My Boyfriend's Innocent Sister Ruined His Life

My boyfriend brought me back to his family estate. His adopted sister had just gotten out of the pool when the strap of her bikini snapped. With hardly any fabric to begin with, she let out a sharp gasp, clutched her hands over her chest, and sprinted straight toward my boyfriend. "Julian! My strap snapped! Hurry and tie it for me!" The butler and the maids instantly cast their eyes to the floor. Julian acted as if this were completely routine. Taking her by the wrist, he turned her around and skillfully tied the knot. As he finished, his hand casually slid down her bare back. "What kind of cheap crap are you buying?" he teased. "Next time, let me buy you something better." My vision went black with rage. "Julian!" I snapped. "Are my words a joke to you?" Mia glanced back at me, looking timid and innocent. "Chloe, please don't overthink it. Julian practically raised me. This is nothing." "If there were actually anything between us, I'd already be the mistress of this house, wouldn't I?" With that, she turned back to him, her voice dripping with playful whining. "Julian, how many times have I told you? After tying the strap, you have to gather it forward from behind so my curves look right!" "You're like a piece of wood. You completely ruined the shape." Mia reached right inside her bikini top, adjusting herself right in front of Julian without a shred of shame. Julian didn't look away either. His gaze lingered on her exposed chest for two whole seconds. Then, sighing with helpless amusement, he actually reached out his hand to help her. "Mia, don't you have hands?" Unable to take it any longer, I marched forward and shoved myself between them. "Julian, do you think I'm dead? Is that something you just casually help with?" "I don't care if you grew up together. You're an adult man and woman. Have you two completely lost your minds?" The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I had always known Julian had an adopted sister. What I didn't know was that they were intimate to this extent—they had blown right past any acceptable boundaries. With all the staff watching and with me standing right here, they were doing this out in the open. I didn't even want to imagine what they did behind closed doors! The moment my voice faded, silence fell over the patio. Suddenly, Julian let out a chuckle and pulled me into his arms. "Are you jealous?" He nuzzled his nose against the curve of my neck. "You're right, baby. I'll watch myself from now on. Don't be mad, okay?" "Besides, Mia is just a kid to me. Looking at her is no different from looking at my own daughter." That was pouring gasoline on a fire. He still genuinely saw nothing wrong with his actions. A daughter? What kind of father ties his twenty-year-old daughter's bikini top and strokes her bare back? Disgusted, I shoved his hands away. Before Julian could say anything, Mia clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Alright, Chloe. Julian soothing you once is playful romance. Keeping this up just makes you ungrateful." Julian's mother, Eleanor, walked over carrying a platter of sliced fruit, a polished smile on her face. "Chloe, dear, it's your first time visiting the estate. Don't spoil the mood over something so petty. Julian and Mia are just very close. You'll get used to it." She handed me a slice of melon. "Mia lost her parents when she was little, so we treat her as our own flesh and blood. Julian treats her like the center of his universe. You just need to be a little more understanding." I trembled with rage. Everyone around me was looking at me like I was making a mountain out of a molehill. Including Julian, who didn't think his behavior or his family's words were problematic in the slightest. I took a deep breath, about to speak, when Mia suddenly complained at the top of her lungs. She stamped her foot at Julian. "Julian, I'm starving! Didn't you say the private chef was cooking today? I can't wait any longer!" Julian's brow furrowed immediately. He turned to me, his tone noticeably colder. "Are you done throwing a fit? Can we go inside and eat now? Mia has a sensitive stomach. She gets cramps if she waits too long." In that split second, my heart turned to ice. I was throwing a fit? Every single breath was about Mia. If Mia wanted to eat, I was expected to swallow my humiliation. With a "sister" like this, why did he even need a girlfriend? I closed my eyes, forcing down the stinging tears. "I'm done throwing a fit. And I'm done with you. Julian, we're over." The moment I turned around, I paused and looked back at Mia. "By the way, since your sibling bond runs so deep, sharing a bed should bring you even closer." "I wish you and your brother a lifetime of happiness."I strode toward the front gate. Julian lunged