The route to my home was not easy. My legs were trembling as the drugs were still running through my veins.

But, I did not seek help from my fiance or anyone. I returned home all by myself. I would never forget the lustful gazes of drunkards or the lame comments that those passersby passed on me, taking me as some stripper.

As soon as I reached home, I shut the door behind me. I sat on the floor, surrounded by the cold, dark silence of my apartment. The smart home system had automatically drawn the curtains, blocking out the harsh light of the city. I felt drained, unable to muster the energy to cry.

I then walked up to the washroom, soaked my whole body to the bathtub as if the water could peel off my skin that was touched and humiliated by Nolan’s friends. The water washed my tears, making me stronger than I was.

I wrapped myself in the towel and walked up to Nolan and Sophie's bedroom that used to be mine. I looked throughout the room and guess what I found?

A whole new packet of condoms. I don't remember Nolan buying that packet when I was staying in that room with him.

So, the so-called brother-sister bond was all a sham!

I clenched my fists in anger and walked out of their room, feeling disgust by even looking at their wrinkled bedsheet. They didn't even bother cleaning the mess they created on the bed after having such a shameful incest in our home.

Nolan and Sophie didn't return home the whole night. But, his friends were posting pictures and videos online. I saw Sophie sitting on Nolan's lap, kissing him passionately in one of the videos, describing it as a dare given by their friends.

It was all a lie to fool the world and to fool me. Even a blind person could see how passionately Nolan had wrapped Sophie’s waist and was moving his hands over her thighs.

No brother would do that to his sister! It was clearly absurd to me. A kind of act that urged me to throw up just by watching their videos.

I couldn't sleep the whole night and next morning my phone rang, shrill and piercing. I hesitated for a moment before answering. It was none other than Nolan Reed.

"Where are you?" he asked, his voice smooth and nonchalant.

I opened my mouth to speak, but my throat was dry and sore. I couldn't find the words to respond.

Nolan's voice was like a knife, cutting through my emotions and leaving me feeling raw and exposed. I thought back to our conversation earlier, how he had humiliated me in front of his friends, and how he had revealed his true nature.

I remembered the words of his friend, spoken at a gathering: "If it weren't for Nolan's consideration for his sister’s reputation, you wouldn't be his girlfriend."

Of course, they needed a scapegoat to tell the world that their bond was pure as Nolan had a girlfriend. So, he kept me by his side while having an incest relationship with his sister.

The memory was like a punch to the gut, leaving me breathless and reeling. I realized that everything Nolan had said to me, all the declarations of love and affection, had been nothing more than a lie.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I knew I had to be strong, for myself and for my parents.

"Nolan…" I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper. "I know what you did. I know you humiliated me on purpose."

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, I thought he had hung up. But then, his voice came back, smooth and confident.

"Vanessa, what are you talking about? I don't know what you're referring to."

I laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. "Don't lie to me, Nolan. I know everything. And I'm done with you."

“Vanessa, have you lost your mind? It was you who refused to drink the wine despite Sophie's polite request.” He said, “And then suddenly you took a whole bottle of alcohol and drank it all, making me lose face in front of my friends. Do you know how embarrassing you were after being drunk?”

I laughed in irony before I asked, “Was it a bottle of alcohol that I drank? Why do I remember it was the soft drink that I took but still, I was drunk. Nolan, you are smart. Can you tell me why it happened?”

“Vanessa, why would I lie to you? You didn't drink soft drinks, but Wine, and that's with your own consent. No one forced you.” he replied.

I couldn't help chuckling at the confidence he put in his voice while lying to me straight.

I smiled faintly as I responded, “If you are saying so, then it must be Wine, not soft drink. I believe you, Nolan.”

With that, I hung up the phone, feeling a sense of liberation wash over me.

After I hung up the call, he didn't call back or tried to make up with me. Instead, he didn't return home.

He planned a trip with Sophie and his friends without inviting me or informing me about it. I was notified only when Sophie sent me a picture.

She was boarding the flight while wrapping her hands around Nolan's arm whereas he was carrying her side bag.

“Brother Nolan and I are going on a trip to the beach, sister-in-law. Don't wait for us. We will enjoy ourselves. Take care of the home.”

