Chapter 1

After getting accepted into Stanford University, my parents decided to reward me by buying a small house near the campus.

My brother’s girlfriend, though, seems to think she has him wrapped around her finger and acts like she owns the place.

She threw out all my stuff from the house and had the nerve to warn me:

“Your brother is the only heir of the Sterling family, so I’m the lady of this house now. Stop hanging around here eating for free and be smart—pack up and leave!”

I immediately recorded her little act on video and posted it in our Sterling Family Group Chat on WhatsApp, writing:

“If this kind of trash gets into our family, consider me, Harper Sterling, a failure!”

My name is Harper Sterling, and I have a fraternal twin brother, Ethan Sterling.

Growing up, I was always the one being pampered by my parents, while Ethan was more like someone they picked up out of a dumpster.

Take this instance as an example: I got accepted into Stanford University, which is about a 30-minute drive from home. Even though it’s not far, my parents went all out and bought me a small house near campus so I could have my own private space without worrying about noisy roommates.

As it happens, Ethan also got accepted into Stanford.

But for him, my parents said, “Boys are fine in dorms. No need for private space. No fuss.”

Ethan practically begged me with tears in his eyes, and since I have a soft spot for him, I agreed to let him have a room in the house.

Although they bought me the house, I still preferred living in the dorms with my friends, so I stayed on campus. My parents would only stay in the house for a few nights when they visited me and Ethan.

Today, I got a delivery call saying my package had arrived and been left at the front door.

That’s when I realized I had mistakenly put the house address instead of my dorm address.

Since I didn’t have any afternoon classes, I decided to walk over and grab it.

The house wasn’t far—just a 10-minute walk. Standing outside the front door, I figured since I was already there, I might as well stay the night and head back to campus tomorrow.

I confidently punched in the entry code, but it was wrong. Not thinking much of it, I tried again.

After three failed attempts, all showing incorrect, I knew something was off.

I snapped a picture of the error message and sent it to the Sterling Family Group Chat.

Before I could even type a message, Ethan called.

“Is the lock broken or something? Why does it keep showing the wrong password?” I asked, frustrated.

Ethan hesitated on the other end, sounding nervous. “Uh, sis, mom and dad aren’t visiting. Why are you home all of a sudden?”

It was blazing hot outside, and I was getting cranky. “What’s with all the questions? What’s wrong with the lock? Did you change the password?”

“Sis, don’t get upset! We’re just about to finish class. We’ll be there in a few minutes. Just wait a bit!”

Clearly terrified of me losing my temper, Ethan hung up in a hurry.

What’s the big deal? Couldn’t he have just told me the new password?

Annoyed, I stood in the shade, waiting for Ethan.

Fifteen minutes later, Ethan came rushing over, and I noticed a girl following behind him, walking at a leisurely pace.

So that’s why he said “we.” He’s dating someone.

The girl, Madison “Maddie” Cole, had flawless, fair skin and perfectly applied makeup. But as she walked over, she shot me an unfriendly look, as if I had interrupted her date and offended her.

Sensing that I was on the verge of exploding, Ethan quickly handed me an ice-cold Coke.

“Sis, this is Maddie. Maddie, my girlfriend. She’s been staying here for a few days.”

I took the Coke, and it cooled me down a bit, but the second I realized my brother had his girlfriend staying at the house without even telling me, my anger reignited.

Ethan, knowing my temper all too well, immediately added, “Maddie, this is my sister, Harper. She’s in the finance department at school.”

Maddie clearly didn’t want to talk. It wasn’t until Ethan nudged her that she gave me a half-hearted nod as a greeting.