Theater: NovelMaster | Language: English
Synopsis
My boyfriend took me to his family's estate. His adopted sister had just climbed out of the pool, and her bikini strap was broken.
The summer fabric was already impossibly thin. She let out a soft gasp, covering her chest with both hands, and ran straight toward my boyfriend. "Ethan! My strap broke! Quick, tie it for me!"
The butler and the maids quickly looked down.
Ethan acted as if this was completely normal. He grabbed her hand, turned her around, and expertly tied it into a neat knot.
His fingers casually slid down her bare, smooth back. He teased, "What kind of cheap trash is this? Next time, I’ll buy you a better one."
My vision went black with rage. I snapped, "Ethan! Are my words just a joke to you?"
His sister looked back at me, playing innocent.
"Hazel, don't overthink it. Ethan basically raised me. This is nothing."
"If there were really anything going on between us, I would have been the mistress of this house a long time ago, wouldn't I?"
……
With that, she turned back to him, her voice dripping with a whiny, spoiled pout.
"Ethan, how many times do I have to tell you? When you tie the strap, you have to push it up from the back to the front to show off my curves!"
"You’re such a blockhead. You ruined the shape."
Lily reached directly into her bikini top, adjusting herself right in front of Ethan, completely ignoring my presence.
Ethan didn't even look away. He stared down, his eyes lingering on her bare chest for a couple of seconds.
Then, he sighed helplessly and actually reached out to help her.
"Lily, do you not have hands?"
I couldn't take it anymore. I marched over and stepped right between them.
"Ethan, are you treating me like I'm dead? Is this something you should be helping her with?"
"Even if you grew up together, there are still boundaries between men and women. Do either of you have any decency?"
The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I always knew Ethan had an adopted sister.
But I had no idea they were this intimate. It completely crossed the line of a normal sibling relationship.
There were so many people in this estate, and they were doing this right in front of me.
I didn't even want to imagine what they did when they were alone!
My words cut through the air, and the estate went dead silent.
Ethan suddenly burst out laughing. He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close. "Are you jealous, babe?"
He nuzzled his nose against my neck. "You're right, I'll pay attention next time. Don't be mad, okay?"
"Besides, I just see Lily as a kid. To me, she’s no different from my own daughter."
His words only added fuel to the fire. He still didn't see anything wrong with his behavior.
Daughter? What kind of father ties his twenty-year-old daughter's bikini strap and casually caresses her back?
I annoyed-ly pushed his hands away.
Before Ethan could say anything, Lily let out an impatient scoff.
"Oh, come on, Hazel. Ethan humoring you once is cute, but pushing it is just being ungrateful."
Ethan’s mother, my soon-to-be mother-in-law, walked over with a fruit platter, a polite smile plastered on her face.
"Hazel, it's your first time visiting the family estate. Let's not make a scene over such a small thing. Ethan and Lily just have a close bond. You'll get used to it."
She handed me a slice of watermelon. "Lily lost her parents when she was young. We love her like our own, and Ethan treasures her like the apple of his eye. You need to be more understanding."
I was shaking with anger. Everyone around me was looking at me as if I was making a big deal out of nothing.
Even Ethan didn't think his behavior or his family's words were a problem.
I took a deep breath, about to speak, when Lily suddenly whined loudly.
She stomped her foot at Ethan. "Ethan, I'm starving! Didn't you say the private chef was making truffle lobster pasta today? I can't wait!"
Ethan's brow furrowed instantly. He looked at me, his tone turning cold.
"Have you thrown enough of a tantrum? Can we go in and eat now? Lily has a weak stomach. If she starves, she’ll get a stomachache."
In that split second, my heart went completely cold.
*I* was the one throwing a tantrum?
Everything out of his mouth was Lily, Lily, Lily. Just because Lily wanted to eat, I had to swallow my humiliation.
With a "sister" like this, why did he even need a girlfriend?
I closed my eyes, forcing back the tears.
"I’ve thrown enough of a tantrum, and I've had enough of you, Ethan. Let’s break up."
