My sister slept with every guy I dated until I introduced her to my new boyfriend, who’s actually her ex-husband’s divorce lawyer. I’m Elara, and I need you to understand something right now. I’m not the villain in this story. I spent 28 years being the good sister, the responsible one, the one who cleaned up messes and kept quiet about things that would make your skin crawl.

But 3 months ago, I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror at my mother’s birthday party and realized I was done. I was done watching my sister Sienna destroy everything I tried to build. The party was still going on downstairs. I could hear her laugh. that specific laugh she does when she’s flirting. High-pitched, breathy, with this little catch at the end that makes men think they’re the funniest person alive.

I knew that laugh because I’d heard it directed at seven different men I’d brought home over the past decade. Seven. I splashed cold water on my face and stared at my reflection. My mascara was running because I just caught Sienna in the garage with Nolan. Nolan, who I’d been dating for 6 months. Nolan, who told me 3 weeks ago that he was falling in love with me.

Nolan, who was currently pressed against my sister between my father’s workbench and his vintage Mustang. That’s when I made the decision. I went back downstairs, smiled through the rest of the party, and started making calls the next morning. But let me back up. You need to understand how we got here. Sienna is two years younger than me.

Growing up, everyone always said she was the pretty one. And she was is blonde hair that actually looks natural, green eyes, this perfect little figure she maintains without even trying. Meanwhile, I got dad’s darker features and mom’s tendency to stress eat. But here’s the thing. Nobody tells you about having a beautiful sister.

It’s not the comparisons that destroy you. It’s watching her use that beauty like a we@pon and everyone just letting her. The first time it happened, I was 19. His name was Mason and he was my first real boyfriend. We’d been together for almost a year. I thought we were serious. I was actually planning to tell him I loved him.

Then I came home early from my shift to the campus library and found them in my dorm room. In my bed, Sienna cried. Said she was drunk. Said Mason had come on to her. Said she didn’t know what she was doing. Mason said nothing. Just grabbed his clothes and left. My parents made me forgive her. She’s your sister. My mother said.

Family is forever. Boys come and go. I was 21 when it happened with Luke. 23 with Josh. 24 with Ryan. After Ryan, I stopped telling Sienna when I was dating someone. I tried to keep that part of my life separate. It didn’t matter. She always found out. She always made her move. And here’s what really k!lled me.

Every single one of them fell for it. Grown men who claimed to care about me, who said they wanted a future with me, would throw it all away for one night with my baby sister. By the time I was 26, I had stopped dating altogether. I threw myself into my career instead. I work in marketing for a tech company. Good money, lots of hours, perfect excuse to avoid family gatherings where I’d have to watch Sienna bask in everyone’s adoration.

Then she got married. His name was Caleb. And honestly, I felt sorry for him from the start. He was a sweet guy. Quiet, kind of nerdy, worked in it. He absolutely worshiped Sienna. You could see it in the way he looked at her. Like, he couldn’t believe someone like her had chosen someone like him. I wanted to warn him. I really did.

But what was I supposed to say? Hey, Caleb, my sister’s going to cheat on you eventually because that’s just what she does. They lasted 3 years. The divorce was brutal. Caleb had gotten a promotion 2 years into their marriage. Started making really good money, bought them a house in a nice neighborhood. Then Sienna got bored.

She started sleeping with his boss, his boss, who was married with two kids. When Caleb found out, he was destroyed. I mean, completely devastated. I saw him at a coffee shop about a month after Sienna moved out, and he looked like he’d aged 10 years. The divorce proceedings were nasty. Sienna wanted half of everything, including the house Caleb had put the down payment on before they got married. She wanted alimony.
She wanted his retirement fund. Caleb got himself a lawyer, a really good one, apparently. I didn’t know much about it because Sienna stopped talking to me during that period. She was furious that I wouldn’t automatically take her side, that I wouldn’t tell Caleb he was being unreasonable.
6 months ago, the divorce was finalized. Caleb kept the house. Sienna got some money, but nowhere near what she wanted. She moved back in with our parents. That’s when she started up her old habits again. I’d met Nolan at a work conference. He was charming, successful, funny, a consultant who traveled a lot, which actually worked for me because I liked my space.

