Lavender:I woke up in my attic, worried and confused about how I got there, until I opened my eyes and saw Nikon sitting on the chair with a book in his hand.I sat up and swallowed hard.“Glad you’re awake,” he said, not looking too bothered as he kept reading the book.I had bought that book for myself.It was my damn course book that he was reading like it was some novel.“You passed out on the road,” he said casually. “I brought you here. Now thank me so I can leave.”The demands he made with a straight face were always strange.He was so full of himself.All of them were.“Thanks,” I said, steadying myself.“Hmm, you don’t have to. It was the right thing to do.” With that, he shut the book and gave me a fake closed-lip smile while I stared at his face in disbelief.“Now, what was it that I saw last night?” he asked, crossing one leg over the other.“I was out on a walk when your brother offered me a ride, but I said no,” I lied. I couldn’t tell him I’d been having something clos
Lavender:“I feed you such good food. I bet you haven’t had fruits like this before. And this is how you massage me?” my mother snapped, kicking me before putting her foot back in my lap.I was in pain because of the blood transfusion, but she didn’t care.She had made me sit in her room for two hours now. My arm hurt so much for some reason.“I actually gave blood today,” I said. I didn’t have to remind her—she already knew.“So? You give blood all the time. Don’t make excuses,” she hissed.I sighed and started massaging her foot again. Mister Volkov wasn’t around yet, so she was making me stay in her room.I’d heard he was having a meeting with his sons.I just wanted him to come back to his room so I could go back to mine.Finally, when my hands couldn’t keep going, Mister Volkov’s voice echoed from the hallway. My mother sat up like she’d been caught with another man and snatched the oil out of my hands.She grabbed my hand and stretched it out, quickly pouring oil on it. It was h
Lavender:“So, Lavender! How’s your study going?” Christine started yapping, and as expected, her attention toward me brought smirks to their faces.My mother looked tired, while my stepsisters looked amused, like they were waiting for a show.“Good,” I replied, quickly looking down.“Umm, Easton—you’re a model. I know you,” she giggled, catching his attention next. Easton looked up from his food and briefly stared at her.“Good,” Easton replied, bowing his head down right away.“By the way, big brother, I heard you announced your relationship to the world?”It was Sabrina, the always-quiet yet creepy one, speaking up after a while. She didn’t talk much, but whenever she did, I always wondered what made her break her silence.I clenched my fingers around the fork tightly, side-eyeing Easton, who raised his head and exchanged a glance with his brothers.“Not yet,” Easton replied.“But we saw the post,” Igor teased him. His father looked pleased for whatever reason—maybe it was the firs
Christina:“She’s always keeping to herself,” Normani rolled her eyes when mentioning Lavender. She didn’t have to say it out loud for me to know she disliked her. But it wasn’t only her and her sister who didn’t like her. I had hated Lavender since the day I met her.I was fifteen at the time when I first became friends with Normani. I liked having two idiots walk around me and carry my bags. And luckily for me, Normani and Sabrina fit that role perfectly. But then they had this stepsister, Lavender, who acted like she was better than us.I once heard Lavender warn her sisters that I was using them. I realized in that moment why I couldn’t bring myself to feel sorry for that little brat.Everybody hated her for a reason.“And you know what—our model brother pays so much attention to her,” Normani said, as if things weren’t already annoying with Lavender in the picture. Now I was being told that there was a handsome and popular guy who actually cared about her.“She must have told him
Lavender:I had been really bothered by everything. I tried looking for ways to open my Skype account, but it was gone. Not just gone—deleted. Either Christine or Normani did it. It hurt to think they had gone through my laptop, stolen my identity, and logged me out of my apps.Thankfully, the Cherry app was something I usually kept hidden on my laptop, and I only entered the password and username when I needed to use it. But it didn’t matter now.They knew about my secret and had used it against me to shut me up.Just thinking about Christine stealing my identity was painful. But then I comforted myself with the thought that Easton would end up playing her too. She’d get her karma—because she had no idea what a liar that man really is.There’s no way he’d treat her any better.“What is it?” Nikon asked when I knocked on his office door and stood outside, waiting for him to let me in.The trip I wanted to go on felt more important now than ever. I needed to get away from everyone for
Lavender:“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, a faint smirk tugging at her lips that made me clench my fists in frustration.“You know what I’m talking about. Christine isn’t Levi,” I hissed, stomping my foot in annoyance.She tilted her head slightly, pretending to think it through, and then nodded slowly. “So… does that mean you’ve been having an affair with your stepbrother? Or should I say—you tricked your stepbrother into a forbidden relationship?”The way she worded it shook my confidence. I knew this whole stepbrother thing would come back to haunt me.“You know it’s considered disgusting—but if it’s Christine, nobody will care. And it’s not like you can prove to Easton that it was you,” she flashed a smile before sighing and lowering her feet from the table.“Now, if you’re done complaining, can we get to business?” she asked in a bored tone, like my pain didn’t matter.“So—I want to sneak out of the house tonight. But my stepbrothers—you know how they are—they
