After the Divorce, My Brother Is the CEO

To squeeze an extra share of the property buyout money, Murray Hughes and I got a sham divorce.

The night the funds hit the account, I cooked a whole table of dishes he and our son loved.

I wanted to talk to Murray about remarrying, and while I was at it, tell him I'd finally found my brother who'd been separated from me years ago.

He and our son came home late. I picked up the cold plates to reheat them, but he stopped meDon't bother. We already ate.

Our son curled his lip in disgustI'm so sick of this stuff. My new mom's pasta is way better.

My knuckles went white around the plate. I stared at Murray, stunned.

He said it like he was reading the weatherI married Mr. Simmons's daughter.

You know how badly I've wanted that general manager position. This was the fastest way.

My lips were shaking when I managed to speakThen what about me?

He ruffled our son's hair as if the answer were obvious

You'll always be his birth mother. Nothing changes that.

I'll still come visit you, but you can't tell anyone.

Iris Simmons wouldn't like it.

It felt like someone had cracked a bat across the back of my skull. My heart seized, and the shock left everything muffled and dim.

I gripped the edge of the table, sank into the chair in a daze, his words looping over and over in my head

I got married.

It took a long time before my brain started working again. I lifted my head, looked at Murray, and forced the words out through the trembling

Whenwhen did you two get married?

He pressed his lips together, crouched down in front of me, and looked up with dark, unreadable eyes

Eva Cox, I don't have feelings for her. I just want that position. You know how much you mean to me. How can you not see that?

I shoved his hand away and repeated myselfWhen did you marry her?

Maybe the look in my eyes was too relentless. He opened his mouth, closed it, then finally dropped his gaze and answered quietly

The day after our divorce.

The day after our divorce?

So the divorce was never about the buyout money. He just couldn't wait to marry another woman.

Eva, I promise you, once I've secured the position, I'll divorce her right away. And then

Smack. My hand cracked across his face. I stared at him with bloodshot eyes and snarled

You're still lying to me! Even now!

Do I look like a fool to you? Murray Hughes. His name choked out of me like something broken.

I sucked in a breath, and even the air clawing into my lungs hurt.

I clenched my fists and forced myself to steady, forced myself not to fall apart in front of the man who'd betrayed me.

This was a setup from the very beginning, wasn't it? All of it, just for me. I tried to keep my voice level, but every word came out shaking.

Murray stood there with my handprint blazing across his cheek, fished a cigarette from his pocket, and lit it.

Through the curling smoke I couldn't make out his expression. All I had was his voice, low and flat

Eva, there's no need to get so worked up. The way I see it, you haven't really lost anything.

You're still his mother. You're still living in the penthouse. And there's a nice chunk of buyout money sitting in your bank account.

All you lost is a title. How is that a bad deal for you?

I looked up at him, unable to believe those words had just come out of the mouth of the man I'd loved for ten years.

The tears I'd been holding back finally broke free.

They rolled down my cheeks, fat and hot. I had so much fury, so many accusations I wanted to hurl at him, but the moment I met his eyes and found not a single trace of guilt, every last word jammed in my throat and died there.

Those words sat in my chest like a wad of wet cotton, suffocating and heavy.

I wiped the tears from my face and pointed at the door.Get out!

If we're divorced, then get out of my house! My son stays with me. Get out!

The hand holding his cigarette dropped to his side, and something like guilt crept across his face.

He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Karl came running over from the couch where he'd been playing with his toys, his little feet pattering against the floor.

He threw himself at Murray's leg and clung tight, his small face set hard, glaring at me like I was the enemy

I don't want to stay with you. I want to be with Daddy and my new mommy.

I stared at this child I had carried for nine months, the child they'd cut me open three layers deep to deliver, and felt something tear wide open inside my chest.

Cold wind howled through the gap, straight through my body.

My own son, my own flesh and blood, had sided with his father against me.