We’d been taking things slow, which felt healthy. Adult. I didn’t introduce him to my family for the first 4 months. But then my mom guilted me into bringing him to her birthday party. Elara, sweetie, you’re always alone at these things. We want to meet him. We want to see you happy. I should have known better.

Nolan and I arrived together. Sienna was already there, looking perfect as always in some tight dress that probably cost more than my monthly rent. I watched her eyes light up when she saw Nolan. Watch that predatory smile cross her face. I stayed close to him for the first hour, but then dad needed help with the grill and mom wanted me to check on something in the kitchen and somewhere in that chaos. I lost track of Nolan.

I found them in the garage 20 minutes later. Sienna was pressed up against him, her hand on his chest. Nolan was leaning back but not pulling away, not stopping her. And that’s when I heard it. That laugh, I didn’t say anything. Just stood there in the doorway watching until Sienna finally noticed me.

“Elara! Oh my god, this isn’t what it looks like.” “Really?” I said. My voice sounded calm, detached. because it looks like you’re trying to [ __ ] my boyfriend at our mother’s birthday party. Nolan started stammering. Elara, listen. She just get out. I said, “Elara, come on. Get out.” He left. Sienna tried to follow me back into the house, but I locked myself in the bathroom upstairs.

That’s where I was when I made the decision. When I realized I was done being the victim in this story, done being the sad sister who everyone pied but nobody protected. I started with a Google search, Caleb’s divorce lawyer. It took me about 15 minutes to find him. His name was Adrian Whitmore, and his firm specialized in high netw worth divorces.

I scrolled through his professional photos. mid-30s, dark hair, nice smile, conventionally attractive, but in that polished, professional way. Perfect. I called his office on Monday morning, told the receptionist I needed to schedule a consultation about a family legal matter. They had an opening that afternoon.

Adrian Whitmore’s office was in one of those downtown buildings with all glass and steel. The kind of place that screams expensive. His receptionist led me back to a conference room with a view of the city. He walked in 5 minutes later. In person, he was taller than his photos suggested. Good suit, confident handshake, all business.

Miss Chen, thank you for coming in. How can I help you today? I sat down across from him. This is going to sound strange, but I need your help with something that isn’t exactly legal advice. He raised an eyebrow. Okay, you handled my sister’s divorce. Sienna Chen. Her married name was Morrison. His expression changed.

Professional masks sliding into place. I can’t discuss the details of a client’s case, even with family members. I’m not asking you to. I want to hire you for something different. I’m listening. I laid it out for him. All of it. The years of betrayal, the pattern of behavior, the way she destroyed my relationship after relationship.

I told him about Nolan, about the garage, about the moment I decided I was done. So, what exactly are you proposing? he asked when I finished. I want you to pretend to be my boyfriend. I want to introduce you to my family, specifically to Sienna. And I want to see what she does. He leaned back in his chair studying me.

That’s an interesting proposition. I’ll pay you whatever your hourly rate is. It’s not about the money, Miss Chen. It’s about ethics. Using my professional position to participate in what amounts to entrapment, it’s not enttrapment. I’m not trying to get her arrested. I just want her to show everyone who she really is.

And I think I paused, choosing my words carefully. I think you might have your own reasons for wanting to help with that. His jaw tightened slightly. What makes you say that? because I saw what she put Caleb through and I’m guessing you saw it too. The manipulation, the lies, the way she tried to destroy a decent man just because she could.

Adrian was quiet for a long moment. Then he said, “What’s your timeline?” We met three more times over the next two weeks to plan everything out. Adrian was meticulous. He wanted to know everything about my family, about Sienna’s patterns, about what I hoped to accomplish. The goal, I told him, is just to expose her, to make my family see what she’s really like.

Once they see her try to seduce my boyfriend at a family event, once they can’t deny it anymore, maybe they’ll finally stop making excuses for her. And you’re sure you want to do this? He asked. Because once we start, there’s no going back. Your relationship with your sister is going to be permanently damaged. It’s already permanently damaged, I said.

