I brought my software engineer boyfriend of five years home to meet my parents. At the dinner table, my mother, Helen, couldn’t stop grinning after hearing he made $150,000 a year. She even uncorked a bottle of red wine she had been saving for three years. The atmosphere was perfect. I smiled and asked, “Mom, so when should we set our wedding date?” Helen’s hand poured the wine, then froze. She didn’t look at me. Instead, she turned her head hesitantly, her eyes falling on Chloe, who was quietly eating beside her. “Your sister isn’t as successful as you, Jo.” “Her job is mediocre, and her social circle is small. Why don’t you let her have this one? You can always find someone else.” I froze. The smile on my face hardened. For a long time, my brain couldn’t process her words. My own mother was actually asking me to give up my boyfriend of five years to my sister. My hands trembled with sheer rage. “Mom, love isn’t a charity. You don’t just ‘hand over’ a partner.” I turned, grabbed Caleb’s hand, and got up to leave. But Caleb stood frozen, looking at me with a conflicted expression. “Jo, actually… I think your mom has a point.”
I gasped, my mind going completely blank. I stared blankly at Caleb’s face. I desperately searched that familiar face, hoping to find a hint of a joke. But there was none. He was dead serious. “What do you mean?” My voice squeezed out of my tight throat. “My mother is being insane, and you’re going along with it?” Caleb didn’t budge. He shot me a fleeting glance. “It’s not insane.” “I just thought about it seriously.” “Thought about what?!” I practically screamed. “Your mother is right.” Caleb shifted his gaze from me to Chloe, who was sitting quietly on the sofa. “My mother also prefers girls like Chloe. She’s the type you marry and settle down with.” Suddenly, I felt like a massive joke. Five years together. We had moved from a cramped studio to a two-bedroom apartment. Because of his demanding tech job, he was always busy. I had learned to cook all his favorite meals. Every single day, I managed my own job while essentially playing his live-in maid. And now he was telling me I wasn’t the “settling down” type. I looked over at Chloe. She sat there, looking docile, harmless, and innocent. It was the same act she had pulled since childhood. She was always the one who needed protection, the one favored by everyone. But I never expected that this time, she would want my boyfriend. “Chloe, say something,” I demanded, looking at her. “Do you honestly think this is reasonable?” Chloe looked up, her eyes instantly brimming with tears. Then, she spoke. “Jo, you’re so smart. You have everything.” Her voice was soft and weak, as if she were the victim here. “You have a great career, you’re gorgeous… you can find a better man whenever you want.” “But I’m different. I’ve been useless since I was a kid. I don’t know how to do anything, and my social circle is so small. If I lose Caleb, I might never meet anyone this good again.” Tears rolled down her cheeks, splashing onto her knees. “Just let me have Caleb. That way, Mom won’t have to worry about me anymore.” “Jo, you love me the most, right?” Right. Since childhood, I had given up everything for her. If she liked my new dress, I gave it to her. If she wanted the pen our dad bought me as a reward for getting straight A’s, I gave it to her. Because of her weak health, I wrote her essays, did her chores, and took the blame for her mistakes. I gave her everything. But this was a human being. This was my boyfriend of five years. “Chloe, do you even hear yourself?” I stared at her fake tears. “He is your sister’s boyfriend. We are about to get engaged. You can’t just—” “That’s enough!” Helen slammed her wine glass onto the table, splashing red wine everywhere. “Joanna! Your sister is literally begging you. What more do you want?” Helen stood up, glaring at me aggressively. “Caleb already agreed. The man has no objections, so why are you making a scene? Stop acting like you’re the victim here.” “He is MY boyfriend!”