It could only have been a few seconds, but it stretched longer than a century.

Then you get out too. Go with your father. Get out of my house. The words ripped from my throat, raw and hoarse, my eyes burning red.

Murray stubbed out his cigarette, reached over, and closed his fingers around my wrist. The look in his eyes was complicated.

He turned to Karl, his voice sharp with reproachKarl, you can't talk to your mother like that! Apologize to her right now!

Karl pressed his lips together and stared at me without saying a word.

Eva, just give me some time, okay? You're the only one I love. We have ten years together.

He softened his voice and tried to pull me into his arms.

The next second, a distinct ringtone cut through the air. He glanced at the caller ID on the screen and picked up without a moment's hesitation.

Iris's coy, wheedling voice floated through from the other end.

Honey, I just saw a bracelet online. It's so pretty.

Murray let out a low chuckle, his tone dripping with indulgenceI'm heading home with Karl soon. We'll swing by the mall and I'll grab it for you.

IrisThanks, honey.

Murray pocketed his phone and looked at meIKarl and I will come see you another time.

The man who had just sworn I was the only one he loved took Karl by the hand and walked toward the door. Karl turned back and stuck his tongue out at me.

The door slammed shut with a bang and something inside me broke loose. I crumpled to the floor, sobbing into the cold tile.

But no matter how broken I felt, life didn't stop. The next morning I dragged myself to work, my eyes still swollen and red.

Murray and Iris were standing side by side in the office, holding bags of wedding favors.

Manager Hughes finally brought his wife out to meet everyone! She's gorgeous!

We always wondered why he never brought his plus-one to company dinners. Turns out he was keeping her all to himself.

Well, I guess certain people can finally give up their little fantasies, huh?

A coworker who'd never liked me let her gaze drift in my direction, her eyes sliding over me like I was something stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

Their intertwined hands seared into my vision, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop the bitter sting rising in my throat.

Murray used to say that office romances reflected poorly on leadership, that we should act like any other boss and employee at work.

I'd always respected that. I thought he was principled, that he refused to let personal feelings compromise his professionalism.

Turns out his principles only ever applied to me.

You must be Eva! Thank you so much for taking care of Murray all these years. Here, these are wedding favors from the two of us.

Iris walked over to me with a bright smile, grabbed my hand before I could pull away, and pressed the candy into my palm.

Then she leaned in close and dropped her voice, triumph oozing from every syllableEva Cox, you really are a failure as a woman. If I were you, I wouldn't even have the nerve to show my face in this world.

Her words drove straight into the rawest nerve I had, and before I could think, the wedding favors in my hand were already flying at her face.

She yelped, her expression crumpling into wounded innocenceEva, what are you doing? I was being nice, giving you wedding favors out of the goodness of my heart. How could you treat me like this?

Murray was at her side in an instant, pulling Iris into his arms. His brow furrowed with displeasure as he looked at me

Team Leader Cox, I'm going to need you to apologize to my wife. Now.

I lifted my gaze to his. My hand curled into a fist at my sideAnd if I don't?

His expression darkenedWhen you do something wrong, you apologize. Even a child knows that. Surely I don't need to teach you, Team Leader Cox?

Or maybe you're telling me you'd rather not be involved in the final stages of Starlight?

I stared at him in disbelief, my lashes trembling. He knew better than anyone what Starlight meant to me.

I had poured countless sleepless nights into Starlight, revising draft after draft, reworking every detail until the lines blurred.

On a freezing winter night, I had camped outside the client's office. They pointed at my face and called me shameless, and I took it, all for the chance to present my design concept.

The day the client finally approved Starlight and the project officially moved into production, my body gave out. I collapsed at my desk.

When I opened my eyes, Murray was sitting beside me, his eyes rimmed red. His voice had been so tender

Eva, as long as I'm in this position, I promise you'll always be the lead creator of Starlight. Your name will be listed first.

