Chapter 5: Fate Comes Knocking

Soon, Ethan and Morgan were in their junior year of high school.

They swapped uniforms for varsity jackets and late-night Starbucks runs, cheering for the Lincoln Park Lions at Friday night games. Life felt almost normal, for a while.

They managed to perfectly avoid the plot point in the original where they crossed paths with the main couple.

Thanks to my careful meddling (and a few well-timed fevers), the fateful encounter never happened. Our story was finally ours.

Just as I let my guard down—

I should’ve known better. Life always finds a way to throw you off script.

Ethan went missing.

His phone went straight to voicemail. Morgan paced the living room, calling every friend she could think of.

The butler sent people to search for a day and a night.

He mobilized a small army—private investigators, security teams, even the family lawyer. Every resource the Harris name could muster.

The next day, he finally returned, covered in bruises and scrapes.

He limped through the front door, shirt torn, eyes tired but alive.

Trailing behind him was a girl in a white dress, looking just as battered.

She clung to his side, hair tangled, cheeks flushed from the cold. There was something too practiced about her helplessness.

She had a pure, innocent face, but when she glanced at the understated luxury of the house, a glint of calculation flashed in her eyes.

I saw it instantly—the sharp edge behind her smile. She was already measuring the drapes.

Not good—the family fortune is in danger.

I pictured her replacing our photos on the mantel, throwing themed parties on the Harris dime. Over my dead body.

After the family doctor treated their wounds,

The living room smelled like antiseptic and worry. The doctor clucked his tongue, taping up cuts and muttering about reckless teenagers.

Ethan explained that, on a whim, he went hiking and accidentally ran into the main girl, Natalie Xu.

He left out the details, but I could read between the lines. Natalie Xu—charity case turned high school Cinderella.

The two of them accidentally fell down a steep slope, their phones broke, but thankfully they weren’t seriously hurt.

A tale as old as time: disaster, shared vulnerability, and one step closer to the plot I’d tried so hard to avoid.

Me: “......”

I glared from my perch on the couch, plotting my next move. There was no way I’d let this story play out the same way.

There’s no way this has nothing to do with Natalie.

If I knew anything about fate, it was that girls like her never showed up by accident.

When Natalie came out and saw Ethan playing with me,

She put on her best "aw, shucks" face, glancing at me like I was the final puzzle piece in her master plan.

She put on a surprised face. “Is this your sister? She’s so cute!”

Her voice was sugary sweet—enough to make my teeth ache. I could practically see the hashtags forming in her head: #blessed #HarrisFamilyVibes.

Ethan is always in a good mood when others praise me.

He straightened up, pride coloring his cheeks. Even the broodiest older brother loves a little ego boost.

He looked at Natalie, happy. “Do you want to hold her?”

He offered me up like a trophy. I fought the urge to squirm.

“Sure!”

Her hands reached out, all practiced innocence. But I wasn’t about to let her get a grip on my story.

Don’t you dare come near me.

I stared her down, ready to unleash my ultimate defense.

As she suddenly reached out, I wailed louder than ever, heartbreaking.

My cry rang through the house, loud enough to wake the neighbors. No way was I letting this girl take my brother—or our family—away from me.

Natalie’s smile faltered. For the first time, she looked unsure.