My tears finally spilled over. “Mom, who is your actual daughter here? You’re telling me to give my boyfriend to my sister? What kind of mother does that?!” “What’s wrong with me wanting the best for Chloe?” Helen’s face didn’t even twitch with guilt. “You’ve always been the independent one. You know Chloe is fragile. It’s easy for you to find a guy, but what about her?” “Look at the losers she works with. Can any of them match Caleb?” “You always claimed you loved your sister. Well, now is the time to prove it.” My mouth flew open, but no words came out. With tears blurring my vision, I whipped my head around to face Caleb. “Caleb.” I took a sharp breath, harshly wiping the tears from my face. “I am asking you one last time. What is your decision?” Three seconds of agonizing silence. He finally looked up. “Then I’ll be direct.” He cleared his throat. “I fell out of love with you a long time ago.” My heart violently seized. I heard myself ask, “Since when?” “A while now.” He didn’t avoid my gaze. “Remember two months ago when your phone died and you asked me to back up your data?” I froze, my mind frantically searching my memories. “I saw your sister’s photos in your camera roll.” “Later, while using your phone, I secretly saved her Snapchat.” My blood ran ice-cold. “So, you two have been texting this whole time?” My voice sounded dead, dry, and hollow. “You’ve been hooking up behind my back?” Caleb didn’t deny it. Chloe lowered her head on the sofa, her ears flushing red. Suddenly, everything clicked. No wonder Chloe had been visiting our apartment constantly lately, bringing food under the guise of “visiting me.” She was there for Caleb. No wonder I had caught them chatting on the couch several times when I came home from work, only for them to awkwardly shut up the second I walked in. No wonder Caleb had been “working late” so much recently. Every time I asked about his projects, he brushed me off. It wasn’t overtime. He was sleeping with my sister in the apartment we rented together. I suddenly burst out laughing. It was hilarious. Even trashy reality TV shows wouldn’t write a plot this ridiculous. Yet, it was happening to me. “Fine.” I let go of Caleb’s hand and took a step back. “Perfect.” I nodded, my voice cold. “Be together then. I hope you deserve each other.”
Caleb’s brows furrowed slightly. He hadn’t expected me to fold this easily. Knowing me, he probably expected a screaming match. He expected me to throw things, smash his laptop, and kick him out. For the past five years, that was how we fought. I would explode with emotion, only to slowly break down in the face of his cold silence. But this time was different. Only Caleb didn’t know why. Chloe had a secret medical condition. She couldn’t get pregnant. It was diagnosed when she was eighteen. Helen had dragged her to every specialist in the country, but the diagnosis was final. She could never have children. Helen kept this under wraps. Chloe knew, I knew, but absolutely no one else did. Caleb’s mother, Martha, only had one son. Every time she saw me, she nagged about wanting grandkids as soon as possible. I had planned to slowly ease Martha into the idea after the wedding, even preparing myself for a childfree marriage since Caleb used to say he didn’t care about kids. But now? I didn’t have to worry about that anymore. Let Chloe bear the brunt of Martha’s grandkid obsession. Let Martha nag Chloe for the next ten years until their marriage crumbled into dust. It had absolutely nothing to do with me. Furthermore, Caleb had no idea that Chloe couldn’t do a single household chore. Since childhood, Helen had spoiled her rotten, never letting her lift a finger. Caleb wanted a docile, domestic wife, right? I couldn’t wait for him to experience exactly how “domestic” his precious Chloe really was. As for me? I’d treat the last five years of playing maid to Caleb as charity work. Did he think our clean apartment and home-cooked meals just magically appeared? When his mother was hospitalized last year, I was the one who took two weeks off work to nurse her. Meanwhile, he excused himself because he was “too busy with a launch.” “That’s my girl,” Helen said, her smile returning as she poured Caleb another glass of wine. “We’re family, after all. Caleb, don’t feel guilty. Our Chloe is sweet. She’ll definitely be more obedient than some people.” I didn’t reply. I just stood by the foyer, watching this absurd circus. My mother was pouring wine for my ex, my sister was blushing, and Caleb maintained his usual smug, emotionless face. “Since it’s settled, let’s get things moving,” Helen declared authoritatively. “Tomorrow is a good day. Let’s get the engagement announced.” “And we can schedule the wedding for next week!” “Mom!” Chloe protested cutely, her face turning redder. “Don’t be shy. We have to strike while the iron is hot.” Helen rolled her eyes playfully at Chloe, then turned to Caleb. “Caleb, what do you think?” Caleb nodded. “Whatever you arrange, Helen.” “Still calling me Helen?” My mother laughed, ecstatic. “Time to change that.” “Mom,” Caleb called out, incredibly natural.
