My Cousin Seduces My Girlfriend

When I brought my girlfriend, Ivy Rossum, home to meet my family, my cousin, Kevin Lonsdale, snuck into her room, took off his clothes, and got into her bed. When we found him, he clutched the sheets and said in a shaking voice, “Paul, I didn’t do this on purpose. I thought I was going to my room.” It was the same excuse he had used before. Eight years ago, when I brought my first girlfriend home, he had done the exact same thing and used the same excuse. I finally called him out on it. “Everyone occasionally ends up at the wrong door, but how did you get in with the wrong keycard?” Kevin’s face went white, his tears suddenly halting. Dad defended him and scolded me. “Kevin has always been absent-minded, you know this! Look at him now. He’s had a shock. How could you humiliate him when he’s already in such a state?” I felt suffocated. I held strong and did my best not to tremble. I looked at the woman I had loved and kept secret from my family for six years and asked, “Ivy, how would you like to deal with this?” Chapter 1 I had kept my relationship with my girlfriend a secret from my family for six years. It was not that she was not a wonderful woman and I was ashamed of showing her off. Rather, it was because Ivy Rossum was simply too beautiful. She was the president of a listed company, too. More importantly, she only had eyes for me. The problem was with my younger cousin, Kevin Lonsdale. His parents had died in a car accident when he was thirteen. Since he was Kevin’s uncle, Dad brought Kevin into our family and raised him like his own son. From that day onward, I became like an outsider in my own family. The day after he stood at the door of my bedroom and said I had a beautiful room, I was forced to move into a storage closet instead. When I got first place in a national physics Olympiad, Kevin had cried in Dad’s arms and said, “I’m naturally dull and can’t make you proud.” With that, Dad locked my trophy up in a drawer and ordered me to never bring up winning anything again. When my SAT scores came back near perfect with a solid chance at an Ivy League school, Dad secretly stole my application and put one in for the community college Kevin applied to. “Kevin’s very absent-minded, and I don’t feel comfortable with him all alone over there. It’s better for you to look out for him when you’re in the same college. “Don’t blame Uncle Grant, Paul. You can reapply to an Ivy League next year. I can take care of myself.” Dad patted his head and said, “Look how sensible Kevin is. You should take a page from his book, Paul.” I waited a year to reapply, but it was very difficult to explain my gap year. In the end, I barely managed to scrape through. I worked three jobs to pay for my four-year college tuition. Meanwhile, Kevin was always dressed in branded clothes while he spent Dad’s money. The entire time, he always claimed I was cold and distant with my family and did not like going home. After getting into my first relationship after graduation, I brought my girlfriend home to meet my parents. That very night, Kevin claimed to have gone into the wrong room and insisted he had somehow slept with my girlfriend. Dad had actually asked me to let Kevin date her instead. “You’re well-educated, so it wouldn’t be difficult for you to find a partner. On the other hand, how is Kevin supposed to find a wife after this?” My first girlfriend’s face went pale and insisted that nothing happened. She said that Kevin had taken off his clothes and climbed into her bed. She could not handle the way Dad and Kevin were making a fuss over the issue, and she was afraid such things would keep happening if we did ever get married. In the end, she broke up with me. When I moved to Corston, I had been severely depressed. I rarely went home other than for special occasions. I met Ivy in Corston. She was the rainbow after the storm of my life. However, I knew Kevin too well by then. He wanted whatever I had. If he could not have it, he would ruin it. That was why I had kept her a secret for six years. I thought that I had done a good job keeping things quiet. One day, Kevin came to Corston without any warning. He was waiting at the building where I had a rented apartment and coincidentally saw Ivy sending me home. The moment he saw Ivy, he started to stare. His gaze was stuck on her like glue. Chapter 2 I instinctively let go of Ivy’s hand. As long as I denied our relationship, Kevin would not be interested in Ivy. “Who’s this, Paul?” Kevin came over with a smile. His gaze swept over Ivy’s wrist and handbag, and his eyes lit up even brighter. Ivy graciously put out her hand. She started, “Hello, I’m Paul’s—” “She’s my colleague, Ivy Rossum,” I interrupted. Ivy’s hand froze in midair as she reached it out. Her gaze darkened. “Oh, a colleague!” Kevin gripped Ivy’s hand and ran his fingertip over her palm. His smile was overly sweet. “Hello, Ivy, I’m Kevin Lonsdale, Paul’s cousin.” When I arrived at work the next day, I was immediately called to Ivy’s office. When the