Lavender:"I'll need a minute to order," I told the waitress walking my way. She nodded and went back behind the counter to chat with another guy in the back. I had finished my twelve-hour nursing shift when I packed my bags to travel to this city. I was always rushing to stay with my mom after enduring my uncle’s cruelty.I had turned nineteen a week ago and had been working nonstop as a nurse since then. They drained me completely in one week, but at least I was able to earn something.My thoughts were briefly interrupted as the door burst open like someone was in an emergency, and a tall man in a black suit and glasses barged in.I shifted in my seat, avoiding direct eye contact.He had a sharp jawline with a bit of a beard and mustache. His high cheekbones were pretty much all I could focus on. He walked ahead and took the seat next to the window across from my table.There was something about his presence that radiated darkness, but I avoided thinking too much about it.I had my
Lavender:“What is wrong with you?” my mother complained once we entered the house, and I closed the door like it was an emergency.I was holding the cake in my hand that I had brought earlier, but the excitement of celebrating my birthday had faded now.“Mom, you need to listen to me.” I couldn’t believe we made it to the house without me telling her about her new husband.I had no clue she was getting married, and I would have been happier had it not been to someone who was a fricking boss’s father.“What is it?” My mom rolled her eyes, putting her purse down. I looked around and saw the mess. There were boxes in every corner and disposable plates and cups lying around.“You should not marry this man.” The minute I pointed at her bag, I watched darkness take over her eyes.She looked angry right from the start.“What did you say? Huh! You want me to live my life without a man? Do I not deserve happiness?” My mother’s tantrum wasn’t new. She would always lose it with me."I'm not say
Lavender:“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, a faint smirk tugging at her lips that made me clench my fists in frustration.“You know what I’m talking about. Christine isn’t Levi,” I hissed, stomping my foot in annoyance.She tilted her head slightly, pretending to think it through, and then nodded slowly. “So… does that mean you’ve been having an affair with your stepbrother? Or should I say—you tricked your stepbrother into a forbidden relationship?”The way she worded it shook my confidence. I knew this whole stepbrother thing would come back to haunt me.“You know it’s considered disgusting—but if it’s Christine, nobody will care. And it’s not like you can prove to Easton that it was you,” she flashed a smile before sighing and lowering her feet from the table.“Now, if you’re done complaining, can we get to business?” she asked in a bored tone, like my pain didn’t matter.“So—I want to sneak out of the house tonight. But my stepbrothers—you know how they are—they
Lavender:I had been really bothered by everything. I tried looking for ways to open my Skype account, but it was gone. Not just gone—deleted. Either Christine or Normani did it. It hurt to think they had gone through my laptop, stolen my identity, and logged me out of my apps.Thankfully, the Cherry app was something I usually kept hidden on my laptop, and I only entered the password and username when I needed to use it. But it didn’t matter now.They knew about my secret and had used it against me to shut me up.Just thinking about Christine stealing my identity was painful. But then I comforted myself with the thought that Easton would end up playing her too. She’d get her karma—because she had no idea what a liar that man really is.There’s no way he’d treat her any better.“What is it?” Nikon asked when I knocked on his office door and stood outside, waiting for him to let me in.The trip I wanted to go on felt more important now than ever. I needed to get away from everyone for
Christina:“She’s always keeping to herself,” Normani rolled her eyes when mentioning Lavender. She didn’t have to say it out loud for me to know she disliked her. But it wasn’t only her and her sister who didn’t like her. I had hated Lavender since the day I met her.I was fifteen at the time when I first became friends with Normani. I liked having two idiots walk around me and carry my bags. And luckily for me, Normani and Sabrina fit that role perfectly. But then they had this stepsister, Lavender, who acted like she was better than us.I once heard Lavender warn her sisters that I was using them. I realized in that moment why I couldn’t bring myself to feel sorry for that little brat.Everybody hated her for a reason.“And you know what—our model brother pays so much attention to her,” Normani said, as if things weren’t already annoying with Lavender in the picture. Now I was being told that there was a handsome and popular guy who actually cared about her.“She must have told him
