Non Ohana

My dad has died in a car crash when I'm seven years old. So, my mom marries her first love, Robert Hayes, and integrates me into his family. During the first meal with my new family, Robert announces a newly instated family rule. "From now on, we have to split the bills in this family." Once I eat a piece of steak, Robert tells me to pay him 300 dollars for the meal. I just look at my stepsister, Harper Hayes, who's digging into her meal happily. "Harper ate steak as well. Why didn't you ask her to pay you back, Dad?" "That's because Harper's my biological daughter. I love her, and she has the bloodline privileges," Robert answers. Then, I glance at Mom. So, Robert adds, "Your mom is my wife. I love her, which means she has privileges as well. But in your case, we're not related by blood, nor do we have any ties of affection with each other. I'm not obligated to raise you at all, Maddie."

My mom calls me on Friday. "Don't forget about tomorrow's family dinner. Cody loves shrimps, so you should buy more of those at the seafood market in the southern district. "Lexi loves lamb chops. Go take a look in the eastern district for them. Also, don't forget to buy the imported strawberries. Noah loves them a lot." I say yes to each and every request Mom makes. But as soon as I end the call, I receive a text on the family group chat. "I've already given Eileen a list of our favorite foods. It's tough for you to earn money these days, so you shouldn't buy anything." One second later, that message is deleted. Still, I'm flabbergasted by what I just read. I've been married for two years. Every Saturday throughout those years, I'm the one paying and organizing the family dinner of the week. I thought there's no need to be so petty when it comes to family. But it seems that they've already viewed me as the outsider a long time ago. In that case, I won't be attending the family dinner anymore.

[The story about my son cutting ties with us is all an act. If I hadn’t done that, there’s no way my daughter would have willingly handed over the money!] During the long holiday weekend, I was killing time at my desk when I randomly clicked on a Reddit post. Maybe it was because I also had a younger brother who had cut ties with the family. The night he slammed the door and left, my parents seemed to age ten years overnight. From that day on, I became their only source of support. Every month, I send them five hundred dollars for living expenses. Even when I wasn’t feeling well, I forced myself to work. Meanwhile, the post kept updating. [I raised her for over ten years. What's wrong with spending some of her money? Her brother is still short of fifty thousand dollars for the down payment on his house. We need the money before the holiday ends.] I wanted to keep reading, but my manager called me into a meeting. That evening, while we were having dinner, Mom spoke up, her voice trembling slightly. “Your father and I need to discuss something with you, sweetheart…” My heart skipped a beat. For some reason, the last line from that post flashed through my mind. [I'll just tell her the business is in debt and that we need her money. She's always been a good child. She'll surely do what I ask.] “Mom… you and Dad aren’t in debt, are you?”

The Hawaii honeymoon we'd promised each other on our wedding day kept getting postponed, year after year. Now, in the third year, it was finally happening. I was so excited I packed my bags three days early and headed to the airport. That's when I saw her childhood best friend standing right there with her. Meeting my confused gaze, Claire explained matter-of-factly, "There were only two tickets left, and Ryan really wanted to see Hawaii, so I went ahead and bought his." "How about you get another ticket tomorrow and catch up with us? Or, we can just wait for next time." Next time again. But I was done waiting. I waved at them. "Have a safe trip." Then I turned around and called my father. "Father, I need the private jet. I'm going to Hawaii for a few days." "Oh, and that thirty-million-dollar investment we gave Claire? Shut it down."

At my daughter's high school graduation party, she greeted me with a bouquet containing her wish list. "My dearest Mom! "My life truly begins at eighteen! "This is the first step toward rebuilding my social image and starting an entirely new life! "Thank you, Mom, for supporting me completely!" The list tucked into the bouquet included the newest phone, tablet, laptop, and earbuds. Together, the smaller items cost more than five thousand dollars. But the final line, printed in bold red letters, stabbed into my eyes like the point of a knife: Helena Abernathy must give Chloe Collins a house free of charge. The property will be for Chloe's exclusive use, and no one else will be permitted inside. I stared at the bouquet, while the soul that had died unjustly in my previous life trembled inside my body. Last time, I carried that bouquet home and tossed and turned all night. In the end, I still tried to discuss it with my daughter. "Chloe, about the house... I truly can't afford it right now." "Could we possibly..." Chloe was silent for three seconds before accusing me through tears. "I knew it! You never loved me. You only love yourself!" My photograph, address, and workplace were posted across social media. Then came the online attacks, the doxxing, the red paint splashed across my door, and the suspension from my job. When I stood on a rooftop, unable to endure the abuse any longer, the people below kept recording and shouting: "Jump! If you aren't guilty, why would you jump?" This time, I looked down at the bouquet in my arms and smiled. I didn't want the list. And I didn't want this daughter anymore.

Noah Singh, heir to the powerful Singh Corporation, thought he had control over everything, until a stranger walked into his life. Kai Bennett, recently adopted into the family, seems innocent and obedient, but he harbors secrets, obsession, and a possessive streak Noah never expected. When Mr. Singh announces Kai will stay with Noah, tensions ignite. Noah believes Kai is an escort, and Kai uses the misunderstanding to subtly test boundaries, learning Noah’s triggers, manipulating situations, and planting the seeds of obsession. Kitchen run-ins, hallway encounters, and late-night tensions turn their forced cohabitation into a slow-burning, dangerous game of control and desire. Jealousy flares when Kai joins the male student council, and Noah can’t hide his territorial instincts. Yet even as Noah suspects Kai’s manipulations, he can’t resist him. Their relationship develops in secret, until Noah’s ex, Mia, resurfaces, scheming to reclaim him, forcing Kai away. But distance does not weaken Kai’s influence, he continues to shape events from afar. Two years later, Kai returns, more dangerous, more cunning, and immediately recognized by Noah. As their obsession escalates, external threats including a manipulative girlfriend and family interference push their boundaries to the edge. Lies, deception, and power struggles test their control, loyalty, and desire. When a staged attack exposes hidden truths, Kai’s life hangs by a thread, revealing shocking secrets about his identity and family connections. Yet even facing betrayal, danger, and manipulation, Noah and Kai’s bond proves unbreakable. In the end, the soft, innocent boy is gone. In his place stands a master of psychological games, possessive, obsessive, and utterly devoted. Together, Noah and Kai overcome every obstacle, claiming both their love and the family legacy while proving that obsession, when fused with desire, can be a force impossible to resist.