Fight Back Against the Weird Family

Emma, my childhood playmate, giggled coyly.

"Emma, your dad is over fifty but he looks so well-preserved!"

I forced a laugh in response.

She then leaned in close and whispered in my ear.

"Emma, your mom passed away too young to enjoy life. Don't you want another mom?"

I jumped up abruptly, almost instinctively swinging my hand at the person in front of me.

"Watch your mouth!" My tone was cold.

Sophie covered her face, a malicious glint flashing in her eyes before quickly shifting to a wounded expression.

"What's wrong with us sharing secrets, Emma? Do you really look down on me that much?"

Her teary-eyed appearance made me feel guilty, so I patiently explained.

"I just don't want people gossiping about my mom. You overstepped."

She lowered her gaze in thought.

Then, she broke into a grinning facade and steered the conversation elsewhere.

I pondered on Sophie's loss of her father at a young age.

Perhaps prying into others' affairs was just a way to fill the void.

Until that day when I unexpectedly returned home.

I found the master bedroom flickering with light.

There was Sophie, looking utterly infatuated, holding my dad's photo!

A disturbing thought crept into my mind.

Although my parents were divorced, I wasn't open-minded enough to tolerate my friend moving in on my dad.

"Seems like it's time for her to leave our family."

I silently mused, gazing pensively at Sophie.

I agonized for days on how to broach the subject.

Sophie was my childhood playmate from the village.

Back then, I was scrawny and weak, mocked by the other kids.

Only Sophie was willing to play with me.

It was my dad's newfound wealth that caused us to lose touch.

Last week, she came crying to me, saying she had been forced into three marriages by her family and couldn't take it anymore, finally escaping.

As a fellow girl, I hugged her and cried for a long time, even saying she could stay with me from now on, that I would be her family!

But... I never imagined she would become a stepmother figure!

Although difficult to say outright, I steeled myself and thought of several ways.

I went to a luxury store and bought several bags, even a dress.

I even withdrew 30,000 dollars from my savings.

With these, she could at least have a buffer period.

Excited, I returned home carrying the items. The moment I pushed open the door, I knew something was amiss.

On the sofa, Sophie was giggling coyly, leaning towards a man.

And that man was my nerdy brother Ethan!

I walked over anxiously, unsure what to say.

"Emma, you're back. Sophie came to my place and you didn't even tell me?"

My brother's handsome face was full of bewilderment, almost scolding me.

"Oh, Ethan, I'm just about to leave. It's normal for Emma not to say anything," Sophie said.

"Leave? Why leave, you're a young girl, stay a few more days," he insisted.

"It's fine, I'll go... Emma should be happy, right?"

Sophie looked at me with teary, pitiful eyes.

I cursed under my breath.

From the moment I entered until now, without saying a word, I had been saddled with a huge burden.

Suddenly, my brother stood up, soothing Sophie while yelling, "Emma, have you forgotten who played with you as a child? She just got here, unfamiliar with the place. Can't you let her stay a few more days?"

I felt like my throat was being strangled, my voice hoarse.

"Ethan, from the beginning until now, have you heard me say a single word? Do you think I would chase her away for no reason?"

A tinge of guilt flashed across my brother's face, but he still retorted.

"But for whatever reason, you can't just stand by and watch..."

I glared fiercely at the smirking Sophie, taking a deep breath.

I grabbed my brother's hand, pulling him towards the stairwell.

Seems like I should share my observations from the past few days.

But before I could lay it all out, my brother coldly remarked, "Emma, she'll be your sister-in-law someday. Be nicer to her."