I Ditched My Toxic Fiancé and Married His Hot Brother

Dean Shepard and I were childhood sweethearts, bound by an engagement arranged when we were kids.

I loved him for ten years. The moment we became adults, the first thing he did was come to me and ask to break off the engagement.

The very next day, Dean left the country to study abroad, chasing after his first love.

Feeling guilty, the Shepard family found me a new fiancé.

That was when Dean suddenly dropped to his knees in front of me, crying as he begged me to marry him.

I smiled. “My new husband is so much better than you.”

…

The Ellison and Shepard families agreed on a childhood betrothal many years ago.

The bride and groom were supposed to be Dean and me.

From as far back as I can remember, I knew I would marry Dean one day.

From the moment I became aware of anything, I was always running after him.

We were childhood sweethearts, innocent and inseparable, growing up together through kindergarten, elementary school, and high school.

I watched Dean grow from an adorably perfect little boy into a strikingly handsome man. My heart felt sweet as honey—someone this outstanding would one day be my husband.

I was desperately in love with Dean. He’d grown used to my presence, and he accepted the engagement arranged by our families.

If nothing had gone wrong, we would have gotten married right after college graduation.

But something did go wrong.

Once we entered college and ended up at different schools, Dean changed.

He started treating me hot and cold.

When he felt warm, I was his girlfriend. When he felt cold, I was just the little cousin from a family friend’s house.

Later, I wasn’t even that.

No one at his school knew I was Dean’s fiancée. They all said I was his simp, his doormat.

A dog who came when called and was kicked away when not needed.

Then Dean went even further. He handed me a love letter he’d written to someone else and asked me to pass it on to the campus belle at my school, Fiona Drake.

I refused.

“Dean, what the hell do you mean by this?”

“Paige Ellison,” he said, “don’t you think this is getting ridiculous? I don’t want to get married without ever having been in a real relationship.”

I was furious. “Then date me!”

“You won’t do. There’s nothing new about you. You can go find someone to date yourself if you want—I don’t mind.”

“You bastard!” I threw his love letter away in anger and ran.

Dean picked the letter back up without a care and went straight to confess to Fiona himself.

Predictably, Fiona accepted.

They became a couple, just like that.

I cried the whole night. When I woke up the next morning, the entire world already knew they were together—everyone but me, the last one to find out.

But I truly loved Dean. I had been by his side for so many years the love had sunk into my bones.

I believed I was the one most suited for him.

I went back to him again and begged him to break up with Fiona.

It was the first time in my life I’d ever humbled myself like that for someone.

Dean promised me, “Paige Ellison, just let me date her properly once. I’ll definitely break up with her later. In the end, I’ll still marry you.”

I shook my head, refusing, and asked him, “Dean, do you not love me?”

“Paige, just one month, okay?” he replied.

In the end, my heart softened and I nodded.

It was the first time I compromised in love.

The pain in my chest made it hard to breathe.

I told myself to endure for just one month. If he still didn’t break up with her, I would walk away and bless them instead.

But I forgot—love is something you cannot compromise on.

Give in once, and you’ll give in again and again, until you lose everything.

From that day on, the person I followed went from one to two.

Fiona didn’t like having a third wheel on their dates. She told Dean she wasn’t happy about it.

Dean answered with a meaningful smile, “With her around, our dates go even more smoothly. Just wait and see.”

And so I became their third wheel.

A shameless, literal simp.

With no pride at all.

When they went on dates, I bought their movie tickets, made their restaurant reservations, planned their trips.

I even became Dean’s cover.

Any time he needed to explain a date that involved going out, he would tell his family he was going out with me.

I would tell my family I was going out with Dean.

My love for him grew more and more pathetic.

Our parents thought the two of us were on the verge of getting married and nodded in satisfaction.

They had no idea that Dean was actually dating Fiona—

And I was just dating my own delusion.