My parents bought a condo near my college for me and my younger brother. Just because I brought my best friend over to crash for one night, my brother's girlfriend threw a massive fit on the spot: "You're already freeloading off your brother every day, and now you have the nerve to bring your friends here too? Do you have no shame?" I turned right around and threw her luggage out the front door: "Listen to me, little girl. From now on, if you ever step one foot inside this house again, I will make you regret it." 1 My twin brother, Liam, and I got into the same university. It wasn't far from home—just an hour away by train. The campus was right by the beach. My parents didn't hesitate to buy a spacious three-bedroom condo nearby, making it convenient for Liam and me to live off-campus if we wanted. They figured whenever they missed us, they could drive down and stay for a bit too. Even though the dorms weren't great, I was a total extrovert. I got along perfectly with my three roommates, so I chose to live on campus most of the time. I only occasionally went to the condo to spend the night. Today, after eating lunch in the dining hall, I suddenly got the urge to check on the condo. After all, the semester was more than half over, and I hadn't been back once. The condo my parents bought was very close to campus—just a fifteen-minute walk. Standing in front of the door, I expertly punched in the passcode Liam and I had set together. To my surprise, after trying twice, the lock kept flashing "Incorrect Passcode." Confused, I called Liam. When he answered, he sounded noticeably tense: "Haven't you been living in the dorms the whole time? Why did you suddenly decide to go to the condo today?" My tone sharpened a bit: "What, am I not allowed to go to my own place? Why did you change the passcode on the smart lock?" "Chloe, don't get mad. We're waiting for the elevator right now, we'll be right up. I'll explain when I get there." It wasn't until Liam came rushing over that I understood who "we" was. Standing next to him was a girl with flawless, full-glam makeup. She was pretty enough, but her expression was totally blank. Even when she saw me, she kept a sour look on her face, as if my appearance was incredibly annoying to her. Liam hurried over, looking a bit embarrassed as he introduced her: "Chloe, this is Mia, my new girlfriend. She's been living here with me recently." Wow. My own brother got a girlfriend, and they even moved in together, and I, going to the exact same school, had absolutely no idea? "Mia, this is my sister, Chloe. We go to the same school." Mia finally glanced at me, greeting me with a lukewarm: "Hey." 2 It turned out the passcode had been changed—to Mia's birthday. The reason? Mia complained that the passcode Liam and I originally set was too complicated and she couldn't remember it. I was honestly speechless. Why on earth should the passcode to my house be changed just because she couldn't remember it? But figuring this was our first time meeting, I didn't show too much emotion. It wasn't until I walked inside that I realized changing the passcode wasn't even the craziest part. The craziest part was—my brother actually swapped my room with his. When my parents bought this three-bedroom place, my dad explicitly stated that the master bedroom with the en-suite bathroom was for me, since I was a girl and it would be more convenient. But now, what was supposed to be my room was piled high with a stranger's clothes. I scanned the room, then walked into the en-suite bathroom. Seeing the state of it, I almost laughed out of pure anger. The expensive skincare products I had left here were all completely empty. You didn't even have to guess to know who used them. Changed my passcode, took my bedroom, used my skincare. Wasn't this girl crossing a line? Noticing my displeasure, Liam immediately switched to suck-up mode, sidling over: "Chloe, I'm so sorry. Mia and I have been staying in your room lately. But you've barely stayed here a few times this whole semester, and I thought it was a waste to leave such a big room empty." Liam kept apologizing with a forced smile, while Mia sat in the living room eating fruit, acting as if no one else was there. She didn't show the slightest intention of apologizing for taking over my room and using my things. Seeing this, I looked at Mia with a fake smile: "Could you please let me know when you finish someone else's skincare products in the future? Otherwise, what am I supposed to use tonight?" Hearing this, Mia finally lifted her eyelids. Her tone was dripping with passive-aggression: "Sorry about that, Chloe. If you really care that much about those little sample sizes, I'll just have Liam buy you new ones." 3 I was absolutely mind-blown. When I vented to my three roommates about it, they all urged me to move back into the condo for a while. "Who lives in someone else's house and changes the passcode to their own birthday?" "Taking your room, using your stuff... fine, she used it. But to be so unapologetic about it? That's insane. She really thinks that condo belongs to her, doesn't she?" "Chloe, if you don't go back and live there for a bit, that girl is probably going to assume that place belongs to her and your brother, and that it has nothing to do with you." After hearing that, I immediately packed my suitcase and moved to the off-campus condo that very night. It was only after I moved back that I discovered Liam had somehow picked up a part-time job. To be honest, the allowance our parents gave us wasn't massive, but it was still a solid $1,500 a month each. That was plenty for me, a girl who needed to buy skincare and makeup. Liam didn't smoke or drink, so why on earth did he need a part-time job to make money? I planned to ask Liam what was going on that night. At 11:30 PM, my brother finally got home, carrying a container of fresh strawberries. "Chloe, you're not asleep yet?" He