The Big Brother Trap Chapter 2

The day of my flight, Nate texted me: "Emergency came up, can't pick you up."

"Asked a friend to grab you. Call him when you land."

He sent a number.

But I was already in the air and didn't see the message.

I landed at dusk.

Just as I turned off airplane mode, a rushing passenger slammed into me.

I fell, and my phone went flying, landing ten feet away with a sickening crack.

The guy didn't even look back, disappearing into the crowd.

I picked up my phone. Smashed. The screen was a spiderweb of cracks, completely black.

I tried to borrow a phone from passersby.

Three rejections.

Everyone looked at me with suspicion and walked away fast.

I stood there, awkward and helpless.

Finally, an airport staff member let me use theirs.

I thanked my lucky stars I memorized my family's numbers.

I dialed Nate.

First call, rejected immediately.

My heart sank.

Second call. It rang for a long time before he picked up.

A familiar, cool voice answered: "Hello, who is this?"

Hearing his voice, my composure cracked. My eyes welled up.

I wanted to cry.

My voice came out thick with unshed tears.

"Bro, where are you?"

He was somewhere loud. Background noise was chaotic.

He paused.

Then laughed lightly: "Bro?"

"Which sister is this? The club? From the birthday party the other night? Or someone else?"

I froze.

Since when did my brother start collecting "sisters" behind my back?

After a long pause, I answered seriously: "Your biological sister, Chloe Tang."

Silence on the other end for a solid ten seconds.

Then his tone turned serious.

"Cough. Why are you calling from a strange number?"

"What's wrong with your voice?"

My attention shifted.

"I ate too many lychees at home yesterday. Got a sore throat."

I told him about my phone getting smashed but left out the part about falling.

He comforted me: "Don't worry. Where are you exactly? Tell me."

"I have an emergency today and can't pick you up. I called a bro to get you."

"Julian Shen. You know him."

Then he teased: "Remember? The guy you swore you'd marry when you grew up."

Hearing Julian's name, my heart skipped a beat.

Panic set in.

Nate is seven years older than me.

Julian was Nate's middle school friend, but two years younger than him. He skipped two grades.

Rich family, good looks, high IQ and EQ.

The classic "neighbor's kid" everyone compares you to. Perfect and dazzling.

He and my brother were tight.

The first time Julian came to our house, tiny me was stunned by his face.

He was polite, humble, and treated me well.

Every time he visited, he brought gifts. Snacks, toys, pretty hair clips.

I was a kid with zero filter, so I asked him if he'd wait for me to grow up so I could marry him.

Julian smiled gently.

He picked up tiny me: "Sure, if you don't think I'm too old by then."

It was a joke.

But I remembered it. Vividly.

Because every time we met after that, my parents brought it up.

"Remember how you used to scream about marrying him?"

Nate would join in: "You told me I wasn't as handsome as Julian. Almost died of anger. Ungrateful brat."

For the first few years, Julian would play along: "Is Chloe's promise still valid?"

After I started middle school, he stopped mentioning it.

When others teased, he just smiled and changed the subject.

Puberty made me sensitive and shy. I started hiding whenever Julian came over.

Then Nate went to college.

I rarely saw Julian after that.

Maybe once or twice his freshman and sophomore years. Then never again.

It's been five years.