Chapter 1 In a gaming group chat, my finger slipped, and I accidentally sent a picture of my freshly pedicured feet. Within half an hour of unsending it, a guy randomly DMed me. “Hey gorgeous, wanna duo queue?” For the next two months, he flirted with me relentlessly, calling me “baby” this and “babe” that every single day. Until one day, he asked about my weight. I was completely honest. “Around 130 lbs.” The other side went dead silent. He didn’t log online for two whole days. But on the third day, he suddenly became overly enthusiastic again, even clingier than before. He even started randomly sending me money and buying me gifts in the game. Fast forward to move-in day at my younger brother’s college. As I was helping him get settled into his dorm, I overheard his new roommate bragging to some guys down the hall. “So I was online dating this chick over the summer. Huge mistake. Her feet were absolutely gorgeous, right? So I asked, and she told me she weighed over 130 pounds.” “Bro, I was terrified. She’s built like a tank. Who could even stomach that?” The whole dorm room erupted in laughter. “So what happened then?” He laughed, sounding incredibly smug. “I didn’t even want to bother dealing with the drama of breaking up with her. I figured she’d just obsess over me. So, I literally just posted her account online and sold her to someone else.” “And get this—some poor bastard actually bought it! Now he’s in her DMs calling her ‘baby’ and ‘wifey’ every day. It’s hilarious.” I looked down at my own body—curvy, fit, and perfectly proportioned. I didn’t say a word. Just then, my brother walked in carrying a case of water bottles. “Hey, sis. Drink some water.” I took one from him. “I left your stuff right here. I’m gonna head out.” The new roommate turned around and saw me. His eyes instantly lit up. At that exact moment, my phone vibrated in my pocket. [Baby, where are you? I miss you so much.] 1 When Chase finally got a good look at my face, he scrambled to his feet so fast he nearly knocked his chair over. “Hey, let me help you with that.” I was literally just holding an empty paper bag. My brother, Leo, handed me the water and shot Chase a thoroughly confused look. “Why are you so eager all of a sudden?” Chase immediately forced out a couple of awkward laughs. “Hey, we’re roommates now, gotta look out for each other, right?” He casually threw his arm around my brother’s shoulder. “We’re bros now. If you ever need anything, just let me know. I actually have an older cousin who’s a TA here at the university.” Leo shrugged his arm off in disgust. “I’m good.” Chase just smiled, totally unfazed. He turned his attention back to me, the sheer awe in his eyes completely undisguised. “You’re Leo’s older sister, right? I’m Chase.” I nodded. “Chloe.” He said: “That’s a really pretty name.” “And you’re really gorgeous, too.” “Not like this chick I met online over the summer. I only ever saw her feet…” “Get this. I asked her weight, and guess what?” “Over 130 pounds.” He finished his little story and offered a fake, casual chuckle. “I’m not trying to be mean, but some people just have zero self-awareness.” “Not like you, Chloe. You clearly take care of yourself. You have great vibes.” The other two guys in the dorm room exchanged extremely awkward glances. Leo frowned deeply. “You can talk to whoever you want, but why are you trash-talking someone else like that?” Chase froze, quickly waving his hands. “No, no, I was just making conversation!” Then he looked at me again, as if terrified he had offended me, and quickly added: “Please don’t misunderstand, Chloe. I don’t have a prejudice against weight or anything.” I looked at him and smiled. “Is that right?” Chase thought he had smoothed things over and nodded enthusiastically. “Of course! I just think… some people are so fake online, you know?” “I prefer girls who are confident and put-together in real life. Like you. It’s just a better vibe.” Leo was visibly annoyed now. He shoved his suitcase toward his bed. “Sis, I can unpack the rest myself. You have that freelance project due, right? You should head back.” I murmured an agreement. I really did have a deadline. I had to fight tooth and nail just to get half a day off to help Leo move in today. But Chase clearly didn’t want me to leave. He took two steps toward me. “Hey, before you go… can I get your Snapchat