I’m just tired of being the only one who admits it. We started dating publicly 2 weeks later. I posted photos of us on social media. Nothing too intimate, just casual stuff. Coffee dates, dinners, a concert, the kind of things normal couples do. My mother called me within 24 hours. Elara, you’re seeing someone new. He’s handsome.

Why didn’t you tell me? It’s still pretty new, Mom. I didn’t want to jinx it. Well, you have to bring him to Sunday dinner this week. I insist. Perfect. Adrian picked me up at 6:00 on Sunday. He dressed down a bit. Nice jeans, button-down shirt, leather jacket. He looked good, approachable. Exactly the kind of guy Sienna would see as a challenge.

“You ready for this?” he asked as we pulled up to my parents house. “Not really, but let’s do it anyway.” My mother answered the door and immediately pulled Adrian into a hug. “You must be Adrian. Ma’s told us so much about you. I had told him almost nothing, but that was mom’s way.” She ushered us inside where dad was setting up for dinner, and Sienna was curled up on the couch with a glass of wine.

She looked up when we walked in, and I watched it happen in real time. That spark of interest, that calculating look. She sat down her wine glass and stood up, smoothing down her dress. “You must be the new boyfriend,” she said, walking over with her hand extended. “I’m Sienna, the baby sister.” Adrian shook her hand, his smile polite, but not too warm.

“Nice to meet you, Ma’s mentioned you. Has she?” Sienna’s eyes flicked to me, then back to Adrian. “I hope she said good things,” she said. “You’re very close,” Adrian said smoothly. I almost laughed at that, but I kept my face neutral, looping my arm through Adrian’ dinner was exactly as excruciating as I expected. Sienna positioned herself across from Adrian, leaning forward whenever she talked, laughing at everything he said.

She kept touching her hair, her neck, doing all the little things she does when she’s hunting. My parents didn’t notice, or if they did, they didn’t say anything. Adrian played his part perfectly. He was attentive to me, but not overly so. Friendly to Sienna without being flirtatious. He answered her questions about his work without giving away too much information about the law firm.

After dinner, mom insisted we stay for dessert. Sienna volunteered to help in the kitchen, which meant I was left alone with Adrian in the dining room. She’s already planning her approach, he said quietly. I know. Did you see the way she looked at you? Hard to miss. He glanced toward the kitchen.

Your parents really don’t see it, do they? They have never wanted to see it. When Sienna came back with the pie, she made sure to sit next to Adrian this time. Her leg kept brushing against his under the table. She’d freshened her lipstick and let her hair down. I excused myself to use the bathroom, leaving them alone. When I came back 5 minutes later, Sienna was showing Adrian something on her phone.

Leaned in close enough that their shoulders were touching. We left around 9:00. Adrian walked me to his car with his arm around my waist. My parents watched from the doorway, smiling. That went well. Mom called out, “You two are so cute together.” In the car, Adrian let out a long breath. “Your sister is persistent.” That’s one word for it.

She asked for my number. said she wanted to add me to the family group chat. Of course, she did. Over the next three weeks, Sienna texted Adrian constantly. Memes, funny videos, questions about restaurants or movies, always with some excuse for why she needed to contact him specifically instead of just asking me.

Adrian screenshotted every conversation and sent them to me. We met at his office twice a week to review the evidence and plan our next move. “She’s building up to something,” Adrian said during one of our meetings. “This is how she operates. Creates a sense of familiarity. Makes the guy feel like they have this special connection with her. How do you know that?” I asked.

He was quiet for a moment. Then he pulled out a folder from his desk drawer. During Caleb’s divorce, part of my investigation involved documenting Sienna’s pattern of infidelity. I interviewed several of the men she’d been involved with. They all described the same approach. The texts, the casual friendship, the gradual escalation.

He opened the folder. Inside were printed transcripts, photos, documentation, evidence of affairs with at least five different men during her three-year marriage to Caleb. Jesus, I whispered. Does Caleb know about all of this? He knows about the ones that were relevant to the divorce proceedings. The rest, Adrian shook his head.