looked surprised, then smiled. "The strawberries at the convenience store where I work were on sale. I know you love them, so I brought some back for you." I let out a soft hmph. Maybe it was because I had bossed him around since we were kids, but Liam had developed a really good temper and knew how to take care of people. I ate the strawberries he washed for me and asked: "Are you really that strapped for cash? Why are you working a part-time job?" "I have no choice," Liam said, leaning tiredly against the sofa. "The new iPhone 15 just came out, right? Mia's been begging me to upgrade her phone. She's my girlfriend; of course, I want to give her what she wants." "..." To that, I could only express my "respect" and wish him luck. I never expected that during class the next day, I would suddenly receive a text message from Mia: [Usually, older sisters spend money on their younger brothers, but not you. Strawberries are expensive, and you actually have the nerve to eat the ones your brother bought you? Liam works hard for his money. If you really cared about him, you wouldn't let him buy things for you anymore. Thanks.] 4 I actually laughed out of anger. My own brother bought me some strawberries, and this not-even-engaged girlfriend thinks she has the right to dictate things? Knowing that Mia and I didn't get along, my brother was caught in the middle and in a tough spot. I could tell Liam really liked this girl; he catered to her every whim. So, I tolerated what I could. But the real explosion between Mia and me happened because I brought my roommates home to crash for a night. It was my roommate Sarah's birthday. The four of us went out to a club to celebrate. By the time we headed back, it was past midnight, and the dorms were locked. I suggested we crash at my condo. Sarah looked worried and said: "Is that a good idea? Won't your brother's girlfriend get mad?" I knew my friend was just looking out for me, but that sentence triggered me. My parents bought this condo for us. Why should I have to walk on eggshells around my brother's girlfriend? At my strong insistence, my three roommates followed me home. Even though everyone had been drinking, my friends were considerate. Knowing it was late and Liam and Mia were asleep, they tried to be as quiet as possible. We slept peacefully through the night. The next morning, the moment I walked out of my bedroom, I saw Mia stomping toward me, looking furious and ready to interrogate me: "Chloe, what is your problem? It's bad enough you freeload off us every day, but now you're bringing your whole crew of friends to spend the night? Do you have no sense of boundaries?" Perfect. My friends were still right there, and she just aggressively threw that in my face. If I tolerated this, I'd change my last name! I didn't say a word. I turned around, marched into her bedroom, grabbed her suitcase, and rapidly shoved all her clothes inside. Then I opened the front door and forcefully threw it outside! The suitcase wasn't zipped properly, and her clothes scattered all over the floor. "Have I been too nice to you these past few days?" I pointed at the door, speaking calmly, "Get out. You are no longer welcome in our home." Mia clearly hadn't expected me to actually do this. She froze for a second, then sneered mockingly: "Who do you think you are? Let me tell you, Chloe, your brother is the only son in the Thorne family. Everything in this house belongs to him. Once you get married, you're an outsider. What right do you have to tell me to get out?" 5 I was absolutely dumbfounded by Mia's words. It was hard to imagine that this garbage was coming out of the mouth of a woman my own age. She hadn't even married into the family yet, and she was already calculating that everything my family owned belonged to her and my brother? I laughed: "Listen to me, little girl. From now on, if you ever step one foot inside my house again, I will make you regret it. And if you actually manage to marry into our family, I'll admit defeat." I could tell Mia was furious. I glanced at her: "Still not leaving? Are you waiting for me to call security?" "I'm leaving." Mia gritted her teeth. "I'll wait for your brother to beg me to come back. Chloe, just you wait." SLAM. I forcefully shut the door. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I opened our family group chat and recounted exactly what had just happened, sending it directly to the group. This was a small group chat with just the four of us: my parents, Liam, and me. We chatted in it often; Liam and I popped in almost every day. As soon as the message was sent, my mom immediately jumped in: [Liam has a girlfriend? Since when? I've never heard that brat mention it.] My dad zeroed in on the main issue: [They're living together? Is he ready to take responsibility for that girl, moving in together like that! [If he wants a girlfriend, your mom and I won't stop him. But look at what she said! How are you an outsider? To me, she's the complete stranger who has absolutely nothing to do with this family!] My dad went even harder, issuing an ultimatum: [Listen to me, boy. We won't stop you from dating, but take a good look at what kind of person you're with. If you still want to be with her, I won't stop you, but you're packing up and moving out today. From today on, this condo belongs solely to your sister. Figure it out yourself!] 