Samantha

Chapter 1

As winter set in, it felt like the outside world was completely dark by four o'clock, as if someone had spilled a bottle of ink. I tied up my hair and stepped out of the bathroom, letting out a contented sigh as my toes sank into the plush carpet.

"I'm sure Michela brought this rug all the way from Turkey, it must have cost a fortune." With that thought in mind, I opened a drawer and unscrewed the cap of my toner, then settled myself on the floor in front of the dresser. The table was cluttered with my laptop, phone, books, and my collection of nail polish and perfume. Remembering that I was still on the phone with Amber, I moved my hand to make room for my phone and pushed aside the small bottles, "She told Charlie and me it only cost eighty pounds, but I think she was lying."

Amber is one of my closest friends here and she often visits my house. I thought she would be impressed by the incredibly soft blanket in the room, with its vintage design.Luckily, my girlfriend was shocked when she called and exclaimed, "Really? If that blanket only cost eighty pounds, I bet every house in the neighborhood would have a bunch of them. It's incredibly soft!"

I burst out laughing and replied, "Hey, what color nail polish are you wearing tonight?"

Tonight was a significant night as our school held a pre-Christmas dance that all students attended, second only to prom in terms of extravagance. Many girls start preparing months in advance, and I'm sure Amber wouldn't want to be outdone.

"Forget about all that, Samantha," she said enthusiastically, jumping around at the other end - her own house two streets away from mine, "Just come to the window!"

Alright, alright. I set down the bottle of nail polish I had just opened and walked slowly towards the window. My bedroom was directly beneath Michela and Charlie's main bedroom, and it was so well illuminated that my foster parents had considerately installed thick flannel curtains to prevent me from waking up too early due to sunlight."Samantha, did you see that?" Amber exclaimed with excitement. "It's snowing! This is going to be a night we'll never forget!"

Without wasting any time commenting on the unusual snowy weather in southern England and my prom date who had just arrived downstairs, I heard an angry outburst from below, "She's a vampire-"

Charlie quickly interjected, scolding, "She's your sister!"

Not particularly impressed, I closed the bed curtains and sat on the couch, pulling my legs close to me. Nervously, I started applying nail polish to my left foot. I chose a bottle of cherry red with glitter, knowing that whenever I wore this color, girls would always ask about the brand and shade. On a night like tonight, I thought it was best to play it safe.

The silence in the room seemed to make Amber somewhat embarrassed. She cleared her throat and smiled mischievously, saying, "Nice comparison. Mr. Marcus might give him an A if he knew."

"Indeed." After finishing painting my left foot, I attempted to wiggle my toes. The glitter looked beautiful in the warm light. "I should thank him for not comparing me to a bloodsucker."Being humble is important, but honestly, I don't think I'm attractive enough to be considered a 'vampire', don't you agree?"

She made me laugh. I was still working on painting my right foot's nails when I heard three rhythmic knocks on the door, followed by Michela's soft voice saying, "Sweetie, your little boyfriend is here."

I quickly told Amber that I'll see her tonight and ended the call. Michela's eyes were red and it seemed like she had been crying. She didn't want me to know what had happened, so she gently rubbed my head and asked, "How are the preparations going? You look absolutely radiant tonight."The boy downstairs is going to be completely captivated by you, it's quite amusing.

After finishing my work on my right foot, I removed the towel from my hair using my left hand. Holding Michela in my right hand, I raised an eyebrow and smiled, saying, "Tell Charlie to take it easy on him, even though he's the captain of the soccer team. You know how tall Charlie is."

Michela hugged me and affectionately called me a silly girl, wishing me to have fun.

Just as Michela had predicted, I descended the stairs wearing my dress and heels. Lemuel, who had been stuck in the living room drinking coffee with Charlie, quickly looked up like a meerkat. His emerald eyes locked onto me instantly, his pupils dilated and his golden lashes fluttering more than a little. He said, "Samantha..."Um, uh, are you ready?" Charlie said, sounding annoyed with his lisp. He gave me a cold stare before helping me down the last few steps. "Darling, you look absolutely stunning tonight," he sincerely complimented me. Then, he leaned towards my ear and whispered, "If that little troublemaker does anything wrong, come back here and let me know. I'll take care of him."

Lemuel seemed startled, thinking that Charlie had already given him a serious warning. I checked my phone and realized it was time to go. I kissed Michela, Charlie, and my non-biological brother Erik goodbye. I have to admit, I purposely gave Erik a brief, distant kiss on the cheek, just for show.He looked really angry, his brown eyes quickly shifting between Lemuel and me, until finally settling into a serious expression. "Samantha, have a good night," he said.