I stood at the door like an absolute clown. This was my home. My mother was planning a wedding for someone else, and my sister was acting shy over my boyfriend. “Great. I wish you a smooth engagement tomorrow, and a very quick marriage.” Helen glanced at me, probably thinking I sounded sarcastic, but she was in too good of a mood to care. “I knew you’d be sensible,” she waved me off. “Anyway, if you don’t want to stay here tonight, find a hotel. Just make sure you’re back tomorrow for the engagement party. You can’t miss your sister’s big day.” I didn’t answer. I pulled open the door. As I stepped out, I heard my mother’s voice fade behind me: “Come on, Chloe, sit next to Caleb. Let me take a picture of you two!” Followed by Chloe’s giggles—sharp and triumphant. Since we were kids, Helen had always favored Chloe. Chloe was born premature, weighing barely three pounds, and spent over a month in an incubator. She was weak, constantly sick, and Helen shielded her from every hardship. But me? I was the older sister. I had to be mature. I had to give in. When I was eighteen, I got into a prestigious university. But Helen claimed we couldn’t afford tuition for both of us. She forced me to forfeit my spot so she could pay for Chloe’s expensive private college. When I suggested taking out student loans, Helen slapped me in front of all our relatives, calling me ungrateful. I cried through the entire summer in a damp rented room, thinking my life was over. But I refused to give up. I worked during the day and studied at night, taking three years to earn my degree online. By the time I graduated, I was twenty-four. My peers were already finishing grad school, and I was just starting. Fortunately, I was a fighter. I joined my current company as an entry-level clerk. I worked overtime, traveled constantly, took on the toughest clients, and did the work nobody else wanted. In three years, I made project manager, leading a team of eight. My salary wasn’t astronomical, but it allowed me to live a comfortable, dignified life. Then, I met Caleb. He was the tech lead at a partner company. Once we got together, I thought the universe was finally being fair to me. I thought I found a stable partner. I invested all my hopes for the future into this relationship. And the result? He chose Chloe. Chloe never had to do anything. She just had to stand there, shed a couple of tears, and she could easily steal everything I worked for. My mother’s love, my family’s care, and now, my man. How ironic. The elevator hit the lobby. I checked my phone. Almost 10 PM. I hailed an Uber. “Where to?” the driver asked. “The nearest Marriott, please,” I said. At the hotel, I checked in, shut the door to my room, and collapsed onto the soft bed. Five years with Caleb. He had started coming home late recently. I genuinely believed he was busy. I never checked his phone or snooped through his messages. I knew all his passwords, but I respected his privacy because I trusted him. Yet, he used my trust to steal my sister’s contact info from my phone. They had been fooling around while I was busy planning our wedding. I closed my eyes, burying my face in the pillow. Mother, sister, boyfriend. None of them were reliable. Only I could save myself.
I eventually drifted off to sleep. The next morning, my phone blared loudly, waking me up. I groggily grabbed it. My mother’s caller ID was flashing on the screen. I swiped to answer. “Joanna! Do you know what time it is?!” Helen’s screeching voice blasted through the speaker. “Your sister is getting engaged today! All the relatives are here. How dare you, as her sister, be absent!” I checked the time. 9:30 AM. “Hurry up! Your dad booked the restaurant downtown. Get an Uber now!” She hung up before I could reply. I tossed the phone onto the bed and rubbed my temples. My purse was still at my parents’ house. My ID, credit cards, work phone, keys, and company badge were all in there. But most importantly, the original signed client contract from last week was in that purse. I needed to submit it to the office first thing Monday morning. The hotel was about a twenty-minute drive from my parents’ place. On the way in the Uber, Helen called again. “Where are you? We’re literally waiting on you!” “Almost there,” I muttered and hung up. The city streets flew past the window. I leaned against the glass, looking at the city I had lived in for eight years, suddenly feeling like an outsider. I got off at the restaurant. Inside the private banquet hall, three large tables were packed with relatives, including distant cousins I barely knew. Chloe sat at the head of the main table, with Caleb right beside her. My entrance caused a brief hush in the noisy room. Then, the chatter resumed. No one cared about my feelings. “Jo is here!” My aunt was the first to notice, waving warmly. “Come, sit! We were just waiting for you. Look at your sister, she’s so lucky to find such a great guy!” “I know, right? A tech lead making six figures! So promising!” The relatives gossiped, their words piercing my ears. Helen marched through the crowd, grabbed my arm, and dragged me forward with a fake smile. “Finally. Dragging your feet on your sister’s big day.” I was shoved right in front of the main table, facing Caleb and Chloe. Caleb looked up, his eyes as cold as if I were a stranger. Chloe lowered her head, playing the shy bride, though her fingers were tightly wrapped around Caleb’s hand. Helen smirked, nudging me toward Caleb. “Jo, aren’t you going to congratulate your sister?” Every eye in the room was on me. I looked around at their faces. It was so absurd it was comical. “Actually, I do have something to say.” I stared at Caleb, pronouncing every word clearly: “Congratulations on finding a ‘domestic, settling-down’ woman.” Then, I turned to Chloe, a cold smirk playing on my lips. “Stealing my boyfriend… does it feel good?”
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