5

I blinked in confusion, watching the two of them blushing like crazy, feeling like I'd missed some critical piece of information.

The conversation drifted off course.

Out of nowhere, the spotlight fell on me.

Brandon told me we had met before.

My brother and his girlfriend both turned to look at me in unison.

Honestly, when I first saw him, I thought he looked familiar, but I couldn't place where I'd seen him before.

I was perplexed.

Brandon seemed a bit disappointed but quickly returned to his usual demeanor. He sighed lightly, "I saw you with your friend the other day at a restaurant, and you were crying. Did something happen?"

My brother's expression shifted from amusement to concern. "Sis, what's wrong? Can't you at least share when you're upset instead of hiding it?"

Seeing their worried faces made me feel a little embarrassed.

That day, I had been venting to my best friend about my cheating ex. In a moment of excitement, I accidentally wiped chili oil from my hands on my eyes. My silly friend thought I was crying over the jerk and kept comforting me. No matter how much I tried to explain, she wouldn't believe me. She even said I was the toughest one in the group.

I was trying to figure out how to explain the situation.

Should I just tell them I accidentally rubbed chili oil in my eyes?

No one would believe that story.

6

"It's just that I found out being cheated on really sucks."

"What? You were cheated on?"

My brother yelled so loudly next to me that I almost went deaf.

I thought he'd keep making fun of me since he never liked Peter Martin, always saying I was blind to his faults.

Without saying a word, he snatched my phone and started swiping through it, looking for something. "Where is he?"

"Who?"

I was completely confused.

"Peter Martin, that loser."

"He's in the trash bin where he belongs. Why would you expect me to keep him?"

"Are you sure you won't get back together?"

My brother sized me up.

Suddenly, I felt the attention on me heat up.

Looking around, I didn't notice anything unusual—except for Maria, who was looking at me with pity.

"Stop grossing me out."

I rolled my eyes at my brother.

Maria looked indignant. "Exactly! Don't gross out your sister. There are plenty of trees in the forest; why would you hang onto an old, rotten one?

"Don't be sad, sis! I can introduce you to a cute younger guy, a freshman."

Maria pouted, determined to protect my love life.

"A cute younger guy? A freshman? It never ends well."

The voice floated over, and it was Brandon.

The room fell silent.

"Dude, do you even know how to comfort someone?

"Straight guy syndrome—no wonder you haven't had a girlfriend in years," Maria mumbled.

Brandon smirked, looking quite pleased with himself. "This year, I'm going to work hard to find you a sister-in-law."

"A brother-in-law can also do the trick… Ouch… Ouch…"

Before she could finish her sentence, Brandon cut her off.

I felt a surge of excitement at the banter, my eyes fixed on Brandon until he suddenly glanced back at me, making me quickly look down and focus on my food.

"I'm not into men," Brandon quickly clarified.

"Explaining is just covering up; covering up means there's a truth," Maria chimed in at just the right moment.

I struggled to suppress a smile.

Even though there was a big age gap between the siblings, their dynamic was quite entertaining.

I fiddled with my chopsticks, absentmindedly picking at the green onions on my plate.

My thoughts drifted off somewhere else; I still felt like I recognized Brandon from somewhere other than that meal.

7

Back to the grind of my job.

I busily tapped away at my keyboard, the monotonous clicking becoming melodic in its own way.

The once-blank PowerPoint was halfway done in no time.

"Emily, I heard the boss is coming back today! Finally, we'll get to see what he looks like," Abby whispered excitedly beside me.

As a fellow intern, she was practically buzzing with enthusiasm.

I was a senior this year, taking classes only every few weeks, and I wanted to find an internship before the fall recruitment. My advisor recommended this company. It might not be well-known, but it was growing rapidly and was run by a senior from my program.

The location and benefits were great: a nine-to-five schedule, weekends off, an internship salary of $5,000 a month, and the possibility of being hired full-time afterward at around $8,000 with salary increases.

That was enough for me; I wasn't looking for luxury—just a stable, easy-going life.

Seeing my light chuckle, Abby leaned closer, her big brown eyes wide with curiosity. "Aren't you even a little bit curious?"

I shrugged and replied, "If curiosity paid, I'd be all in."

"Ahem."

At the sound of a dry cough, I turned to see a familiar face that left me in shock.

8

The boss was Brandon Elliott!

He wore a white shirt layered over a white tee with some letters on it, his face still lit up with that warm, friendly smile.

In my mind, I automatically labeled him: "A 26-year-old sunny, cheerful guy."

"Good morning!" he greeted, his eyes crinkling into a smile. His voice was cool and refreshing, like a gentle breeze in the summer heat.

I mechanically responded, "G-Good morning."

He continued greeting everyone as he walked by. "Hi, everyone!"

As I watched him disappear down the hallway, it suddenly hit me.

No wonder he looked so familiar.

Back in freshman year, I attended his lecture. The huge lecture hall was packed, and I could only catch a glimpse from the back row.

9

"Wow, I had no idea the boss was this good-looking. Now I actually have the motivation to come to work every day."

Abby seemed satisfied, but I was in despair.

I remembered my goofy little brother delivering his fiery speech in front of him, and it made me cringe.