And now, barely two years later, Murray was using Starlight as a weapon against me.

My voice came out rawI'm the original creator of Starlight. I'm one of the key people who built it. What right do you have to threaten me with Starlight?

Murray's gaze went cold, laced with warningBecause I'm the general manager of this company. And because Iris is the newly appointed director, with co-creator credit and decision-making authority over Starlight.

The words knocked the breath out of me. Co-creator credit? Decision-making authority over Starlight?

Starlight was my original work. My name was the one that belonged in the creator field.

I opened my mouth to argue, but Murray's voice dropped low, cutting me off

Eva, Iris only needs a secondary-creator credit. You're still the lead. That doesn't change.

But if you make a scene, I can't guarantee your name will appear on Starlight at all.

I clenched my teeth, my fists tight at my sides. Starlight was days away from completion. I couldn't watch two years of work go up in smoke.

I forced the tears of humiliation back behind my eyes and spoke, each word bitten off separatelyI'm sorry, Iris.

Iris nestled deeper into Murray's arms and smiled, magnanimousIt's okay, Eva. I know you have feelings for Murray too. But love has to go both ways, you know?

I kept my head down, the whispers closing in around me

So that's what this is about. Jealousy.

I've seen her throwing herself at Mr. Hughes more than once. Homemade lunches, hangover soup, the whole routine.

Tsk tskchased him like a lost puppy and ended up with nothing.

Tears blurred my vision. Then my phone buzzed, pulling me back. I looked down at the screen and saw the word Brother flashing across it. I ducked my head and rushed into the restroom.

I steadied my breathing and forced something light into my voiceHey.

Frank's warm laugh came through the lineEva, we're going to see each other soon. I've got a surprise for you.

I murmured a quiet okay, and after a few more words, he hung up.

Eva, back there, my hands were tied. You don't hold that against me, do you? I was about to turn around when Murray's voice rose from behind me.

I turned and saw him, the rage in my chest flaring all over againForced by circumstances? So marrying Iris was forced by circumstances too?

She's right outside that door. Do you have the guts to say any of this to her face?

I locked my eyes on Murray's. His gaze wavered for a split second before he spoke again, his voice slipping into that coaxing tone

Alright, alright. How about this: after work today, I'll come home and spend time with you.

Stop being angry. You're not as pretty when you're upset. He opened his arms to pull me into a hug.

I shoved him away. The disgust hit me like bile rising in my throat.

I couldn't understand it. The man I'd loved for ten years, how had he rotted from the inside out without me seeing it?

What are you two doing? Iris's voice cut in from the restroom doorway. Behind her, coworkers were already gathering, drawn by the noise.

Her eyes were red. She charged straight at me and cracked her palm across my face so hard it echoed off the tile.

She jabbed a finger at my nose and screamedYou slut! You shameless homewrecker!

My cheek burned white-hot, and the pain scorched through whatever restraint I had left. I swung back and slapped her just as hard.

The next second, Murray grabbed Iris and shielded her behind him, then shoved me to the ground.

Pain radiated from my tailbone up through my chest and lodged somewhere near my heart. I was already done with him, already past disappointment, but the moment he put his hands on me to push me down, it cut like a blade dragged slow across my ribs.

From behind Murray, Iris pointed at me and shriekedEva Cox, you have no shame! You knew perfectly well Murray was married, and you still threw yourself at him!

You worthless tramp! You think you still deserve lead-creator credit on Starlight? In your dreams!

The moment her voice dropped, the pile-on started.

Wasn't being pathetic enough, so she upgraded to homewrecker?

What Eva did is honestly revolting.

Having someone like her as a colleague is an insult to the rest of us.

Their words crashed into me one after another, and a raw, thrashing refusal to accept this swelled inside my chest.

I was the one who'd been tricked into a divorce. Iris Simmons was the other woman between Murray and me.

Starlight was my original work. Over two years of my life poured into it. Why should she get to kick me off my own project with a single sentence?

