My Family Stole My Alpha, I Married Someone Stronger Chapter 03

From that point on, Brianna became a part of every date Andrew and I went on.

Even at upscale Michelin-starred restaurants we’d booked exclusively for ourselves, she always chose the dishes for all three of us before I could even open the menu.

Then she’d request an elegant violin solo to set the mood, as if she were the leading lady on the date.

Even when Andrew and I went to a theme park, Brianna would decide in advance which characters the three of us would play.

Andrew was the brave knight, while she played a female knight who could match him blow for blow.

As for me, I was Little Red Riding Hood, the ridiculous little girl in a red cape.

I’d expressed my displeasure to her more than once, repeatedly telling her that I’d long outgrown my childhood obsession with Little Red Riding Hood.

Yet on my birthday the following year, she still gave me a beautifully crafted red riding hood that looked painfully childish and ridiculous.

Brianna turned to Andrew, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Andrew, you have no idea how much Katie has always loved Little Red Riding Hood.”

“When she was in preschool, she wore that little red hood everywhere. She even said she wanted to go into the forest to find the Big Bad Wolf!”

Before our next trip to the theme park the following year, I made a point of confirming our costumes with her repeatedly, starting the day before.

This time, I was supposed to play a demonic nun, and Andrew’s character, a demonic priest, was meant to be my love interest.

Brianna agreed without hesitation, wearing a gentle, innocent smile that made it impossible to find fault with her.

But when we arrived at the park, Brianna appeared in a long black witch’s dress and cheerfully held out a red hood to me.

“Here, Katie! Your favorite Little Red Riding Hood costume.”

Furious, I turned and walked away.

When Andrew returned with two ice cream cones in his hands, he looked completely bewildered.

“What happened? Did you two get into a fight?”

Brianna looked wounded, her eyes so innocent that anyone would have thought she was the one being bullied.

“I have no idea. We were talking just fine a moment ago, and then she suddenly got angry.”

I heard Andrew reply impatiently, loud enough for me to catch every word.

“Forget it. Just leave her alone. She’s always getting upset over nothing.”

I went home and cried my eyes out.

If I’d been smart enough, I might have realized something was wrong right then.

But love and family had blinded me, making me come up with excuse after excuse for them, time and time again.

The vibration of my phone pulled me back to the present.

A new message appeared on the screen, every word filled with concern.

[Do you want me to come get you now?]

I replied that it wasn’t necessary.

As I walked downstairs, I found Brianna sitting on the living room couch, chatting and laughing with Mom.

The moment she saw me, she stood up.

“Katie! I thought you’d already gone to bed.”

Before I could respond, she picked up a solid pink dress from the coffee table and held it out to me with a smile.

“Look! Mom and I picked this out especially for your blind date tomorrow. Do you like it?”

“I still remember when you told me you didn’t like Little Red Riding Hood anymore. You got so angry with me back then!”

She beamed at me.

“I finally managed to pick something you like this time, didn’t I?”

She certainly hadn’t gotten it wrong.

I was twenty-three when I told her I no longer liked Little Red Riding Hood.

Back then, I was young and vibrant, at the perfect age to wear a pink sundress and look my best.

Now I was thirty-five, and she was still picking out pink dresses for me.

“I don’t like it.” I met her gaze, my voice calm. “And I already made myself clear earlier. I’m not going on that blind date.”

Brianna’s eyes immediately filled with tears.

“Katie, you still haven’t forgiven me for what happened between Andrew and me. But I really…”

“Enough!”

Mom suddenly shouted from the couch.

She sprang to her feet and pointed a finger at me, unleashing her anger.

“Katie, do you have any idea how much your sister has suffered because of all the rumors going around? She’s still trying to look out for you, and this is how you treat her? Have you no conscience?”

“Mom…”

I barely got the word out before she cut me off with another furious shout.

“Don’t call me Mom!”

She strode over to Brianna and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. When she turned back to me, her eyes were full of hostility.

“There are so many men in this world, yet you just have to keep pining after your own brother-in-law!”

“You have no shame, but I still have my dignity! If you still consider me your mother, then you’d better show up for that blind date tomorrow afternoon!”

I stood frozen in place. My heart, already crushed by disappointment, sank even lower.

She called me shameless, conveniently forgetting that she had been among the people who knelt and begged me to give Andrew up for Brianna in the first place.

With that thought, I stopped arguing, turned around, and headed straight for the front door of the pack house.

“Katie! Where do you think you’re going?!”

At her demand, I didn’t even look back. My voice was cold and completely devoid of emotion.

“I’m getting the hell out of here. Didn’t you just say I’m no longer your daughter?”

I’d barely taken a few steps when I heard a sudden cry behind me.

“Mom!”

Brianna’s voice broke as she called out in panic.

“What’s wrong? Mom?!”