I was bullied by my brother’s girlfriend
Chapter 1
My brother, Tony, was the ultimate protector.
When I was ten, some goons tried to snatch him. I ended up in their car instead. They got their ransom, but not before they’d carved up my face and broken both my legs.
Tony went ballistic. He took over the family business—Dad’s “organization,” if you catch my drift—and built it into something huge. I became his world, his untouchable treasure.
Someone laughed at my scars? Tony shoved his head into a trash bag full of rats, let them chew his face to a bloody mess. Some wiseguy badmouthed my limp? Tony ran a freakin’ steamroller over his legs, turned ’em to hamburger.
Tony was the boogeyman of the whole damn tri-state area, but he treated me like I was made of spun gold. He spent a fortune sending me overseas for reconstructive surgery, physical therapy, and a fancy college education.
Right before graduation, I got a wedding invitation from Tony. He was all excited, said I was gonna have a sister-in-law to spoil me rotten. He even sent a picture of the lucky lady.
But the second I walked into the house, his fiancée, this ice queen named Brittany, busted in with a crew of muscleheads. She thought I was Tony’s kept woman from overseas and decided to teach me a lesson.
Tony showed up mid-beatdown. Brittany pointed at me, lying on the floor, and wailed: “Am I not good enough for you, Tony? Choose. Her or Me.”
Tony’s eyes went dark. “You got more lives than a cat?”
…
BANG!
The patio door shattered, and a bunch of bruisers barged in, looking like they were ready to start a war. I gasped, then recognized the woman leading them – Brittany, my soon-to-be sister-in-law from the photos Tony sent.
Before I could even say hello, she swung a freaking baseball bat straight into my face.
Pain exploded in my nose, and warm liquid trickled down. Blood. A sucker punch like that sent my head swimming.
“There you are, you little gold digger! Thought you could hide out in Europe forever? Didn’t think you’d ever come back to mooch off Tony’s money!” Brittany screamed. She raised the bat again, aiming for my head and body.
I scrambled back, shielding my head, tripping over the rug and landing on my butt.
“You’ve got it all wrong, I’m…”
She shoved the bat in my mouth, twisted it. Pain ripped through my gums and teeth, and the taste of blood filled my throat. I choked and spat out a mouthful of red.
“Wrong, my ass! Don’t think I don’t know you conned Tony into buying you this mansion! You think I am stupid?”
“You know I’m marrying Tony, and you come back trying to steal him from me.
She kicked me in the ribs, sending me sprawling. My head smacked against the edge of the coffee table, cracking it open.
I was furious and terrified. Gulping down the blood, I blurted out, “You really have the wrong idea! I’m Tony’s sister!”
“A sister, like a good little nun?” Brittany laughed sarcastically.
One of her goons leaned in and whispered. “I did hear the boss had a sister out of the country, but nobody’s ever seen her. Something about the accident…”
Brittany sneered at my face. “Sister, my ass! She doesn’t look anything like Tony!”
Just then, a woman walked in – Tony’s right-hand woman, Frankie!
She’s been with Tony forever. She’d recognize me!
“Frankie, help me! It’s me, Amy!”
Frankie did a double-take. “Who the hell is this? How does she know me?”
Frankie was hesitant, but before I could finish, Brittany smacked me hard across the mouth with the bat again. I clutched my bleeding mouth, unable to speak.
“Just a little tart who heard us talking. Trying to get a leg up.”
Frankie shook her head. “No, she said she was Amy. Only family calls her that. This doesn’t make sense.”
She hurried to me, grabbed my face, studying me hard.
“Doesn’t look like Tony’s sister.”
My heart sank. This was my new face, the one she hadn’t seen.
“Wait a minute! She got major surgery in Europe, didn’t she? Changed her whole face?”
Frankie finally put it together.
I nodded like a maniac, hoping desperately that she’d understand.
Yes, I’m his sister, Amy!
Brittany waved her hand. “A surgery? Every chick who wants a meal ticket has that! Don’t be gullible!”
Frankie held up a hand to stop her.
“Faces can be fake. IDs can be fake. Let’s find out who this really is.”
Two of Brittany’s thugs grabbed me, ready to search me. I struggled, and she slapped me.
“Hold still, you. Tie her up!”
They bound my hands. Since the accident, Tony never let anyone touch me, and he would have their hands hacked off if he saw this.
Frankie was still cautious. “Why beat her up this bad? What if she really is his sister?”
Brittany smiled weakly and offered her a cigarette.
“Relax. We are getting married. He will forgive me for being protective.”
Frankie nodded, taking the cigarette. “True.”
