Jilted for My Brother I Married Her Shadow

I had spent a lifetime with Caroline Price. We made it all the way to our golden anniversary, with two grown children to show for it.

As she lay dying, our son asked her if she had any last wishes.

“When I’m gone,” she whispered, her voice a dry rasp, “bury me with your uncle. It’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted.”

The room fell silent. Every eye turned to me, filled with a pity that burned worse than grief.

I just nodded. “Do as she says.”

The world called me a joke. A man who’d given everything, only to lose his wife’s heart at the very end. But they didn’t know the truth. They didn’t know that if I had the chance to do it all again, I would never, ever marry Caroline Price.

When I opened my eyes, I was standing at the altar. It was our wedding day.

And just like I knew she would, Caroline had run. She’d left me there, a spectacle for the gossiping crowd.

But I didn’t feel humiliated. I felt… relief. A deep, shuddering wave of it.

My gaze drifted across the ballroom, landing on a girl in a crimson dress tucked away in a corner.

“Sloane Kensington,” I said, my voice carrying in the sudden hush. “I’m short a bride. Are you willing to step in?”

1

The words hung in the air, silencing the whispers.

Even the girl herself, who’d been nursing a drink, froze. She looked up, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“What… what did you just say?”

The corners of her eyes were tinged with red. When she looked at me, something fragile and hopeful flickered in their depths.

I smiled and walked toward her, my steps sure and steady in front of all our guests.

“I said I want to marry you. Will you have me?”

Sloane stared, her lips trembling with an emotion I couldn’t yet name.

Before she could answer, Caroline’s parents rushed to my side, her mother grabbing my arm.

“Ethan, dear boy, I know you’re hurt,” she pleaded. “That girl has made a fool of you today, but I’ve already sent people to drag her back.”

“She’s just being immature, throwing a tantrum.”

“Don’t you worry, as long as I’m here, you’re the only man she’s marrying. Don’t do this out of spite, Ethan. Don’t throw your life away on a whim.”

I gently pulled my arm free. “Mrs. Price, you can’t force these things. And the truth is, I don’t have to marry Caroline. You should let them be together.”

In my last life, I wasn't blind. I knew the great love of her life, her tragic hero, had always been my younger brother, Noah. But Noah had a reputation. He’d left a trail of broken hearts and terminated pregnancies in his wake, and a doctor had confirmed he could never have children of his own.

Caroline’s mother turned cold at the mention of his name. She would never consent to their union. But the merger of our two family companies had been arranged for years. And since Caroline and I had grown up together, and I’d harbored a pathetic childhood crush on her, the duty fell to me.

Everyone said our fifty years of marriage was a testament to enduring love. But only we knew the bitter truth of it. We had spent fifty-five of our sixty years together sleeping in separate rooms.

Caroline hated me.

The night our daughter’s fever spiked so high we almost lost her, she never even showed up at the hospital.

Every year, on our son’s birthday, she would spend the entire day at the cemetery.

She drank herself into oblivion most nights, crying out Noah’s name in her sleep.

In the beginning, I thought we could build something. That love could grow, that old wounds could fade. But year after year, we curdled into a bitter, resentful pair, and I realized some things can never be fixed.

Now, I have a second chance. And I’m choosing to let her go. To let myself go.

Seeing me take Sloane’s hand, Mrs. Price grew frantic.

“Ethan, I’ve always seen you as my son-in-law! You can’t just marry someone else!”

“I’ve never approved of Noah’s… manipulative act,” she spat. “Whatever stunt he pulled to get Caroline to run off today, I will not allow a man like that to marry my daughter.”

In my first life, it was on this very day—our wedding day—that Noah, upon hearing the news, had tried to kill himself by jumping into the ocean.

He left behind a note and a short video.

“Caroline, I’m supposed to call you my sister-in-law, but the words ‘I love you’ are caught in my throat. I envy my brother. He gets you without even trying, while I always seem to be a step behind. If there’s a next life, Caroline… let me be the one to marry you.”

Because her mother dismissed it as melodrama, forbidding her from leaving, the wedding went on. Noah really did jump. By the time they pulled his body from the water, he was cold and gone.

This time, Caroline couldn’t bear to watch him die. The moment she received his video, her eyes went red with panic, and she bolted without a second thought.

In my past life, that would have crushed me.

But after living two lifetimes, I just felt a profound sense of peace.

This time, I would choose the girl I wanted to marry.

“Sloane Kensington,” I said, my voice ringing with clarity. “If you want to marry me, then come up here. This wedding is for us now.”

Sloane’s lips curved into a smile, and her hand tightened around mine.

“Okay,” she said.

The room erupted.

Caroline’s bridesmaids huddled together, furiously texting.

