Dirty (short stories)

The living room of their small two-bedroom apartment was tense. Lila sat on the worn out couch, arms crossed tightly over her chest, while her mother, Elena, paced back and forth in front of her, still dressed in a new designer dress Victor had bought her.

“I don’t need a stepfather, Mom,” Lila said, voice firm but cracking with frustration. “I’m nineteen. I’m not a child anymore. Why are you doing this?”

Elena stopped pacing and turned to her daughter, hands on her hips. “Because Victor can give us a better life, Lila. A real life. No more scraping by, no more worrying about rent or bills. You think I want to keep living like this?”

Lila shook her head, eyes stinging. “You barely know him. You’ve only been dating for six months. And now you’re marrying him? Moving us into his mansion like we’re some kind of charity case?”

Elena sighed dramatically. “He’s a good man. He is successful and has a more than stable income. He wants to take care of us. Why are you fighting this so much?”

“Because it feels wrong!” Lila stood up, her voice rising. “You’re marrying him for his money. I see the way you look at his bank account more than at him. And now I’m supposed to call him ‘Dad’? I don’t even know him!”

Elena’s expression hardened. “Don’t be selfish, Lila. This isn’t just about me. This is for both of us. You’ll have your own room in a beautiful house. You won’t have to work those awful part-time jobs anymore. Victor even said he’ll pay for your college if you want to go back.”

Lila laughed bitterly. “So you’re selling us both? Great plan, Mom.”

“Don’t talk to me like that,” Elena snapped. “Victor is a good man. He has a son too — Marcus. He’s calm and polite. You two might even get along. This could be good for you.”

Lila turned away, tears threatening to fall. “I don’t want a new family. I want my real one back. The one before you decided money was more important than everything else.”

The argument went on for nearly an hour — voices rising and falling, old resentments spilling out. Elena accused Lila of being ungrateful. Lila accused her mother of being greedy and selfish. In the end, Elena left the room, slamming her bedroom door.

Lila sat back down on the couch, hugging her knees to her chest. She didn’t want this new life. She didn’t want to move into Victor Kane’s cold, luxurious mansion. And she definitely didn’t want to face the tall, rumored tattooed man whom she had only seen in photos.

But she had no choice.

The argument with her mother left Lila drained. She sat on her bed for a long time, staring at the floor, before finally standing up with a heavy sigh. Her hands shook slightly as she pulled out her old suitcase and started packing.

She folded her clothes angrily, shoving them into the bag. Books, notebooks, her favorite hoodie, everything went in with more force than necessary. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

'This is ridiculous. I don’t want this. I don’t need a stepfather.' she kept muttering to herself.

Her mother knocked on the door few minutes later.

“The car will be here in twenty minutes. Be ready.”

Lila didn’t answer. She zipped her suitcase with a sharp motion and sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the wall. Part of her wanted to refuse to go. Another part knew she had no real choice.

A sleek black luxury SUV arrived exactly on time. The driver, in a crisp uniform, loaded their bags into the trunk without a word. Elena was already chatting excitedly on her phone as they pulled away from their old apartment building.

Lila stared out the window the entire drive, arms crossed, her jaw tight. The city slowly gave way to quieter, wealthier neighborhoods with large gates and manicured lawns. When the car finally stopped in front of a modern mansion with glass walls and sleek lines, Lila felt her stomach drop.

This was real.

The driver opened the door for them. Elena stepped out first, smiling brightly. Lila followed reluctantly, dragging her feet.

Victor Kane was waiting at the top of the wide stone steps to welcome them.

Lila froze for a second.

He was taller than she had seen in the photos, easily 6’3”, with a powerful, athletic build.

His arms and neck were covered in intricate black tattoos that disappeared under the collar of his black button-up shirt. His dark hair was styled neatly but had a slight edge to it. And then there was the silver lip ring on the left side of his full lower lip, catching the sunlight as he smiled.

“Elena,” Victor said, his voice deep and smooth. He kissed her mother on the cheek politely, but his eyes quickly moved to Lila.

“And you must be Lila.”

Lila swallowed hard, stunned. She had seen photos, but seeing him in person was different. The tattoos, the build, the lip ring, it all made him look dangerous and magnetic at the same time.

“Hi,” she said quietly, forcing herself to meet his eyes. “Nice to meet you… properly.”

Victor’s gaze lingered on her for a moment longer than necessary. A small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“Welcome home,” he said.

Elena was already chatting excitedly about the house, but Lila barely heard her. She was too busy trying to ignore the strange flutter in her chest as Victor’s eyes stayed on her.

This was going to be a long month.