When My Boyfriend Chose My Stepsister

In the past, whenever I was upset, Daniel would cook a meal to apologize, but he always seemed to forget that I was allergic to seafood. When I reminded him, he scratched his head, offering a sheepish smile. “I forgot! I’ll remember next time,” he said.

I couldn’t help but smile bitterly. How could he forget? Didn’t he know how much Helena loved seafood?

I realized then that my love for Daniel had come to an end.

For the first time, he sat down at the table and carefully peeled shrimp, filling my bowl with food. “I’m sorry about the ring. I’ll buy you a bigger one when I get back,” he promised. “You know Helena is my first love, but you’re the one who’s been with me the longest. You should be the one I marry.”

I turned my head away, suddenly feeling the weight of his words. They were so beautiful, yet reality felt entirely different.

How many times had I heard him whisper Helena's name at night? Each time, Daniel would dismiss my concerns, insisting I must have misheard it as Helena. Back then, I didn’t take it seriously; I thought time would prove everything.

But after eight long years, I could no longer deceive myself—Daniel only loved Helena. Perhaps it was the first time in ages that he’d seen me cry, but he simply sighed and repeated, “I still say the same thing. As long as you apologize to Helena, I’ll never speak of you unruly again.”

It dawned on me that my sincerity was met with nothing but his unreasonable demands. I couldn’t understand why he would embrace me, whispering promises of forever, if he didn’t love me. If he truly didn’t care, wouldn’t it be better to just break up openly? Instead, he twisted the knife deeper into my heart, leaving me drained and in pain.

When he noticed I hadn’t touched the seafood, a flicker of panic crossed his face. “I forgot you were allergic,” he said, hastily removing the dishes. His apology was there, but it felt hollow. “I won’t forget next time.” It was always “next time,” but I knew there would be no next time.

“It’s impossible to apologize,” I replied softly. “There’s no future for us.” No matter how much he pleaded, I remained unyielding. In a fit of frustration, he swept all the food off the table and stormed out, leaving the door wide open behind him.

A moment later, I saw him in Helena’s social media posts, and the ache in my heart intensified. “It’s still the same as when we first fell in love,” he had written. “Whenever you’re unhappy, you just crawl into my arms.”

I picked at some leftovers before retreating to the second bedroom. Once inside, I pulled out my phone, hesitating for what felt like an eternity before finally clicking the button to call my best friend.

"Nicole, I... I want to give up on him."

As soon as I heard her voice, the weight of my emotions crashed over me, and I could no longer hold back the tears. All the hurt and grievance I had been suppressing spilled out uncontrollably.

When everyone else suspected that I had been the one to expose Daniel and Helena’s relationship, only Nicole stood by me, ready to defend me against their accusations. “I told you Daniel was a man you couldn’t trust, but you wouldn’t listen,” she had said, her voice filled with concern.

“Forget it,” she continued, “I’ll book a flight for you tomorrow. Come stay with me and just relax for a while.”

I cried until my tears ran dry, then quickly packed my things. I couldn’t bear the thought of being in the same room with them; the mere idea made me feel physically ill.

But just when I longed for some peace, Daniel’s calls pierced through the quiet of the night. When I finally picked up, his exasperated voice rushed in.

"Why didn’t you answer? Forget it. What brand of ointment is the most effective? Helena got bitten by a mosquito, and now she’s itching like crazy. Hurry up and send the ointment from home!"

I glanced at the clock—it was three in the morning. Helena was calling me for mosquito bite ointment. It was almost laughable how absurd the situation was.

When I was bitten, Daniel would merely cross his fingers and say a little prayer for me, never bothering to offer ointment or even a moment of genuine concern. I had always thought that was normal, but hearing his anxious tone for Helena made the disparity clear. It hit me like a ton of bricks: there was a world of difference between love and indifference.

Daniel continued to urge me, but I simply replied, "Okay," and was about to hang up when he added, "Hurry up, I'll wait for you at the door." I cut him off mid-sentence.

Afterward, I glanced at the countless missed calls from him and decisively turned off my phone. I was done being disturbed at odd hours for something as trivial as a mosquito bite.