Owned By My Stepbrother

Chapter 5: Reluctant Stepsiblings

HERA’S POV

"Inigo, can you learn to be respectful, even now?" His father's voice held an air of authority, even if he clearly didn't want us to be there. The silence that dominated the room was suffocating, and I struggled to eat the delicious food before me. It had a unique and exquisite flavor, but the atmosphere weighed heavily on my shoulders, and Inigo's resentful glare didn't help.

Once we finished the meal, Felix straightened up in his chair and began speaking.

"I think we've all finished eating," he began, addressing my mother. "So, we can discuss everything now." He looked intently at her. "Isabelle, let's talk in my office with these two." He motioned towards Inigo and me. As he rose from his seat, we followed him. My mother and I followed Inigo in the lead.

We walked for a full eight minutes, passing numerous doors along the way, and it reinforced the sheer size of the mansion. It felt as though we were walking down a luxurious hotel corridor with ornate furnishings and a red carpet that stretched throughout the entire hallway.

We passed through more than thirty doors before Inigo's father finally approached one and opened it. When we entered, it was like stepping into the office of a country's president.

"You may take a seat," he said, and we complied. The seating arrangement mirrored that of the dining hall, with Inigo to his left and us on the other side of his desk. He turned to me and asked, "And what is your name?"

"Ah, I'm Hera Andrea Campbell, but you can call me Hera," I replied politely.

"Ah, a lovely name, just like you and your mom," he remarked, causing my mother to blush. Her reaction took me by surprise. "In any case, this is my son, Inigo. You may need quite a bit of patience with him due to his rudeness," he said, and Inigo raised his eyebrows in response. "That's why I need someone to help me reform this child's behavior. I believe he needs a mother's guidance and discipline," he stated sadly, clearly understanding Inigo's stubborn nature.

"Never in a million years," Inigo carelessly retorted.

"Inigo! Can you show some respect, even just this once or for now?" His father scolded him again. He then addressed us seriously. "Hera and Inigo," he began, and Inigo rolled his eyes. "Isabelle and I have decided to live together under one roof," he announced. Inigo and I were both taken aback by this revelation. I couldn't help but glance at my mother, who didn't provide any answers but simply squeezed my hand gently.

"Isn't it too soon for that?" Inigo protested strongly, and for once, I found myself agreeing with him.

"Yes, but we need to do this before we make any decisions about marriage. It will allow us to see if you both can adapt to our new family arrangement," he continued to explain, but I was still struggling to grasp it. "Hera, you and your mom will be living here. I want to provide you with the kind of life your dad couldn't give you," he said sincerely.

"Everything we're telling you today has been thoroughly discussed and planned," my mother interjected.

"But you've already planned and decided everything, so why are we even here? You've made your own choices about your lives! You're not seeking our input; you're informing us!" Inigo almost shouted in frustration and anger. This time, I could understand how he felt.

However, I was taken aback when my mother suddenly stood up and approached Inigo. She gently took his hand.

"Can you please give me a chance to be a mother to you? I'm not trying to replace your mother, but I want to give you the experience of having a mother, just as I did for Hera." Inigo was visibly shocked and unable to speak, but he forcefully pulled his hand away from my mother's grip.

"Stop acting like you know me so well!" Inigo yelled at her.

"INIGO!" Felix also shouted at him.

"If you desire to begin a new family, could you please do so without involving me in this nonsense?" He shouted and stormed out of the room. For the first time, I could truly understand Inigo's feelings.

"I apologize for Inigo's behavior. I know it won't be easy for him to accept our decision, but I hope you can still be patient with my son," Felix said with humility, turning to me. "Hera, I hope you can reconcile with that young man. Even though he's always like this, he's still my son, and I have no choice but to understand his feelings."

"No problem, Felix," I replied politely. "I understand."

"You can also call me Dad. I can see that Isabelle has raised you well. That's why I've chosen her to be a mother for Inigo."

I never imagined that my least favorite person in the world would become my stepbrother.

---

"Mom, do we have to live with them? We have our own house. There's no need to move into their house." I continued to voice my strong opposition to my mother's decision, unable to fully accept the situation.

"Hera, please try to understand the situation. We're doing this for you and Inigo," she calmly explained, but my mind still couldn't grasp why we needed to move into their house, and I couldn't see how this was in the best interest of Inigo and me.

I remained silent during our time at the Sanders mansion, but my resistance to the idea of living there persisted. Not only was I uncomfortable in such a large and unfamiliar home, but the prospect of daily encounters with Inigo was also a burden I couldn't bear.

"Mom, Inigo, and I will never get along. I can't live with him," I asserted as I continued to unpack clothes that she had put into my suitcase.

"Give them a chance, Hera. Don't jump to conclusions right away. We haven't even spent time with them yet. You've already formed a negative opinion," she replied, handing me the clothes I was removing from my suitcase.

"Mom, you can live with them. I'll be fine on my own. Besides, I'm old enough to live independently," I insisted as I continued to unpack my clothes.

My mother stopped and sat down next to me, her expression serious and tinged with sadness.

"Truth be told, Hera, I'm finding it challenging. But I don't want to burden you with my struggles. I've been working on myself to make it seem like I can handle everything, and I want you to believe that you can too. However, it's tough being alone," she admitted, her voice filled with sadness. She began to cry in front of me. "Raising you on my own has been difficult. It's the truth, Hera, but I haven't revealed it because I don't want our situation to burden you. I can't do it alone anymore. I can manage everything as long as I have you with me, but there are limits to what I can give and do." At that moment, I felt a heavy weight in my chest, as if someone had punched me.

"There were times when I desperately wanted to take a break, but I couldn't. I know I can't because you still need me, and I can't stop because I'm a mother. I have no right to be weak." This time, I couldn't hold back my tears. I embraced her tightly and wept on her shoulder.

I hadn't realized the extent of her sacrifices and hardships to provide me with a comfortable and decent life.

"Mom, I'm so sorry," I said, overwhelmed with guilt. I had no idea she felt this way. I had thought she was content with our lives, just the two of us. But now, I truly understood her, as I had known from the beginning the sacrifices and hardships she had endured for my sake.

I stood up from my bed and started organizing the clothes and belongings I had earlier removed from my suitcase.

"All right, Mom. I can handle this on my own. Just as I promised you before, I'll support you in whatever makes you happy," I said with a genuine smile.

She wiped away her tears, smiled at me, and got up from her seat on my bed.

"Alright, I'll start packing my things as well. Felix will pick us up tomorrow morning," she said with evident happiness in her voice.

As she left my room, I sat back down on my bed, feeling a heavy weight in my heart. I hadn't expected my life with her to change so rapidly.

I had thought I could be happy for her when she found a man who would make her happy, but the reality of it was different when it was right in front of me.

I glanced at the items inside my suitcase but couldn't bring myself to close it. I didn't have many belongings, unlike other people my age. That made packing relatively simple. The difficult part was the thought of leaving our home and moving to an unfamiliar place.

With a heavy heart, I finally closed my suitcase and placed it beside my bed.

I lay down, trying to make the most of my last night sleeping in that room. I knew that when I woke up tomorrow, a different life would await me. I had no idea what kind of life that would be when we moved to the Sanders mansion.