forward and grabbed me, his grip so fierce it made me stumble. He clutched my wrist tightly enough to bruise bone. "In front of my family, could you give me some damn face? Stop being so unreasonable!" "Whatever you want to eat, I'll have the driver pick it up after dinner, and then I'll take you out shopping, okay?" His voice softened, acting as if he was offering a massive compromise. I scoffed. Everything took a backseat to his precious sister. What was I to him? I ripped my arm out of his grasp and looked down at my red, throbbing wrist. I sneered, "Don't bother, Julian." With that, I turned around and walked away without looking back. This time, Julian didn't chase after me. Behind me, I could hear Mia's gloating voice. "Julian, is she crazy? We've said a hundred times we're brother and sister, yet she's obsessed with imagining we're hooking up. She has severe paranoia!" Eleanor was sighing too. "Julian, is this really the kind of girl you like? She has a terrible temper. She'll only cause trouble for you in public." Julian rubbed his temples in frustration, slinging an arm over Mia's shoulder as they walked toward the dining room. "Mom, drop it, it's giving me a headache. Forget about her. If she wants to leave, let her leave." "Come on, Mia. Let me take you inside for your favorite dessert." Tears finally flooded my eyes. I fought desperately to hold them in, completely breaking down only after I slumped into the back of a taxi. For this man, I had turned down a secure, prestigious job offer arranged by my parents back home and moved across the country to his city all on my own. Three years together. I truly believed our love was unbreakable. I was an absolute idiot. The moment I got back to the apartment we shared, I started packing my bags. For two full days, Julian didn't make a single call or send a single text. Refusing to humiliate myself any further, I began replanning my life. I messaged the HR director of a firm I had previously turned down, asking if the Director's Assistant position was still available. They replied almost instantly, confirming the opening and asking when I could start. I locked in next Monday. Just when I thought this chapter was closed and I was ready to move on, the doorbell rang. I opened the door to find Julian standing on the threshold holding a massive bouquet of blue roses, his face devoid of any genuine remorse. "Surprise!" He forced a stiff smile, thrusting the flowers into my arms like someone completing a chore. "Baby, I came to make it up to you. Forgive me, please?" As he spoke, his eyes darted past my shoulder, scanning the apartment as if checking on something. Before I could say a word, Mia popped out from behind him. She shoved a sleek, designer box into my hands, beaming with a faux-sweet smile. "Chloe, don't be mad anymore. If a woman stays angry all the time, her skin wrinkles so quickly." With that, she kicked off her heels and slipped into a pair of slippers as if she owned the place, strutting straight inside. Those were my favorite plush slippers—the ones Julian had bought for me. Julian immediately followed her inside, not even sparing me a glance. All his focus was on Mia. "Careful, don't slip." He led me over to the couch. "See, baby? Mia came all this way just to apologize to you." He popped open the box. Resting on the velvet cushion was a necklace with a massive diamond that threw blinding facets of light. "The 'Heart of the Ocean' piece you lingered on at the charity auction last time. I bought it for you. Do you love it?" My heart gave a faint jolt. Before I could process it, he stepped behind me and fastened the cool chain around my neck. "Gorgeous," he murmured, his breath brushing against my ear. "It suits you perfectly." Mia, who had been lingering quietly beside us, suddenly spoke up, her voice laced with expertly measured envy. "Chloe is so lucky. Julian treats you so well, I'm practically jealous." She stepped closer, her eyes glued to the necklace on my chest. Her lips pouted slightly, and her eyes welled with tears. "Julian, in all the years I've grown up with you, you've never bought me a gift this expensive. Last time at the auction, I told you how much I loved this necklace, and you totally pretended not to hear me..." The warmth on Julian's face froze instantly, replaced by guilt and indulgence toward his sister. He coaxed, "Be a good girl, Mia. Next time something nice comes up, I'll buy it for you first." "I don't want next time! I want this one!" Mia started whining, grabbing onto my arm. "Chloe, you're the sweetest. Can I just borrow this necklace for a second? Just for a minute, so I can see how it looks and satisfy my wish..." "I—" Before I could finish, Julian frowned with impatience and cut me off. "Just let her try it on. It's only a necklace. Mia likes