It was the last text she left for me before sending several pictures of their trip. In all of those pictures, she was lying on her bikini while Nolan was giving her body massage.

Those pictures looked too intimate for a couple, let alone for siblings.

Those pictures were driving me crazy, making me lose my sanity. So, in the end, I blocked Sophie’s social media accounts to stop her from sending me those gross pictures and making me throw up.

During these days, Nolan didn't bother texting me. Days later he called me.

“Hello…” I said, my voice distant.

"Van…" Nolan said over the phone. “I was on a trip with my friends. It was decided on a very short notice. Sorry, I couldn't inform you on time.”

“It's okay, I don't mind.” I replied, my voice cold.

"I knew you wouldn’t mind. Vanessa, you are the best girlfriend in the whole world.” He said excitedly, not realizing the coldness of my tone.

“Sophie is hosting a party the same night we arrive in the city, Vanessa. She insisted that I bring you along. Are you free to come over now?”

I was going to refuse him. But before I could say anything, he added,

“Get ready, Vanessa. I’m coming to pick you up."

With that, he hung up the phone. He arrived quickly, and despite seeing that I hadn't changed clothes and was reading harsh comments circulating on the internet over my viral pictures, he merely sighed.

"I saw the photos online. Don't think too much about it, I believe you," he said, trying to reassure me. He took out a revealing dress from my closet. "Come on, get changed. We don't want to keep them waiting."

As he helped me out of the couch, I grabbed his hand. "What do you believe about me?"

I remembered the conversation I had overheard in the hotel room. "Nolan, how do you plan to play this out with Vanessa?" one of his friends had asked.

Nolan didn't respond to that question, but his so-called sister stood up and said, "Of course, we'll make everyone, including herself, doubt whether she has slept with someone.”

“As for Brother, he'll just be her savior when she's at her lowest. This way, it won't affect their relationship, and it'll give me satisfaction."

Nolan had agreed, and soon after, my private photos had been spread online with the label "promiscuous."

I laughed bitterly. "What do you believe about me?"

I pushed the dress away, feeling exhausted. "I don't want to go to the party. You go ahead without me."

Nolan frowned. He seemed displeased with my decision.

"Vanessa, don't be stubborn!"

“Sophie is feeling guilty for you. She blames herself for asking you to toast her a wine which provoked you to drink a whole bottle of wine. Don't decline her, okay?” He said coldly.

He paused for a moment, his expression softened as he continued, “Sophie has arranged the party to help you relax, Vanessa. Don't be so arrogant to refuse her, alright? You should consider her feelings as well.”

I was still reluctant, but Nolan dragged me out of the house anyway. When we arrived at the party, he stopped me from putting on a mask.

"We don't need that," he said, his eyes warm and reassuring. "You're innocent, and I believe you. Just be yourself."

He threw the mask out the window and pulled me out of the car. As we entered the crowded bar, all eyes turned to me.

The room was filled with malicious gazes and snickers. I felt like I was going to suffocate.

Nolan led me to a private room, where his friends were waiting. The atmosphere was even more oppressive, with lecherous eyes and vile comments.

One of Nolan's friends, who had been particularly loud in the hotel room, grasped my wrist, his touch making my skin crawl.

"Hey, baby, why are you leaving so soon? We've just started having fun."

I tried to pull away, but he held tight. "Let's play a game. We'll make it worth your while."

His words were laced with sinister intent, making my blood run cold.

Suddenly Sophie popped out from behind me. She feigned an innocent smile on her face as she said, "Hey, what's going on? You're scaring my brother's sweetheart!"

“Vanessa, I’m extremely sorry for their behaviour. They are just drunk, and no one can understand better than you how people behave after being drunk.”

She added, her voice laced with sarcasm, only to humiliate me even more as the crowd erupted with the laughter.

“Yeah, no one can understand it better than Nolan's wife. She is the clear example of why one should not drink in public if you can't take it.” I heard someone yelling this from behind.

“Don't mind them, Vanessa.” Sophie said before she dragged me to the center of the room, the light from above making me feel even more exposed.

I glanced at Nolan, who was sitting in the corner, shaking his wine glass lazily and watching the scene unfold without intervening.

Our eyes met, and he smiled warmly, just like he used to. It was hard to believe that this was the same person who had ruined my reputation.

