I Was the Rebound Husband - Chapter 2: Chapter 2

I was heading toward the river when someone yanked my arm from behind.
Startled, I spun around to see my sister, Bella, gripping my wrist. In her other hand was a cake with "DH" scrawled across it—probably some twisted celebration for Dylan's grand return after faking his death.
Bella's eyes burned with pure venom. "What the hell are you doing here, Ryan? Trying to stop me from giving this to Dylan? We're done. You mean nothing to me."
If there was anyone in this world who despised me more than Luna, it was her.
Bella hadn't always been like this. We lost our parents young, and I raised her alone, naming her Bella—hoping she'd grow up beautiful and unshackled.
She dreamed of music, so I dropped out of school and worked three jobs to get her into the best programs.
When our house caught fire once, she sprinted barefoot into the flames, sobbing that she couldn't live without me.
We were each other's lifeline. Until Dylan came along.
One time, he casually mentioned craving something homemade, and Bella—despite knowing I was sick—dragged me into the kitchen to cook him a feast.
Dylan didn't touch a single bite. When I asked why, Bella exploded, calling my food garbage and accusing me of sabotaging her happiness. Then she tossed every last dish I'd slaved over into the trash.
Later, Dylan and Luna framed me, staging his death by jumping into the ocean.
Bella cut me off completely. She watched, ice-cold, as my life crumbled—even shoved me deeper into the abyss.
Remembering all this, I didn't bother answering. I just wrenched my wrist free.
Luna smirked. "Dylan's back. I left your brother broke and broken. He can't handle it, so now he's pulling this pathetic suicide act."
Bella scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain. "Ryan's too much of a coward to go through with it. This is just another one of his attention grabs."
"Exactly," Luna laughed. "He's tried this twice already."
Bella glared at me like I was something rotten. "Ryan, the world wouldn't blink if you died. Move. I'm going to see Dylan."
I dropped my gaze. "Fine. I'll go." The next second, I plunged into the churning river.
Bella's face went white.
The current dragged me under instantly, sweeping me downstream. I wasn't scared. For the first time in forever, I felt peace. Maybe this time, it'd finally be over.
But then—splash. Bella hauled me out, dumping me onto the bank like a drowned rat.
She was soaked, kicking me in fury. "You selfish bastard! Trying to make me look like I drove you to this? Huh?"
I coughed up river water, lungs burning. "Since when do you know how to swim?"
She kicked me again, sneering. "After Dylan jumped. Bet you're pissed your little stunt failed."
A bitter laugh tore out of me. Love really was something else.
I'd tried for years to teach her. But Dylan always interrupted, saying, "Bella doesn't need to learn. I'll always save her."
She'd sneered at me then too: "This is why you'll never measure up to him. You just force me into things. You're no brother of mine."
Later, when she nearly drowned, Dylan stood there doing nothing while I dove in after her. But she gave him the credit anyway, calling me a monster for "letting it happen."
And now? She'd learned to swim—for him.
I spat out mud. "Whether I live or die isn't your business. You're a stranger to me."
Bella's hand cracked across my face. "If I hadn't sworn off you, I wouldn't have saved you. I'd save a stray dog before you."
I laughed, raw and hollow. "How touching. You know Dylan's marrying Luna, right?"
The cake slipped from Bella's grip, splattering at her feet. She whirled on Luna. "What? Marrying her?"
Before I could say more, Violet Wood came sprinting up, frantic. "Dylan's gone!"
Luna's glare locked onto me. "Ryan. Where the hell did you hide him?"