but Aaron stopped me.

"You'll draw eyes to you. I'll get a guard to take him upstairs." He looked at me until I nodded. "Summer, come with me," he said with a firmer voice. She cleared her throat and squeezed past me and Aaron.

I watched them walk away, mostly her. I didn't know what to think... If my husband were really drunk, then it's possible she took advantage of him... right? I mean, everyone has made a drunken mistake.

After a minute, Aaron came back with a guard who picked up Justin who was already dozing off. I just stood there, feeling nothing. Or feeling something I really don't know the name of.

"I know this is not a good time, but I've told you about Justin. He doesn't... I don't know, he doesn't respect you Aria." Aaron said, his eyes filled with pity or compassion, or both.

I sighed, "You saw him dozing off, he's not lying. Maybe Summer took advantage of him. You know how many women want you and your brother." I defended, my voice sharper than usual.

Aaron drew in a slow dramatic breath, "Aria what do you even mean? He said he thought Summer was you... Do you know how stupid that sounds?"

He was trying to keep his voice low, trying not to tell, but he was doing a pretty bad job.

"Justin and I are in love, he loves me. And I'm telling you, he was drunk and maybe thought of me while he was ...."

He cut me off, sharp and unapologetic. "Just stop lying to yourself Aria. You know the truth, and I hope you don't keep it away from your heart till it's too late." He walked away, his steps filled with anger.

Why's he more shaken than I am? It's not his husband who was caught with his secretary.

Aria's POV

Justin and I have been best friends for years, since high school, he was my first crush and only male friend. We were a group of three friends– Justin, Helena, and I– and they were, and still are my best buds.

After high school, looking for colleges to get into, Justin told me how much he had loved me and couldn't do without me. He said he would not stand staying away from me in the name of schooling, so he asked me to marry him. I was nineteen, he was twenty.

It wasn't a problem as both of us are coming from prestigious families. I chose a three-year program as we lived together, and then we got married when I was twenty-one, our wedding was the talk of the town for months. After the wedding, I moved into the D'Cruz family house and it's been awesome. His parents love me.

Our wedding anniversary was two months ago making it three years and two months being married to my first love. Perfect life right?

So why am I supposed to think he does not love me? The party ended by 11 pm, and D'Cruz was not one to joke with his sleep, especially at his old age.

I stayed awake, giving directions and orders on how to clear the hall, and ensured everything was set in place before I left the head of the housekeepers in charge.

I showered and slipped into my long black silk nightwear. Justin was passed out on the bed like a toddler. I sat on the bed, next to him, admiring his facial features. He looked like he fell from a party with the gods, he's just so majestic. I pulled the duvet over him and kissed his forehead.

It's not a new thing that everyone wanted to get to the D'Cruz family. Aaron is still unmarried, and the number of women drooling over him is always alarming. Sometimes, literal security has to drag them away from the company's building.

And Justin? Even as he's already married, no one, scratch that, no woman has boundaries whatsoever. He still gets gifts from anonymous people, some daring women add their full names and addresses.

So seeing that tonight was not too hurtful, it was hurting, but I knew it'd happen. That he'd get taken advantage of. There's no way on earth that he did that on his own.

As I stood to walk to the other side of the bed, his phone pinged. I froze immediately. Curiosity held me by my neck.

I know I shouldn't even think of checking his phone, but what if Aaron was right? He had always told me that Justin doesn't respect me and that I'd get hurt if I keep entertaining him.

I trust Justin, he loves me. I gained control of my frozen feet and started walking, but then, it pinged again.

Okay... I was just going to check his call log.

I took his phone, gently placed his thumb on the fingerprint scanner and it unlocked.

I touched the phone icon, and kept seeing calls from a contact saved as a full stop, like "."

Then "full stop' messaged him again on WhatsApp; "I told you that tonight wasn't a good time." I tapped the message, but it required a fingerprint again. I did the same and unlocked the chat.

My heart could not comprehend everything I had just read, my brain understood, but my heart refused to.

"Baby I just got home, have you dealt with the bitch?"

"I know you're mine already but can we be more careful?"

"I told you that tonight wasn't a good time"

As I was still processing these messages, another came in: "Hurry up with the divorce, I can't wait to do that every night with you."

Divorce? What is she talking about?

Curiosity got a hold of me again, I searched "divorce" in their chat and a bunch of messages popped up.

Justin: "It's our third anniversary today, and we're closer to being together forever. I've started talking with my divorce attorney."

Justin: "The papers are ready now my love, I just have to cause a scene to warrant divorce."

Summer (.): "Can't wait for the divorce already. Seeing her with you makes my heart ache.

" My hands began trembling, and I didn't realize when the phone fell from my hands. My vision became blurry as I rushed out of the room. As I was running down the stairs, I ran into Cathy, a worker at the D'Cruz family.

"Sorry ma'am..." Cathy was still talking but I continued running till I got to the general study. I slid down the door in the darkness, hands covering my face as tears rushed down uncontrollably.

Flashbacks of Justin nibbling on Summer's breasts kept replaying in my head, the chats I just read. Does that mean he never loved me? Aaron was right all these years? I wish I had listened. How can he do this to me? Why? He should not have lied to me all these years. I felt my heart shattering into tiny pieces.

"Aria. Open the door." That was Aaron's voice. I couldn't imagine the pity on his face when he discovered that I know the truth now. How did he even know that I was here?

