"You're polluting the air just by existing in this house." That’s what my stepbrother, Declan, told me this morning. Feeling wronged, I went crying to my online boyfriend: "Got yelled at again. Need comfort ASAP." The very next second, Declan’s phone buzzed on the coffee table. His lock screen lit up. A message from [KingBaby]. "Got yelled at again. Need comfort ASAP." Me: !!! 1 I stared at the notification, frozen. Coincidence? It had to be. To verify, I sent a crying sticker to my online boyfriend. Buzz. Declan’s phone vibrated again. The screen showed [KingBaby] sending a sobbing cartoon bear. I turned to stone. My stepbrother—the guy who looks at me like I’m a cockroach, the guy who criticizes my breathing—is the same clingy, golden-retriever boyfriend who calls me "Baby" online? "No way." I refused to believe something this absurd. I reached out to tap his screen, wanting to check the profile picture. Slap. My hand was swatted away before I could touch the glass. "Didn't your mother teach you not to touch other people's property?" Declan glared at me with pure disgust. "Then again, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Trash attracts trash." Ever since my mom and I moved into the Sterling mansion, he hasn’t stopped with the insults. To Declan, this "reunion of first loves" after twenty years was a joke. He saw it as an insult to his late mother. Plus, my mom has terminal cancer. She doesn't have much time left, yet she agreed to marry his dad. In his eyes, we are just gold diggers here for the inheritance. Mom does have a motive. On her hospital bed, she held my hand tightly. "Riley, promise me. Don't fight with your brother or your stepfather. When I'm gone, the Sterling family can protect you." If I refused, she would cough up blood from stress. So I promised. I endure everything. Thinking of this, I lowered my head. "Sorry. Your phone kept buzzing. I thought it might be an emergency, so I was bringing it to you." Declan looked at me suspiciously, then unlocked his phone. The moment he saw the messages, the storm clouds on his face vanished. A smile—one I’d never seen directed at me—broke through, impossible to suppress. His thumbs flew across the screen. A second later, my phone in my pocket vibrated. [Baby, don't cry! Your brother sounds like a total piece of trash. When we meet, I’ll punch his teeth in for you!] Me: ... 2 Declan typed fast and furious. My pocket wouldn't stop vibrating. I frantically switched it to silent. Declan sneered, looking up. "Getting blown up this late? Which debt collector is it this time?" Wow. The irony. You're literally roasting yourself. I felt guilty, so I didn't answer. He took my silence for defiance. "Did you two borrow more money? Is my dad's fortune not enough for you leeches?" I forced a smile. "No. Just a classmate." Before moving here, Mom and I lived paycheck to paycheck. When she got sick, the surgery bills piled up. We borrowed money. I worked part-time and paid the installments on time. The lenders were decent. But after we moved into the Sterling estate, the lenders found out. They showed up at the front gates, screaming and making a scene. It was chaos. Through my tears, I had looked up to the second-floor balcony and seen Declan there, smoking a cigarette, watching the show with a smirk. He had tipped them off. "I'm going to my room," I said. Afraid I’d blow my cover, I ran upstairs. As soon as I closed my door, another message from Declan popped up. [Baby, why aren't you replying? Are you still mad?] [Sticker: Sad puppy wagging tail] In reality, he shreds my dignity. Online, he’s a whimpering puppy. My feelings were complicated. I ignored him. Declan immediately transferred $5,000 via the app. Note: [Buy yourself some snacks. Please stop being mad.] Thinking of Declan’s cold, hateful eyes downstairs, I immediately hit 'Refund'. [I don't want money. I'm just tired and going to sleep.] Declan: [Okay :( Goodnight, baby. Sad Puppy.jpg] The next morning, I was woken up by a vibration. Declan was being horny at 7 AM. [Baby! Up yet? Guess what I'm doing?] [I'm in the shower ;)] I was still half-asleep and forgot that my boyfriend was actually Satan himself. I replied out of habit: [Show me.] Next second, he obediently sent three photos. Wet abs. Water droplets running down a sharp V-line. A towel hanging dangerously low, leaving very little to the imagination. It was... objectively hot. Declan tempted me: [Want to touch?] I wiped invisible drool. [Duh. I want to eat you up.] [Hehe. Baby, let’s meet up then.] I jolted awake. Shit! Riley, you useless traitor! How could you