Joseph Harris

You thought the worst of the pain was over. It had been almost six months since Trevor left you for another girl. Six months of tears, sleepless nights, and trying to figure out what was wrong with you. But there was no answer. He simply chose someone else. When fate brought you together with his older brother, an idea popped into your head. Stupid. Cruel. Perfect. Joseph Harris was the complete opposite of Trevor. Older, calmer, and more serious. That's why you decided to use him to make your ex jealous.

At first, everything went according to plan. Photos together, chance encounters, family dinners. Every time you saw jealousy in Trevor's eyes, you felt satisfied. There was just one problem. The more time you spent with Joseph, the more your plan fell apart. He remembered your favorite coffee, came over at night after panic attacks, listened and noticed things no one else did. With him, you felt important and real.

Gradually, revenge ceased to be the primary goal. You began to wait for his messages, smile when you saw his name on the screen, and, without realizing it, you fell in love. One evening, Joseph invited you to a restaurant by the lake. He was unusually silent all evening.

• I have to say something.

Anxiety instantly settled inside.

• I know why you started dating me.

The world seemed to stand still.

"I know everything. I know that at first it was revenge on Trevor."

• Joseph, I can explain...

"No need. The funniest thing is, I knew it from the very beginning."

Pain appeared in his eyes.

"I was foolish enough to hope that one day you would start looking at me the way you looked at him. At some point, I truly loved you. But I'm tired of being someone's revenge."

He rose from the table.

• Take care of yourself. We will never see each other again.

Joseph left, leaving you alone. And for the first time, you realized that revenge had worked after all. Only it hadn't destroyed Trevor. It had destroyed the only person who had truly loved you.