door had barely clicked shut, Ivy pressed me against the wall. Her voice was low as she asked, “Why did you deny our relationship?” I avoided her gaze, not knowing how to explain. It was not like I could say that Kevin liked my things so much that I was afraid he would want to steal her too. When I did not answer for a long time, her gaze darkened further. Her voice held an almost imperceptible tremor as she said, “Tell me honestly, am I your mistress?” My head shot up as I looked at her disbelievingly. I could not wrap my head around the idea that she would consider such a thing. Just as I started to explain myself, my phone buzzed. Kevin had texted me. [I made you lunch, Paul. Send me your office’s address, and I’ll bring it over.] I knew what he was up to. He had an ulterior motive for sure. [No need, our company has a cafeteria.] [Are you afraid I’ll embarrass you?] I paused for a bit before replying straightforwardly: Yes. The screen showed that he was typing for a long time, but nothing got sent. I knew that he had already set his sights on Ivy. Seeing Ivy’s face so close to mine, I felt panicked and worried. I asked tentatively, “What did you think of Kevin, Ivy?” Ivy considered it seriously for a moment and nodded. “He’s quite handsome.” My heart sank. All these years, Kevin had used his youthful, boyish features to win everyone’s good opinion. It had been the case with Dad and our other family members. Even my first girlfriend had thought Kevin was pitifully naive. My hands clenched into fists as I waited for Ivy to say that Kevin seemed very nice and sensible. But she did not say a thing even after a long while. “That’s it?” Ivy raised an eyebrow. “I’ve only met him once, so I can only talk about his looks.” She tightened her hold around me, her gaze inquisitive. “Do you want to change the subject?” I hesitated for a long moment before I told Ivy about what happened with my first girlfriend. Ivy’s hand gripped my shoulder tighter. She gritted out, “How long were you dating that other woman?” I was stunned by this question. Thinking that she was concerned about our history, I rushed to explain, “We were very chaste, we didn’t—” “I asked how long you were dating for!” she said insistently. “Two years.” Ivy let out an angry huff. She pinched my cheek a bit too hard. “That’s so considerate of you, Paul. You dated her for two years and already brought her home to meet your parents. We’ve been dating for six years, but you haven’t even told your family about me?” Taken aback, I looked into her eyes. When I saw the hurt there, I felt pained. My phone rang. It was Dad calling. Ivy’s eyes brightened, and she reached out to answer the call. When the call connected, Dad’s angry voice roared, “What kind of person are you, Paul? Kevin was so nice as to bring you lunch, but you say you’re afraid he’ll embarrass you? How could you bully him this way?” Ice shot through my heart. “We have a cafeteria here. He only wants to use the excuse of bringing me lunch to seduce my girlfriend.” Chapter 3 Dad was furious. “How could you say that? Kevin is your cousin! Wait, hold on. Do you have a girlfriend? When did that happen? Why haven’t you mentioned it?” “I didn’t mention it because I was afraid you’d tell me again to let Kevin date her instead.” Dad was quiet on the other end of the line for a moment. Right then, Ivy grabbed the phone from my hand. Her voice was sweet as she said, “Hello, Mr. Lonsdale. I’m Paul’s girlfriend, Ivy Rossum. When are you free? I’d love to take you out to dinner and meet you properly.” Dad’s tone took an immediate turn. “Oh, Ivy, is it? I’m free, yes, but you live in Corston. That’s too far away for me.” “Don’t worry, Mr. Lonsdale, I have a car.” “That’s great! By the way, Ivy, what do you do? Are you from Corston?” Ivy was about to answer when I snatched the phone back. “I’m still at work, Dad. I’m hanging up now.” After ending the call, I looked at Ivy and said, “We can get married without my dad’s approval, you know.” Ivy pinched my face and gazed at me softly. “I don’t want you to have any regrets on our wedding day.” This brought a lump to my throat. “You don’t know how biased Dad is. I’m afraid we’ll both be put in a bad spot because of it.” “Don’t worry.” She pinched my face again. “I won’t allow myself to be bullied.” Three days later, after Ivy arranged for things to be handled at work, we set off for my hometown. But first, we had to pick up Kevin. When the car stopped at my apartment building, Kevin ran through the front door and pushed past me to stand before Ivy. His tone was coy as he said, “Hi, Ivy. I get car sick a lot. Can I sit in the front passenger seat?” I said coldly, “You could take the train.” Tears immediately sprang to Kevin’s eyes. He looked at Ivy, aggrieved. Ivy smiled graciously. “Sure.” She pulled open the front passenger door for him. Kevin’s eyes were bright as stars. He shot me a pleased look and excitedly took his seat. Just as he got comfortable, Ivy said to the driver, “Mr. Delling, drive slowly. Mr. Lonsdale gets