6 The group chat was filled with my parents venting their anger. My brother never showed up, and I couldn't reach him when I called. It was already past midnight. Normally, Liam would be back from his shift by now, but today he was nowhere to be found. It was fall, the rainy season. Outside, lightning flashed and thunder roared. It had been raining heavily all day. A chill breeze blew in from an open window, making me shiver. I felt a twinge of regret. Should I have handled this privately with Liam? Was it a bad idea to drag our parents into it? Just as I was thinking this, the sound of the passcode being entered came from the smart lock. I turned and saw Liam. He was soaking wet because he didn't have an umbrella. I grabbed some paper towels and walked over: "Where have you been all day? You weren't answering your phone either." Liam didn't speak, but I guessed he had seen the messages in the group chat. Our parents had been scolding him all afternoon; he definitely wasn't feeling great. I dried his hair with the towels, trying to figure out how to comfort him. To my surprise, Liam turned his head away. When he looked at me, his eyes were full of resentment: "Chloe, did you really have to do that to Mia?" I froze. Liam continued: "Even if you didn't want her living here, did you really have to pick a day with this kind of weather to kick her out?" Honestly, I never expected that my brother, whom I'd rarely fought with since we were kids, would one day argue with me over a girlfriend. In that moment, I was so angry I laughed: "Are you blind to the things she said to me? Can't you see it? It's clearly her fault for overstepping, and now you're blaming me? This is my house. Do I need to pick a specific date to kick a stranger out?" "This is your house, but isn't it my house too? Do I not have the right to use it?" Liam's voice rose, getting agitated. "I know you look down on Mia and judge her because she comes from a rural family. But our family isn't exactly billionaires either, right? What's there to be so arrogant about? Did you have to humiliate her like that? Do you know she had a fever and cried all day? Her family doesn't have as much money as ours, but she's still her parents' precious daughter. When has she ever suffered like this!" With that, Liam bumped past me: "I just came back to grab some essentials. Mia is waiting for me at a hotel." 7 When did I ever look down on Mia or judge her for being from a rural family? I did know about her family background, but my objection to them being together had nothing to do with that! It was Mia who acted entitled, assuming everything in this family would belong to her and my brother. She occupied the condo my parents bought for both of us, yet scolded me for lacking boundaries. Her character was the problem! After that argument, Liam and I didn't speak for two days, and he didn't come back to the condo to sleep. A few days later, while eating alone in the dining hall, I unexpectedly ran into Liam and Mia. As soon as she saw me approaching, Mia immediately looked away—I don't know if she did it on purpose—and turned to whine to Liam, asking to eat the ribs from his plate. Liam, on the other hand, looked guilty when he saw me. He quickly stood up, his tone trying to appease me: "Chloe, what do you want to eat? I'll go buy it for you." I didn't say anything. Liam persisted, acting shameless: "Chloe, don't ignore me. I was wrong for what I said before. Tell me what you want to eat, and I'll buy it for you. Anything you want, consider it an apology, okay?" I still didn't say a word. Just then, my phone rang. It was my dad. I turned and walked a few steps away to answer it. As soon as I picked up, I heard Mia's displeased voice faintly drift over: "Why are you buying her food? Does she not have her own money? She's always spending yours." "How much could one lunch cost? The pair of sneakers my sister bought me for my birthday cost more than a month's worth of meals, okay?" As he said this, Liam was already pulling out his meal card. "You're not allowed to go." Mia seemed determined to argue with him, pulling Liam back. "This isn't about money. Does she not have hands or feet? Why is she ordering you around? And what was that coaxing tone you used just now? Seriously, you're both adults, that tone is so inappropriate. Shouldn't she keep her distance?" "Babe, can we please stop arguing? What's inappropriate about me buying my own sister lunch?" The dining hall was pretty loud; I could only catch snippets of their conversation. Within a few sentences, Mia turned and stormed off in a huff. "Mia—" Liam hurriedly stood up and said to me in a panic, "Chloe, Mia hasn't fully recovered yet, I need to take her to get an IV drip. I can't buy your food today. Use my card, get whatever you want." Saying that, he shoved his meal card into my hand and chased after Mia's retreating figure. 8 It was evident that Mia had some serious manipulation skills, or maybe it was because this was Liam's first real relationship and he was incredibly lovesick. Either way, he was completely under her thumb. After I kicked Mia out, Liam followed right behind her. They rented an apartment together in a complex near campus. I don't know if Mia did it to spite me, but they rented a place in the exact same building as our condo. Occasionally, I'd even run into Mia in the elevator. Mia seemed very satisfied with her achievement of successfully convincing my brother to move out with her. She smiled and said to me: "Maya, how does it feel knowing your own brother doesn't even side with you? Liam would rather move out of that condo for me. Must feel pretty awful going home to an empty place, right? Oh, by the way, Liam paid for our new apartment all by himself. He even sold the shoes you gave him to make rent. You're not mad, are you, sister?" Awful? I felt fantastic. "The only thing awful is that I didn't kick you two out sooner. You have no idea the joy of living alone." Mia's expression changed: "You're truly shameless. That condo was clearly bought for your brother by your dad. Stop pretending your family doesn't favor sons over daughters. I've never seen a family that doesn't. You're just riding his coattails. I was the one who let you live there. Did you really think you could live there in peace?" Wow. She was calling my family's condo "letting me live there." Did she really think she was being understanding and generous?
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