“Caro, you might’ve actually overplayed your hand this time. Ethan is marrying someone else.”

“I thought he was obsessed with her? That he’d do anything to marry her. How could he just swap out the bride?”

“And of all people… he picked Sloane Kensington. The wild child.”

“Maybe he’s just trying to get back at Caroline for leaving him at the altar? Just grabbing the first woman he saw to save face?”

As Sloane and I walked toward the officiant, our fingers laced together, I could feel the heat of their stares.

Her hand trembled in mine, and she ducked her head slightly.

I knew what they were whispering. Sloane’s reputation was notorious. She was a fixture in the city’s most exclusive clubs, her name constantly linked in tabloid scandals with various actors and musicians. Her name was mud in our circle. No respectable family would have her. There were even vicious rumors that her chaotic lifestyle had led to her contracting HIV.

But I knew that wasn’t the real her.

“Ethan, is this an impulse?” she asked, her voice low as she pulled her hand away. Her beautiful eyes were shadowed with vulnerability. “If you need me to help you save face, I will. But… don’t ruin your life just to prove a point.”

A pang of tenderness went through me. Before I could respond, the grand doors to the hall were thrown open with a crash.

“Ethan, stop this nonsense!”

My father stormed in, his face a mask of fury.

“A wedding isn’t a game! You don’t just change the bride! Get over here, now!”

The remaining guests shot to their feet, some rushing to greet him, to placate him. But his eyes, cold and hard, were locked on me.

“What are you waiting for? Didn’t you hear me?”

Sloane nudged me gently. “You should go,” she whispered. “Don’t make a scene.”

But I didn’t move.

For my entire life, that look on his face had been enough to make me fold. He’d tell me to give my favorite toy to Noah, and I would. He’d tell me to give Noah the bedroom with the best light, and I’d pack my things without a word. When he told me to marry Caroline, I agreed without protest.

But not today. Today, for once, I wanted to be the rebel.

“Dad,” I said, my voice surprisingly calm. “I’m marrying Sloane.”

“I will always listen to you. But this one time, I need to choose the person I spend my life with.”

Crack.

The sound of his hand striking my face echoed through the silent hall.

“You ungrateful child,” he seethed. “If you dare to marry this girl today, then you are no longer my son!”

I looked up at him, a slow, tired smile spreading across my face.

“Fine. Then let’s cut ties.”

No one could believe it. Ethan Rhodes, the family’s famously obedient son, was talking back.

My father’s face went white with rage, his chest heaving. “For this… this degenerate? You’d disown your own father in front of everyone for her? I see I’ve been far too lenient with you!”

After my mother died and he married my stepmother, who gave him Noah, his fists became a regular part of my life.

He raised his hand again.

But this time, it never landed. A slender hand, all sharp angles and delicate bones, shot out and clamped around his wrist.

Sloane stepped in front of me, her face cold and resolute.

“You touch him again,” she said, her voice a low, dangerous growl. “I dare you.”

My eyes burned. No one, in my entire life, had ever stood up for me like that.

They all wondered why I would choose Sloane Kensington, the disgraced heiress.

Only I knew the truth.

In my last life, on the day I fell gravely ill, it was also the anniversary of Noah’s death. My wife and my father were both at the cemetery, tending to the memory of the person who mattered most to them. No one cared if I lived or died. The doctors issued a critical condition notice. My dozens of calls to them were met with impatient dismissals.

It was Sloane who, like a madwoman, pulled strings to get me medical resources from the next state over. It was Sloane who literally dragged me back from the brink of death.

Later, when Caroline’s business dealings made her an enemy, someone set fire to our family home. I was trapped, my leg pinned by a burning cabinet, clutching my two crying children, screaming for Caroline to help us. But she ignored me. She ran straight to the study to save a photograph of Noah.

And once again, it was Sloane who came.

She charged into the inferno without a second’s hesitation, carrying my children out one by one. As the main beam of the house groaned, ready to collapse, I screamed at her.

“Sloane, get out of there!”

She was too late.

As the flames swallowed her, the last thing I saw was her smile—a smile that told me not to worry.

From that day on, I had my own ghost, my own lost cause. The one who had died for me. Only after she was gone did I learn the true depth of her hidden love.

So this time, I would protect her. I would choose her, and only her, without a moment’s hesitation.

My father’s eyes were practically shooting sparks. “Ethan, I’m asking you one last time. You’re choosing this woman?”

“Yes,” I said, my voice firm.

He let out a cold, bitter laugh. “Fine. You have guts. I hope you don’t live to regret it.”

He turned and left. Many of the guests who were there to curry his favor followed him out.

Mrs. Price sneered. “This marriage is clearly not meant to be, Ethan. But if you change your mind and still want my Caroline, my offer stands.”