In front of my adoptive parents, as I had done many times before, I patted him on the shoulder with genuine sincerity. "Thank you, brother. You have a good night too," I replied, disregarding his sarcastic demeanor, and happily made my way into Lemuel's car.

Lemuel seemed much more at ease when we were alone. His egotistical personality, which was hard to control, surfaced again. Over the loud dance music playing in the background, I heard him whistle and make a fake compliment. "Samantha, this dress looks perfect on you. Your hair and eyes match it perfectly. It was made for you."

"Thanks."I glanced down and scrolled through Twitter and Instagram, but I had heard these words so often that I had become immune to them.
The guy seemed disappointed by the lack of enthusiasm he received and hit the steering wheel in frustration. He took a moment to glance at me and said, "Your parents are really close. I can tell your mom personally chose the cufflinks for your dad."
Damn, he was starting to run out of things to say. To alleviate the awkwardness in the car, I had to keep my head up and replied, "Yes, Michela and Charlie went to college together. They've been together for over twenty years and have always been very close."
Lemuel nervously licked his lips, a small gesture he used to calm himself.Just as I let out a sigh of relief and thought I could continue chatting with Trish and Daphne, my male companion brought up Erik. He said, "Your brother is really tall. I mean, if he joined our team, I could easily trip him up without any effort."

I realized that Charlie was incredibly fit, but he seemed a bit too full of himself. So, in an attempt to assert his own masculinity, he turned to Erik. I couldn't help but grin at him and said, "I think it's best if you don't underestimate Erik. He played field hockey for five years."

Don't be fooled by his glasses and nerdy appearance. That guy is actually quite strong and muscular.

Chapter II

As soon as I entered, I was hit with a rush of warm, intense heat, various fragrances wafting from all corners of the venue. Lemuel immediately hooked his arm around my shoulder, looking proud and confident. My friends set down their cups and greeted us with nods, "Hey Lemuel, hey Samantha!"

Amber shrugged off her male companion and eagerly approached me, her mouth agape as she spun me around in excitement, "I knew you would choose this dress!"

The music blared so loudly that it drowned out any conversation, but Lemuel managed to steal a kiss, asking, "What can I get you to drink?"

I playfully whispered in his ear, "Anything."

Amber observed us with her arms crossed, her beautiful eyes squinting, and before she could say anything, I rolled my eyes and snapped, "He's a conceited jerk." Clearly, my girlfriend didn't believe me; she had a look on her face as if to say, "You're being ridiculous. Many girls at school dream of going to prom with him."

I chuckled. Some senior boys who were huddled together glanced our way, and Amber quietly remarked, "No way, Lemuel will be heartbroken."

Before I could respond, the supposed heartbreak victim pushed his way through the crowd to return to me, struggling to hold two cups. He was slightly sweaty, with a thin ring of ginger-colored blonde hair clinging to his forehead, and his eyebrows were furrowed in a tight frown, "Damn, Constantine is here too."I tensed up and Amber immediately gave me a reassuring glance.

I gestured to her that there was no need to be anxious. The whole school was at the dance, and the fact that my ex-boyfriend and my brother's best friend were going to show up wasn't some kind of catastrophic event; Erik was already on his way to college, but it was only a matter of time before we bumped into each other again when his best friend had to repeat a year due to a car accident.

Amber's date brought some snacks over, and when he half-heartedly complained about the crowd, Lemuel pulled me onto the dance floor. He believed that it could be considered a space for just the two of us for the moment, and his green eyes were filled with annoyance. "Are you going to greet him? He doesn't look too good."

The guy had secretly mixed whiskey into his ginger soda, and I had no doubt that if I nodded, Lemuel would storm out of the crowd and confront Constantine - let me clarify, I didn't get the impression that he was all that interested in me, it's just that the soccer captain couldn't bear the thought of his date being interested in another guy at the dance. I know him too well, he's just a stupid guy with a head full of muscles.

"Lemuel," I adjusted my expression, "everyone is still friends."The blonde eyebrows shot up and a hint of hostility appeared in his eyes, catching me off guard. I took a deep breath and placed my arm around his shoulder, bridging the gap between us. In his emerald-colored eyes, I could see my own reflection. We both exhaled, and I spoke up, "You're my boyfriend now, so why can't you act like a gentleman? You know I have feelings for you."