The court didn’t need to see everything. just enough to prove infidelity and deny her claim to his assets. I stared at the papers. Why are you really helping me with this, Adrian? He looked at me directly. Because I watched your sister almost destroy a good man. Caleb Morrison came into my office 2 years ago and he was suicidal.

I’m not exaggerating. He’d been systematically broken down by someone who was supposed to love him. And when I helped him fight back, your sister tried to destroy my reputation. Filed a complaint with the bar association claiming I’d manufactured evidence. It was all nonsense, but it took months of my life to clear my name. I had no idea.

Why would you? But that’s who your sister is, Elara. She destroys people and then she plays the victim when they try to defend themselves. So yes, I have my own reasons for wanting to help you expose her. Call it petty if you want, but I’m human. I looked at the folder again, then back at him. So what’s our endgame here? What’s the final move? He smiled. I was hoping you’d ask that.

The plan came together over the next few days. My parents anniversary was coming up in 3 weeks. Big party, lots of family and friends, the perfect stage for Sienna to make her move and for us to spring our trap. But first, we needed to accelerate things, make Sienna feel like she was running out of time. I started posting more couple photos on social media.

Me and Adrian at the beach cooking dinner together. One particularly cozy shot of us on his couch with the caption, “Perfect Sunday.” My mother called immediately. Elara, you two look so serious. Is this getting serious? Maybe, Mom. We’ll see. I knew that would get back to Sienna. Sure enough, 2 hours later, Adrian got a text from her.

Wow, you guys are moving fast. Happy for you both. She’s panicking, Adrian said when he showed me. She’s losing control of the narrative. The next text came the following day. Hey, I’m going to be downtown for a meeting on Thursday. Want to grab coffee? Adrian sent back, “Sure, I have a break around 2.” He didn’t tell me about the coffee meeting until afterward.

When he showed up at my apartment that evening, his expression was grim. “What happened?” I asked. She made her play. Full court press. He sat down on my couch, running his hand through his hair. Started with the usual small talk, then pivoted to how she thinks I’m too good for you. How you’ve always been the unstable sister, the jealous one.

How she’s worried I don’t really know what I’m getting into. My stomach churned. She said that and then she put her hand on my leg and told me that if I ever wanted to talk to someone who really understands what it’s like to be in your family, she’s always available. Did you? I smiled.

Told her I appreciated her concern and said I needed to get back to the office. But Elara, she’s going to make a real move soon. Probably at your parents’ anniversary party. Good, I said. That’s exactly what we want. The 3 weeks until the party felt endless. Sienna increased her texting frequency. She sent Adrian selfies.

She invited him to join her at a yoga class. She even accidentally sent him a photo that was clearly meant to be provocative. Then followed up with, “OMG, sorry. That was meant for someone else. How embarrassing.” Adrian documented everything. The night before the party, we met one final time at his office. “Last chance to back out,” he said.

I shook my head. “I’m not backing out, but I need to know something. What happens after tomorrow?” after we expose her. What’s your part in all this? He leaned back in his chair. What do you mean? I mean, you’ve been pretending to be my boyfriend for almost two months now. We’ve spent a lot of time together, and I need to know if you’re just doing this for revenge against Sienna, or if I trailed off, suddenly unable to finish the sentence.

Adrian looked at me for a long moment. Then he said, “Honestly, it started as revenge. When you first walked into my office, I saw an opportunity to expose someone who’d caused a lot of damage, both to my client and to me professionally. But somewhere along the way, this stopped being entirely fake for me. My heart did something complicated in my chest.

Adrian, I know this whole situation is messed up. I know the foundation of this, whatever this is, is built on deception and revenge. But Elara, you’re smart and funny and stronger than you give yourself credit for. And spending time with you, even in this bizarre context, has been the highlight of my year. I didn’t know what to say to that.

We don’t have to figure it out tonight, he continued. Let’s get through tomorrow. Let’s expose your sister, and then when all this is over, maybe we can start fresh. Go on a real first date. No ulterior motives, no plans, just us. I’d like that, I said quietly. The anniversary party was at a rented event space overlooking the water.