Lavender:“So, Lavender! How’s your study going?” Christine started yapping, and as expected, her attention toward me brought smirks to their faces.My mother looked tired, while my stepsisters looked amused, like they were waiting for a show.“Good,” I replied, quickly looking down.“Umm, Easton—you’re a model. I know you,” she giggled, catching his attention next. Easton looked up from his food and briefly stared at her.“Good,” Easton replied, bowing his head down right away.“By the way, big brother, I heard you announced your relationship to the world?”It was Sabrina, the always-quiet yet creepy one, speaking up after a while. She didn’t talk much, but whenever she did, I always wondered what made her break her silence.I clenched my fingers around the fork tightly, side-eyeing Easton, who raised his head and exchanged a glance with his brothers.“Not yet,” Easton replied.“But we saw the post,” Igor teased him. His father looked pleased for whatever reason—maybe it was the firs
Lavender:“I feed you such good food. I bet you haven’t had fruits like this before. And this is how you massage me?” my mother snapped, kicking me before putting her foot back in my lap.I was in pain because of the blood transfusion, but she didn’t care.She had made me sit in her room for two hours now. My arm hurt so much for some reason.“I actually gave blood today,” I said. I didn’t have to remind her—she already knew.“So? You give blood all the time. Don’t make excuses,” she hissed.I sighed and started massaging her foot again. Mister Volkov wasn’t around yet, so she was making me stay in her room.I’d heard he was having a meeting with his sons.I just wanted him to come back to his room so I could go back to mine.Finally, when my hands couldn’t keep going, Mister Volkov’s voice echoed from the hallway. My mother sat up like she’d been caught with another man and snatched the oil out of my hands.She grabbed my hand and stretched it out, quickly pouring oil on it. It was h
Lavender:I woke up in my attic, worried and confused about how I got there, until I opened my eyes and saw Nikon sitting on the chair with a book in his hand.I sat up and swallowed hard.“Glad you’re awake,” he said, not looking too bothered as he kept reading the book.I had bought that book for myself.It was my damn course book that he was reading like it was some novel.“You passed out on the road,” he said casually. “I brought you here. Now thank me so I can leave.”The demands he made with a straight face were always strange.He was so full of himself.All of them were.“Thanks,” I said, steadying myself.“Hmm, you don’t have to. It was the right thing to do.” With that, he shut the book and gave me a fake closed-lip smile while I stared at his face in disbelief.“Now, what was it that I saw last night?” he asked, crossing one leg over the other.“I was out on a walk when your brother offered me a ride, but I said no,” I lied. I couldn’t tell him I’d been having something clos
Lavender:Thankfully, he didn’t make me stay to answer his question.I mean, he didn’t have to. He literally told me he’d question me later.Did he see the whole interaction or just the part where Easton was driving behind me?It was the next day—a new morning, and definitely a new beginning for me.Another person I thought cared about me was gone.I was now completely alone.But I guess there are some perks to being lonely—you can’t get hurt.“You look a little pale.”The nurse, a middle-aged woman with kind green eyes, studied my face while preparing me for the blood transfusion.“That’s just my complexion,” I lied, smiling through tired, empty eyes.Her concern wasn’t wrong—I hadn’t eaten that morning since I had to catch a bus early for college and then head straight here for my appointment.My mom had been blowing up my phone, reminding me not to miss this transfusion.I hadn’t fully healed from my fall and the previous transfusion—but who was going to tell her that?And now that
Lavender:“Lavender, don’t make a scene out here,” he drove right beside me, rolled down his window, and looked at me.“You told me to fuck off, so please drive home. I can walk back. And it’s you who’s making a scene on a fucking abandoned road,” I said, no longer trying to be timid.Why do women get so happy when a man calls them innocent and sweet?Trust me, I used to feel happy too—until that night.I realized that when a man calls a woman innocent, he means she’s easy to fool. It’s not a compliment. Being a good girl is such a harsh scam. It’s often used for women who get taken advantage of, and my heart ached for them—and for myself.I’d rather be known as a cunning bitch now than be called innocent and sweet.“Lavender, you’re starting to make me angry,” he hissed, and I stopped walking.“Easton! Fuck off,” I bent down to the level of his window and yelled right in his face.The shock on his face was worth it. He could come out and kill me for all I cared. I felt so disgusted b
Lavender:“We? Talk about yourself. I didn’t do all that with you because I wanted to bond with you. You made a fool out of me,” I began to panic once I realized he had played me.And then my mind went back to what Igor had told me. Did he know his brother would do that to me?“When I asked you about the models, you told me you don’t do all that. Why?” I wanted to grab his collar to make him look at me so badly, but I don’t think I could get that close to him again.“Because that was my personal business which you were trying to poke your nose into. I’m a model turned actor, I don’t go around telling everyone about my life,” he raised his voice. “And stop acting like I took advantage of you. Whatever we did was mutual. It’s not my fault that you caught feelings.”As he kept talking, I’d had enough. I opened the door and stormed out to avoid being scolded by him after getting cheated on.After a few seconds of me crying alone, he came out as well.“Lavender, I meet fans every day. Do y