or something?” Leo looked up, glaring. “Why do you need her Snapchat?” “Just in case you ever need anything! Your sister can reach out to me.” Leo looked at him like he was insane. “If I need something, why would my sister reach out to you?” “What gives you the right?” I gently pulled Leo back, looked at the QR code Chase was holding out to me, and smiled. “Sure.” I switched my phone to an alt account I barely ever used. The profile picture was a black cat, the display name was “Seven,” and the feed was completely empty. When Chase saw that I had scanned his code, the smug smile on his face was practically bursting. The second I accepted the friend request, he fired off a message: [Let’s definitely keep in touch.] Leo scratched his head in frustration. “Whatever. Come on, I’ll walk you out.” Chase immediately tried to tag along. “I… I can walk her out too.” I smiled and politely declined. “I can find my own way out. It’s your first day, you guys should focus on unpacking.” I turned and walked away. As I reached the stairwell, my phone vibrated again. J: [Baby baby baby, why are you ignoring me?] J: [You haven’t talked to me in two hours.] J: [I miss you.] I stared at the screen for two full seconds. The “poor bastard” Chase was just mocking in there… was him. So those two days of radio silence over the summer wasn’t the same guy giving me the cold shoulder and then changing his mind. The account had literally changed hands. I had been wondering why he suddenly became so insanely clingy, and why he kept randomly sending me money and buying me expensive skins in the game. I thought our relationship was just escalating. I had no idea I was talking to an entirely different human being. Standing on the landing of the stairwell, I replied to the guy on the other end: [I’m at Easton University. I was helping my little brother move into his dorm today.] He instantly replied with a wildly excited sticker. J: [Your brother goes to Easton?! I’m at Easton too!] J: [Does that mean I can finally see you today?!] Oh, I was definitely going to see him. Just not right now. I replied: [I’m really busy today. Maybe next time.] J: [Aww, okay. Don’t work too hard.] J: [Don’t forget to eat dinner!] Immediately after, a notification popped up for a $100 Venmo transfer. I stared at it for a long time, debating whether I should accept it or not, before deciding to just pretend I didn’t see it. As soon as I walked out of the dorm building, my alt account pinged. Chase: [Are you downstairs yet?] Chase: [I didn’t get a chance to ask earlier, but do you play any games?] Chase: [I’m actually pretty highly ranked. I could carry you.] I let out a short laugh. Carry me? Using whose account? I didn’t reply. Chapter 2 2 By 7:20 the next morning, the second I unlocked my alt account, he had already spammed me with six messages. Chase: [Morning!] Chase: [Did you eat breakfast yet?] Chase: [Leo and I are heading to the dining hall, want me to grab you something?] Chase: [Oh wait, forgot you don’t live on campus lol.] Chase: [Do you prefer sweet or savory?] Chase: [I’ll buy you something next time.] On my main account, J was also messaging me. J: [Good morning.] J: [It’s getting cold today, make sure you wear a jacket.] J: [I had a dream about you last night.] J: [But I couldn’t see your face clearly, and I woke up anxious.] J: [Baby, when can I finally look at you legally?] Me: “…” He was seriously clingy. Like a golden retriever pawing at my leg through the screen. That afternoon, Leo sent me a screenshot of a text conversation. Chase: [What kind of guys is your sister into?] Leo: [I don’t know.] Chase: [You’re her brother, how do you not know?] Leo: [My sister likes guys who respect women.] Chase: [I respect women.] Leo: [Usually, guys who have to say that out loud are garbage.] I laughed so hard my shoulders shook, and I Venmoed him 50 bucks. Leo accepted it instantly. Leo: [Sis, is he hitting on you?] Me: [What do you think?] Leo: [I think he is.] A minute later. Leo: [But he’s so greasy. Please tell me you don’t like him.] Me: [My brain functions perfectly fine, thank you.] Leo: [Good.] That night, J invited me to play a few matches. I originally wanted to ignore him. But I needed to figure out exactly what was going on with this account transfer. Once we loaded into the lobby, he turned his mic on and deliberately deepened his voice