My parents had gone all out. 200 guests, live band, open bar, the works. Adrian picked me up at 6:00. I’d bought a new dress for the occasion. Emerald green, fitted, the kind of thing I never usually wore, but that made me feel powerful. You look incredible, Adrian said when I opened the door. Thanks.

Ready to put on one hell of a show? He smiled. Been ready. We arrived fashionably late. The party was already in full swing. I spotted Sienna immediately. She was wearing white, which seemed like an interesting choice for our parents’ anniversary party. Tight, low cut, impossible to ignore. She saw us walk in and her face lit up. She made a beline across the room.

Elara, Adrian, you made it. She hugged me first. peruncter, then turned to Adrian with a longer, tighter hug. You look so handsome tonight. Thanks, Sienna. You look nice, too. We worked the room for a while, talking to relatives, congratulating my parents. Sienna kept appearing nearby, always in Adrian’ eyline, always making sure he noticed her.

Around 8, the band took a break, and people started mingling more freely. That’s when Sienna made her move. She approached Adrian while I was talking to my aunt on the other side of the room. I watched out of the corner of my eye as she touched his arm, leaned in close to whisper something. Adrian nodded, smiled, and followed her out onto the balcony.

I counted to 30, then followed. The balcony was dimly lit, overlooking the water. Sienna had positioned herself against the railing. Adrian standing a few feet away. I stayed in the doorway in the shadows where they couldn’t see me. I’ve been wanting to talk to you alone all night, Sienna was saying. There’s something I need to tell you.

What’s that? Adrian asked. I don’t think Elara’s being honest with you about us, about our family, about everything. How so? She’s always been jealous of me ever since we were kids. She sees me as competition, and she’s probably told you all kinds of things to make you feel sorry for her.

Actually, she hasn’t told me much about your relationship at all. Sienna moved closer. That’s because she knows if you really understood our family dynamic, you’d see through her act. Elara isn’t the victim she pretends to be. Then what is she? Manipulative, unstable. I’ve watched her drive away every good thing in her life because she can’t handle not being the center of attention.

She put her hand on his chest. A guy like you deserves better than that. Better like who? Adrian asked. His voice was calm, neutral, like someone who knows what she wants. Someone who isn’t playing games. Her hand slid up to his shoulder. Someone like me. That’s when I stepped out of the shadows. I thought you might say something like that.

Sienna jumped back, her face flushing. Elara, this isn’t Isn’t what? Isn’t you trying to seduce my boyfriend at our parents anniversary party? Because that’s exactly what it looks like from here. You don’t understand. No, Sienna. For once, I understand perfectly. I looked at Adrian. Tell her. Adrian reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone.

Sienna, do you recognize me? Really? Look at me. She stared at him, confusion crossing her face. Adrian Whitmore. Whitmore and Associates. I represented your ex-husband in your divorce. I watched the color drain from her face. That’s impossible. You and Elara, you’ve been dating. We’ve been setting you up, I said, for 2 months. every text, every conversation, every time you tried to flirt with him.
We documented all of it. You can’t do this. This is This is enttrapment or something. It’s not enttrapment, Adrian said calmly.

Entrapment requires law enforcement. I’m just a private citizen who agreed to help someone expose a pattern of destructive behavior. Elara, please. Sienna turned to me, tears starting to form. I’m your sister.

You can’t do this to me the way you did it to me. With Mason, Luke, Josh, Ryan, Nolan, I pulled out my own phone. I have screenshots of every text you sent Adrian. every time you tried to undermine me, every play you made. And we’re going to show them to mom and dad, to everyone tonight. They won’t believe you.

They will when they see the evidence, but more importantly, Caleb’s going to see it. Because Adrian kept copies of everything from your divorce, Sienna. All the affairs, all the lies, everything that didn’t make it into the final court documents. And if you ever come near anyone I care about again, if you ever try to sabotage another relationship of mine, all of that goes public.

