Book 1: Chapter 5
1030 Words
Angela's POV
Saturday came like a bad dream I couldn’t wake up from.
The house buzzed with people, decorations, makeup artists, and dresses. I didn’t want to wear the dress, but my mom begged me to.
“You don’t have to be happy for me,” she said. “Just be there.”
I felt those words. It was clear she didn't need my opinion. She just wanted me to comply. That’s all.
It felt like she was saying, ‘if you’re not okay with it, then go to hell.’
Of course, I wore the dress—bitter and broken. My mother is marrying the man I once had an affair with and maybe… the man I still secretly want.
I stood in front of the mirror for a moment and stared at myself. I looked like a stranger. This wasn’t me.
I prepared for the wedding and, of course, I attended.
The wedding was perfect—for everyone else. For me, it felt fake. Forced. Rushed. Something didn’t feel right. It was like Mom didn’t even want this either… or maybe she had an ulterior motive.
After the ceremony, and the pastor had finally pronounced them husband and wife, I tried to sneak away, but I bumped into someone near the hallway.
Him again.
Caleb, my class president and also the nerd that kissed me yesterday just to make his ex jealous.
“Oh no…” I muttered under my breath. “You again?” I snapped angrily.
“Unfortunately,” he hissed back and started dusting invisible dirt from his collar like I was some trash he accidentally bumped into.
My mouth dropped open. “What are you doing here?!”
He looked me dead in the eye. “I could ask you the same thing.”
I noticed something—his suit was perfectly tailored, and he looked way too polished to be just another guest.
My chest tightened. Why is he here?
Honestly, I hoped I wouldn’t run into him again. I already had enough on my mind.
“f**k off,” I sneered, slamming my shoulder against his as I walked past.
I could feel his eyes on me as I walked away, but it didn’t last long because I quickly descended to the basement of the event hall.
It was cold and dark, but peaceful. I needed to breathe.
I stayed there for about an hour, crying quietly until my mom called me on the phone asking where I was. I cleaned my tears and hurried out of the basement. We all went home together.
Mom wouldn’t stop kissing Rookie in the car. I hated it. They kept acting like teenage lovers and it made me sick.
Later that night, our families gathered for a post-wedding dinner.
Mom sat beside her new husband, and I sat across from Rookie—like strangers tangled in a web of cold silence.
We couldn’t start eating yet because Rookie pleaded with us to wait for his son. He promised he’d be here soon.
I started operating my phone while the three of us waited for the hell of a son to arrive.
The table was full—except for one chair. My stepbrother’s.
“He’ll be here soon,” my new stepfather said softly. “Maybe running late.”
Mom scooted closer to him and scooped his hand gently into hers. “It’s okay… he’ll come. Don’t worry,” she said with a soft smile, then squeezed his hand.
Rookie nodded, but I could tell he was uneasy. He looked worried. Probably scared that his stubborn son wouldn’t show up again like last time.
Wow, I thought. This boy must be a serious troublemaker. I’ll need to set him straight when we finally meet.
I didn’t look up. I just kept pretending to scroll on my phone.
And then, the door suddenly flung open like we’d all been waiting for it.
I looked up.
Caleb walked in.
Hands in his pockets. Calm. Like it was just another evening.
“There he is!” Rookie smiled big. “That’s my son.”
I froze. My heart slammed against my ribs.
No. No. No. What the actual hell?
Why him?!
Caleb… was my new stepbrother.
The same boy who caught me cheating during the entrance exam.
The same boy who kissed me just to show off in front of his ex.
And worst of all…
The same boy whose father I once had a one-night stand with.
The same man who handled my abortion.
I looked down quickly, pretending to adjust my fork.
I couldn’t breathe.
My fingers were shaking around the fork I was holding.
I didn’t know whether to run or just pray to faint and never wake up.
This can’t be happening…
The boy who said I wasn’t worth his attention is now my stepbrother?
I tried to stay calm, but my body was trembling.
Dr. Rookie noticed. I saw it in his eyes. He was watching me too closely now.
“Good evening, everyone,” Caleb greeted, his voice calm.
Without saying anything else, he sat right next to me.
Why here? Why does it have to be next to me?
I could barely use my lungs. They stopped working.
Now, I had two deadly secrets weighing on me.
The first one—my stepfather. My mom had no idea I had a one-night stand with her husband. She has no idea he handled my abortion after my useless boyfriend, Henry, dumped me.
The second—my stepbrother. Caleb knows I cheated. He kissed me. He insulted me. He made me feel useless.
And now… we’re a family?
Just like that?
My mom has always believed I was smart, always top of the class. She has no clue I’ve been cheating my way through school. And now, the one person who knows… is sitting beside me at the dinner table as my stepbrother.
Most importantly…
I was still scared of the way my heart reacted around Rookie.
I looked at the table and felt like crying.
And in that moment, one question echoed in my head;
How the hell am I going to survive this?
- Writer