They grabbed my wallet.
Brittany snatched it open and laughed. “See? I knew it!
Frankie peered over her shoulder and said, “Jennifer Smith.”
Then she flipped to my college ID. “Jennifer Smith. Not Amy.”
My heart went ice-cold.
After the accident, Tony had my name and records changed, even moving the address of where I lived.
He hadn’t told anyone. I wasn’t a Smith, I was supposed to be Amy Costello, and I was his baby sister.
Frankie’s eyes hardened. “You try to con us? Get her.”
They threw me on the floor, fists flying. My phone fell out of my pocket.
When the screen lit up, Frankie saw my wallpaper.
Her face changed in an instant.
“Wait!”
It was a picture of Tony and me.
Frankie trembled as she picked it up. “This your phone?”
I nodded so hard I thought my head would fall off. Brittany rolled her eyes.
“It’s just a picture. She probably photoshopped it, trying to fool us!”
I tried to show Frankie my texts.
She unlocked my phone with my face, opening my texts with Tony.
“Her contact name for Tony is “Bro”!” Frankie exclaimed, shocked. Brittany grabbed my phone.
“Every tart calls the big guy ‘Bro’ to get in his wallet! Don’t believe her!”
She scrolled again, and her face turned red with rage.
“He bought you a mansion? He calls you Baby? He says he never wants to be apart from you?”
“Like I said, a good little whore, but she doesn’t know her place!”
Tony loved me. Since the attack, he never wanted me to go overseas again.
Ever since, no one touched me, but here I was being beaten by his fiance, unable to call for help.
My heart broke, and I sobbed, and Frankie frowned.
“She’s got the princess thing down.”
“Let’s double check, maybe? He’s nuts about his sister. If this is her, we are screwed!”
Brittany agreed. “Fine. I’ll call him.”
“If she is Tony’s sister, fine. But if she ain’t…” Her face went ugly.
“She’s gonna regret the day she was born!”
She ordered her goons to gag me and called Tony.
“Hey, babe. You said your sister was coming for the wedding? What day is she flying in?”
“I wanna get her a present, so I can welcome her.”
Tony answered, “She’s flying in tomorrow night.”
A chill ran down my spine.
I changed my flight to surprise Tony and I was here now.
Brittany glared at me. If she hung up, it was over!
I bit down on my gag as hard as I could. The goon yelped and let go.
“TONY, HELP ME!”
I screamed at the top of my lungs.
Brittany’s face went white. She kicked me, putting her heel on my mouth.
“That’s just the TV, my love. Amy comes tomorrow night.”
The phone went dead, and I felt hope fade.
Her heel ground into my mouth harder and harder.
“Bitch. Trying to screw me! I almost believed you!”
Her eyes met mine, filled with jealousy.
“He already decided to marry me, but he still bought you a house? I will make you hurt!”
She pulled back her leg.
“The boss always takes care of his women. Since he likes her, let’s let her live.”
“You’ll be his wife, and he’ll pay her money!”
Frankie agreed. “You can be the boss, and he will have some fun.”
I wanted to curse them. How could they think Tony and I would ever have something beyond a brother and sister?
I hated Brittany for thinking that. She was everything Tony always warned me about. Once I saw him, I would make him call off the wedding!
Brittany saw the rage in my eyes and exploded.
“You wanna mess with me? I will make you hurt!”
She grabbed a knife and slashed my face.
“No!”
I screamed in pain, but Brittany didn’t stop.
“When you’re ugly, Tony will only love me!”
Each cut was like being stabbed in the gut.
It took three years of surgery to make my face right again. And she was going to ruin it!
“You’re dead…”
I whispered, and Brittany laughed.
“Screw you bitch!”
She sliced my lips, and I felt them split open.
Brittany pulled back the knife. She stepped back, and I heard a voice.
“Boss, what are you doing here?”
It was Tony! Tony was here!
I struggled to get up, but my legs gave out.
Brittany kicked me in the knees with the iron bar, and my legs failed.
Frankie panicked, telling her to hide me.
“If he sees you, he’ll kill you!”
Brittany and the goons dragged me to the kitchen.
No sooner had they shut the sliding door than Tony walked in.
“I told you to get the house fixed up. Where is everything?”
“I just got here. The stuff’s in the car.”
Frankie rushed out to unload the car, and Tony looked around.
“Yeah, he likes the place.”
“Is this the kitchen?”
Tony asked the designer, and grabbed the door.
I saw his outline through the glass and tears burst out.
Tony, you have to save me!
He slowly opened the door.
His face changed when he saw Brittany and me.
