The day my fiancé, Julian, brought home a girl we were sponsoring, I walked in on them embracing. Caught off guard, I froze. Julian didn't even flinch. "Lily has skin hunger," he said calmly. "I'm just helping her cope. She's practically my little sister, Maya. Don't overthink it." Before I could respond, the front door creaked open behind me. A young man stood there, laden with bags, looking like a stray puppy that had finally found its way home. He smiled shyly. "Excuse me, is this the Sterling residence?" What a coincidence. My childhood "groom" had come to find me. 1 The day Julian brought her home, I had just finished a six-hour remote conference on an empty stomach. It was evening when I walked through the door. Next to the shoe cabinet sat a pair of dainty Mary Janes. From the living room, a girl's sweet laughter floated out. "Professor Julian, you don't even know how to arrange flowers?" Then came Julian's soft chuckle. "I guess I'll have to learn from you." I paused, dazed for a second. The housekeeper approached, hesitant. "Miss Maya, that's the friend Mr. Julian brought home today..." I forced a smile and walked slowly toward the living room. Sure enough, there they were. Julian, who had never cared for flowers in his life, was bent over, carefully trimming stems. Beside him was a younger girl. Hands behind her back, head tilted, she watched him with a smile. She had healthy, sun-kissed skin and pear dimples when she grinned. Her eyes were bright and lively, like a rose in full bloom. Hearing my footsteps, she looked up quickly. She tugged at Julian's sleeve, whispering, "Who is that..." Julian followed her gaze. His expression remained indifferent. "You're back?" I hummed a response, smiling. "Aren't you going to introduce us?" Julian tossed the scissors aside and took the tissue she offered to wipe his hands. "This is Lily." "You know her." Seeing my slight frown, he added, "The student we're sponsoring." Right. I remembered. Two years ago, I decided to sponsor a female student until she finished college. Someone quickly connected me with Lily. Back then, she was scrawny and lived in a leaky shack. In winter, without heating, her hands were red and swollen with chilblains. Julian and I covered her tuition and living expenses for the year. Since I was busy with work and Julian didn't trust anyone else, he handled the communication. "I bought these flowers on the way here," Lily said softly. "I didn't know if Mrs. Sterling would lik—" Julian cut her off. "You're not that far apart in age. No need for formalities." His tone was gentle. "Just call her Maya." Lily nodded and smiled at him. "Okay." Julian placed a hand lightly on her back, guiding her toward the dining room. "Let's eat first." He glanced back at me, seemingly casual. "If you were going to be in meetings, you should have said something. Lily's been starving waiting for you for an hour." ... It wasn't until dinner that Julian told me Lily would be staying with us for a while. "She's on summer break. Just visiting the city for a few days." Lily immediately chimed in, "Maya, am I causing trouble?" I ignored her and asked Julian, "Why didn't you tell me beforehand?" Julian frowned, annoyed. "What's there to say? We have plenty of guest rooms. It's just an extra pair of chopsticks." He looked at me with that familiar, lofty indifference. In his eyes, I always asked stupid questions. I was the uncarved block of wood, hopeless and dull. Lily looked between us, then tugged Julian's sleeve again. "Don't fight with Maya." Julian calmly picked up some food. "I'm not fighting. This is just how we are. She's used to it." Lily mumbled, "That's so sad for Maya." I stared at my reflection in the soup, the corner of my mouth twitching in a self-deprecating smile. Yeah. So sad. 2 I wasn't brought back to the Sterling family until high school. Before that, I lived with my grandparents in a small rural town. My father, after three marriages and three divorces, realized he was destined to have no sons. That's when he remembered me, his only daughter. He was the quintessential nouveau riche. Everything in our house screamed "money," creating a jarring disconnect. Like the furniture, I didn't fit into his world. He took me to galas where I stood silent, smiling like an idiot. The other kids talked about luxury brands and the latest season's fashion; I didn't recognize a single name. My mind was busy wondering if I'd miss the discount coupons on the livestream at 8 PM. They looked at me with disdain, deliberately ignoring me while chatting animatedly. I couldn't join their conversation, yet I was trapped in their circle, awkward and helpless. "Maya," someone said, rescuing me. Julian grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the crowd. "What are you doing standing there like a statue?" I knew very little about Julian back then. Only that his dad was friends with mine. When we first met, my dad introduced him: "Call him 'Brother.' If you don't understand something, ask Julian." Julian had glanced at me, elegant and aloof. I still remember that look clearly. I looked up at him now, pulling me away from the crowd. "Thank you... Brother," I whispered. Julian paused. His handsome features softened for a moment. Then he smiled faintly. "It's nothing." Julian became my only friend in the Sterling world. He took me to luxury stores, to high tea. His friends were welcoming, inviting me to their gatherings and never letting me feel left out. But as I spent more time with him, I learned about his temper. "Your taste is terrible. Throw these dresses away." "Didn't I tell you where this wine is from? You couldn't even remember that?" "Don't give cheap gifts next time. You're embarrassing me." I treated him like an older brother, so I subconsciously obeyed. A voice in my head constantly reminded me: Julian is always right. I felt insecure and timid in areas I didn't understand. But with Julian around, I felt safe. So when my dad suggested we get engaged, my first reaction was to look at Julian with joy. But I saw him frown. My heart sank. It took a long time before I heard his indifferent "Okay." ... The next morning, the room next to mine was empty. Even though we were engaged, Julian and I slept in separate rooms. He wasn't used to physical contact, and he was a bit of a germaphobe. I figured the wedding date was set anyway, so there was no rush. I checked my phone. 