The stranger who became my stepbrother

Chapter 5

Rose’S POV

Fuck him.

I had spent the whole night tossing and turning so much that I didn’t even have time to think properly about my predicament—I had to go to school tomorrow.

And now, to make matters worse, I’d have to face him. My brand-new “stepbrother,” who just happened to be the same stranger I’d slept with and now the person I had to face at school again. God definitely had it out for me.

The next morning, Jason didn't pay me any attention as he sauntered downstairs, barely muttering a greeting to our parents who were already cozy in the kitchen, laughing and poking fun at each other. I mean of course, they had signed the marriage papers already but didn't they stop to think that this was weird for both their kids already?

The last thing I needed was to be compared to my stepbrotherㅡ He was the son of the Alpha and I was the daughter of a stripper. He was one of the best in his former pack and I… I couldn't even shift. I felt weak. I was weak. I didn't need another reason for people to jeer at me in school but I couldn't stay away. Mum would sense that something was wrong. I didn't want to get her worried.

Unfortunately for me, I had to drive in the same car with Fredrick who just kept tapping on the steering wheel and muttering a few obscenities while I just sat in the front, my fingers gripping the seatbelt as I cursed under my breath each time he ran a red light.

When we got to school, he wasted no time in telling me to scram from his car before anyone could sight the both of us togetherㅡ I'm not kidding, he had said that he didn't need anyone knowing that we were step siblings yet.

Right. That was for the best.

I clutched my bag, took a deep breath and walked into the hallway while he took another entrance in.

The whispers began almost immediately.

“She’s the stripper’s daughter, right?”

“Yeah, her mum got caught at that club.”

“No wonder she’s always acting stuck-up.”

My chest tightened as I pushed through the halls, pretending not to hear, but every laugh felt like it was aimed at me and I resisted the urge to run back home. Instead, I kept my chin up as I walked down the hall to my class.

And then, like it couldn’t get any worse, Daniel’s voice rang out above the noise. “Yo, Rose! Got any tips for us? Or do we have to pay like your mom’s customers?”

Laughter exploded. Daisy leaned on his arm, smirking and I felt my heart ache at the sight. What was he doing with her?. “Maybe talent isn’t genetic. She has the grace of an elephant. Ruined the whole rally”

I froze as humiliation roared in my ears and of course, right in the middle of the crowd now was him.

Fredrick. Leaning against the lockers like some f*****g model pulled out of a freaking magazine. Glad he had found his locker. Girls surrounded him already, tossing their hair, trying to get his attention. But he was like ice—his hands in pockets, eyes half-lidded, giving them nothing but his gaze remained fixed on me for a bit of a second before he pushed himself off the locker and walked away with some girls rushing after him.

Well, Daniel had some competitionㅡ As much as it physically hurt me to say, Fredrick had the features of an ethereal painting and he was a star player in his former school. Yes, I did research on him overnight. f**k.

Heat shot to my face. I wanted to disappear, to scream, to slap that smug look off Daniel face. But instead, I shoved past everyone and bolted for class.

By lunchtime, Alice who had sent me a countless texts had found me huddled at the back of the cafeteria. She plopped down beside me with her tray, glaring at anyone who dared glance our way.

“Don’t listen to them,” she said firmly. “People are vultures. They’ll eat whatever trash Daniel feeds them. I can't believe that Daniel would do something like this. Why would he encourage the trash being spread around you?”

I buried my face in my arms. “It’s not just trash. It’s true and now everyone knows.”

Alice hesitated, then nudged me. “So what? Then you flip the narrative. Own it. Or better…distract them.”

I lifted my head. “Distract them? With what, a magic trick?”

She smirked. “No, with something. If you were, say…fake dating someone everyone wanted? If you were suddenly able to get that designer bag that daisy has been coveting for months? All eyes would shift. People eat that stuff up. Jealousy is a great silencer.”

I blinked at her, stunned. “You’re insane.”

“Maybe.” She shrugged. “But it would work.”

The latter option seemed pretty impossible but I thought about the first one more than I needed to.

Someone who everyone would envy me for. That would be Daniel but I didn't have him anymore. Meaning… I had to get someone else.

And unfortunately, I already knew exactly who that was.

That night, I found him in the kitchen rinsing a glass like he had no worries in the world.

“We need to talk.” I said, closing the door behind me.

He glanced over his shoulder, annoyed. “What, another lecture about how I ruined your precious life? Newsflash, princess, I don’t care.”

“God, you’re insufferable,” I snapped, stepping closer. “But you’re also the only person who can help me.”

He turned fully then, crossing his arms. “Help you? You’ve got to be joking.”

“I’m not.” My voice shook, but I forced myself to meet his eyes. “I want us to fake date.”

The silence was deafening.

Fredrick’s brows shot up, and then he let out a low laugh that was humorless. “You’ve lost your damn mind. I have better things to think about”

“Like what?” I hissed.

“Like my ex girlfriend coming to this f*****g school tomorrow as a student too! Jesus! And she's dating someone already. The jock”

Daniel.

Fredrick's ex girlfriend was coming and she was already dating Daniel. That seemed really odd.

“She's probably doing it to get back at you and break you up” I said, matter of factly.

He rolled his eyes. “You can't be serious”

“I’m serious.” My chest heaved, anger and desperation in my expression. “You want to make my life hell? Fine. But you hate this marriage as much as I do and I'm sure you want your girl back. I want the bad rumors to stop around me and you want your girl back so you can make her jealous. So why not flip it? We fake date. We make them regret shoving us into this… nightmare family and everyone around us for losing us.”

His smirk faded. For once, he actually looked caught off guard.

I took a shaky breath, forcing out the words that sealed my fate.

“Help me ruin this marriage or…” I stepped closer, my voice dropping. “…We'll both be ruined.”