MY STEPBROTHER IS MY LOVER

"Where are you? I've been here for a while now," Samantha asked over the phone to her best friend Harriet.

"I'm sorry, Sam, but I can't go anymore," Harriet stated.

Samantha frowned. "What? Why?" she asked, raising her voice due to the background noise. "You promised to come with me to celebrate my birthday."

"I'm really sorry, Sam. My dad called me suddenly and said he wanted me to have dinner with him and my Mom. You know I can't say no to my dad, right?" Harriet apologetically said.

Harriet, her best friend, has been living on her own since she was 18. Unlike her, who still lives in the same house with her mother.

She let out a sigh. "Fine, but you have to make it up to me," Samantha says, her voice a little disappointed.

"I will, I promise. And I will treat you the next time we hang out. I'll buy you everything you want."

Harriet's words made her grin. "That's a promise?"

Harriet laughed on the other end of the line. "That's a promise. Alright, I gotta go. My parents are waiting for me. Happy Birthday, Sammy!" And before she could respond, Harriet had already hung up.

Samantha did nothing but shake her head.

Harriet was terrified of her parents, and she knew it. Harriet always reminds her that her parents are her King and Queen, and she is only a servant who does everything they say.

Samantha's mother, thankfully, is not like that. Her mother encourages her in all she pursues in life. Her mother would totally back her until her actions had disastrous consequences for her and others.

"Cosmo, please," she ordered the bartender, who promptly obliged.

She peered around the pub while waiting for her ordered drink.

Messy, loud, and packed. The club was filled with a variety of individuals. People of various ages, many of them are flirting, looking for someone to warm their nights.

"Can I sit here?"

Samantha turned to face the source of the voice, and she found a man smiling at her with a warm smile on his lips.

She fixed her gaze on him. The guy is pretty attractive, the type that will appeal to her. His height is average, but he appears to be a little taller than she is. His skin is white, and he has two dimples that are visible now that he is smiling.

"Miss?" the stranger demanded once more.

Samantha frowned as she glanced at the stranger.

The stranger began by repeating what he had said and pointing to the stool near her. "I am asking if I can sit here?"

She nodded, as if she had only heard what the man had said. "Sure," she replied, then averted her gaze.

"Thank you," the stranger said, and she just nodded in response.

She must have appeared foolish because the stranger's lips couldn't stop smiling while looking at her.

"Here's your Cosmo," the bartender said as he placed the drink she had requested in front of her.

Samantha thanked the bartender and was about to drink when the stranger next to her spoke again, leading her to return her gaze to him.

The stranger stared at her and said, "Cosmo. Good taste."

While looking at her, the smile on his lips did not fade.

She cocked her brow at the stranger. "Are you trying to flirt with me?"

The stranger said to the bartender in front of them, "Snake Bite for me, please." After ordering a drink, the stranger returned her gaze; this time, he wasn't just smiling innocently. Instead, he was already smiling lopsidedly at her. "Do I sound like I'm trying to flirt with you?"

She simply shrugged. "I'm not sure, which is why I'm asking," she said as she sipped her drink.

The man laughed slightly before reaching out one of his hands, his friendly smile returning. "I'm Daniel."

She didn't want to appear rude, and the guy appeared to be harmless, so she took his hand and said, "Samantha."

***

Samantha awoke from a deep sleep when the warm rays of the sun kissed her face.

She muttered in frustration and covered her eyes with her arm. She was ready to fall asleep again when she felt a hot breath hit her neck.

Her eyes remained closed, but her brow furrowed. She waited a few minutes for that heated breath to go away, but it didn't.

That's why she cautiously lifted her arm from her eyes, opened her eyes, and turned to the other side of the bed, where the hot breath was coming from. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped open when she noticed a man sleeping soundly by her side. And the man was the source of the hot breath on her neck.

Her mouth dropped open as she stared at the man beside her. "What the hell..."

She lowered her gaze. The man's arm was resting on her stomach. One of his legs was also lying on her leg.

"What the fuck happened?" she exclaimed, stunned yet softly.