Aria's POV

I opened the door and let him in, he turned on the light and sat by my side on the floor with our backs to the door.

"What happened? Why are you crying?" He asked, concern in his voice.

"I..." my voice broke, fresh tears began to drop from my eyes again. "I saw Justin's chat with Summer. He wants to divorce me. He's never loved me!" I burst into messy sobs, hiccupping like a fool.

Aaron just sat there. I'm sure his mind was going; "but that's what I've been telling you all these years. Now see."

I can't blame him, I was too blind, too foolish, too stupid, too... in love to notice anything. Justin is a really great actor, because every time I noticed something off, he had the right words to cut through me.

He knew me too well, he knew where to pierce me so that I won't notice.

After what seemed like hours, the room was quiet except for my regular sniffling. His voice broke the silence.

"You know, you're still a young lady. You have a great life ahead of you, Aria." His voice was a whisper, as if he yelled he'd crack through the glass.

"Okay, look..." he turned towards me, "I have an insane idea that will work. Are you ready?"

I wiped my nose with the back of my hand and nodded. I wanted to hear, anything to get back at those two, anything that'd save me from the humiliation.

"I know someone, a lawyer, we can call him right now and ask him to draft divorce papers in your name and bring them here tomorrow morning."

I love the sound of that.

"We can do that?" I asked, genuinely interested. He nodded with a faint smile on his face, brought out his phone, and dialled a number. When the lawyer answered, he told him everything about sorting out divorce proceedings and bringing it to the D'Cruz family's house before 9 am.

I watched and listened to him talk, he was so invested in what made me feel better, I could only wish Justin were like this. Looking back, Justin didn't really show that he loved me, he only wanted me around, and for what reason? Now that's a mystery I have to find out.

"It's done. Now, you just have to prepare your poker face for tomorrow's drama," he pushed me lightly–playfully– with his shoulder.

I could only imagine how messy tomorrow would be, how Justin would react. Will he be concerned? Beg? Be nonchalant? Cause a scene?

Ughhh... seeing that I can't predict his reaction just proved I really didn't know the man I married. I was going with Aaron's plan anyway, I just have to dust myself from the shame and stand my ground.

"Hey. Back to Earth Aria." Aaron snapped his fingers, jerking me from my thoughts.

He stood and put his hands in his pyjama pockets, and stretched out a hand to me. I looked at the hand for a second and took it, helping myself to stand.

I dusted my butt with both hands and pushed my hair to the back of my ears, "Thanks a lot, Aaron. For everything..."

"Anything for my favourite in-law", he chuckled lightly.

That earned a smile from me. He always has the words to put a smile on my face, and he's also probably my favourite in-law. But I can't say that, I'm at war with my heart.

Just as I was about to open the door, his voice stopped me; "You can use me Aria". His voice didn't have any form of humor or sarcasm in it, I turned to face him.

"Huh?" I asked, wearing a confused smile so I don't seem foolish to another brother.

"Anything you need to get to Justin, ask me. If it requires using my name, my body, anything at all... You can use me."

Okay... can someone tell me why my brother-in-law is offering himself as a human shield all of a sudden? And seriously, why did he ever think about that?

My eyes go endlessly around random objects in the study, trying to avoid his eyes. I gave a polite nod and opened the door.

I walked hurriedly to my room, scared another D'Cruz would come after me and offer me promises too good to be true.

Opening the door to my matrimonial bedroom, I saw Justin, still passed out on the bed. I wanted to strangle him, to hit him, for lying to me all these years. To demand answers for why he wanted me around all these years despite feeling nothing romantic toward me. But, I just walked to my side of the bed and lay down, thinking and praying for tomorrow, I must give the most perfect performance tomorrow. I must humiliate Justin tomorrow.

It's funny how a few hours ago, I was defending him and now, I can't wait to ruin him. I never knew how love could quickly turn into hatred.

My eyes opened as a golden Ray of sunlight piercing through the curtain hit my face, warm and reminding me that I am still alive, that last night wasn't a dream.

Justin was up, The loud tapping on his phone drew my attention to him. I turned to him, he smiled at me and placed a kiss on my forehead as he always does. "Morning Aria."

Yeah, morning Justin.

I returned his smile and turned my back on him. He's probably calling Summer "baby" and other sweet names he's never called me. Just then, my phone pinged. It was a WhatsApp message from a new contact.

"I'm the divorce attorney Aaron told you about yesternight, he sent me your number earlier this morning."

I looked at the time, it was 6:23 am, great. I have a show to prepare for. I went into the bathroom and prepared a cold bath for myself in the bathtub. I stayed in there for minutes, preparing my speech and facial expressions.

I dried my body, got into my closet, and picked the most radiant pair of black velvet pants and a shirt, and paired it with a red stiletto heel. I had gotten that outfit in preparation for my outing with Helena. I have to get another one now.

I parted my hair in the middle and straightened it till the slightest air made it move. I applied burgundy lipstick and paired it with gold dangling waterfall earrings.

I looked at myself in the mirror... I looked different, different in a good way. Different in a way that I won't be intimidated. I won't be trampled upon, I won't be humiliated. I took deep breaths and walked out of the closet to the bedroom.

"Wow, Aria. You look...different, what's the occasion?" Justin's lazy ass was still on the bed, his voice high-pitched. He liked what he was seeing. I hope he keeps this energy the whole day.

"It's a surprise honey. You'll see." I smiled and walked out of the room.