To your friends, to your social media, to everyone. She stared at me. And for the first time in my life, I saw fear in her eyes. You wouldn’t try me. The balcony door opened behind us. My mother stood there looking between the three of us. Girls, what’s going on out here? People are asking where you are. I looked at Sienna.

This was her last chance to come clean. To tell the truth for once in her life. She said nothing. Mom, I said, I need to talk to you and dad right now. All of us together. We sat in a small room off the main hall. Me, Adrian, Sienna, and my parents. I laid out everything. The years of betrayal, the pattern, the setup with Adrian.

I showed them the text, the screenshots, the documentation. My mother cried. My father sat in silence, his face getting redder and redder. Sienna tried to defend herself. claimed I was making it all up, that I was jealous, that this was all some elaborate revenge fantasy. Then Adrian spoke up. Mr. and Mrs. Chen, I know this is difficult, but I need you to understand something.

Your daughter Sienna has a pattern of destructive behavior that extends beyond just her sister. During my representation of Caleb Morrison in their divorce, I documented affairs with five separate men during their marriage. She attempted to financially ruin a good man out of spite, and when that didn’t work, she filed false complaints against me professionally.

He pulled out his folder, the one from his office. He brought copies. This is who your daughter is. And Elara didn’t deserve to spend her entire life being victimized by someone who’s supposed to love her. My father looked at Sienna. Is this true? Any of it? Sienna opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. I Some of it, maybe.

But they’re twisting everything. Stop. My father’s voice was sharp. Just stop. No more lies. The silence that followed was deafening. Finally, my mother spoke. I think you should leave, Sienna. Mom, I said leave. We’ll talk about this later after we’ve processed everything. But right now, you need to go. Sienna looked at me. The tears were real now.

Not manipulative, not calculated, just raw hurt and anger. I hope you’re happy. She said, “You just destroyed our family.” “No,” I said. “You did that all by yourself. I just stopped covering for you.” She left. We heard her heels clicking across the floor of the event space, then the sound of the main door closing.

My mother reached across the table and took my hand. Elara, I’m so sorry. All those years, all those boys, we should have protected you. We should have seen what was happening. I tried to tell you, I know, and we didn’t listen. We made excuses for her because it was easier than admitting what she was doing. She looked at Adrian.

Thank you for helping her. I know this must seem like a nightmare of a family to get involved with. Adrian smiled slightly. Actually, I’ve seen worse. and Elara’s worth it. The party continued, but we didn’t go back out. We stayed in that small room talking, my parents asking questions, me finally telling them everything I’d held back for years.

When we finally left around midnight, my father hugged me at the door. “I’m proud of you,” he said. “For standing up for yourself.” “I just wish it hadn’t taken this long.” In the car, Adrian and I sat in silence for a few minutes. “You okay?” he finally asked. “I don’t know.” I thought I’d feel better, more vindicated.

But mostly, I just feel tired. That’s normal. You’ve been carrying this for a long time. What happens now? He reached over and took my hand. Now, now we figure out what’s real. Because Elara, somewhere in the middle of this revenge plot, I started falling for you. The real you, not the performance. And I’d like to see where that goes if you’re interested.

I looked at our joined hands. I’m interested, but maybe we could start with that real first date you mentioned. Something normal where we’re not plotting against anyone. I’d like that. He started the car. How about next Friday? I’ll pick you up at 7:00. We’ll go somewhere nice and only agenda will be getting to know each other better. Perfect.

He drove me home, walked me to my door like a gentleman, and kissed me on the cheek before leaving. I went inside, changed into pajamas, and checked my phone. There was a text from my mother. Your father and I are going to therapy. We think as a family we need professional help working through this. We’d like you to join us when you’re ready.

And one from Sienna. You win. I hope it was worth it. I didn’t respond to that one. There was nothing left to say. Over the next few weeks, things slowly settled into a new normal. Sienna moved out of my parents house into her own apartment. She blocked me on social media, and I heard through my mother that she’d started therapy, too.

My parents kept their word about family counseling. It was awkward and painful, but necessary. We talked about patterns, about enabling behavior, about the different ways they’d failed both of us. Because as much as Sienna had hurt me, they’d hurt her too by never holding her accountable. And Adrian and I went on that first date and a second and a third.