I bit down on the soft flesh inside my cheek. The pain gave me a sharp, brief moment of clarity.

I pressed my hands against the floor and staggered to my feet. Step by step, I walked up to Murray and pinned him with a stare that could have drawn blood

Murray Hughes. She just called me the other woman. Me. The woman who was married to you for ten years. I'm the homewrecker now?

Murray met my gaze and his throat bobbed. Then he looked away, answering me with silence.

That silence. That refusal to acknowledge me. It was like someone had jammed a cactus into my chest, the spines so thick and so close together there was nowhere to flinch away from them and no way to pull them out.

I shifted my gaze to Iris, let out a cold, quiet laugh

You're the other woman, and you have the nerve to play the victim? Aren't you afraid of karma?

Iris's fingers tightened around the hem of Murray's jacket, and the look she gave me was pure venom.

I was opening my mouth to press harder when a small, bright voice piped up from the doorway

Daddy! Mommy! What are you doing here? Karl almost couldn't find you!

Karl, drenched in sweat, ran straight to Murray and Iris without sparing me a single glance. Me. His birth mother.

Iris looked at Karl, and the corner of her eye lifted. A flash of triumph crossed her face, gone as fast as it appeared.

She put on a wounded expression and saidSweetie, tell everyone. Who are your mommy and daddy?

Karl's gaze finally landed on me. Somewhere deep in my chest, a fragile thread of hope pulled taut.

This was my son. My own flesh and blood. I'd been there since the day he was born, raising him every single day.

One night, a blizzard shut down the whole city. Murray was stranded out of town. Karl's fever wouldn't break, so I strapped him to my back and trudged through the snow to the hospital, sinking knee-deep with every other step.

The emergency room was packed, the line stretching down the hall. Karl had already gone limp in my arms, burning up and unconscious. I dropped to my knees in front of the people ahead of us and begged them, forehead to the floor, to let my child through.

Karl was delirious with fever, crying in my arms when he whisperedMommy, Karl loves Mommy the most in the whole world.

My mom is Iris, obviously. He lifted his chin, looking at me with smug pride plastered across his face.

The tiny flicker of hope that had just risen inside me shattered in an instant, ground to dust, scattered to nothing.

My lips trembled. I couldn't get a single word out. Tears burned at the edges of my eyes, spinning there, but I refused to let them fall.

The jeering around me grew louder

I must've lost my mind for a second there, almost believing that lunatic!

She couldn't seduce someone else's husband, so now she's playing victim? How did we never see what trash she really is?

Bet she slept her way into that team leader position too, huh?

By this point, their venom didn't touch me anymore.

Other people's knives were nothing compared to the blade that had grown from my own flesh and blood, twisting where it hurt most.

Iris walked toward me with a thin smile curling her lips, and without warning, her palm cracked across my face.

The taste of rust spread through my mouth.

Murray took one step toward me, then stopped dead. Karl's eyes flicked to my face, his pupils contracting, and he jerked his head away.

That's to teach you a lesson. So you remember what you're allowed to touch and what you're not. Iris looked down at me, eyebrows raised, savoring every second.

Oh, and you're fired. Misconduct and insubordination. Get out.

I didn't even have the strength left to be angry.

I moved like a puppet on strings, packing my things with a blank face.

I clutched the box to my chest and walked toward the door, hollow, barely there.

On my way out, I collided with a solid chest. Everything in the box spilled across the floor. I murmured an apology.

I bent down to pick up the scattered belongings, but before my fingers touched anything, someone caught my wrist.

A voice, tight with concern, came from above me

Sis?

Eva?!

I looked up and met a pair of phoenix eyes identical to my own. Every ounce of pain I'd been holding back found its way out at once, and my voice broke

Frank Cox

He patted my back gently, soothing me, then narrowed his eyes at Murray, who stood frozen across the roomManager Hughes. What happened here?

Explain.