Chapter 1

MARYANN:

My older brother, Mike Matthew, is celebrating his 21st birthday today. He’s a soccer player—tall, dark-skinned, with a strong athletic body. He informed me that he has invited several of his friends to our home for his birthday celebration.

Our parents are busy people. Dad, Mavin Mathew, works as a banker, and Mom, Ella Matthew, is a television broadcaster. So they cannot even take a break from work to celebrate Mike’s birthday with him today, since he’s now 21 years old.

Mike plays for a local football club, and he wears the number 7 on his top. He’s my only sibling. We live in a big duplex. My room is on the top floor, likewise his. So I rise from my bed as early as 7 a.m. to get ready for his birthday preparations.

It’s an exciting Friday. I quickly rush into my bathroom to have my bath.

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The previous night, we were in the parlour having this discussion when Mike sat on the parlour’s black couch after dinner and asked me, “Maryann, my friends will be coming over here tomorrow for my birthday party. Are you sure that you won’t have any issues with them and that you permit me to bring my friends over? I don’t want them to corrupt you. You’re still my baby sister, but tomorrow will be the last birthday party I will be celebrating here, since I want to purchase a new house.”

“I’m 18 years old!” I screamed, hating that he is protective of me. “I’m no longer a baby. Your friends can come over. I feel bored staying at home, and I haven’t celebrated your previous birthday with you in a while, since you go to clubs,” I pleaded, knowing that Mike chose to celebrate his other birthday parties at the club since he turned 18.

Mike frowned and replied, “I don’t want my friends to tease you or corrupt you. I might not be able to keep an eye on them with you around. I don’t want them to do anything silly to you. They’re hot-blooded men. So I don’t want any story that touches you.”

“I will be fine. I can protect myself,” I replied, moving away from the dining room to meet him.

Our parents had retired for the night to their bed. After all, it was Thursday, and they were going to work the next day.

I missed my brother’s previous birthday, and I wanted him to celebrate it at home.

Mike sat on the black couch, pressing his phone. He paused and replied, “Fine. I will invite them over. The party will start in the evening by 6 p.m. Mom and Dad will be around so that they will be at ease.”

I frowned at the thought of my parents restricting me from getting closer to Mike’s friends.

“How about Sunny Easton? Will he come over? I haven’t seen him in a while,” I asked Mike. He frowned when he heard me mention his best friend.

“Sunny will be here. You need to keep away from him. Sunny is a bad boy, and not the guy you knew before,” Mike stated, his voice thick with warning. He crossed one leg over the other on the black couch, warning me.

“Ann,” Mike called my nickname when I lowered my gaze and avoided his striking blue eyes like mine. “Did you hear my warning?”

“Got it. I will keep away from Sunny, so long as he doesn’t bring his bully of a sister. We don’t get along anyway,” I muttered, and Mike laughed.

“Haha. I will tell Sunny not to bring Jessica around. But you know that she likes me, so she will come. Though I don’t like her,” Mike scowled, because I told him how Jessica Easton bullied me at high school.

I'd finished early this year, just waiting to gain admission into the university.

Jessica was Sunny’s younger sister. She was tall, fair-skinned, with lengthy brown hair. She was slender and didn’t resemble Sunny. She resembled her mother. Sunny had two siblings: Jessica and an older sister, Linda.

Linda was 28, married, and lived in the US. So she came to visit them once in a while, like during Christmas and New Year. I met her once when I was younger then. She came to high school to celebrate Jessica’s 14th birthday since their parents were as busy as mine.

Sunny is 24, and Jessica is 19.

Sighing, I peered at my brother’s face and assured him, “I will keep away from your friends. They cannot tease me while you’re here.”

Mike glanced at me from my feet to my face. His gaze crawled over my body to weigh my words. I have a thick figure—not fat, not slim. But Jessica teases me and calls me 'fat girl' because of my chubby cheeks, and I have fuller breasts and a backside than her.

“What’s wrong?” I asked Mike, as I was wearing only a short white night dress. When my brother looked at me like that, it made me vulnerable and aware of my body’s growth.

“Nothing,” Mike muttered and looked back at his phone. He didn’t want to say it. But I see his gaze darkened after looking at my body.

'Does he think I’m ugly?' I wanted to ask him. But the words die in my throat because I know that’s not true.

Mike finally agreed. “Alright. I already invited them. Till tomorrow. The chef will be here to make everything ready.”

“Alright. Good night, brother!” I squealed with excitement, knowing that we were going to have a big party.

I quickly rushed upstairs to my room and invited my only best friend, Ruth Clement, to come over tomorrow so I don’t feel lonely. After all, we'd vacated from school after the graduation ceremony.

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Now, I grab my toothbrush, put some paste on it, and swiftly brush my teeth.

I can hear the sound of a car arriving at my parents’ home. It’s 7:30 a.m.

“Maryann!” Mom calls my name as my room door flings open.

“Yes, Mom!” I rush out of the bathroom to meet her. My hand still clutches my toothbrush against my lips, as I know what today is all about.

Mom is wearing a black suit and white undershirt. Her face is made up with makeup. Her long blonde hair is packed in a ponytail. She is a 45-year-old woman. Her expression turns stern as she hurries to meet me. She is tall and slender like a model.

“Ann, I just heard from Mike that he’s throwing a birthday here. I want you to stay in your room and not join them until I return,” Mom says, her tone serious as she quickly buckles her wristwatch over her left wrist and looks at my face.

“Why, Mom? I am an adult! I can take care of myself!” I protest, not liking the idea of it.

“Maryann!” Mom calls my full name whenever she gets serious. Her brows furrow as she finishes buckling her watch and takes a step closer to me.

“You’re an adult, I agree. But those guys are a bad influence. Your brother is a man. So I don’t care if he fucks around the whole neighbourhood. But you are my only daughter. What will people say when they learn that you’re no longer a virgin, or now wild like your brother, who is even in a polyamorous relationship?”

I pout my pink lips, knowing that my mother is right.

Mike has two girlfriends: Nelly Brown and Zara Johnson.

They are both aware they are dating my brother. But he doesn’t bring them home. He keeps his affairs away. Still, we get to see his online posts and whenever he goes to play ball.

Those girls only get to meet Mike outside. But he has shown me their photos and says it’s not yet time for me to meet them.

“But Mom, I am an adult. I am not going to have a boyfriend. I just want to join in the party. It’s my brother’s birthday,” I complain, my arms wrapped around my chest in disagreement.