<
Something wasn’t right. I planned to ask him in person when he got home.
That night, I stayed up until 1 a.m. waiting for Ethan to finally walk through the door, looking steder
“Don’t you have class tomorrow? What were you doing out so
late?”
When he saw me sitting on the couch waiting for him, he looked nervous.
“Uh, sis… want a midnight snack?” he mumbled, setting a takeout container of fried rice on the table.
He looked so run–down that I couldn’t stay mad. I shook my head to signal l
I wasn’t hungry.
Ethan, on the other hand, was starving. He tore into the fried rice like he hadn’t eaten all day.
Watching him, my anger melted into concern.
“Slow down. You didn’t have dinner?”
I handed him a glass of warm milk.
He shook his head, then nodded, mumbling between bites, “I ate… I ate.”
“So, I checked your bank account. Why’s it empty?”
I casually threw the question out there to see how he’d react. Sure enough,
mid–bite,
dropping his gaze.
“Where’s the money, Ethan? Did you get scammed?”
I knew my brother all too well. He always had this guilty look whenever he was hiding something.
“Sis… Maddie’s family ran into some trouble, so I… I lent her the money.”
“How much did you lend her?”
Judging by his expression, he’d probably given her everything he had saved over the past
Ethan raised a trembling finger. One.
“One hundred thousand?”
few years.
I could feel my blood pressure rising. This lovesick fool had lent her a hundred grand just because they were dating?
“You’re out of money, so now you’re working at the convenience store?”
Ethan, embarrassed, admitted, “Well, Maddie’s birthday is coming up, and she really wants this purse that’s over ten grand. She wants it, so I have to get it for her, right?”
At that point, all I could do was smack him.
Ethan took the hits, begging me not to tell our parents.
Fine. No amount of common sense was going to save him from his lovesick brain, but I hoped he’d snap out of it soon.
The next morning, before my alarm even went off, Maddie woke me up with a phone call.
G
Still groggy, I answered, only to hear her yelling, “Ethan’s money is my money. Why do you care how he spends man who’ll spoil you! Stop meddling with your brother’s life. Are you obsessed with him or something?”
it?
If you’re
so great, go find a
“He’s my brother. We’re family. You? You’re not even married to him. At best, you’re his girlfriend. At worst, you’re a temporary fling. Keep yapping, and I’ll shut your mouth for good!”
Maddie knew she wasn’t a match for me. After a few seconds of silence, she hung up.
But that wasn’t enough for me. Still fuming, I grabbed my other two phones and sent her family a barrage of messages, letting them know exactly what I thought of her.
Unable to win against me, Maddie went running back to Ethan to take out her frustration on him.
Ethan, stuck in the middle, didn’t know what to do. Maddie was his first girlfriend, and I could tell he genuinely liked her. That’s why I never told our parents about our issues.
Even though the house was technically mine, bought by our parents for me, I hadn’t kicked Maddie out because I didn’t want to put Ethan in an even tougher spot. As long as she stayed out of my way, I let things slide.
But it seemed that my patience only encouraged Maddie to push further.
It was Riley’s birthday, and I’d gotten her the exact purse she’d been dreaming about. I bought it a week in advance, carefully planning everything.
But on the day of the party, when she opened the box, the purse inside was a cheap knockoff.
I didn’t even need to think about it. Of course, it was Maddie’s doing.
I was ready to storm home and tear her apart, but Riley knew the situation and talked me down.
“Harper, don’t make Ethan’s life harder. Talk to him privately and get him to return the purse. No need to make a scene. What if they do end up married one day?”
Married? Over my dead body. There was no way I’d let someone like her into our family.
Riley urged me to calm down and let it slide, and for her sake, I agreed. I’d let Ethan handle it, and I wouldn’t escalate things.
But when I got home after the birthday party, I was greeted by two pairs of unfamiliar shoes in the entryway.
No need to guess. Maddie had invited her friends over.
The living room was a mess. Empty bottles, snack wrappers, and trash littered the floor. I threw open the windows to air out the stench of
alcohol.
It was late, so I figured they were probably asleep. I’d deal with Maddie in the morning.
I headed upstairs, only to find my bedroom door locked from the inside.
Oh, hell no.
My temper flared. I kicked the door down in a fit of rage.