to sound smooth. “Baby, baby.” “Good evening!” I asked: “Were you at Easton University today?” “Yeah.” “What do you do on campus?” “I’m a grad student. And a TA for the undergrads.” I suddenly felt the urge to ask him his name. “What’s your name?” The line went quiet for a second. “Liam.” I committed the name to memory. Liam. The poor bastard Chase had been laughing at. I said: “I’m Chloe.” He said: “You asking me that out of nowhere… does this mean we’re going to meet up soon?” Before I could answer, he kept going: “Or maybe not.” “But I’m still really happy.” I heard a very soft, muffled laugh through the mic. Like he was genuinely smiling to himself on the other end. Suddenly, he let out a dramatic sigh. “Chloe, I really, really like you~” My finger slipped on the keyboard, and my character died instantly. I asked him: “Are you always this forward?” “No.” His tone turned completely serious. “Only with you.” He quickly added: “If you don’t want to hear it, I’ll shut up.” “But before I shut up, can I say one more thing?” “I really missed you today.” Chapter 3 3 The next day, Leo texted me. Leo: [Sis, there’s something wrong with this guy.] Me: [What do you mean?] Leo: [He was bragging in the dorm today about how pretty you are. Saying that older women are “his flavor.”] My fingers froze over the keyboard. Leo: [I told him to shut the fuck up.] Leo: [Don’t worry, sis.] I replied: [Do not throw the first punch.] Leo: [Depends on how he acts.] Me: [Leo.] Leo: [Alright, alright. I won’t cause trouble for you.] But the very next afternoon, he called me. The first thing he said was: “Sis, I got into a fight with Chase.” Hearing that, I shot up from my chair. “You did what?” Leo’s voice sounded muffled. “We fought.” “Are you hurt?” “No.” “Leo. Tell me the truth.” He paused for two seconds. “Ugh, just a scratch. It’s not a big deal.” “Where is Chase?” “I beat the shit out of him. His face and his shirt are covered in…” I actually let out a shameful sigh of relief. At least it sounded like my brother didn’t lose. I cut him off. “Why did you fight?” Leo didn’t answer. I put my pen down. “Tell me.” “He wouldn’t shut his mouth.” “What did he say?” Leo’s voice dropped, turning dark. “He said you were hot, and told me to hook him up with you.” “He said he was really into the ‘older sister’ vibe.” I didn’t say anything. He continued: “I told him to watch his mouth.” “He said if he became my brother-in-law, he’d make sure I was taken care of.” “I told him to shut the fuck up.” “And then?” “And then he said…” Leo ground his teeth. “He said your body was so insane that you probably have guys lining up around the block for you. He said if I put in a good word for him, he’d make it worth my while.” Good. Great. Chase genuinely didn’t know when to stop digging his own grave. I was just about to speak when Leo mumbled hesitantly. “Sis… I got called into the disciplinary office.” “They said I have to call my parents.” I checked the map on my phone. I was on the west side of the city; Easton University was on the east side. It was rush hour. It would take me at least an hour to get there. I couldn’t just leave Leo sitting alone in the disciplinary office to deal with whatever lies Chase was spinning. A name suddenly flashed into my mind. Liam. He said he was at Easton. A grad student, and a TA. And he handled freshman affairs. I stared at my phone, hesitating for exactly five seconds. My pride was important. My brother was more important. I hit call. Liam answered almost instantly. “Baby—” “Did you miss me—” I wasn’t in the mood for his usual clingy routine. “I need a favor.” He instantly dropped the sweet-talk. “What’s wrong?” I spoke rapidly: “Are you on campus right now?” “Yes.” “My little brother got into a fight and got dragged into the disciplinary office. I’m stuck in traffic and can’t get there right now.” “Could you possibly go check on him for me?” “You don’t need to take any responsibility for him, just make sure he’s not seriously hurt.” Liam replied immediately: “I’m on it.” No hesitation. No unnecessary questions. “Which building, which office?” I gave him the location. The line went completely silent. My heart sank. “Is this a bad time?” Liam didn’t answer. I heard voices in the background on his end. It sounded like a professor giving instructions in an office. A few seconds later, Liam’s voice came