I ignored them all. I took Sloane’s hand and led her up to the stage.

“We can begin,” I told the officiant.

Most of the guests allied with the Rhodes and Price families were gone. Only a handful of friends remained scattered in the vast hall. But I was smiling, truly smiling, as Sloane and I completed the ceremony.

“From this day forward, I’m your husband.”

“Sloane,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. “For better or for worse, in sickness and in health. We’re a team.”

She smiled and pulled me into an embrace, her gaze deep and serious. With a weight that felt like a lifetime of waiting, she whispered one word.

“Okay.”

After the wedding, Sloane had me move into one of her properties, a beautiful house on the waterfront. To make it official, though, I had to go back to my father’s house to get my ID.

I was just outside the gate when a red sports car came screeching around the corner, heading straight for me. Before I could react, Caroline lunged, grabbing my arm and shoving me hard to the pavement.

“Are you blind?” she snapped, a contemptuous smirk on her face.

“I thought you were done with the Rhodes family. What are you doing back here?”

“I’m getting my ID so I can get my marriage license,” I said flatly.

Her smirk vanished. Her face froze in disbelief. “What did you say? So the rumors are true? You’re actually marrying that train wreck?”

Before I could answer, Noah, clad in a flashy red suit, hopped out of the driver’s seat.

“Whoa, dude, my bad! Didn’t see you there, Ethan. Almost hit you,” he said, his tone oozing fake sincerity. “It’s my fault. Dad just got me this new car, and I got a little carried away. You’re not mad, are you?”

The pride in his voice was sickening. I glanced at the gleaming new Porsche, then looked down and chuckled. “Not at all.”

After all, I’d spent years living in that house like a guest. I was used to my father and stepmother doting on Noah. When I needed a simple, practical car for my internship, my father refused. But whenever Noah so much as hinted at wanting something, new sports cars appeared in the driveway like magic.

It was then I truly understood the old saying: when a stepmother moves in, your real dad becomes a stepfather, too.

“I’m just here to grab something,” I said, turning to leave. I’d only taken a few steps when a bucket of cold water cascaded down over my head.

Caroline burst out laughing.

Noah covered his mouth, feigning innocence. “Oops, sorry, bro. Everyone’s saying you’re marrying that wild child, Sloane. You know she’s got that… reputation. Probably carrying all sorts of viruses. Can’t have you bringing that into our house. Just helping you disinfect.”

I saw the challenge in his eyes and stared back at him, my own gaze turning to ice.

He seemed to enjoy it, stepping closer. “Seriously, man, I don’t get what you’re thinking. Caroline chose me, loud and clear. Even if she ditched you at the altar, you didn’t have to pick some random girl just to save face. You have no idea how messed up Sloane’s life is.”

He leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “When you’re in bed with her, won’t it make you sick thinking about all the other guys who’ve been there before you?”

A cold smile touched my lips. “You should worry about your own woman.”

Sloane had intentionally cultivated her wild reputation to keep men at a distance. She had a bad name, but she’d never been with anyone else.

Caroline, on the other hand…

In our last life, we were married for sixty years. But after our children were born, we lived separate lives. She could never get over Noah, her perfect, lost love. She would constantly bring home young men who bore a passing resemblance to him, parading their affairs in front of me.

In my eyes, no one was dirtier than Caroline.

A wicked idea sparked in my mind. I leaned closer to Noah.

“Little brother,” I whispered, “the women you’re with are just my leftovers. Don’t believe me? She has a small, red birthmark on the inside of her right thigh. I’ve seen it countless times. You’re treasuring something I got tired of. Doesn’t that make you sick?”

With that, I turned and walked away.

Behind me, Noah’s face went pale. He and Caroline immediately started fighting.

“Caroline, were you lying to me? How does my brother know about the birthmark on your thigh?”

“Did you sleep with him behind my back?”

Caroline, flustered and defensive, tried to explain. “No! That was—that was in our last life… I know that sounds crazy. Noah, believe me, I never touched him…”

As their argument escalated, I couldn't help but laugh. That’s what you get for talking trash about Sloane. Serves you right.

Luckily, my father wasn’t home. I grabbed my ID and hurried out. On my way, I couldn’t resist grabbing a bucket of water from the garden hose and dousing Noah with it.

Seeing him soaked and sputtering, I grinned. “There, little brother. Now we’re even.”

“Get back here!” Caroline yelled, her face livid. For the first time, she left Noah’s side to chase after me.

“Ethan, have you really thought this through?” she demanded. “Don’t think this little game of playing hard-to-get is going to make me want you again. I’ve made my choice. The only man I want in this life is Noah. No one can replace him.”

I just smiled and turned back to her. “Then I wish you two a happy marriage. Now go back to your fiancé and leave me alone.”