She returned her gaze to the man next to her. She remembered what had happened the more she stared at the stranger's face. She checked her body, which was wrapped in a white blanket, to make sure what she was recalling was correct. When she saw she didn't have a single cover on her body, her eyes widened even more.

"Seriously, Samantha? You really did it with a stranger? Are you crazy?" Harriet said when she heard what happened.

"Oh, please, it's not a big deal. It's just a one-night stand. Also, we used protection, so no harm was done. And we won't be seeing each other again anyway."

Harriet sat on the sofa next to her, crossed her legs and arms, and rested her back on the sofa. "But what if, accidentally, you two meet again?"

"Then we'll see each other! What? Do you think I would kneel on the floor and celebrate if I ever saw him again? Also, it's unlikely that man will even remember me."

Harriet let out a sigh. "You really shouldn't be left alone; you always end up doing things out of character," she said, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, how is Auntie?"

It was her turn to sigh and roll her eyes. "Still dating different men. God, I don't know what I'm going to do with her anymore," she grumbled, making Harriet chuckle.

Harriet made a shaky motion with her head. "Let it go. Isn't that how your mom has always been? It's not like you haven't gotten used to it yet."

"So I should just get used to her disappearing suddenly and then finding out that she's met a new and different man? What if she gets hurt? What if this time, the one she finds is just like my Dad?" She said this while clenching her fist.

Harriet rested her hand on one of her shoulders. "Sammy, can't you trust your mother at least a little bit? I am sure your mom won't do anything that would harm her."

"And I'm going to wait for her to get hurt before I reprimand and stop her?" she scoffed.

She lost count of the number of guys her mother had brought to their home and introduced to her as a lover.

Her mother's boyfriends have included a variety of guys. There are elderly folks, guys in their 30s and 40s, people her age, and even teenagers who she is certain solely see her mother as a sugar mommy. And none of those introduced to her by her mother survived long. Some have vanished like bubbles; others have found someone else and cheated on her mother, while others have left her mother to pursue Samantha.

Her mother had been abandoned multiple times, yet she does not appear to have learned. She had already admonished her several times, but her mother would not listen, sticking to her mantra of "try and try until you succeed."

Harriet only smiled and shook her head.

"Anyhow, you haven't forgotten what you promised, have you?" she reminded her pal.

"Of course I haven't forgotten; do you want it now? I'm free," Harriet remarked as she stood before her.

Samantha frowned. "Aren't you going to The Bloom Room?"

The Bloom Room she was referring to was Harriet's flower shop.

"No, I decided to take the day off," she said, smiling. "And Lucas is there anyway. He can take care of the shop."

Samantha only responded with a nod.

"Then I'll get dressed," Harriet added.

Samantha was ready to speak and respond to Harriet when her cell phone rang inside her jeans pocket.

She took out her phone and checked to see who was calling.

When she saw her mother's registered name and number, she immediately grimaced.

She took a deep breath before answering the phone. "Mom, are you home yet?" she questioned instantly.

"Sammy, come home right now!" her mother exclaimed from the other end of the line, raising one of her brows.

"Why?" she inquired, perplexed.

"Just come home now. Hurry up!"

"But, Ma—" Samantha couldn't complete what she was about to say as her mother cut the call, which made her angry.

"I guess we can't continue our shopping for today," Harriet, who was listening in on her mother's conversation, stated.

Samantha let out a sigh. "I guess so."

***

"You are getting married?" Samantha asked her mother, wide-eyed.

She was looking at her mother, who had a broad smile.

Her mother repeatedly nodded. "Yes, Sammy, I'm getting married," she answered, her voice full of joy.

She stared at her mother, stunned. What her mother said hit Samantha like a bomb, but it appears that it was really happy news for her mother, which caused her to cook a lot even though there was no particular occasion.

"Are you kidding me, Mom?" she questioned, puzzledly staring at her mother.

"I'm serious, Sammy; that's why I cooked our favorite foods; we'll celebrate!" Her mother was clearly overjoyed.

Samantha sat down again and covered her face with both palms. "Mom! What did you get into this time?"

She couldn't believe her mother's words.

