Chapter 20
Chapter 2
A few days later, my birthday was coming up.
Dad told Marcus to get some custom dresses made for me for the occasion.
When Marcus came back, he basically just tossed the garment bags at me.
“Dad had these made for you. Make sure you wear one to your birthday party p>
I could hear the disgust dripping from his voice, but I just gave him an awkward smile and brushed at a stain on my current outfit.
“Do I gross you out or something, Marcus? I know this isn’t much, but it’s literally the cleanest thing I own. These dresses are gorgeous though–thank you so much p>
For a split second, Marcus looked like he might actually feel bad about being such a dick. He opened his mouth to say something, but Charlotte swooped in like a vulture.
“Wow, those dresses are absolutely stunning…Ever since Sophia came home, it feels like you guys have totally forgotten about me p>
She turned those puppy dog eyes on Marcus.
Holy shit, this girl’s acting skills are next level!
Marcus immediately went into damage control mode. “Are you kidding me, Charlotte? Look what I got you p>
He then opened his palm and dropped a set of car keys.
Charlotte’s eyes immediately lit up. “Oh my God, is that the new Porsche? Marcus, you’re the best big brother ever p>
And Marcus was practically glowing with pride. “Of course! You’re my one and only little sister p>
One and only? Seriously?
I had to bite my tongue to keep from rolling my eyes, but Charlotte wasn’t done with her performance yet.
She still put on her shy little voice. “But Sophia’s dresses are so beautiful… I’ve never had anything that pretty p>
I decided to call her bluff. “Do you want them, Charlotte? ”
She just went into modest mode. “Oh no, I couldn’t… I wouldn’t dare take something that’s yours p>
So I decided to play dumb and call her out directly.
“A Porsche costs what, like two hundred grand? These dresses are maybe ten K total p>
“Seems like Marcus treats you way better than me. What exactly are you complaining about? You think he’s not spoiling you enough p>
Charlotte started backpedaling fast. “No, no, that’s not what I meant at all p>
“The car and the dresses are both from Marcus’s heart–I would never put a price tag on that! It’s just… he’s never picked out clothes for me before p>
“But if you really want the car, Sophia… I guess I could give it to you p>
Then she played her final card, looking up at Marcus with those wounded doe eyes.
“Perfect.” Before Marcus could even react, I snatched those keys right out of his hand. “Thanks, Charlotte. I’ll take it p>
Of course, Mom walked in at exactly that moment and immediately gave me the stink eye. “Sophia! You’re supposed to be the older sister here. How can you just take your little sister’s things p>
Chapter 2
I quickly put on my most innocent face. “But Charlotte said she wanted to give it to me p>
Mom looked at Charlotte, who was already working up the waterworks again, and her voice got all sharp.
“Sophia, I get that you’re still adjusting to life here, but you can’t be this selfish with your sister p>
“Selfish?” I blinked like I was genuinely confused. “But shouldn’t these things be mine anyway p>
“You-” Mom started to go off on me, but Dad cut her off.
“Sophia’s right. We’ve owed her big time for all these years. It’s about time we start making up for it p>
He looked at Charlotte. “You’ve got plenty of cars, honey. Let Sophia have this one p>
Then Dad folded his newspaper and stood up. “Come on, sweetheart. I’ve got time to take you to get your driver’s license sorted out today p>
“Thanks, Daddy!” I beamed at him.
As we headed out, I heard Mom sigh behind us. “We’re going to spoil her rotten at this rate p>
She stomped upstairs while Marcus tried to comfort Charlotte. “Don’t be mad at Dad, okay? I’ll get you something even better next time p>
Charlotte nodded like the perfect little angel. “Don’t worry, Marcus. I’m not mad at Daddy or Sophia p>
But even as she said it, the look in her eyes got darker and more vicious than ever.
Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.