His face turned red, visible to anyone, from his neck all the way to his ears. Just as our lips were about to meet, a wave of contentment washed over me, admiring his caramel-colored curls.

After the dance, Trish's date, who was the only one sober, drove us home. As the car pulled over to the side of the road, Daphne made a determined effort to open her eyes and bid me goodbye, "See you tomorrow, Samantha."

I nudged a round-bodied Lemuel, gesturing him to move aside, silently mouthing, "See you tomorrow, Daphne."The door was blocked by a heap of snowy ice, but Charlie had already cleared it so the car could leave easily. I entered the house and saw Michela in her pajamas, working in the dining room. My foster mom seemed relieved to see me back and offered me some soup from the fridge. However, I was already too full of alcohol to eat anything else. I thanked her, kissed her cheek, and quickly retreated to avoid staining her silk robe. I told her I would take a shower and go to bed, and encouraged her to do the same. The house was decorated with gold ornaments and there were unwrapped gifts everywhere, as Christmas was just around the corner. Michela smiled at me, put her glasses back on, and wished me goodnight."Goodnight, mom," I said as I held my groggy head. Climbing the stairs felt twice as difficult, and the discomfort in my stomach and exhaustion in my body reached their peak when I stood panting on the second floor. That's when I noticed a doormat in front of the door.

"Can I help you?" I must have looked extremely snarky without even needing to look in the mirror. It's so hard to put on a good face for Erik. "I'm going to bed."

The real son had inherited his dad's height, standing over five-foot-ten at nineteen, while the impostor always hovered around five-foot-six. My own height only allowed me to see the first button of his gray plaid pajamas, with short light chestnut hair hanging from it. I didn't need to look to know that his brown eyes were drooping sadly. "How did you feel when you saw him?"

Chapter III

Each word escaped his lips with a strained effort, as if he was reluctantly letting them go.

My thoughts were in disarray. I ran my fingers through my tousled hair and allowed myself to slump against the white wallpaper, yawning. "Well, it seems like he's recovering nicely."

Erik sneered sharply, closing in on me, casting a large shadow. "That's the same tone you use when you talk about him to your new boyfriend, isn't it? You're heartless, a complete lunatic."

His mocking demeanor compelled me to lift my head and meet his gaze directly. Despite over a decade passing, his eyes still held the same malevolence, if not stronger. The alcohol had begun to affect me, making me irritable. "Erik, we were just in a relationship. I didn't marry him, and I certainly didn't vow to love him forever in front of a priest. Breaking up is a normal part of life. Do I have to go back to him and pretend like every day is our first meeting, just because he's been in the hospital for a few months?"

He stared at me, clenching his jaw, clearly struggling to contain a mix of negative emotions: self-hatred, regret, and anger. "I thought you truly loved him."Wow, I actually believed you genuinely loved him!"

He acted as if I had started something with Constantine, and in a fit of anger, I slammed my body against the wall while flashing a terrible grin. "I do love him, and I love Mr. Marcus, and I love Charlie and Michela, and I even love you! What, do you want to sleep with me too?!"

I trembled after finishing my words and stared at him with raised eyebrows, almost provokingly. Based on what I know about this brother, he would have jumped, screamed in anger, and then stormed back to his room, causing a commotion in the process. But something unexpected happened, I'm not sure which word made him nervous, but Erik's face turned pale as a sheet of paper. He muttered "crazy" with trembling lips and dashed down the stairs as if he were fleeing, slamming the door behind him.

Michela shouted, "Where are you going?"

Hoping that we hadn't woken up a sleeping Charlie, I closed the door, feeling exhausted.

After hastily removing my makeup and briefly sinking into the armchair, I fell into bed without even bothering to brush my hair. I could hear Michela's footsteps outside, and she paused in front of my room door for a moment before finally leaving in silence.My head stuck out and I turned over to wrap myself tighter under the covers. Constantine's hair, a shade of caramel, hung in front of my eyes. Feeling my hands and feet getting cold, I got out of bed and adjusted the heater before climbing back under the covers and unscrewing the lamp at the end of the bed. I was terrified of having that nightmare again tonight.

I used to have such strong feelings for him.

Michela told me that I was only two years old when I was adopted. A terrorist attack took away both of my parents, and the Clarks lost their own five-year-old daughter, Erik's sister, Samantha, forever. Amber's parents said that Michela and Charlie spent those years attending numerous support groups and church programs, trying to heal from their grief, but without success. Eventually, Charlie's parents suggested that they adopt a daughter who had also lost both parents in the attack, and raise her as Samantha, their little angel.I was that daughter.