Getting married? She had no idea what was going through her mother's head.

Her mother gave her a gentle grin. "Sammy, I know we have a lot of disagreements. I did a lot of things that you don't agree with, but I hope, Sammy, that even just now, you will support Mom's decision. I love Romeo, and I know he feels the same for me." Her mother spoke dreamily, making her wince.

"Romeo?" she asked, a scowl on her face.

Her mother's eyes brightened. She even clutched her hands and averted her gaze with her dreamy eyes.

"Yes, Romeo. My Romeo," she said, looking like a teenager fantasizing about her prince charming named Romeo.

Samantha made two blinks. When she stared at her mother's dreamy face, she felt sick.

"Mom, please stop; you're giving me goosebumps," she begged, her mother pouting.

"What a boomer."

She let out a sigh. "Mom, are you really serious about this? Can't you think about it carefully first? We are talking about marriage here."

Her mother took one hand and squeezed it tightly, a smile returning to her lips. "Sammy, didn't I already tell you? I'm serious."

Samantha wanted to smack her head against the table. She was aware that her mother might sometimes be childish, if not most of the time, but not to this extent.

"How well do you know, Romeo, that you really agreed to get married to him? How long have you been together?" She wanted to know.

"We met a month ago," her mother replied casually, as Samantha gasped in surprise.

"A month ago? And you've already agreed to marry right away? What if he's another one of those men out for money, or he was just tripping you up?"

"How could you judge someone so quickly, Sammy?" You haven't even met my man."

"And you think you know him?" She sighed once more. "How many times have you been cheated on, Mom? How many times have you been left behind? How often have you been hurt? Even my own father has made things difficult for you. How come you haven't learned your lesson?" Samantha's patience was wearing thin.

"Romeo loves me."

"He loves you?" she instantly cut her mother off. She chuckled sarcastically. "Did he tell you that? Did he tell you that he cares about you? How many men have told you that, Mom? Remember how many there have been? But what happened? Didn't they all abandon you when they got sick of you? While others left you for someone younger, Mom, you're not young anymore. Stop messing around and start making decisions. Act your age—" Samantha abruptly stopped speaking loudly after being viciously slapped by her mother, leading her to lose her balance and grip the table, causing the plates and spoons to clatter.

Her mother's eyes were locked on her. Her jaws clenched, indicating she was no longer pleased with Samantha's words.

Samantha gasped. "Ma—"

"Enough already, Samantha. Say nothing. In case you forgot, I'm still your mother. Yes, we have many differences, but you have no right to speak to me that way! I didn't bring you into this world so you could offend me. I didn't tire myself out every day to get you into a top university so you could disrespect me!" Her mother said this through clenched teeth before standing up, but she did not take her piercing eyes away. "My decision is final. Whether you like it or not, I will marry Romeo." Her mother took hard steps away from her and entered her room.

Samantha sat back down, biting her lower lip. "Damn it!" She gritted her teeth as she wiped her face with her own palms and ruffled her hair.

She admitted that she had exaggerated what she said. She was wrong. But she got frustrated and shocked at the same time.

How could she not be stupefied if her mother unexpectedly revealed her marriage? She didn't even know who her mother was going to marry.

But she was still wrong. She should have been more careful with her statements.

She sighed once more.

She will apologize to her mother later, but her resistance to the marriage will remain.

Her mother never came out of her room again after their dispute. She just remained in her room.

Samantha finally knocked on her mother's door when it was past seven o'clock and she still hadn't seen her mother.

Samantha knocked a few more times before her mother answered the door.

Her mother is already dressed for bed. Her arms were crossed as she gave her a solemn look.

"Do you need something?" Her mother's tone was icy.

She smiled warmly and gently at her mother. "Come on, Mom, let's eat. "I prepared your favorite mechado."

When her mother didn't say anything and just stared at her, she came over and hugged her. Her arms were wrapped around her mother's waist, and her head rested on her mother's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I know I made a mistake, and I accept full responsibility for it. So please accept my apologies, Mama." Her voice sounded appealing as she tried to persuade her irate mother. She looked up from her shoulder at her mother, who was not looking at her. "I'm sorry, Mom. Let's make up, okay? Please forgive me, Mom. Don't be mad anymore. Please, Mom?"