car sick.” Kevin’s smile froze on his face. Ivy led me to another car, this one a Maybach. She opened the front passenger door and guided me carefully in so I did not hit my head. Then, she leaned down to help me fasten the seatbelt. Looking at the graceful curvature of her face, I felt my heart warm. No one had ever treated me with such care in all my years. The car started off. Through the car window, I saw Kevin in the other car, his expression thunderous. I knew that it was only the beginning, and that a hard battle was ahead. … When the car rolled to a stop in front of our family’s yard, a bunch of nosy relatives were already there waiting. They craned their necks for a better look. When Ivy got out of the car, they were all stunned for a moment. Then, they put their heads together and started gossiping. “Paul’s girlfriend is so beautiful, like a movie star!” “Look at her car. That must cost millions!” Ivy had the driver bring out the gifts she had brought, moving them from the trunk. There was expensive liquor, gift baskets, and various skincare and cosmetics for every relative. The gifts piled up like a miniature mountain. She had even prepared gift cards for everyone. When she held them out, she said politely, “I’m not sure what you would like, so I just bought some gift cards.” Checking the generous sum of the gift cards, my relatives all beamed and complimented me on finding such a great partner. Dad was smiling brightly as well. He must have felt extremely proud. Only Kevin stood by Dad’s side with a forced smile as he clenched his fists so hard his knuckles went white. During dinner, Kevin purposely picked out a seat right next to Ivy. He added more food to her plate and said, “I made this myself, Ivy. Have a taste.” Ivy smiled and put the plate away. “Sorry, but I only eat food Paul prepares for me.” Kevin’s hand froze in midair, his lower lip trembling. Chapter 4 Dad immediately stepped in to mediate. “Please forgive Kevin. He’s always been a bit of a ditz. Do you know? This is actually the first time he’s made up a plate for someone!” Kevin looked up at her in aggrievement. “Do you think I’m annoying, Ivy?” “It’s good that you realize that.” Kevin could not take it anymore. His tears started to fall. Dad’s expression darkened. “You shouldn’t have said that, Ivy. Kevin already sees you as a member of the family. How can you call him annoying?” “Isn’t he just a cousin?” Ivy asked in confusion. I spoke up as well. “I sure don’t have a family member who somehow mistakenly ends up in my girlfriend’s room in the middle of the night.” Everyone at the table went quiet and started exchanging looks. Michelle Lonsdale, Dad’s third sister, was the first to react. She glared at me and said, “How can you talk like that, Paul? Kevin’s always been the sensible sort. He’s been busying about all morning for you. Grow a heart.” She was one to talk. Kevin had spent all morning trying to get close to Ivy. He brought her drinks but ignored me. He would have followed her into the bathroom if he could. I let out a chuckle. “You sure care for Kevin a lot, Aunt Michelle. But I’ve never seen you help out while Dad raised him.” Michelle’s face went red in an instant. “I wanted to help too, but I could barely handle my own family.” Dad quickly changed the subject. He smiled at Ivy and said, “By the way, Ivy, Paul said you have your own company? Kevin’s been looking for a job. Could you set something up for him?” My hand tightened around my spoon. I had only told Kevin that Ivy was my colleague. It was clear that Kevin must have found out about this by chatting with the driver, Simon Delling, on the way here. Kevin looked at Ivy expectantly. His expression made it clear that he wanted to be the boss, not an employee. “Ivy’s company only hires college graduates.” Ivy seemed to recall something. “I do have a vacancy that doesn’t require a degree.” Kevin brightened, and his posture got straighter as he waited for Ivy to keep speaking. Ivy looked at him and said with all solemnity, “Are you okay with being a janitor?” I could not help my chuckle. Dad’s and Kevin’s expressions both instantly went dark. After dinner, Kevin had put away his negative emotions and went over to get on Ivy’s good side again. “I made up the guest room for you, Ivy. I even used new sheets. See if you like them?” I said coldly, “You needn’t have bothered. She’ll be staying in my room for the next few days.” Ivy was taken aback by that. I could see the barely hidden amusement in her eyes. Kevin’s face went white. “It won’t be good if news gets out that you’re staying together before marriage. People will call Ivy a loose woman!” “Well, no one said anything about you when you stripped naked and got into my ex’s bed.” Kevin’s face went splotchy. In the end, he bit his lip and went to cry about it to Dad. Ivy whispered into my ear excitedly, “Am I sleeping with you tonight, sweetheart?” My face reddened and I pushed her a bit. “Sleeping, yes. Only sleeping! Don’t get ahead of yourself.” “Alright, I’m taking a shower