Her expression soured. “Ethan, I told you to stop with the games. Noah is pure and kind. He’s not manipulative like you. I’m warning you, don’t you dare hurt him. We may have been married for decades in another life, but you know I never loved you, so I suggest—”

“I get it,” I cut her off, waving a dismissive hand. “If it makes you feel better, Sloane and I are planning to leave Boston. You’ll never have to see us again.”

A heavy silence fell behind me. I didn’t care to engage any longer. My mind was already filled with the image of getting my marriage license with Sloane, and my steps felt lighter.

As I reached the street, a car horn beeped twice. The window rolled down. It was Sloane.

“Get in, husband.”

I slid into the passenger seat with a smile. “What are you doing here? I thought you were still tied up at the office.”

Sloane was taking a two-month leave of absence for our honeymoon. It was her company, but she still insisted on following procedure.

“Had to make sure we get to the courthouse. Can’t risk someone else snatching my husband away if I wait too long,” she said, her eyes glancing lazily out the window.

I followed her gaze. Caroline was standing at the gate, her fists clenched, her expression a mixture of anger and confusion.

I leaned over, right in her line of sight, and pressed a firm kiss to Sloane’s lips.

“Let’s go, wife.”

A blush crept up Sloane’s neck. She nodded, smiling, so flustered she forgot to release the parking brake as she hit the gas.

We left Caroline’s shrinking figure far behind.

I was scrolling idly through my phone when a news alert popped up.

“Rhodes Corporation CEO Formally Disowns Eldest Son, Ethan Rhodes.”

I glanced at it and set the phone down without a word.

“Sloane,” I said, turning to her. “I’m not a Rhodes anymore. Do you still want me? Do you feel like I’m not good enough for you now?”

She blinked, then reached over and ruffled my hair. “Don’t be stupid.”

She said we could build a different kind of life. We could work odd jobs, travel the world. She said she would never let me suffer.

I watched her face, a quiet warmth spreading through my chest.

She had ruined her own reputation just to shield herself from unwanted advances. People whispered that she was diseased. But I knew the truth. She’d never been in a real relationship, had never been with another man.

It was always her who saved me. I used to think I was just lucky.

But after Sloane died in my past life, her mother told me through her tears, “Ethan, my daughter has loved you since you were kids. She decided she would never marry because of you. Have you ever stopped to think… there’s no such thing as that much luck in the world? When your path feels easy, it’s because someone else is carrying the weight for you.”

Sloane, I promised myself silently, this time, I will love you right.

Married life was quiet and happy. Every day, Sloane came home from work with a small strawberry tart, my favorite. Worried I’d get bored at home, she would whisk me away on weekend road trips.

But one night, about two weeks later, I was getting ready for bed when I realized it was nearly 11 PM and she wasn't home.

Then, a video popped up on my social media feed.

“Sloane Kensington, Notorious Heiress, Caught in Hotel Raid? Police on Scene for Suspected Prostitution Ring.”

A cold dread washed over me. I scrolled through the comments. They were a torrent of judgment and hate.

“Guess we’ll never understand the rich. Didn’t she just marry the Rhodes heir? Their wedding was all over the news, and she’s already back to her old ways.”

“A leopard can’t change its spots. Guess having a handsome husband at home isn’t enough when you can have a stranger in a hotel.”

One username looked familiar. Someone with the screen name “Caro” had tagged me directly.

“@EthanRhodes Take a good look at the woman you chose. Bet you don't even have a shoulder to cry on now.”

I didn’t hesitate. I threw on my clothes and called a car to the hotel address.

Everyone was saying my wife was cheating. The hotel was surrounded by police cars, the flashing lights painting the scene in grim strokes of red and blue. I pushed my way through the gawking crowd and found her. Sloane was in the hotel room, dressed in a silk pajama set.

And there was a man-shaped lump under the covers of the bed.

Caroline was there, too.

“What are you doing here?” I asked her.

“Just passing by,” she said, crossing her arms, a smug look on her face. “Regretting your choice not to marry me now, Ethan?”

“Your taste in women is truly awful.”

“You’ve been married what, two weeks? And she’s already cheating on you. You’re going to be wearing those horns for the rest of your life.”

“I’m actually dying to know,” she continued, her eyes glinting with malice as she stared at the lump in the bed, “what kind of man is worth Sloane Kensington risking it all for in the middle of the night?”

A muffled groan came from under the blankets. It was definitely a man.

My face went pale. I ignored Caroline and went straight to Sloane.

“Tell me what’s going on,” I said, taking her hand.

Sloane’s fingers laced with mine. “Ethan, do you trust me?”

I nodded without a single flicker of doubt.

A wave of relief washed over her face.

Then, she pulled back the covers.

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