Chapter 1

My older brother calls me "sweetheart" and sends me money. His fiancée, however, assumed I was his mistress. She rallied her relatives and stormed into the newly renovated house I had meticulously designed.

"A young girl like you, playing the mistress? I'll teach you the lesson your parents never did."

"I'm going to expose this on your school's forum. Let your teachers and classmates see exactly what kind of girl you are—the kind who only knows how to climb into men's beds."

They vandalized the new house and tore my clothes. They hung my student ID around my neck and took humiliating photos.

When my brother finally arrived, his eyes were bloodshot.

"What is wrong with you? Do you have nothing better to do than bully my sister?"

...

Final exam week had arrived, and I brought a stack of textbooks to my brother's new house, hoping to study in peace.

I had barely opened my book for a few minutes when a loud knock echoed from the front door. Assuming it was the potted plants I had ordered, I opened it without a second thought.

"Look, everyone. The truth about Julian's mistress is finally out," a short girl with heavy makeup announced. She held a selfie stick, and the phone attached to it nearly poked me in the face the second the door swung open.

A whole crowd stood behind her.

"Who are you? Did you get the wrong address?" I asked, frowning.

Before I could finish my thought, the group shoved their way inside, forcing me back into the house.

"So this is the kept woman Julius has been hiding on the side. She isn't even that pretty," one of the women muttered. The group sized me up with obvious hostility, making my skin crawl and a deep sense of unease settle in my chest.

"Why are you breaking into a private residence? Please leave immediately," I said anxiously, reaching for my phone. But the tall woman with wavy hair, who seemed to be leading the pack, snatched it right out of my hand.

"Think you can call for help? Not a chance," she spat, glaring at me with pure malice. "Playing the mistress and trying to steal my fiancé? I'll show you a thing or two today."

Before I could even process what she meant by "mistress" and "fiancé," a sharp slap struck across my face.

"Look at her, everyone. See how innocent this mistress is pretending to be? Just look at her, and you can tell exactly what kind of women men fall for," the woman who slapped me sneered, rubbing her hand. "Quit the act. Are you going to tell me you don't know Julian? You're not sleeping with my fiancé?"

Julian is my brother. But what was this nonsense about being a mistress? I had always relied on the money my mother left me to cover my expenses.

"I know Julian. I'm his sister," I declared, my anger flaring. I had never been slapped before in my life. "Now that you know Julian is my brother, get out of my house immediately."

"You shameless hussy. You young girls are experts at faking sibling relationships. I spit on that," the woman hissed, maliciously pinching the cheek she had just struck. The pain was so sharp that tears welled up in my eyes, but I couldn't manage to push her hand away.

"Vanessa, look at this house. It's so big and magnificent. Julian must be incredibly generous to this little vixen."

Vanessa? The name clicked in my mind. I shoved her hand away with all my strength and covered my stinging cheek.

"Are you Vanessa? My brother's girlfriend?"

Hearing my words only seemed to make the crowd angrier.

"She knows she's the mistress and still flaunts it. Friends, this is truly beyond the pale. Take a good look at this shameless girl," she said, shoving her phone in my face again. Realizing she was live-streaming, a surge of anger washed over me, and I swiped the device out of her hand, sending it clattering to the floor.

"Get that camera out of my face. I am not a mistress. Vanessa..."

Before I could finish my sentence, the live-streamer kicked me hard in the stomach. I stumbled back, doubling over in agony.

"I am Julian's sister, his own flesh and blood," I gritted out through the pain, clutching my stomach.

Everyone in the room froze for a second, turning to look at Vanessa in unison.

"Does Julian have a sister?" someone asked.

Vanessa's expression turned ugly. "Yes, he does have a sister."

"Could we have made a mistake? If we really just assaulted Julian's sister, this is going to be terrible..." Murmurs of doubt began rippling through the crowd.

"She's lying," Vanessa snapped. "She isn't Julian's sister at all."

Then she turned to the livestream camera.

She ordered. “Let’s give the viewers a real show.”