As I turned to leave, I stopped and looked back at Lily.
"By the way, since you two share such a deep bond, sleeping in the same bed would probably bring you even closer."
"I wish you two a lifetime of happiness. Maybe you can even start a family together. You deserve each other."I walked quickly toward the main gate. Ethan suddenly grabbed my arm, his grip so tight it made me stumble.
He squeezed my wrist, and the pain shot up to my bones.
"Can you give me some face in front of my family? Stop acting so crazy!"
"Whatever you want to eat, I'll have the driver go buy it after dinner. And I'll go shopping with you later, okay?"
His tone softened, as if he was making the ultimate compromise.
I laughed. Everything came after his sister. What was I to him?
I yanked my hand away, looking at my bruised red wrist.
I let out a cold laugh. "No thanks, Mr. Miller."
Without hesitation, I turned and left. This time, Ethan didn't chase after me.
Behind me, I heard Lily's smug, mocking voice.
"Ethan, is she crazy? We’re siblings, and she’s out here imagining we’re hooking up. Talk about paranoia!"
Ethan's mother sighed too. "Ethan, is this really the kind of girl you like? She has a terrible temper. She’ll only cause trouble for you in the future."
Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, then threw his arm around Lily's shoulder, walking her toward the dining room.
"Mom, stop it. I'm sick of it. Just leave her. If she wants to leave, let her."
"Come on, Lily. Let’s go get that lobster pasta you love."
Tears finally spilled over. I held them back until I got into a cab, and then I completely broke down.
For this man, I had turned down a stable job my parents arranged for me, moving to his city all by myself.
We had been dating for three years. I thought our love was unbreakable.
I was such a fool!
The moment I got back to our shared apartment, I started packing my things.
For two whole days, Ethan didn't call or text me once.
I resisted the urge to be weak and reach out to him. I started planning my life again.
I messaged an HR manager at a company I had previously rejected, asking if the Director's Assistant position was still open.
They replied quickly, saying the position was still open, and asked when I could start.
I set the date for next Monday.
Just when I thought this chapter was closed and I was ready to start anew, the doorbell rang.
I opened the door. Ethan stood there holding a massive bouquet of blue roses, though his face showed very little genuine remorse.
"Surprise!" He forced a stiff smile, thrusting the flowers forward as if completing a chore.
"Babe, I'm here to apologize. Forgive me, okay?" As he spoke, his eyes peered over my shoulder into the apartment, as if checking for something.
Before I could even say a word, Lily suddenly popped out from behind him.
She shoved an elegant gift box into my hands and smiled sweetly. "Hazel, don't be mad anymore. If a woman is always angry, she gets wrinkles."
With that, she slipped on a pair of slippers as if she owned the place and walked right in.
Those were the favorite fluffy slippers Ethan had bought for me.
Ethan immediately followed her in, not even glancing at me, his focus entirely on Lily. "Slow down, don't trip."
He pulled me to the couch. "Babe, look, Lily came all this way just to apologize to you."
He opened the gift box, revealing a necklace with a massive, blinding diamond.
"You stared at the 'Heart of the Ocean' at the auction last time, so I bought it for you. Do you like it?"
My heart skipped a beat. Before I could process it, he stepped behind me and draped the cold necklace around my neck.
"So beautiful," he murmured, his warm breath brushing against my ear. "It suits you perfectly."
Lily, who had been standing aside silently, suddenly spoke up, her voice laced with a perfect touch of envy. "Hazel is so lucky. Ethan is so good to you. I’m almost jealous."
She stepped closer, staring intently at the necklace on my neck. She pouted, her eyes welling with tears. "Ethan, I've grown up with you, and you’ve never bought me such an expensive gift. At the auction, I told you I loved the 'Heart of the Ocean', but you pretended not to hear..."
The tenderness on Ethan's face instantly froze, replaced by guilt and indulgence for his sister.
He coaxed, "Be good, Lily. Next time there's something nice, I'll buy it for you first."
"I don't want a next time. I want this one," Lily whined, reaching out to pull my arm. "Hazel, you have the kindest heart. Can I just borrow this necklace for a bit? Just for a second, to see how it looks on me... please?"