lust after Declan?! Panicked, I ignored him for the rest of the day. He started spiraling for attention. [Are you mad because I asked to meet?] [If it’s too soon, I can wait. Just don't ignore me.] [Baby, I just felt dizzy. I almost fainted at the gym.] [Care about me, please? My chest hurts.] ... I rolled my eyes. Declan is 6'3", built like a linebacker, and hits the gym daily. I once saw him take down a creep who was filming up a girl's skirt with one hand. He is not fragile. Thinking of his fist, I knew I had to end this. I typed: [There’s something I’ve been hiding from you. I have to come clean. I’m a dude.] Declan: [?] [Are you joking, baby?] [No joke. That’s why I never wanted to meet.] The chat went silent. The "typing" bubble disappeared. Finally. He’s scared off. I was just celebrating my victory when Declan sent two messages that made my jaw drop. [As long as it’s you, I don't care if you're a guy.] [But... can I be on the bottom?] What the hell?! Declan, you’re way too committed! 3 That evening after class, I got a text from the pottery studio. [Ms. Riley, the custom couple's mugs you sculpted last week have been fired and mailed to your home.] It was the gift I had made for my online boyfriend—Declan. Disaster. The mugs had our couple nicknames carved into them! I rushed home, heart pounding. But when I found the package in the living room, the contents were shattered. Declan was standing there, holding a shard of ceramic. "How much? I'll pay you for it." "No need." I breathed a sigh of relief, grabbing the box of debris. It wasn't like I could give it to him now anyway. Declan scoffed. "Dating someone? Does he know you’re a manipulative liar?" "If he likes you, he must be blind and stupid." I was half-angry, half-amused. I turned back on the stairs. "Aren't you afraid that every curse you say about my boyfriend will eventually bounce back onto you?" Declan raised an eyebrow. "Please. He’s nothing compared to my 'KingBaby'." "Oh. Well, I hope you two live happily ever after. Never break up." I went to my room. Maybe my words made him paranoid. At dinner, halfway through his steak, Declan suddenly spoke up. "Dad, would you care if your future daughter-in-law was a man?" Cough! Cough! I choked on my water. "What?" Arthur, my stepfather, froze. He looked confused. Declan stayed calm. "Can you accept that your son is gay?" "I'm in love. And the person is a guy." Holy crap. Declan didn't just come out of the closet; he kicked the door off its hinges. Arthur was shocked. A massive argument erupted. Neither backed down. The war ended with a sharp slap across Declan’s face. I never expected my little lie to cause World War III. What shocked me more was that Declan texted me about it immediately. [Baby, don't worry about gender. I came out to my family.] [They agreed.] Agreed?! He just got slapped! Thinking of the red handprint on his face, I felt a pang of guilt. I grabbed an ice pack and went to his room. Declan glared at me. "I don't need your fake sympathy." "You misunderstood." I tossed the ice pack into his trash can. "I came to laugh at you." Declan turned green with rage. The next day, Arthur looked like a ghost. Dark circles, stumbling walk. He’s a good man. Even with his busy schedule, he visits my mom at the hospital every day. He treats me like his own daughter. I never had a dad, and Arthur filled that void. If he finds out I’m "dating" his son, it might kill him. I made a decision. I texted Declan: [Let's break up. I met someone else.] Declan instantly sent a 60-second voice memo. Probably pure profanity. I didn't listen. I blocked him. For the next ten days, Declan was a walking zombie. He rejected all his friends' party invites. He slept all day, drank half the wine cellar at night. Every day, he’d corner me with a gloomy stare. "Riley. Did you break up with your boyfriend yet?" seeing his misery, I nodded. "Yeah. Dumped him." Satisfied, he’d slump back onto the sofa, unlit cigarette in his mouth, laughing bitterly. "Love is disgusting. Who needs it?" Then he’d secretly wipe his eyes. I thought the drama would fade. But then the Dean called me into his office. "Chloe told me you know the author 'Solitude'." Chloe is my best friend. And a massive blabbermouth. I had only told her I was a superfan of 'Solitude' and that we chatted online. Thankfully, I never told her that 'Solitude' is my online boyfriend—or that he is Declan Sterling. The Dean smiled. "Solitude has a huge following. We need exposure for admissions. He’s an alumnus. We want him to give a guest lecture." "But he’s very private. We can't reach him." I