Heartbreaker

Chapter 1

How can I even begin to explain my life? I’ve broken so many hearts, and according to what I’m always told, every single person I hurt deserved it.

You see, my job is to break the hearts of the men my brother picks out for me. If I refuse to do it, I lose my home and any means of supporting myself. I never develop any real feelings for these men—it feels like just another task. I know deep down that what I’m doing is wrong, but I’ve always had what you could call a gift… or maybe it’s actually a curse. Men just seem to fall in love with me easily. Once my brother realised this, he knew exactly how he could use me to get revenge on everyone who had ever wronged him.

“Kitty!” my brother calls out.

“Yes, Dil?” I reply.

“Are you ready? I thought we were heading out tonight,” he says.

“I’m ready,” I answer as I walk down the stairs.

I know the rules by heart—I’m not allowed to fall for anyone myself, and I’m definitely not permitted to have a boyfriend. I live by these rules every single day. I tell myself that I’m only hurting bad people—that makes it okay, doesn't it?

“Right then, let’s go,” he says.

We leave the house and head into town. When we arrive at the nightclub, we’re shown straight through to the VIP area. For a while, I lose myself in the music and the dancing, feeling free from everything. But deep down, I know I can’t keep doing this forever. Even so, I feel like I owe Dil everything—he raised me after our parents walked out and abandoned us. If he hadn't worked all those part-time jobs to support us, we probably wouldn't even be alive today.

From across the room, I see Dil arguing with another man, but I keep dancing and try not to pay attention.

A few minutes later, he comes back over to me. “Kitty, I’ve got a new job for you.”

“Who’s the target?” I ask.

“Him,” he says, pointing towards the same young man he was arguing with earlier. “You know what you need to do, right?”

“You want me to start right now?” I ask.

“Yes. And you’ve only got a couple of weeks,” he says.

“That’s hardly enough time,” I protest.

“Trust me—it’s more than enough,” he insists, turning to look at me seriously. “Just do what you do best and get close to this soldier boy.”

“Okay… I’ll do it,” I say.

I turn to leave, then pause and ask, “Is there anything I should know about him first?”

“Just remember—don’t get attached. It makes things messy,” he warns.

“I never do,” I reply automatically.

I walk down from the VIP platform and make my way through the crowd. I position myself so that I know he’ll see me. As his eyes meet mine, I give him a soft smile and bite my lip playfully before turning and walking towards the bar.