"I—"
Before I could finish, Ethan frowned impatiently and said to me, "Just let her try it on. It’s just a necklace. Lily likes it so much, why are you being so petty?"Without waiting for my consent, he unclasped the necklace he had just put on me and fastened it around Lily's fair neck.
"Ethan, my neck actually suits this necklace better! Look how pretty!" Lily burst into a smile and twirled happily.
Ethan laughed and agreed, his eyes full of adoration. "Our Lily looks good in everything. You're a natural model."
Watching the two of them play and giggle, I felt a wave of nausea.
The necklace that was supposed to be mine had stayed on my neck for less than a minute before becoming a tool to please another woman.
I forced a tight smile. "Did you two come here today just to disgust me?"
Lily shook her head innocently. "Hazel, how could you say that!"
"Ethan bought you the 'Heart of the Ocean' just to make it up to you! He’s never bought me anything this expensive!"
"Before coming here, he woke me up with a phone call while I was still jet-lagged! He’s so clueless about how to coax a girl. You really need to teach him more."
Ethan laughed and patted her head. "Alright, that's enough. What kind of sister talks bad about her brother in front of an outsider?"
"I'm not an outsider! I'm your closest sister!"
In the blink of an eye, they were laughing and play-fighting again.
The diamonds of the "Heart of the Ocean" flashed in front of my eyes, making them sting.
I questioned my own sanity. Why on earth did I open the door for them?
Beside me, Lily was being tickled by Ethan, laughing hysterically.
"Oh, you dare bully me? I'm going to show Hazel all your embarrassing secrets!"
She broke free, slid onto the couch next to me, and opened her phone's gallery.
I kept a cold expression. I wanted to see how much more they could destroy my sanity.
She tapped on a video. The setting was the Miller family study.
Ethan was working on some files when Lily, wearing a silk slip nightgown, walked in with a glass of milk.
She set the milk on the desk but didn't leave. Instead, she sat directly on Ethan's lap.
"Ethan, you hasn't read me a bedtime story in so long."
Ethan put his pen down and looked at her helplessly. "How old are you now? You still want bedtime stories?"
Lily wrapped her arms around his neck, whiny. "I don't care, I want one."
She suddenly leaned down and kissed Ethan on the lips.
"That’s a deposit."
In the video, Ethan froze. Then, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his eyes darkened with desire.
Instead of pushing her away, he slid his hand up her bare back, his voice turning husky.
"You little temptress."
The video ended abruptly with a sharp shake, clearly showing the person filming was flustered.
In reality, Lily was laughing so hard she was wiping tears from her eyes.
"Hazel, let me tell you, Ethan is so pure. I was just teasing him, and his face turned red as a beet."
"Of course, he didn't disappoint me later. He carried me back to my room and read me stories all night."
"Honestly, Hazel, is your love life with him a bit dry? He reacted so strongly to just a little kiss."
The video had stopped on Ethan’s face, which was filled with raw lust.
Beside us, Ethan flicked Lily's forehead hard.
"What nonsense are you talking? Hazel and I have a great love life. Mind your own business."
Lily pouted, and the two of them started playing around again, completely ignoring me.
She had tossed her phone onto the couch. I calmly picked it up, forwarded that video along with several other disgusting, intimate videos from her gallery to my own phone, and deleted the sent history.
Once they were done playing, Ethan finally remembered me.
His breath was slightly uneven as he looked down at me, his tone carrying a sense of patronizing charity.
"Alright, you see? Even in that situation, I only read her stories. I love you, and that's all that matters."
"So, stop throwing a fit, okay? Let’s just move on."
Anger flared in my chest. He actually thought he was the victim here?
But I forced myself to swallow the anger, forcing a smile.
"Sure. I was wrong. I won't do it again."
I was indeed wrong. I was wrong to think I could just walk away quietly.
If I didn't make this scumbag and his green-tea sister lose everything, how could I face the three years of love I had wasted?
Chapters (3)
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Watch & Promotions
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