I had an online ‘puppy’ boyfriend, the sweetest guy. He was always showering me with sweet talk and pet names, spoiling me with gifts and cash daily. He was so attentive and adorable, I was absolutely smitten. We finally set a date to meet in person. But before our big date, my best friend, Chloe, invited me over to her place. That’s where I met her infamous, super rebellious cousin, Jax. The guy had a shock of white hair, a glinting lip piercing, and this utterly cocky smirk on his face. His edgy vibe was so intense, it practically screamed ‘stay away,’ and I instinctively recoiled. I somehow managed to twist my ankle, stumbling right into his arms and knocking his phone out of his hand. He frowned, clearly annoyed. “Ma’am! Watch yourself. I have a girlfriend!” Apologizing profusely, I bent down to help him pick up his phone, only to see the most painfully familiar chat logs on the screen. My online ‘puppy’… it was *him*? My vision blurred, and my entire world just imploded.
My phone buzzed again. I didn’t even need to look to know who it was. “Hey, sis~ Miss me today?” I tapped it open, and there was a voice message, with a deliberately drawn-out, incredibly sweet tail end to his words. Right after, a generous cash transfer, enough to make my heart flutter. My lips stretched into a wide grin. I replied, “Love you, baby, but keep the money for yourself. Don’t always send it to me.” “My money is for my sis to spend!” “When we meet, I’m gonna take you shopping for bags and pretty clothes too.” He was *too* good. Even my best friend, Valerie, said I’d hit the jackpot. Where did I find such a golden retriever boyfriend? So adorable and sweet, he spent money without batting an eye, constantly doting on me, calling me ‘sis’ every other word. It was like he wanted to shout to the world how much he liked me. Honestly, chatting with him made me feel five years younger. Every day, I was living in a sweet bubble, my heart did a little happy dance every time my phone buzzed. He was just so perfect. I loved it. Even through the screen, I could picture him perfectly. He had to be a clean-cut guy in a white shirt, with a bright, innocent smile. We’d planned to meet up in person next Monday. I’d mentally rehearsed what to wear and how to do my makeup countless times. It had been so long since I felt this mix of anticipation and nerves. “Ahhh, sis, we’re finally meeting so soon! I’m so nervous!” “Sis, I might look a little different in real life than online. Don’t be scared when you see me, I’m still me, okay?” “And whatever you like, sis, I can change for you!” Jaxon was clearly more nervous than I was, which actually made me feel less anxious. The day before our IRL date, Valerie called and invited me to her place for dinner. She said her parents missed me and it would help me relax before the big meet-up. She lowered her voice, “Oh, I almost forgot to warn you, my troublemaker cousin, Jaxon, is staying with us for his college break.” I was picking out an outfit as I asked her, “What’s up with him?” “You have no idea. His family is super influential, and my parents spoil him rotten, like the apple of their eye. He’s completely unruly, got white hair and a lip piercing, and walks around acting like he owns the place. His whole vibe is just… beyond normal comprehension!” I chuckled, reassuring her, “Okay, I’m prepared. It’s just dinner, what could possibly go wrong?” “True. And lately, I don’t know what’s gotten into him. He’s not even riding his precious motorcycle. He just sits there, glued to his phone, grinning like he’s under a spell!”
