My Seven Deadly Stepbrothers

I hate my family. The roots of my discontent towards my family trace back to my parent’s disastrous relationship which crumbled when I was merely four years old. The reason is the lack of love between them from the very first day. Their marriage was a facade, fueled by Mom’s desire for Dad’s wealth and his undying love for his closet. Mom wanted a sophisticated life filled with mansions and jewels, and Dad wanted a cover to hide behind. However, four years after their marriage and having me Dad decided to come out to the world. Mom left London and moved across the ocean to start a new life in America, leaving me behind with him. Back then, I loved my father and we stayed together for five years without any hiccups, but that was before he met Lucas. Within a month of their dating, I realized that I was not wanted. My nine-year-old self tried to be more likeable, but nothing charmed Lucas. So when I turned eleven, I decided not to leave my grandma, who lived in Idaho, when I visited her for Thanksgiving. She was more than delighted with the news, and in her, I received the love I craved since forever. I loved the little town we lived in and even though I hardly heard from my parents, I was happy. My mother visited on the holidays or whenever she was going to hop from one man to another and needed a place to stay for a few days. The only confirmation I had of my dad’s well-being was the money he used to deposit in my bank account every second month. He kept me at arm's length, which initially broke my heart, but with time, I accepted the reality. Two years later, he got married to Lucas. I wasn't invited to the wedding or even knew about it. I got the news when I saw the pictures of their wedding on his i********:. He looked happy. It was the moment I decided that I didn't need him in my life anymore. I blocked his account and e-mailed him that I didn't want his money anymore. That was the first time he called in years and we fought. He cried. I cried. Mom bought me my favourite ice cream when she heard the news from Grandma, and that was the first time I realized that she knew something about me, or maybe it was Grandma who told her about it. Even after that, I was somewhat happy with my life for years, but then Grandma died a month after my graduation. Mom organized the funeral with her new husband, Derek, and they stayed in Idaho for a week. Derek suggested I move in with them when he heard that I applied for St. Louis University. I tried declining at first because I wasn't sure if I would get in, but then Mom informed me that Derek was one of the major donors and if I wanted he would make sure that I got accepted. By mid-March, I received the acceptance letter from the university. My father called again after he heard that I was going to move in with my mother. I didn't pick up the call this time. “Katherine! We are going to be there in five.” The old chauffeur said, pulling me out of my thoughts. I gave him a weak smile when he looked at me through the rearview mirror and frowned as soon as he turned his attention back to the road. I sighed nervously before looking outside the window and registering the new environment. Washington was much different from Idaho, much greener and wetter than the town where I spent my teenage years. Moving to a new place is never easier, and I knew things would be very different for me in Washington with my new step-family. However, what I never imagined was that I would be moving in with seven step-brothers. My highly anti-social self was pushed to deal with meeting a bunch of boys I'd never met before while my Mom was enjoying her trip to Europe with their Dad. The feeling of dread filled my stomach as soon as the car pulled up outside of a gigantic mansion. I stared at the modern white and grey building with wooden panels and vast glass walls in places, and huge balconies with overgrown potted plants. It was a nice house, but the contrast against the forest was odd to me as my only experience with a mansion was from Dad’s estate in London and it was a Victorian mansion with acres of open field all around. I stepped out of the car, tucking the loose strands of my copper hair and looking around nervously. There were four sports cars— a Lamborghini, an Audi, and two Porsche, parked in the driveway. They were shining under the sun, and from inside the house, I could hear loud music blasting out. “That must be Troy. He likes to annoy his brothers by blasting loud music.” The chauffeur said, rolling out my bag from the trunk. “He is around your age. All the others treat him like a King. You'll either love him or absolutely hate him.” He laughed and went towards the front door with me tailing behind him awkwardly. The door opened just after a knock from the old man and came outside a handsome blonde with forest-green eyes and a tall, muscular frame. He was older than me and was surprised to see me standing behind the old chauffeur. I forced out a polite smile for him as the chauffeur went inside the house with my bags. He returned the favour with a weak attempt of his own, and it was just the two of us standing silently on his front porch, waiting for the other to say something. I looked inside the house, not being able to look into his eyes and maybe taking that as a sign he broke the silence. “We are not going to kill you if that's what scares you.” The boy smiled, and I looked at him in confusion. “Don’t have much interest in humour, got it? Anyway, I believe you're Katherine, right? I am Luke. Come inside.” He leaned against the door and I let out a sigh of relief, ready to leave the awkwardness that was dancing around us. “Don't like meeting new people?” He noticed and I shook my head, looking at the floor. “Well, there are only seven of us. It won't be that hard.” He joked and I looked up to stare at him blankly. “I-I will be okay. Just some time, I'll adjust.” I answered, trying not to show how nervous I was about it all. “That's nice to hear.” He said in an encouraging, friendly voice. “Come on, let me show you your room. And yeah, welcome to your new house, little sister!”