During a home visit, a government worker commented, "You looked absolutely adorable as a child, like little Lily from Sex and the City but even cuter. It's wonderful that you have a new family, my Samantha, and I'm genuinely happy for you."

Despite his parents' overwhelming excitement, Erik was repulsed by my presence. He got into a major argument with Charlie when he discovered that his sister's room had been completely renovated and unrecognizable. I could sympathize with his resistance; he felt like I had taken his sister's place, and whether it was due to the change in name or his parents' unmistakable favoritism, he had valid reasons to despise me.When Erik initially told me to leave his house in an aggressive manner, I didn't immediately rush to Michela to complain about my brother's cruelty, nor did I mention it to the adults who came to visit.

I had a deep affection for Charlie and Michela, as well as for the little wooden horse in my room. I also cherished the canned peas and the family chocolate ice cream that were carefully hidden in the farthest part of the freezer. Erik's malicious behavior didn't affect me much, especially since I had experienced the loss of a loved one before. I believed I could empathize with his grief. Additionally, things were gradually improving each year, and once my brother realized he couldn't get rid of me, he shifted from being hostile to simply ignoring my presence. This state of peace between us was satisfactory until I got involved with his best friend.

Chapter 4

As I mentioned before, our neighborhood used to be pretty dull. That all changed in seventh grade when Amber started dating a really attractive black boyfriend. They met at the movies and their love quickly became overwhelming. This guy, who was incredibly funny, loved showing us around. Sometimes we would go skateboarding on the nearby street, other times we would watch him play street basketball. We would spend our evenings riding our bikes with him to the park to watch outdoor movies, catching mosquitoes and singing in the grass. He always knew how to have a good time.

That's when I first got to know Constantine. I mean, I had met him plenty of times before as Erik's best friend, but it was the first time we actually had a real conversation and interacted.

"Wait, you're Samantha, Samantha Clark, right?" His caramel-colored curls stood out, and he had stars and freckles scattered across the bridge of his nose. He was handsome and adorable. He flashed a mouthful of white teeth at me and said, "Hello Samantha, where are you going tonight?"

I used to have such a huge crush on him.

Constantine used to play soccer at school for a year, and he would walk through half the cafeteria at lunchtime just to ask me, "Hey Samantha, have you seen Erik?"

I'm two grades ahead of Erik, and you're his best friend, and now you're asking me if I've seen him?

I expressed my frustration through my eyes as the girls at the table burst into laughter.Daphne, Trish, and even Katherine believed that we would become a couple. However, after two years of being friends without any clear romantic intentions, on my birthday in ninth grade, he brought a stunning girlfriend with an attractive physique to my house and introduced us. I have to admit, it really devastated me.

I started dating different guys quite frequently, and Michela and Charlie turned a blind eye to my behavior. Everyone seemed pretty relaxed about it, except for the occasional condom and money that Charlie would secretly stash in his wallet.

Amber, at that time, would often say, "You don't have to go through this, honey," as she ended things with her current boyfriend, only to quickly fall in love again. She would always tell me to open my eyes, insisting that there are good guys everywhere.

Two more years went by in a blur, and as my boyfriends seemed to multiply like a soccer team, God finally smiled upon me. I ended up with my sweet caramel-haired sweetheart. However, at the same time, Erik's crazy personality resurfaced. He no longer treated me like I was invisible, but rather sneered at me whenever he had the chance and did everything he could to prevent me from falling in love. I remember going out to watch a movie with Constantine, and his phone kept ringing incessantly. As we left the theater, I jokingly raised my arms and said, "If this continues, I might seriously start suspecting that you two are gay, and we all know how it is in England.""You have quite the active imagination." After picking up the phone, he glanced down at me and lightly kissed the corner of my mouth, saying, "He just had a moment of madness, you know."

We had only been together for a month, and I'd rather not go into the details of our breakup; it was pretty awful overall. We were supposed to go to Manchester for a football match that day, but I was the only one who rushed back on the train, with my hair disheveled and one foot bare. Unfortunately, he ended up getting into a car accident on the way there and ended up fracturing his calf.

I never went to visit him, not even once.

