Page 76 of Falling For You

The betrayal cut deep, sharper than anything I had felt in my life.

I thought Owen cared about me. I thought what we had was real and the beginning of something meaningful.

But now, it felt like it had all been a distraction.

A way to keep me from seeing the truth.

My brother Liam leaned against the counter, his arms crossed in a stance of disbelief and anger. “I can’t believe this. I mean, I knew Owen was in business, but I didn’t think he’d pull something like this. He had sent us drinks at the Hungry Buck for crying out loud. It was probably just to distract us. You don’t do that around here.” His head shook in a mixture of disbelief and anger, and I couldn’t do anything but agree.

Everything Owen had done since arriving felt suspect.

“And offering Vern that much more? Behind our backs? It’s low, Violet. Really low,” Beck added.

My younger brother paced back and forth across the kitchen, his jaw clenched tight. He had always been the hotheaded one of us, but his anger was barely contained. “He knew what that land meant to us. He knew our parents were supposed to get first dibs. And Vern—damn him! He promised us he’d let us buy it when the time came. But of course, someone waves enough money in his face, and suddenly, loyalty doesn’t mean anything.”

My heart twisted at Beck’s words. I didn’t want to think the worst of Vern, but the truth was right there. He had made his choice.

And it wasn’t us.

My parents sat quietly at the other end of the table. Their expressions were etched with heartbreak. My mom’s hands were folded tightly in her lap, and my dad’s gaze was fixed on the floor, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

Honey Leaf had been our family’s pride and joy for decades. Losing the land next door meant more than just a financial hit—it was a blow to everything we had worked for. Everything that we were trying to preserve hinged on expansion.

Or, at the very least, staying in business.

Our dad finally spoke, his voice heavy. “I’m not saying Vern was right. I’m not. But when someone offers you twenty percent over what you think the land is worth, it’s hard to turn that down. I know we couldn’t have offered him that kind of money. No bank would go for it. And Vern… he’s been struggling for a while now. I can see why he’d take the deal.”

“I get that,” I said, my voice tight. “But it doesn’t make it any easier. He didn’t even tell us he was considering selling. We’ve been his neighbors for years, and this is how he does us? And Owen… Owen just let it happen. He knew the whole time and didn’t say a word.”

“I’ll tell you what I want to do,” Beck growled, slamming his fist into his palm. “I want to meet this Owen face-to-face and give him a piece of my mind. And maybe a little more.”

Liam shot him a warning look. “Beck, let’s not get stupid. Violence isn’t going to fix this.”

“A good knuckle sandwich might make me feel better,” Beck muttered, but he sank into a chair anyway. He glared at the wall as if it had personally offended him, and I knew he didn’t really mean it. He was a soft teddy bear.

I sighed, rubbing my temples.

Beck’s rage wasn’t helping, but I understood how he felt. Part of me wanted to scream, smash something, and lash out at Owen for betraying me and my family. But another part of me only felt exhausted.

Betrayal was not just a feeling. It was an exhausting, draining experience that weighed heavily on us all.

Fifi sat quietly beside me. Her eyes narrowed as she processed everything. She had always been the most levelheaded one, the calm one. But right now, her face was a storm of fury. “I want to clobber him,” she finally said, her voice tight. “How could he do this, Violet? He was with you. He’s been with us. And this whole time, he was just waiting for the deal to close?”

“I don’t know,” I whispered, tears stinging the corners of my eyes. “I don’t know how he could do it. But he did.”

“Owen needs to answer for this,” Fifi said firmly. “He can’t just walk away from something like this, especially after everything he’s done to you.”

Mom reached over and placed a hand on mine. “I’m sorry, honey. I know how much you liked him.”

My heart clenched, and I fought back the tears.

I had liked him.

No, I had more than liked him. I had let myself fall for him, and now I was paying the price.

The usual story of my dating life.

One big fiasco after another, but this time, it affected my family.

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