When I arrived at Valerie’s house, her aunt and uncle greeted me warmly. The food was exquisite, and the atmosphere was lovely. Mid-meal, there was a commotion from the entryway. I instinctively looked over. A tall figure walked in, long legs striding with an effortless cool. His striking silver hair, glinting lip piercing, and a black and red biker jacket accentuated his lean, tall frame. His expression was cold and aloof, jawline taut, giving off that undeniably cool vibe that makes young girls shriek and go crazy. But for “seniors” like Valerie and me, our first reaction was to unconsciously shrink back a bit. Valerie lightly kicked me under the table and mouthed, *See?* I nodded in agreement. He was too trendy, trendy enough to give me a chill. Unexpectedly, despite his rebellious appearance, the boy actually showed some manners. His gaze swept over us, and he gave a slight nod, a silent greeting. His voice was cool and distant, “Uncle, Aunt, Valerie.” When he sat down to eat, his table manners were surprisingly impeccable, completely at odds with his attire. Aunt Valerie smiled throughout, constantly filling his plate. “Jaxon, eat more. Are you tired from riding your motorbike today?” He grunted, his voice deep, “I’m okay.” Hmm, his voice was quite nice, and a little familiar? I shook my head internally. Impossible. His voice was much deeper and colder than my online golden retriever boyfriend’s. My guy could make “Goodnight, sis” sound like eighteen syrupy sweet melodies. After dinner, Valerie energetically started organizing the pool area, talking about shooting her first big swimwear photoshoot of the year and told me to wait. Aunt Valerie, worried I’d be bored, suggested, “Why don’t you wander around the garden? It’s beautiful at night when the lights are on.” I readily agreed, strolling into the garden. The evening air was pleasant. Finding a long bench, my first move was to pull out my phone. My golden retriever boyfriend had, predictably, sent a string of messages. “Sis, are you done with dinner?” “Did you miss me? [Puppy cuddle.jpg]” “I’m so bored, sis, talk to me~” My heart melted into a puddle, and I quickly replied, “Just finished dinner. Staying at my best friend’s tonight, and of course, I miss you!” He replied instantly: “Aww! Sis, I miss you too! So much I can’t sleep!” Then another generous cash transfer came through, with the note: “For sis’s late-night snack!” I bit my lip, suppressing a smile, typing back about who eats so much late at night, but my heart was bubbling with sweetness. Lost in this cloyingly sweet atmosphere, my cheeks burned. I got up and slowly walked along the garden path, my fingers flying across the screen, sharing the evening’s fun with him. Of course, I left out the part about the super trendy cousin. Rounding a thick azalea bush, a tall, dark shadow suddenly flashed out from behind the rockery. I gasped in surprise, my foot slipped, and my high heel twisted sharply. I lost my balance, falling straight forward— The expected crash to the ground didn’t happen. I collided into a cool embrace, smelling faintly of cedar and the night breeze. Panicked, I tried to stand up, my hand instinctively grabbing onto something. It was a hard, muscular abdomen. “Tch.” An annoyed voice came from above my head. I was awkward and flustered. As I quickly released my grip, my hand knocked his phone, and it hit the ground with a *thud*. Once I regained my balance, I apologized profusely, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t know anyone was here. Are you okay?” The light from the streetlamp outlined his handsome, sharp face and that striking white hair. It was Valerie’s cousin, Jaxon. His brows were tightly furrowed, his face clearly showing annoyance and irritation at being disturbed. He stepped back extremely quickly, putting distance between us, as if I were a source of contagion. His gaze swept over me, cold as ice, and his voice was full of mockery and warning: “Ma’am, watch where you’re going.” I froze. *Ma’am?* Before I could react, his next sentence followed, like a bucket of cold water poured over my head: “And please, have some self-respect. Don’t go around grabbing people. I have a girlfriend!” My head buzzed, and I felt a rush of blood to my temples. *Grabbing? Self-respect? He has a girlfriend?* Absurdity and anger exploded in my chest, but what little reason I had left made me swallow it back down . It was true, I hadn’t been watching where I was going, and I had bumped into him. I was in the wrong. I forced down my anger, trying to keep my voice steady, “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to. Your phone…” I bent down to pick up his phone, which had fallen into the grass. The screen was facing up, still lit, displaying a Snapchat chat interface… My pupils constricted. That familiar, cute cat avatar I’d seen countless times. And the familiar chat history and contact name— **[Baby ]** My fingers froze mid-air. Time seemed to stand still. I clutched the cold phone, slowly lifting my head. I looked at the displeased boy in front of me, his lip piercing reflecting a cold glint under the streetlamp, looking utterly rebellious. My online golden retriever boyfriend, who texted me sweet nothings every day, sent generous transfers, recorded syrupy voice messages, was incredibly clingy, and was supposed to meet me tomorrow… It was *him*? My head spun, and it felt like my entire world just imploded.