it so much, why are you being so petty with her?"Without even waiting for my answer, Julian unclasped the necklace he had just placed on me and fastened it around Mia's neck instead. "Julian, my neck definitely does this justice. Look, doesn't it look amazing?" Mia instantly beamed through her tears, twirling around in delight. Julian chuckled in agreement, his gaze filled with adoration. "Everything looks good on our Mia. You're a natural model." Watching the two of them flirt and tease each other, bile rose in the back of my throat. The necklace that was supposed to be mine hadn't even stayed on my neck for a full minute before becoming a prop to flatter another woman. I forced a stiff, hollow smirk. "Did you two come over today just to make me sick?" Mia shook her head with wide, innocent eyes. "Chloe, how can you say that?" "Julian bought you the Heart of the Ocean just to appease you! He's never even bought me jewelry that expensive!" "He asked for my advice before coming here. I just got back from overseas and was sleeping off jet lag, but his call woke me right up!" "Seriously, he's a grown man and doesn't even know how to romance a woman. You really need to train him better, Chloe." Julian playfully tapped her on the head. "Alright, that's enough. What kind of sister talks about her brother like that in front of an outsider?" "How am I an outsider? I'm your closest sister!" In the blink of an eye, the two of them were giggling and messing around again. The diamonds on Mia's neck flashed across my vision, stinging my eyes. I silently questioned what momentary madness had possessed me to open the door for them in the first place. Nearby, Julian was tickling Mia, making her dissolve into breathy laughter. "Fine, you want to pick on me? I'm showing Chloe all your embarrassing dirt!" She broke free, scrambled over, and sat right next to me on the couch, pulling out her phone and opening her photo gallery. My face remained cold. I wanted to see just how low their morals could sink. She clicked on a video. The screen showed the private study at the Hayes estate. Julian was reviewing documents at his desk. Mia, dressed in a slinky silk slip nightgown, walked in carrying a glass of warm milk. She set the milk on the desk, but instead of leaving, she sat directly on Julian's lap. "Julian, you haven't read me a bedtime story in forever." Julian put down his pen, looking at her with fond resignation. "How old are you, still asking for bedtime stories?" Mia looped her arms around his neck, pouting. "I don't care. I want one." Suddenly, she leaned down and kissed Julian right on the lips. "That's your deposit." On screen, Julian froze. Then his Adam's apple bobbed, and his gaze darkened with raw hunger. He didn't push her away. Instead, his hand slid up her back, his voice dropping to a gravelly rasp. "You little temptress." The video cut off abruptly with a violent tremor, clearly showing the person filming had been shaken. Beside me on the couch, Mia was practically crying with laughter. She dabbed at the corners of her eyes. "Chloe, I swear, Julian is such a prude. I was just teasing him, and his face turned red as a tomato." "Of course, he didn't disappoint me afterward. He carried me back to my room and read to me all night long." "Honestly, though, Chloe... are things a little dry between you two in the bedroom? Because his reaction was insane." The video had ended, frozen on Julian's face full of undisguised lust. Beside her, Julian reached over and flicked Mia's forehead hard. "What nonsense are you spewing? Chloe and I have a great sex life. You don't need to stick your nose into it." Mia refused to back down, and the two tumbled into another round of playful wrestling, oblivious to anyone else. Her phone had been tossed onto the couch cushion. Calmly, I picked it up, forwarded that video—along with several other nauseatingly intimate clips in her hidden album—to my own phone. Then, I deleted the transmission log. By the time they wore themselves out, Julian finally remembered I was in the room. His breathing was slightly ragged as he looked down at me, his tone laced with condescending generosity. "Alright, you saw it yourself. Even in a situation like that, all I did was read her a story. You're the one in my heart, and that's all that matters." "So, stop throwing tantrums, okay? Let's just live our lives." A knot of fury lodged in my chest. He actually thought he was the victim here? I swallowed the rage whole and smiled, nodding gently. "Alright. I know I was wrong. I won't do it again." I was wrong, alright. Wrong for thinking I could just quietly walk away with a clean break. For scum and a manipulative snake like them, if I didn't drag their reputations through the mud, how could I ever avenge the three years of devotion I'd wasted?