wanted to refuse. The Dean leaned in. "If you pull this off, the university will write you a recommendation letter for any internship you want." A recommendation from the Dean? That’s golden. I caved. I unblocked Declan. Sent a simple: [You there?] Given his mood lately, I expected abuse. Instead, Declan sent a sticker of a puppy wagging its tail so hard it was flying. [Baby! Is the grass not greener on the other side?] I grit my teeth. [Actually, I’m messaging you as a student representative from Sterling University. We want to discuss a work opportunity.] Declan didn't reply. Ten minutes later: [What is it?] I explained the guest lecture request professionally. Declan: [I'll do it. On one condition.] [We meet.] 4 I agreed to meet him on the day of the lecture. My plan? Hire a guy to pretend to be "Halo"—someone Declan would absolutely hate. Shatter his filter. But God has a twisted sense of humor. On the day, the hired actor called me. "Sorry, Riley. Car accident. Can't make it." I panicked. Declan texted: [Baby, I’m at the campus. Meet me?] Stalling, I typed: [Napping. Meet at the fountain square after the lecture!] I sprinted to Chloe’s dorm. No time to find another guy. I dragged Chloe out of bed, explaining the tangled mess while shoving clothes into her hands. She blinked sleepily. "That's... messy." "Just be a toxic nightmare. If you scare him off, I’ll buy your lunch for the whole semester." Chloe saluted. "Say no more. I excel at being a red flag." When we met Declan, Chloe’s eyes widened. "Riley, you eat good!" Declan is objectively gorgeous. Today, he was dressed up. Glasses, a soft sweater—he looked like a refined, intellectual gentleman, not the arrogant jerk I lived with. Declan was surprised to see me next to her. He frowned, then looked at Chloe with a gentle gaze. "Halo?" "That's me!" Chloe chirped. Declan beamed. He handed her flowers and a gift bag, bending down to look her in the eyes. "Finally. You lied about being a boy? You're adorable." Chloe blushed. Declan had booked a fancy restaurant. Chloe, remembering her mission, grabbed my arm. "Riley is my bestie. If we eat, she comes too. You don't mind, right?" Declan: "Of course not." Then he shot me a look that screamed Get lost. I smiled and linked arms with Chloe. Dinner was excruciating. I was the brightest third wheel in history. Declan treated me like air. But with Chloe? He was terrified of upsetting her. Chloe acted her heart out. She demanded expensive wine, talked about wanting a rich husband, said she hates kids, loves clubbing, and wants an open relationship. Declan, the love-sick puppy, agreed to everything. Until she mentioned other men. His face went dark. "Baby," he said, voice low. "Can't your leash just hold me?" I almost choked on my pasta. Halfway through, I escaped to the bathroom. When I came out, Declan blocked my path. "Riley." His eyes were cold. "There’s a limit to being shameless. When are you leaving? Ruining other people's dates... is that a family tradition?" He looked at me like he wanted to snap my neck. I lowered my eyes. "I'm leaving now." I went back, grabbed my bag, and whispered to Chloe, "I'm heading out." Chloe texted me under the table: [Don't go far. I'll dump him in 30 mins, then we go get drinks!] [Okay. Be careful.] It was late. Most shops were closing. I sat on a bench around the corner, shivering in the wind. Thirty minutes passed. My phone buzzed. It was our housekeeper. [Ms. Riley, I accidentally broke your custom mugs the other day. Mr. Declan hired a master restorer. They just arrived. Look.] She sent a photo. The mugs were fixed with kintsugi—gold lacquer filling the cracks. It was beautiful. But the photo was high-res. The carved nicknames were clearly visible. Halo & KingBaby. Wait. The housekeeper sent this to me... [I sent the photo to Mr. Declan too, to show him the work is done.] Fuck. My blood ran cold. Just then, my phone vibrated. A text from Declan. [Come back. Chloe is in trouble!] Panic. I didn't think, I just sprinted back to the restaurant. Chloe saw me burst in, panting. She started making frantic faces at me. Run! I looked at the table. Declan wasn't there. I realized too late. It was a trap. I turned to flee, but slammed into a wall of solid chest. A voice, trembling with suppressed emotion, came from above my head. "Riley." Goosebumps exploded all over my skin. I turned my head stiffly. Under the streetlights, Declan’s eyes were red. He wore an expression that was halfway between crying and laughing. A terrifying, broken look. "...So, it was you."
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