Turns out when you strip away all the drama and revenge plotting, we actually really liked each other. He was funny and kind and brilliant. He challenged me in good ways. He made me want to be braver. 3 months after the anniversary party, we made it official. Real relationship, real feelings, built on an absolutely insane foundation, but somehow working anyway.

6 months after that, I ran into Caleb at a coffee shop. Elara, he said, surprised. Hi, how are you? I’m good. Really good, actually. you better. Much better than the last time you saw me. He smiled and it reached his eyes. I heard about what happened with Sienna. Adrian told me. Are you okay with that? With what we did? Are you kidding? I’m grateful.

For years, I thought I was crazy that I’d somehow imagined how bad things were. Having someone else validate that, having someone else see who she really is, that helped more than you know. We talked for a few more minutes, and when we parted ways, I felt something settle in my chest. Peace, maybe, or closure. That evening, Adrian and I were making dinner at his place when my phone rang.

My mother, Elara, honey, I wanted to let you know Sienna’s moving. She got a job in Seattle. She’s leaving next month. How do you feel about that? I asked, sad, relieved, worried, all of it. She paused. She asked if you’d be willing to see her before she goes to talk. I looked at Adrian, who was chopping vegetables and pretending not to listen.

I’ll think about it, I told my mother. 2 weeks later, I met Sienna at a coffee shop near her apartment. She’d cut her hair shorter and she looked thinner. Older somehow. Thanks for coming, she said when I sat down. Mom said you’re moving. Yeah, fresh start, you know. She wrapped her hands around her coffee cup.

I’ve been in therapy. Real therapy, not just the court-ordered stuff from the divorce. And I’ve been talking about you about us. Okay, I need to apologize. A real apology, not the fake ones I used to give. She looked directly at me. What I did to you for all those years that was cruel.

It was cruel and selfish and wrong. I destroyed your relationships because I was jealous of you. I blinked. Jealous of me? You were always the smart one, the talented one, the one dad actually respected. I got attention for being pretty, but that was all I got. So, I took the one thing I could from you.

The validation from men who wanted you. It made me feel powerful, but it was toxic. And I’m sorry, I didn’t know what to say. I’d imagined this conversation a thousand times, but now that it was happening, I felt numb. I don’t expect you to forgive me, Sienna continued. I don’t even know if I deserve forgiveness, but I wanted you to know that I understand what I did.

I understand that I hurt you repeatedly and deliberately, and I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to be better. Therapy is helping? I asked. It’s hard. Really hard. Facing yourself who you really are without any excuses or justifications. It’s brutal, but yeah, it’s helping. We sat in silence for a moment.

I hope Seattle is good for you, I finally said. I hope you find what you’re looking for. I hope you’re happy, she said. With Adrian, I mean that. He seems like a good guy, and you deserve someone good. He is. And thank you. We finished our coffee, mostly in silence. When we stood to leave, Sienna hugged me.

It was awkward and brief, but it felt like an ending. Not a reconciliation, but an acknowledgement that we’d both been part of something broken, and we were both trying to move forward. A year later, Adrian proposed. Simple, intimate, just the two of us on a beach at sunset. I said yes before he even finished asking. My parents threw us an engagement party.

It was small, just close family and friends. Sienna sent a card from Seattle with a generous check and a note that said, “Congratulations. You deserve all the happiness.” I tucked the note away in a drawer and didn’t think about it much after that. On my wedding day, walking down the aisle toward Adrian, I realized that the revenge plot that had brought us together wasn’t what mattered anymore.

What mattered was that I’d finally stood up for myself, that I’d stopped being a victim of someone else’s dysfunction and started building the life I wanted. My sister had [ __ ] every guy I dated until I introduced her to my new boyfriend, who was actually her ex-husband’s divorce lawyer. It was petty and calculated and probably not the healthiest foundation for a relationship, but sometimes the messiest beginnings lead to the most beautiful endings.

And as Adrian slipped the ring on my finger and kissed me in front of everyone we loved, I realized I didn’t regret a single second of