A glass of wine was thrust in front of me, blocking my view of Nolan. Sophie's smile was starting to unnerve me.

"Vanessa, I'm really sorry about what happened last week. Had I not requested you to drink wine, you might not ended up drinking so much alcohol and causing a scene in the party that ruined your as well as my brother's reputation.”

She handed me her phone, showing me the photos that had been circulating online. "And about these photos...?"

She looked at me with feigned concern. "Is this really you? If it is, who took these photos? You wouldn't...be cheating on my brother, would you?"

“Everyone, please don't believe Vanessa's pictures you have downloaded from the internet. It must be edited. You know the kind of pictures in which they edit the face of someone with another's body?” Sophie announced, looking at the crowd.

“The girl laying naked in that picture had a mole on her right thigh. How about you remove Vanessa’s skirt and let us see?” One of them shouted from the crowd.

“Vanessa, it's a good idea! This way we can prove the woman in that picture is not you, and you have not cheated on my brother.” Sophie said excitedly, “How about you take your clothes off and let us see?”

I felt a shiver run down my spine with their humiliating words. I turned to Nolan, hoping he would stop everything. But, he remained calm on his seat, grinning as his friends continued insulting me.

“Nolan…” I whispered, my voice hoarse, “Aren't you going to do anything?”

Nolan got up from his seat and walked up to me. I took a sigh of relief, hoping he would at least not let me be humiliated in front of his eyes.

However, all my hope shattered with his remarks when he said in a calm voice, “Sophie is only trying to help you, Vanessa. If you let them see your thighs, they won't talk bad about you.”

My legs trembled as I watched Nolan in terror.

My boyfriend, whom I had entrusted my life to, was asking me to undress myself in front of his friends.

Just how embarrassing it could be for me?

I remained still at my place, staring at Nolan in a daze. Meanwhile, Sophie glanced at Nolan and then at the crowd as she continued,

“It seems like Vanessa is afraid of something, or maybe I’m wrong. She is just shy, right Vanessa?”

“Or else why would you refuse to clear your image?” She added, her voice sarcastic.

“It's because she is guilty!” Someone yelled, “She got laid with someone else. She cheated on Nolan, and is now afraid of being called out. That's why she is not undressing herself.”

“It's okay if Vanessa doesn't want to show her thighs to us. My brother definitely believes her. Please, don’t force her.” Sophie remarked.

I did not feel like I could stay a little longer on my legs. So, I turned to Nolan and said, my voice indifferent, “I want to go home. I’m tired, Nolan.”

Before Nolan could respond, Sophie jumped in our conversation and said, “How can you leave Vanessa? The party has just started and you haven't taken anything yet.”

As if I cared!

I scanned the hall through my eyes and realized there wasn't anything available other than several kinds of drinks.

“Come on, have a drink, Vanessa, and let's forget about it!" Sophie pouted before she pushed the wine glass towards me again. "We can't let you leave hungry or thirsty."

Nolan intervened, his voice smooth. "You drink it, Vanessa. With this drink, let's forget everything that happened in the past."

I felt a surge of anger at his words. It was laughable that he thought I would believe everything he says.

I took the wine glass, my eyes locked on Nolan's. "If I drink this, can I leave?"

Nolan hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes, you can leave after you drink it."

The wine burned my throat as I downed it in one gulp. I felt a wave of dizziness wash over me as I stood up to leave.

This time, no one stopped me.

As I reached for the door handle, my body suddenly gave out, and I slumped to the ground. The room erupted in cheers and laughter, and I was surrounded by the jeering crowd.

My vision blurred, and I couldn't breathe. I looked up at Nolan, who was calmly serving wine to Sophie.

"Did you...did you drug me?" I stuttered.

The man who had grabbed my wrist earlier sneered at me, blowing smoke in my face. "This is called water of shame, sweetheart.”

“You'll do whatever we say after drinking it. We are going to make you kneel before Nolan and accept that you are a b*tch who slept with another guy, cheating over our friend, Nolan."

Before I could turn to leave, someone hit me on my knees and made me fall in front of Nolan.

“Where are you running, bitch? Now you have to accept it with your own mouth that you cheated on Nolan but he is kind enough to forget the past for the sake of his love for you.”