I Claim You, Mate

"Stepsister?"

 The voice came out from Kevin with a low growl. He moved his gaze at my mother and glared at her.

 I gulped, lowering my head. I knew it might be hard for them to accept someone new in their family.

 However, I never wanted to be a part of their family either.

 My mother let out a small chuckle. "Yes, dear. She is my daughter. Since I am now married to your father, she is now considered to be your sister. You should be happy that our family is growing."

 As if my mother had prepared a speech to say those things, she let out a long breath after she finished speaking.

 I was about to tell my mother not to explain anything since I was not going to stay with them.

 But Trevor shoved my thoughts to speak as he said,

 "Growing? So this is what Dad's money bought? His new wife's cast-off?"

 His voice was quieter than his brother's. But it was colder, slicing through the air like a blade.

 My heartbeat started to beat faster. I slowly raised my head to look at him.

 I saw him staring at me. His eyes were scanning me with a dispassionate, almost cruel look.

 I felt my face flush, heat creeping from my neck to my cheeks. I could no longer keep eye contact with him.

 Because I saw the disgust in his eyes again, just like I did yesterday.

 'Did he hate me?' I wondered.

 My mother let go of my hand and said to Trevor,

 "Your father is a kind man. When he married me, I told him that our family-"

 Trevor scoffed at her, cutting her off. "Finally you successfully seduced our dad."

 I was shocked by his every word. Kevin was silent, looking mad at my mother. I was upset that they were speaking to my mother like that.

 Marriage was not a one-person thing. Their father equally agreed to it.

 I was surprised that my mother did not lose her calm. In fact, she looked nervous.

 "Let's discuss it later. I am going to call your Dad," she said while glancing at the guests to see if they were looking in our direction.

 My mother hurriedly walked away as if she had found an escape from them.

 I was alone with the brothers near the door. They did not speak, nor did I. My eyes were fixed on the floor.

 The silence was suffocating me. The rain might have stopped outside. The only thing I could hear was my loud heartbeat. I was afraid that they would hear that.

 Suddenly I noticed the red shoes approaching me. I lifted my head and saw Kevin smirking at me.

 I took a few steps back. But he grabbed the back of my neck, freezing me in shock.

 His grip was harsh, and my heart was flabbergasted.

 He lowered his head to look into my eyes. His smirk was still on his lips.

 "Aren't you the same girl who bumped into me yesterday?"

 I swallowed my breath. I could not let out anything.

 His smirk slowly faded as he spoke again. "Your punishment is still on hold. Don't you think you can get away so easily?"

 "I said sorry for that," I replied after gathering my courage.

 His smirk faded as he frowned at me. "You have the guts to speak? Did you think you could make your way into our family just because your mom seduced my dad and married him?"

 Tears scrambled my eyes when I heard his words. His voice was filled with anger. I lifted my hand and tried to push his hand, but his grip only tightened.

 "Don't you dare to tell this shit to anyone. Your mom got the surname of Kingston, but you... you can never get that."

 He let go of me with a rough push. I almost lost my balance, but thanks to the pillar beside the door, I was able to stand still again.

 I closed my eyes when I felt pain in my injured leg. I gave Kevin an upset look. "I-I will not-"

 He sneered, discarding my words as he walked into the hall.

 My gaze shifted to Trevor, who was standing in his place without moving. He was watching his brother hurting me, but he didn't stop him.

 I bit my tongue, trying to ignore the pain in my heart. 'Why would he stop his brother? My love is one-sided. He never noticed me before yesterday.'

 Trevor's eyes were still on me. His silence and icy gaze were frightening me.

 I took a deep breath. I did not know how I got the courage, but I took a few steps toward him. 

 I stopped a foot away from him and tried to explain everything.

 "T-Trevor, I will never talk about this to anyone."

 His gaze sharpened after hearing me. My breath became heavier. 'Did I say something wrong?' I thought.

 "You knew everything. That's why you tried to grab our attention yesterday. You and your mom planned it for a long time," he spoke in a low tone.

 His voice was full of anger. It was like an ice cube that rubbed on my cracked heart.

 I shook my hands. "No, I swear. I didn't know about it."

 He gritted his teeth and turned around. I was stunned when I saw him walking out of the hall as if he did not want to enter the hall anymore.

 I rushed toward him outside and held his arm to stop him. "Trevor, trust me."

 He paused his steps. I looked at his side profile. He was a very handsome man. But the coldness that he always had on his face made others afraid to approach him.

 He turned his head and glanced at my hand, which was holding his arm.

 His gaze shifted to my face, and he yanked his arm away.

 "How dare you touch me with your filthy hand?" he asked with disgust, as if I were dirty.

 My lips quivered, and tears flowed out of my eyes. He pushed the same hand he wounded yesterday. I felt pain under the bandage, but I didn't react.

 I tightened my fist and lowered my head.

 "I-I am sorry."

 He turned away and took a few steps, then stopped.

 Without turning his body, he turned his head to the side.

 His gaze was like ice, pinning me to the spot. ​"One more thing," he said.

 I looked at him, eager to hear him again. But when he spoke again, it totally broke my heart.

 "Stay away from us. And don't you dare try to act like you belong here. We will make your life a living hell if you get in our way."

-

I walked down the road, my heart pounding with a mix of pain and anger. Their words echoed in my head, especially Trevor's words. But something inside me shifted.

"They humiliated me as if I forced my mom to marry their dad. They told me to stay away. Okay, I will do it. I will never cross their path again." My voice trembled with a pain that went beyond humiliation.

I decided from now on I would never let them hurt me again.

The next few days,

I only focused on myself. I started to seek a job.

I threw myself into finding a way out. Even with my hand bandaged, I practiced piano every chance I got, preparing for an audition.

I tried my best to ignore Trevor and Kevin on campus and in my life. I believed I was moving on in my life.

Then suddenly I finally got a ray of hope.

I received an offer for a part-time job!