Christmas hadn't been very enjoyable, and I had a feeling that if Michela and Charlie had been even slightly negligent, Erik would have grabbed a kitchen knife and attacked me. He didn't even bother putting any thought into our gift exchange, giving me a keychain shaped like a filthy stuffed bear, with a tag on the back clearly showing it was from TESCO - no need to guess, I knew it was something he had gotten for free from his part-time job at the supermarket.Charlie's expression at the dinner table was rather unpleasant, with his eyebrows tightly furrowed and pressing into his eyes. He addressed Erik, saying, "If you insist on behaving this way, please leave our family table. We do not welcome those who disrespect our family like you do."

The tension in the room was suffocating, and I felt compelled to lighten the mood by saying something, but Michela stopped me with a glance. Reluctantly, I picked up my glass of water, witnessing a tense exchange between father and son.

Erik gave me a look that seemed to blame me for the situation, as if to say, "See what you've caused." With his abrupt departure, the dining room table was now partially empty, and the once joyful and warm living room suddenly felt cold.

Chapter V

As the vacation progressed and I began to feel concerned about the history homework that I hadn't even started due to all the fun I was having, that's when Michela received an unfortunate phone call. My adoptive mother's mother, who is Erik's grandmother, had unexpectedly been tested for breast cancer and they had to urgently travel to Edinburgh.I didn't find it problematic to stay behind and take care of the house; the elderly woman never really cared for me. She visited our home during Christmas once and treated Erik and me differently - not unkindly, but rather with a distant politeness. She would switch between playing the role of a hostess and subtly reminding me, "Samantha, you're not truly part of this family!"That's when Erik discovered how to disregard me, and he was clever enough to understand how to inflict even greater pain upon me.

"Darling.Michela embraced me tightly before we departed from the house. In her eyes, I was still a helpless infant who couldn't take care of myself. She assured me, "We'll be back soon. You can find canned tomatoes and peas in the cupboard. There's enough milk in the fridge for a week, and I've already prepared a beef pie that will be ready to eat after baking at one hundred and eighty degrees for forty-five minutes."

Charlie's fatherly heart was moved by Michela's hesitant expression, prompting my affectionate, bearded, and strong adoptive father to hug me tightly. He said, "If you need anything, sweetheart, don't hesitate to call. I'm going to miss you."In my pajamas, I found myself in the entrance hall, shivering from the chilly breeze that triggered a sneeze. With her jet-black hair and dark eyes, my youngest daughter let out a breathless sniffle and pleaded, "Mom, you're just going away for a short while, so don't act like you're moving there forever, alright?"

Michela chuckled affectionately, tousling my hair while attempting to guide me inside.Charlie said hesitantly, "Make sure to lock up the doors and windows before going to bed at night!"

I casually waved my hand and returned to the living room.

Even though this house had excellent heating, I strangely caught a cold and had to skip the study group that Amber, Trish, and the girls had arranged. Instead, I spent the day in bed feeling helpless, constantly blowing my nose.In the morning, I was jolted out of my dazed state by a sudden knock on the door. When I opened it, Constantine was waiting outside.With caramel-colored curls carefully styled in the trendiest fashion, he stood in my doorway donning a denim jacket, greeting me with a casual "Hi Samantha."

Feeling overwhelmed and momentarily stunned, I couldn't react quickly enough to shut the door before asking, "What brings you here?"

Being Erik's closest companion, it was hard to fathom that he was unaware of the family's trip to Edinburgh.An eerie sensation sent shivers down my back, causing my tense muscles to instinctively prepare for protection. I furrowed my brow and scanned the surroundings in search of any available weapons, being careful to avoid the crystal vase resting on the coffee table, as it held sentimental value for Michela."Take it easy, take it easy." He flashed a charming smile, the sunlight illuminating his pearly white teeth and blinding my vision. "I believe it's time for a conversation. Lemuel is simply an ignorant troublemaker, lacking strength, and you shouldn't waste your time talking to him." There's no topic for discussion between us. As soon as I heard about his plans, I couldn't resist and forcefully pulled on his arm, giving it my all to try and eject him from the door. However, he remained resolute like an immovable statue. Perspiration trickled down from my nose, and an uneasy feeling crept into my mind.

Now, it was just the two of us left in the house."What, is he superior to me?" Constantine's expression is disgustingly disdainful. "You're satisfied with him?"

I forcefully remove his hand from mine and staggered towards the fireplace. "Get out of here! I have no desire to see you!"

"Come on, let's not be like this. We had a good time the other day, didn't we? You seemed to enjoy yourself."

I snarled, "That was sexual assault! I don't want it! That was sexual assault!"

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