I lay draped over the edge of the pool, my mind a tangled mess, but on my face, I had to pretend everything was fine. Valerie swam over and poked my waist. “Babe, what’s wrong? You’ve been totally distracted all night.” “Nothing, just a little tired.” I feigned nonchalance. There was no way I could let her know that my sweet online boyfriend was actually her cousin. If that got out, it would be social suicide. I grabbed my phone from the poolside. The moment I unlocked it, message notifications exploded. Holy smokes, 99+ unread messages, all from [Golden Retriever Boyfriend]. I tapped it open. The latest few messages were: “Sis, please talk to me (*꒦ິ⌓꒦ີ)” “Sis, I was wrong, I was really wrong. Just one word, please, just one…” Scrolling up further, there was a string of rambling apologies: “Sis, tonight some lady bumped into me. I didn’t mean to have physical contact with anyone else, you have to believe me, sis (╥﹏╥)” “Sis, why aren’t you replying to my messages? Do you think I’m dirty now?” “Sis, I messed up, I swear I won’t let anyone touch me ever again! I promise!” “Sis, don’t leave me!” I stared at the messages, my feelings a swirl of conflicting emotions, like a messy palette. I was angry, speechless, and just a tiny bit soft-hearted. Online, he was ‘sis, sis,’ all sweet and doting. In real life, it was ‘Ma’am, have some self-respect’? Okay, fine. Very well. Little punk, two different personalities online and off, huh? This “Ma’am” was about to teach him a lesson. A mischievous, vengeful idea suddenly sparked in my mind. I took a deep breath, then turned to Valerie, who was busy with her camera, getting ready to take my pool photos. “Valerie, didn’t you say you had one of those… really hot, super figure-hugging swimsuits?” Valerie’s eyes instantly lit up. “Oh yeah, I do, sis! Wait right here, I’ll go grab it for you.” A moment later, she returned, holding a tiny scrap of fabric, presenting it like a treasure. I gasped. It was a barely-there red bikini, incredibly daring in design, held together by just a few thin strings. “Isn’t this… a bit too much?” I hesitated. “Too much for what, babe? It’d be a crime not to show off that body! You’ve got the chest, the waist, the legs! You’ve been hiding it all away, it’s a tragedy! Come on, let me touch!” She pounced, grabbed a quick feel of my chest, and exclaimed, “Wow, the feel of this! Ugh, tomorrow, that lucky jerk is in for a treat!” I gave a dry laugh, not responding. If only you knew who that jerk was, you wouldn’t be saying that. Under Valerie’s expert photography skills, a set of sizzling, sexy poolside photos was fresh out of the camera. Water droplets rolled down my skin, disappearing into alluring curves. Under the lights, my skin glowed, every shot filled with temptation. I picked out the sexiest one, cropping out my head. With a sense of vengeful glee, I opened [Golden Retriever Boyfriend]’s chat, and hit send. I wondered what expression that cool, arrogant boy from earlier would have when he saw this photo. I clutched my phone, my heart racing, a little excited at the thought of my prank succeeding. However, time ticked by, and it just kept showing “Jaxon is typing…) but no message came through. Just as I was wondering what was up, Valerie’s phone rang. She casually put it on speaker, “Hello? Mom, what’s up? We’re taking pictures…” On the other end, Aunt Valerie’s voice was frantic, almost tearful: “Valerie! Come down quickly! Something terrible has happened!” Valerie jumped. “What is it, Mom? Tell me slowly!” “Your cousin, your cousin suddenly got a nosebleed! It’s gushing, won’t stop at all, we’ve gone through so many tissue packs, it’s terrifying! Come see him, quick!”
Valerie and I exchanged glances, both stunned. We threw on our robes and hurried downstairs. Downstairs was a total mess. Aunt Valerie was clutching a tissue box, helplessly circling Jaxon. Uncle tried to apply an ice pack to Jaxon’s neck. A few blood-stained tissue wads lay scattered on the floor; it did look a bit alarming. And the cool guy himself was leaning back on the sofa, head tilted, nose plugged with blood-soaked tissues, brows tightly furrowed, looking utterly miserable . Jaxon grumbled, his voice muffled and thick with a nasal tone, “I’m fine! Leave me alone!” Aunt Valerie was almost in tears. “How can you be fine? You’re bleeding so much! Oh, and your face is so flushed, are you running a fever? Robert, hurry, start the car, we’re taking him to the hospital!” “No hospital!” Jaxon reacted dramatically, sitting up abruptly. With that movement, the nosebleed seemed ready to gush out again. He quickly leaned back, his voice even more muffled. “I’m fine, it’s just… I’m just a little overheated. Some cold water will fix it!” A thought flashed through Valerie’s mind. “Mom, are you feeding him too many rich foods lately? Young people have such strong constitutions…” She looked suspiciously at Jaxon. “Jaxon, have you been looking at anything… inappropriate?” Jaxon bristled. “Nonsense! It’s not ‘inappropriate’ stuff, it’s just that I—” He turned red, unable to finish his sentence, only letting out a frustrated grunt. The truth was out. It was my bikini photo that caused all the trouble. My eye twitched. My feelings were complex, a mix of guilt and a slight urge to laugh. Seriously, was he *that* starved? One bikini photo almost turned him into a blood-spitting warrior. Was that even rational? After nearly half an hour of frantic activity, the nosebleed finally stopped. Aunt Valerie, still worried, forced him to drink a large glass of herbal tea before letting him return to his room. The drama finally ended. Valerie also breathed a sigh of relief, pulling me upstairs. “Come on, come on, it’s fine now. Let’s get some rest.” Back in the guest room on the second floor, I walked onto the balcony and opened my phone. Another string of messages popped up. No need to guess who they were from. “Sis, I didn’t ignore your message on purpose, I just had a little emergency to deal with! [Puppy apology.jpg]” “Waaah, Sis is so beautiful, I’m so happy ahhh! [Puppy rolling.jpg]” Another long string of cash transfers. “Sis, you worked so hard taking photos! For sis to buy beautiful clothes! [Puppy wagging tail.jpg]” I sat on the balcony lounge chair, the night breeze gently blowing, but it couldn’t disperse the turmoil in my heart. After much thought, I decided to rip off the band-aid. “Let’s break up. I suddenly feel like we’re not a good fit anymore.” After hitting send, I guiltily blocked him right away. Ugh, I really felt like a heartbreaker. Online romance was wonderful, but reality was just too shocking. He was my best friend’s cousin, and his ridiculous online-to-offline contrast… This relationship just screamed ‘bad idea’. The world went quiet. But my heart felt strangely empty. Suddenly, a dull thud came from the room next door, like something had fallen. Then, stifled, broken sobs drifted faintly over. My face changed. It was Jaxon’s voice. The balconies were connected, was he staying right next to me?
