Resent, Reject, Regret

Chapter 44 What a Pair of Star-Crossed Lovers! Brendan turned back to Sterling. “I’ve got some unfinished business with this
*sshole over here,” he snarled. “I’m itching to see if I can beat a man’s lust for another man’s woman out of him!” Deirdre’s heart
missed a beat. Panic possessed her, and she immediately clawed at Brendan’s arm. “No, what are you planning to do,
Brendan?! This is between the two of us! You can shout and throw punches, but please... don’t drag an outsider into this!”
Her instinct to defend Sterling made Brendan’s eyes grow colder. “An outsider?” he parroted mockingly, smirking. “I don’t think
any woman would happily elope with an outsider, do you? And now he’s suddenly just some random what’s-his-name to you? Oh
my God, Deirdre McKinnon, aren’t you a callous b*tch! You could murder Sterling with heartache alone, my dear.”
Deirdre’s eyes watered again. Her-heartless? Who was the heartless one among them? What had happened to the man who
had appeared at that charity event all those years ago? The man with the kindest smile ever?
Had she hallucinated that? Or had she fallen in love with an impostor?
How could he feel absolutely nothing for her-not even a smidge of compassion-despite what they had shared throughout those
two years? “I was wrong, okay? I was wrong, Brendan! I won’t ever see him or talk to him again! I just want you to let him go!”
she shrieked before falling to the floor, groveling in tears, her dowdy appearance long forgotten. Sterling’s eyes were red with
tears. He would have dived for her if it were not for the muscular bodyguards in his way. “Don’t do this, Dee!” he cried. “Don’t
debase yourself like this before this Devil’s spawn! He’s below
you!”
Brendan watched the histrionics unfold with cool, uncaring eyes. God, these two almost deserved a standing ovation! “Ngawww,
would you look at these star-crossed lovers! I have got to be the villain for trying to separate Romeo and Juliet like this!”
His response sent chills down Deirdre’s spine. She knew he was broiling now-she could hear his teeth grinding against each
other as he spoke.
“Brendan! Brendan, please!” she tried again, begging.
“When the f*ck are you two going to get her into the car?! Or am I supposed to do this myself?”
“No! Don’t – Brendan! Don’t hurt him! It’s against the law! Don’t hurt him!” Deirdre shrieked whatever came
into her mind as she struggled to no avail. Her strength was laughable compared to that of a professional bodyguard. To
Brendan’s men, she was almost insultingly easy to manhandle.

They opened the door to the car and tossed her inside as easily as one chucked garbage.
Deirdre was locked inside the car. She could not hear anything from a distance, so she punched the window, screaming,
“Please, let me out! I’m begging you! You know battery is illegal, don’t you? Your inaction will make all of you complicit in the
eyes of the law! Let me out!”
The bodyguards stared at her as though they were looking at an inmate in a mental asylum. Complicit? So what if they were
complicit? Not a soul in the entire city could remotely shake Brendan. He was untouchable!
And this hideous thing-Christ, talk about low self awareness. She had actually managed to charm Brendan with that sorry face of
hers and she somehow still thought she was hot enough to have a tryst with another guy... in broad daylight!
“Enough already, princess. We ain’t letting you out no matter how many times you beg us to,” one of them finally said. “Honestly,
aren’t you the one who’s at fault here? If that poor bastard dies, it’s on you. You should at least have the sense to obey Mr.
Brighthall, right? But no! B*tch gotta scratch that itch, and now she dragged that
guy into this and she’s crying as though she has no idea why this is happening!” “Hey, I wouldn’t be talking sh*t about Mr.
Brighthall’s babydoll if I were you. All it would take is a suggestion from her while she’s sliding up and down his crotch and you’d
be a goner!”
“Really? This b*tch?” The first bodyguard snorted. “If you ask me, it’s f*cking voodoo. She probably used some love potion to
make him fall in love with her, but the way I see it, she’s just a glorified sex doll. He won’t ever tell anyone he knows her, man, let
alone care if she’s dead.” Even as the bodyguards chatted between themselves, they bashed and mocked Deirdre, sending
chills down her spine.
She felt colder than someone left in a river in the bitter winter.