Prologue

"Oh, let's not pretend anymore that money and wealth aren't what you're after, just like your mom." he said in a sharp, probing tone, laced with heavy sarcasm. I was flooded with rage, so intense it wiped out every bit of control I had."You have no right to accuse me of that!" I shouted, my voice cracking not just with fury, but with a raw hurt. Tears started to stung my eyes, but I blinked them away so fast. I would not let him see me break.Every day we crossed paths, this annoying stepbrother of mine always found a way to slice me apart. I'd tried so many times to walk away, to dodge the fight but he always pushed, always prodded until I snapped. He was a bully. He had been ordering the maids to ignore me, to be cruel to me. He made me feel like a ghost in this house, like I only belonged here because his father had married my Mom. Like this luxurious life was a handout I didn't earn. Well, to hell with their wealth. Fuck their money. I could make it on my own, pay for my own st

Last Updated : 2025-12-26

Chapter 1: Collision

“Mom, are they still going to take long?” I asked, my voice sharp with impatience as I traced the gold rim of my water glass.“He said they’re on their way. He’s just waiting for his son.” Mom replied, and I could hear the giddiness in her tone even before I looked up. Her eyes were shining as she tucked a strand of curly hair behind her ear, a nervous habit she’d had since I was little.We were at a fancy dining restaurant now, and we were both dressed formally. Tonight was the night she’d finally introduce me to the man she wanted to marry, and his son.I had been raised alone by Mom ever since Dad died when I was eight. She was a beautiful and attractive woman, and had given birth to me at just nineteen so our age gap wasn’t that big. Sometimes people even mistook us for sisters. My parents had a huge age difference too. Mom was only eighteen when she married Dad and Dad was forty-six then— an older businessman who’d swept the recent high school graduate off her feet with roses and

Last Updated : 2025-12-26

Chapter 2: Threads

I still remember how we first met two months ago, at least, I think that's when it was. The memory is sharp around the edges, like the smell of fresh espresso that still clings to my clothes after every shift."There he is. He's really good-looking, isn't he?" I heard Ella say quietly. Her voice was almost lost in the soft talking and the sound of the milk machine in the cafe. A tall man came in with a blonde woman. Her shoes made loud clicks on the old wooden floor. I rolled my eyes, then looked at them. I'd seen this happen so many times before that I knew what to expect. "Only, it looks like he has a new girl with him again," Sierra added, leaning against the counter where pastries were displayed under a glass case. He was a regular, alright, one who showed up almost every time with a different woman on his arm, each one dressed in something sleek and expensive that made our simple server uniforms feel even plainer."Go approach them, Ella, and take their order," Sierra said to

Last Updated : 2025-12-26

Chapter 3: Gilded

And that's exactly what happened, our parents got married just two months after our formal dinner. It was a beach wedding on a private southern island. I'd always thought Mom was joking when she said her fiancé was rich, but she wasn't. We'd been comfortable back when Dad was alive, but not this rich. And this? This was a world apart. He took us from the dull city to the island on his own plane. He paid for everything: nice hotel rooms for all the guests, the whole wedding, even small things no one expected. Almost everyone who was invited came. There were famous people in long dresses, politicians shaking hands, and important business people who looked powerful. That's when the truth hit me. Mom's new husband, Uncle Greg, was a billionaire who owned an empire of companies.The wedding happened as the sun slowly went down, turning the sky pink and orange. It was on clean white sand, with clear blue water all around it. In the middle was a flower arch made of rare white orchids, plus s

Last Updated : 2025-12-26

Chapter 4: Glances

Since then, Theo and I have had numerous arguments. There was a time I wandered into the garden and was captivated by the roses, heavy with blooms. Red roses are my weakness, and they were so vibrant and full that I couldn't resist picking a few. It was too late when the gardener stopped me, warning that I'd be in trouble because those roses were off-limits. He told me they had belonged to Theo’s late mother, planted in her memory, and he had forbidden anyone from picking them. Of course, he caught me red-handed, clutching the forbidden flowers, and scolded me. I initially apologized, admitting my mistake, but when the jerk dared to shout and belittle me in front of the servants, I snapped. Out of anger, I shoved the roses into his chest and stormed off, ignoring his angry shouts. My mom found out and scolded me, explaining how close Theo had been to his mother and how much he treasured her memories, especially her flower garden. I knew I was wrong, but my hands had acted on their ow

Last Updated : 2025-12-30

All Chapters of My Steprother's Secret Obsession: Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

Prologue

Chapter 1: Collision

Chapter 2: Threads

Chapter 3: Gilded

Chapter 4: Glances