The crying grew louder, turning into unabashed wailing, full of deep injustice. “…Why…why would she break up with me just like that…we were fine this afternoon…we were supposed to meet tomorrow, boohoohoo…” “…Waaah…my love is dead…” “…Sis, you’re so heartless…” He cried like a lost child, rambling incoherently, his voice filled with the sadness and confusion of being abandoned. His sobs drifted into my ears, gnawing at my conscience. He sounded utterly pathetic. I couldn’t resist. I quietly walked over. The balcony door next door was also open. I cautiously peeked around. I saw Jaxon with his back to me, sitting on the floor, head buried in his knees, his shoulders shaking. “Um…” I hesitated, speaking softly. He flinched violently, turning his head as if startled. Under the dim light, his eyes were red and swollen, streaks of tears still on his face. His silver hair seemed dull. He looked disheveled and miserable, completely lacking the arrogant swagger he’d had earlier today. “What are you doing here?” He frowned, wiping his face, trying to maintain his composure, but his thick nasal voice betrayed him. “I… I heard noises, so I came to check.” I felt a little awkward. “Are you okay?” “I’m fine!” His tone was stiff, laced with pique, but he couldn’t help but let out a choked sob. ” Just got dumped, no need for you to care!” I sighed, trying to comfort him. “Maybe, maybe your girlfriend… she had a reason? Or… maybe she’s actually a bad person? Not good enough for you?” I didn’t even know what nonsense I was spewing. Jaxon glared at me, his eyes red, like a cat with its tail stepped on. “You’re not allowed to say bad things about her! She’s the best person in the world, she’s not bad, she’s gentle and cute, and she even sends me—” He abruptly stopped, his face flushed. He stuck out his neck and yelled, “Anyway, she’s the best! You don’t know anything! You’re a cold-blooded bitch! Go away!” His words stunned me, especially that “cold-blooded bitch.” My guilt vanished instantly. A surge of anger made me blurt out, “I’m a cold-blooded bitch? If I were a cold-blooded bitch, I shouldn’t have broken up with you. I should have just played you like a dog!” The moment the words left my mouth, the room fell into a dead silence. Jaxon stared at me blankly, as if he hadn’t quite grasped the meaning of my words. I realized what I’d said and wanted to bite off my own tongue. Before he could react, I turned to run back to my room. But my movement was too quick, and the tie of my robe was loose. As I turned, the tie caught on the balcony door handle— *Swish!* My robe fell to the floor, without warning, pooling around my feet. Revealing the incredibly familiar, sexy red bikini underneath. Time seemed to stop. I froze, my mind blank. Jaxon’s gaze slowly drifted from my face, down to my body, to that swimsuit… His eyes instantly widened, his mouth slightly agape, big enough to fit an egg. His expression shifted from shock, to bewilderment, to disbelief, then to sudden realization, finally settling into extreme horror and absurdity. He raised a trembling hand, pointing at me, his voice a hoarse, distorted whisper: “Is… is that you?!” Busted. Social suicide. I was *so* screwed! While he was still frozen in shock, I snatched up my robe and *whooshed* back into my room. I slammed the balcony door shut, even fumbling to lock it. My back pressed tightly against the cold door panel, I could hear my heart pounding like a drum, about to leap out of my throat. The adjacent balcony was utterly silent. After a long while, a faint, disbelieving whisper drifted over: “…Damn.”
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