Chapter 1

I brought my mom and aunt to see the house I’d just bought.

But when I opened the door, I found my cousin wearing my clothes and rolling around on the couch with my boyfriend.

My aunt made the decision right then and there. “You haven’t even let him touch you. Just let Natalie have Ryan.”

Looking at the faces of these people who called themselves my family, I was secretly laughing.

None of them knew I’d been waiting three whole months for this day.

The door was barely open a crack when my family and I heard my cousin’s shameless moans.

“Oh, baby… who’s better, me or Evelyn?”

“You, of course, sweetheart…”

My boyfriend, Ryan Miller, was panting. Even then, he couldn’t resist taking a shot at me.

“Your cousin’s such a prude. She won’t even let me touch her!”

“She’s nowhere near as dirty as you. God, you feel so good.”

I instinctively tried to close the door, but my aunt, standing behind me, wasn’t having it.

She had always been hot-tempered and domineering.

She pushed straight past me and shoved the door wide open.

In the sparsely furnished living room, two bodies were tangled together.

The door slammed against the wall, startling them out of their lust-filled haze.

Natalie turned toward the noise. When she saw the three of us walking into the living room, she screamed, covered herself as best she could, and cowered behind Ryan.

Ryan looked furious. I couldn’t tell whether it was because we’d interrupted him right before the finish line or because so many people had caught him in the act.

“Ryan, you’re Evelyn’s boyfriend! How could you sleep with her cousin?”

My aunt glared at his bare chest, her voice booming. “What’s Natalie supposed to do now? Who’s going to marry her?”

“Stop yelling! Your daughter’s the one who seduced me!”

Ryan rubbed his ear irritably, then looked past everyone to me, standing silently at the back.

Ever since we’d started dating, I’d gone along with almost everything he wanted. I’d never even raised my voice at him.

When our eyes met, I let hurt and confusion fill my face.

My aunt was still screaming and cursing. I took a deep breath and worked up the courage to ask:

“Aunt Diane, fighting won’t solve anything. What do you want to do about this?”

“What do I want to do?”

At my question, her sharp tongue finally stopped.

Her eyes darted around before discreetly moving away from the expensive watch on Ryan’s wrist.

“Evelyn, we all heard what they said. You and Ryan haven’t actually done anything yet…”

“Why don’t you let Natalie have him?”

“No!” I rejected her demand without hesitation. “Anything but that.”

Seeing how firm I was, Natalie Brooks panicked behind Ryan.

She stuck her head out and snapped, “Evelyn Hayes, are you out of your mind?”

“Your boyfriend’s already slept with me, and you’re still treating him like some kind of prize?”

I opened my mouth to argue, but my timid mother, who hadn’t said a word since we arrived, finally moved. She reached out and caught my arm.

“Evie, your aunt does have a point. Maybe… you should let Natalie have Ryan?”

“Mom?!” I turned to stare at her in disbelief.

She knew how unreasonable and unfair the request was. She lowered her head, too ashamed to meet my eyes.

“You’re older. You should let your younger cousin have her way…”

I’d heard those words countless times growing up.

Natalie had always loved taking my things. Whenever I cried or fought back, Mom would use that same line to comfort me.

My eyes reddened with hurt, but I still refused.

“I’m not giving Ryan up to anyone!”

“Everyone makes mistakes. Yes, he betrayed me, but I love him. I’m willing to forgive him!”

I’d made my position clear. No amount of cursing from my aunt and Natalie, or pleading from my mother, could change my mind.

Watching the chaos, Ryan’s lips curled upward. Apparently, he was very pleased with my performance.

I’d protected his pride and given his ego an enormous boost.

Only then did he graciously announce his decision, as though bestowing a reward.

“I’m not some object you can pass around.”

“For now, I have no plans to break up with Evelyn.”

At that, the room finally went quiet.

I tried and tried to hold it in, but eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore. I rushed out the door.

I was afraid that if I stayed another second, I’d burst out laughing.

God. What an arrogant, delusional loser.