back, slightly quieter. “Chloe.” “Yeah?” “Is your brother’s name Leo?” Chapter 4 4 My fingers tightened around the phone. “Yes.” Liam’s end went silent for another two seconds. “He’s sitting right in front of me.” Me: “…” The world is entirely too small. I asked: “Is Chase there too?” “Yes.” Liam paused. “He’s my distant cousin.” I closed my eyes. This was getting better and better. The guy I was fake-dating online for a favor was the older cousin of the scumbag roommate. The guy my brother beat up was the cousin of my online boyfriend. And I, personally, was the central victim of this entire absurd circus. Liam quickly reassured me: “Don’t panic.” “Leo just has a scraped lip and some swelling on his knuckles.” “I already had the staff grab him an ice pack.” I immediately asked: “What about Chase?” “He’s fine too.” I let out a small sigh of relief. “I’m heading over right now.” “Drive safe,” he said, then added, “I’ll keep an eye on Leo until you get here.” I understood what he meant. He was telling me he had my brother’s back. When I rushed into the disciplinary office, Leo was slumped in a chair against the wall, looking absolutely furious. Chase was standing on the opposite side of the room. He had a nasty purple bruise forming on his cheekbone, and the collar of his shirt was ripped wide open. The disciplinary counselor sat behind his desk, looking like he wanted to be literally anywhere else. And standing by the window was a man. White button-down shirt. Black slacks. Gold-rimmed glasses. He looked incredibly academic and completely unapproachable. I scanned the room but didn’t see anyone who looked like a “Liam.” Wasn’t he supposed to be here? Just then, the man by the window looked up at me. “Chloe.” I stopped in my tracks. The voice matched. But this face… and the clingy, needy guy who texted me “Baby baby” every day online… I could not reconcile the two. Liam’s phone was resting on the edge of the desk. The screen was still lit up. He hadn’t fully closed the call screen. The profile picture was a terrible doodle of a pear I had drawn myself. And the contact name, in bold letters, read: [Wifey <3] Leo squinted at the phone, then at me. "Sis, you know Liam?" Before I could even figure out how to answer that. All the color drained from Chase's face. He looked at me, then at Liam. Liam quickly flipped his phone face down on the desk. The tips of his ears turned a suspicious shade of red. But he immediately recovered his cold, professional TA persona. "Let's address the altercation first." I walked over to Leo and looked down at his injuries. I had left the house in a rush today and was wearing low-heeled sandals that exposed the tops of my feet. As the hem of my dress shifted, a thin silver anklet caught the light. Right below it, on the inside of my ankle, was a small, pale birthmark. Chase's gaze dropped to the floor, and his entire body went rigid. A second later, my phone lit up. A notification from the gaming app popped up on my lock screen, bright and impossible to miss. The username was clearly visible: [Clover123] The last drop of blood vanished from Chase's face. His lips trembled, and his voice came out dry and cracked: "Clover... 123?" Leo's head snapped up. "What the hell are you talking about?" Chase didn't answer him. He just stared at me in sheer horror. He recognized it. I was the girl he had publicly humiliated for being "built like a tank." I was the girl whose account he had sold to some "poor bastard" as a joke. And I was also the gorgeous older sister he had spent the last few days relentlessly pursuing and trying to impress. How incredibly ironic. I looked at him and spoke calmly: "Recognize me now?" Chase stumbled backward a half-step. "Impossible." He muttered to himself. "How could it be you?" I smiled. "Why couldn't it be me?" His face cycled through shades of green and white. "You... didn't you say you weighed over 130..." "I did." I nodded. "I weigh exactly 132 pounds, actually." "Is there a problem?" He choked on his words for a long time before finally stammering out: "But you don't look like..." I cut him off: "I don't look like what?" Chase went completely silent. Leo finally connected the dots. He stood up, his expression terrifyingly dark: "Sis... that girl he was talking trash about on move-in day... that was you?!"
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