7:30 AM. Julian was usually still asleep. I wondered if he had gone out for a run when I heard Lily's voice downstairs. Urgent and hushed. "It wouldn't be good if Maya saw..." 3 I hurried to the stairs. In the corner of the living room, two shadows were intertwined. Seeing me, Lily pushed Julian away in a panic, her face flushed red. "Maya..." Julian turned slowly, adjusting his collar when he saw me. His expression was indifferent. "Lily has skin hunger. I'm just helping her cope. Don't overthink it." Skin hunger? I'd never heard of it. Julian always used terms I didn't know. Separation anxiety, Stockholm syndrome, avoidant attachment. He'd say coldly, "If you don't know, forget it." As if I were the unreasonable one for not understanding. Those terms became his shield, justifying everything he did. "Maya," Lily defended him, face still burning, "don't be mad at Brother. Don't fight because of me." Brother. A distant, unfamiliar title. I felt a moment of confusion. I didn't know when Julian stopped letting me call him that. "We aren't siblings. Just call me Julian." Back when I called him Brother, I had special privileges. I could do things his friends wouldn't dare. I could ask questions his family avoided. He would just sigh helplessly and let me be. Everyone said I was special to him. Ironically, I thought so too. "Brother?" I looked at him with a half-smile. "You're not siblings. Why call you that?" Julian frowned. "Maya, why are you so aggressive today?" "Lily is like a little sister to us. If she can call you sister, why can't she call me brother?" I looked at him calmly, searching for a trace of panic. None. His expression returned to that lofty pity. "Maya, when did you become like this?" He accused me lightly. "Did you consider Lily's feelings when you said that? She's just a high school girl. You're practically slandering her." "Just because it's a man and a woman, it has to be dirty in your eyes?" Beside him, Lily's ears turned redder as she lowered her head. Julian twisted the narrative. I became the villain. The living room fell into a dead silence. Seeing I didn't respond, Julian sighed and comforted me, "I think you're just stressed from work lately. Try not to think so negatively—" Before he could finish, a knock came from the entryway. I heard the housekeeper open the door. "Who... are you looking for?" A clear, clean male voice asked, "Does Maya Sterling live here?" I froze. I had so few friends. Even my deliveries were under aliases. Who would come looking for me? The voice sounded familiar. I pushed past Julian and walked to the door. A young man stood there, carrying bags, looking green and youthful. My mind went blank for a second. Hesitantly, I called out, "Caleb?" Hearing my voice, Caleb looked up. Seeing me, he broke into a grin, revealing his tiger teeth. "Maya!" Behind me, Julian and Lily walked over. Julian scanned him, then looked at me. He pursed his lips, frowning. "Who is he?" "Me?" Caleb smiled shyly. "Nice to meet you. Sorry to intrude." "I'm Maya's childhood friend. And also..." He looked up, meeting Julian's gaze calmly. He smirked slightly. "Also her childhood groom." 4 Julian froze. Beside him, Lily gasped, "Wow..." She shut up immediately after a glare from Julian. I stepped forward to explain. "Not a real groom. Just something my dad messed around with when we were kids..." I was sickly as a child. My grandparents heard some folk remedy about warding off bad luck. The best way was to find a boy my age to raise in the house. His "yang" energy would counteract my sickness. Later, my dad brought home a little boy. Caleb followed my dad silently. He was pale and delicate. All I knew was his mom abandoned him, and his dad didn't want him. My dad's business had just picked up, so feeding another kid wasn't a problem. So, Caleb and I spent our days picking fruit and watching cartoons. We became the village tyrant... and her sidekick. Caleb was timid back then, always getting bullied. My dad told me to protect him. So, relying on my dad's money, I beat up the bullies. All that exercise actually made me stronger. The summer after middle school, my dad came to take me to the city. My grandparents wanted to stay, so I was the only one leaving. My dad looked at Caleb with a complicated expression. "Caleb, your dad... misses you too. Come back with us." Caleb refused. He said he had no feelings for his father. "I promised Maya I'd stay and keep Grandpa and Grandma company. Besides, the high school in town is good. Don't worry about me, Uncle Sterling." I didn't understand the weird tension between them then. I just felt sad. I got in the car. Dust swirled behind the wheels. Caleb stood outside the courtyard, waving and smiling. His face slowly disappeared into the dust. Back at the Sterling mansion, my dad demanded I fit in with his friends' kids. They were born with silver spoons. I couldn't get a word in edgewise. I hid in the bathroom and cried when they looked down on me. My dad said I was unpresentable. At night, hiding under the covers, I complained to Caleb. He comforted me patiently, telling me I didn't need to please them. I mumbled, "If I don't please them, I won't have any friends." Caleb immediately pledged loyalty. "How could that be? Am I not your friend?" I wanted to say, You don't count. I need friends who can help me fit into this circle. Gradually, we had less to talk about. Until later, I told him, "I went to a gala with my dad today and met a really great guy! He's like a big brother." That day, I praised Julian endlessly. His knowledge, his class, his EQ, his taste. Caleb didn't reply instantly like usual. A long time later, he wrote: "Congratulations, Maya. You found a good friend." But I was too busy maintaining my new friendships. Chatting with Caleb went from weekly to monthly. Eventually, just holiday greetings. I heard from my grandparents that Caleb's dad took him back. Apparently, it was in a faraway city. I thought I'd never see him again. And yet... here he was, at my door.
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