then!” Seeing her walk off joyfully, I felt annoyed and amused at the same time. … I dogged Ivy’s heels every day that we stayed in my hometown. I even waited for her outside of the bathroom. Ivy seemed to enjoy my neuroticism, and she kept pinching my face, saying, “Don’t worry, no one’s going to steal me away.” With no chance to execute his plans, the looks Kevin sent me got ever more malicious. I thought that nothing would happen as long as I kept up my vigil. But for all my vigilance, I still made a mistake. During our engagement dinner, my relatives kept plying Ivy with drinks. Ivy did not refuse any of them and got so tipsy that her face was red and she was stumbling about. I carefully helped her back to our room to rest and even double-checked that the door was locked tight. Then, I put the keycard in an inner pocket before going out again. Still, Kevin managed to find a way through those defenses. When I found out what happened and ran back to the room, Kevin was wrapped up in the sheets with messy hair, crying so much that his eyes were puffy. Chapter 5 Dad was by the bed comforting Kevin, his own expression livid. Ivy was sitting on the end of the bed, her dress perfectly pristine. Her gaze was icy. Another aunt, Fiona Kellan, was the first to speak. “How’s Kevin supposed to find a wife after this?” Kevin started crying even harder. Dad looked at me, and I knew that he wanted to ask me to let Kevin date Ivy instead again. Ivy stood up and glared at Kevin. “How did you get the keycard to my room?” My relatives came back to themselves and started discussing this point. “That’s right. He could have gone to the wrong room, but he couldn’t have gotten the right keycard for it.” Kevin’s face was white as a sheet. His gaze flitted around. “The door was ajar, so I just came in…” “That’s impossible,” I denied immediately. “I closed and locked it myself before leaving. I even checked.” “It’s not like I’m saying Ivy needs to take responsibility!” Kevin suddenly got agitated. “Why are you forcing me into a corner?” He made to rush to the window. “I might as well die!” Dad held him fast and looked toward me. He yelled, “Do you want to force Kevin into killing himself? This is my decision. The engagement will be for Kevin and Ivy. I’ll find you someone better after this, Paul.” Kevin cried into Dad’s chest, but I could see him grinning from where I stood. I felt a familiar sense of suffocation come over me. Before I could say anything, Ivy gripped my hand. “Mr. Lonsdale, arranged marriages aren’t a thing anymore. If Kevin can’t explain things, we can just make a police report.” Kevin’s face went bloodless. “We can’t do that!” Ivy looked at him sharply. “Kevin wants to keep his good name, but I want to keep my honor, too.” She immediately called the police. A police officer came quickly and got the security footage from the hotel staff. The footage made things very clear. In the video, Kevin used a keycard to unlock Ivy’s door. He went inside and did not come out before we all rushed over. I dug out my own keycard from my inner pocket and gave it to the police officer, Carl Matheson. “The original keycard has been with me all this time.” Officer Matheson frowned at Kevin. “Explain your keycard.” The hotel manager called the receptionist on duty as well. She recognized Kevin immediately. “This man came to me saying that he couldn’t open his door and asked me for a new card.” This was proven with more security footage. Kevin’s voice rang out clearly as he gave Ivy’s room number and not his own. Kevin gritted his teeth and faked composure. “I-I remembered the wrong room number. You know I’ve always been absent-minded…” Dad supported this. “Yes, yes, he’s always been like this since he was a kid. It’s normal for him to misremember the room number.” There were no cameras inside the rooms, of course. Ivy said that Kevin had been sleeping next to her when she woke up. However, she had still been fully dressed, so nothing had happened. Officer Matheson asked Kevin why he did not leave the room after realizing he was in the wrong one. Kevin bit his lip and looked at Ivy with watery eyes. “I wanted to leave, but Ivy wouldn’t let me go…” Ivy’s gaze was frigid. “That was not the case.” Officer Matheson looked at Kevin grimly. “Are you sure you had relations with Ms. Rossum, Mr. Lonsdale? You could be legally persecuted for slander.” Everyone scrutinized Kevin. Put on the spot, Kevin nodded and forced out, “Yes, I’m sure. B-But I won’t make Ivy take responsibility. I don’t want to ruin her relationship with Paul. Can we pretend nothing happened?” Officer Matheson did not know what to say at that. My relatives also tried to talk me down. “Kevin’s being very gracious right now. You should let it go.” “It won’t be good for anyone to make a big deal out of this.” When he saw everyone looking at him, Kevin wore a look of triumph, thinking he had won. I burst out laughing at his expression. The moment had finally come. “It’s alright. I have proof that Kevin is making a false accusation.”