She coaxes her mother on and on. She knew her mother very well. She figured that with a little more prodding, her mother would ultimately cave. As she continued to persuade and apologize to her, her mother gradually began to smile.

Until her mother burst out laughing as she tickled her. And she didn't stop until her mother was out of breath.

"Enough already! Let go—pfft. Hahaha. Okay! Fine! I've already forgiven you! We're good now!" When her mother said this, she stopped tickling her.

Samantha hugged her mother again, and she smiled as her mother hugged her back.

"You can't go back on that, okay? We've already made up." Her mother laughed again as she stated this.

Her mother hummed as she messed up her hair. "You know I can't get mad at you for too long." She then took a step away from her. "However, I hope that doesn't happen again. If you don't like what I'm doing, let's discuss it correctly and civilly, unlike what happened. "I was hurt, you know?" she pouted passionately.

"I won't make promises." Her mother's pupils dilated. "But I will insist on putting a filter on my mouth." She kept going swiftly.

Her mother shook her head, and her smile returned.

"Oh, let's go eat the Mechado that you made. I'm actually hungry right now. What took you so long to call me?" Samantha burst out laughing at her mother's complaint.

She laughed. "It's your fault for being dramatic. You should have come out on your own."

"Well, this mother of yours likes to have a dramatic life—" Her mother's sentence was cut short, and when they heard knocking, they both turned to the door of their house.

Samantha frowned. She looked at her mother. "Are you expecting a visitor?" she asked.

"No. I'll open it in a minute. You go first to the table."

Samantha simply nodded and obeyed her mother's order.

She was already in the dining room, waiting for her mother, when she overheard her scream.

Samantha exited the dining room and went to see her mother. She feared that something awful had happened to her mother, but this was not the case. Because she saw her mother hugging a tall man whose face she couldn't see very well. When they parted, they even kissed, which made her cringe.

"Why didn't you say you were coming, Romeo? I wasn't ready." Her mother was clearly overjoyed.

'So it's her beloved Romeo,' she thought.

Samantha cleared her throat to draw the attention of the two people who had both turned to look at her.

"Sammy." Her mother then drew her boyfriend closer.

Samantha donned a solemn face and crossed her arms as they approached her.

"This is Romeo, Sammy. He's the one I'm referring to." Her mother then scowled at her, threatening her not to say anything unkind.

She checked the old man from head to toe.

The old man seemed to be her mother's age. And he was certainly attractive. Samantha was sure that many women chased him when he was younger.

It was no surprise that her mother was drawn to the elderly gentleman. When it came to guys, he was just right for her mother's tastes.

"Nice meeting you, Samantha." The elderly gentleman smiled and extended one of his hands to shake hers.

Samantha took a few seconds to look at the old man's outstretched palm before accepting it.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, sir."

The elderly guy laughed softly. "Oh, please, an uncle will do, Samantha, or much better, just call me Daddy instead since we are going to be a family anyway." The old man chuckled again, this time accompanied by her mother.

Samantha feigned a laugh before letting go of the old man's hand.

"By the way, my son is also with me. He was only getting something from the car."

"Dad, is this what you were looking for?" It was the voice of a man.

Samantha remained where she was while her mother and Romeo turned to the source of the voice.

"Oh, he's here!" Romeo exclaimed enthusiastically.

Samantha couldn't see much of the elderly man's son's face because she was behind them.

"Come on, son. Come in and meet my lovely daughter," said her mother, who appeared pleased.

Samantha then heard footsteps approaching.

Her mother and Romeo stepped back to make room for the newcomer.

The old man's son was carrying a large box, which she had no idea was inside.

Samantha scrutinized him; her brow pinched when her gaze fell on his face. But as their gazes connected, she was as taken aback as he was.

She couldn't possibly be mistaken. It was the same guy.

"Samantha, this is Daniel, my son. Daniel, this is Samantha, your future stepsister," Romeo said, forcing her mouth to drop.

This couldn't be fucking real.