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.
The atmosphere was incredibly awkward. Ethan broke the tension by punching in the new password and opening the door. The new code was clearly a birthdate. It wasn’t mine, Ethan’s, or our parents’. It had to be Maddie’s. The previous code had been set by me, but Maddie had apparently found it too complicated and had Ethan change it to her birthday. When Ethan explained this, I couldn’t help myself and punched him in the shoulder. This idiot gave the house code to someone outside the family, and not only that, he changed it to something she could remember? Ethan, sensing my irritation, resorted to his usual tactic—playing the pitiful little brother. Fine. I’ll let it go this time since Ethan seems to like her. After all, it was our first time meeting. Who knows if we’ll even see each other again? No need to make things too hostile. But as soon as I stepped into the living room, I was in complete shock. Can someone explain why everything was pink? I had hired an interior designer to create a sleek, minimalist look. Now, the walls were covered with tacky, country-style paintings and posters. Cheap, mismatched decorations hung everywhere, like something out of a bargain bin at a discount store. I swallowed my anger and walked inside. Ethan followed behind me but kept quiet. I glanced at the staircase and saw my books scattered all over the steps. The table had an empty cup of instant noodles on it, with one of my expensive hardcover books underneath it, being used as a coaster. What enraged me the most was that the upstairs suite—my room—had become their bedroom. The second floor had a shared bathroom and a master suite with a walk-in closet and private bathroom, which was originally mine. Now it was a complete mess, and they had replaced the bedding with a hideous, bright red set. Surveying the scene, I saw that my vanity, which had been lined with my collection of skincare products and makeup, was now nearly empty. “Where’s all my stuff?” I asked, pointing to the now-bare wall where my perfumes and lipsticks had once been neatly displayed. “What, did you eat my lipstick? Use my perfume for a bubble bath?” I stared at Ethan calmly, which only made him more scared. When I’m truly furious, I go quiet. When I was little, I had a pet rabbit. A clueless relative killed it and tricked me into eating it. I calmly ate a bite of the rabbit, then picked up a baseball bat and went to their house, smashing everything I could. For the next three months, I visited every month to smash something new until they finally moved away. Maddie, however, seemed completely unfazed by my fury, casually sitting in a rocking chair by the window, enjoying an avocado smoothie bowl. Ethan, terrified that I was about to explode, hurriedly promised he’d replace everything that had been lost or broken. That cooled me down slightly. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and strolled over to Maddie, flashing her a forced smile. “Maddie, I’m a bit of a neat freak. I don’t like people touching my stuff.” Maddie wasn’t pleased by my words and shot back sarcastically, “Well, Harper, this is my boyfriend’s house. I can use whatever I want. The owner doesn’t mind, so why should you, the guest, care?”
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