And worse, I wasn't sure if Brandon overheard my comment earlier. I'd barely been at this internship for a few days, and I was already thinking about asking for a raise—what was I thinking?

Feeling stressed, I scratched my head and pulled out my phone, opening up his WhatsApp.

We exchanged contacts during that dinner and had texted a bit since then. The conversation was mostly about him apologizing for teasing me about some embarrassing stuff.

I figured I should clear things up with him, but I kept rewriting the message and never hit send.

I didn't want to risk sending a text now and have the boss think I'm slacking off.

Even though I kind of was… but no one's dumb enough to show it to the boss, right?

Frustrated, I switched over to my brother's chat.

If I was having a hard time, there was no way he was getting off easy.

Me: You're done for.

Me: Do you know who that "evil boss" you insulted is?

Me: Your future brother-in-law.

I sent a few smug emojis for good measure.

He replied with a "sky is falling" meme.

Him: Sis, help me, please!

Me: Sis can't even save herself right now.

Just then, Brandon's chat moved up my screen.

10

Brandon: So, that "evil boss" you mentioned... that's me?

Brandon: I don't think I've ever asked you guys to work overtime, though.

He added an adorable "sad bear" sticker, looking all hurt.

The anxiety I'd been carrying suddenly disappeared, melted away by that sticker.

I found myself suppressing a smile.

This guy, for a boss, was seriously down-to-earth.

I gave him a quick explanation.

Brandon: I've been framed!

This time, it was a "pouting bear" sticker stomping its feet.

I couldn't hold back a chuckle.

Abby glanced over at me, "Are you possessed or something?"

"I was just thinking of something funny."

I couldn't exactly tell her my boss was being super cute, could I? It was hard to admit that someone so tall and grown-up could also be... this adorable.

Me: Sorry, boss. I'll work hard to make up for my mistake.

My apology was serious and sincere.

I had a ton of random stickers—mostly of pigs doing silly things. But since Brandon seemed to really love his bear ones, I found a matching "cheering bear" sticker and sent it his way.

The chat box showed that he was typing something back, but his reply hadn't come in yet.

In the end, he just sent a simple "Good luck."

11

Life carried on smoothly, day in and day out.

What surprised me most was that even Brandon worked a regular 9-to-5 schedule.

Talk about setting the bar high for the rest of us.

We'd chat occasionally on WhatsApp, but it was always work-related. I figured he was just keeping an eye on his interns.

After work, I headed back to my apartment.

I slid my key into the lock, turned it one and a half times, and the door opened.

My gut immediately tightened.

I tend to have mild OCD when it comes to locking the door—I always double-lock it before I leave.

But this time, only one lock was set.

Standing at the threshold, I held the door ajar and called out, "I see you!"

I didn't dare close the door, scared that if someone was inside, I wouldn't be able to scream for help in time.

There was no response. Grabbing a broomstick nearby, I cautiously stepped in to check every room.

It's a small apartment, just one bedroom, one living room, and a kitchen.

I searched every corner.

When I bent down to check under the bed, my heartbeat thudded in my ears, loud and frantic.

Only after I confirmed there was no one there did I let out a breath of relief.

I double-checked everything before finally locking the door behind me.

I must be losing it lately, getting all paranoid like this.

12

Since it was the weekend, I allowed myself to stay up late, gaming until almost 1 a.m.

Before going to bed, I got up to do my usual door check.

But just as I was about to put my hand on the handle, I heard the unmistakable sound of a key turning in the lock.

I froze and slipped into the kitchen, hiding in the corner.

Please let them have the wrong apartment, I prayed.

But then the first lock clicked open.

My breath hitched as I hit my phone's power button five times in a row, trying to calm my racing heart.

The intruder was deliberate, heading straight for my bedroom.

That gave me just enough time to dash out the door, pulling it shut behind me as I ran down the hallway, screaming, "Help! There's a burglar!"

My voice echoed through the quiet alley, sharp and sudden.

When I finally reached the main road, I gasped for air, my heart pounding from both fear and exertion.

Even though the apartment was in a quiet part of town, it was still a big city, and there were people around.

Seeing the pedestrians pass by, their concerned faces turning toward me, I felt my icy hands start to thaw.

Several passersby stopped to check if I was okay. I told them what happened and called the police.

While I waited for the cops to arrive, I noticed a string of missed calls on my phone—some from familiar numbers, others from strangers.

I quickly texted my brother to let him know I was safe, then sat on the curb, waiting.

Another unknown number flashed on the screen, and I hesitated before answering.

13

A familiar voice came through the phone, soft but laced with concern.

"Emily, are you okay?"

It was Brandon.

"I'm fine. How did you know?" I asked, surprised.

"You sent out an emergency call and then went silent. Your brother got worried and contacted me."

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean to drag you into this. I'm okay now."

"Wait there."

I let out a confused hum. "Huh?"

"I'm on my way. Don't worry."

That single phrase, "Don't worry," felt like an anchor in a storm, instantly calming the chaos inside me.

"Okay," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Don't hang up."

His tone left no room for argument.

"Alright," I said softly.

I kept the phone in my hand, the screen glowing as the call timer slowly ticked away.

14

Once I finished giving my statement to the police, they went upstairs to check things out. A breeze rustled the trees, sending my hair into disarray as I stood under the dim glow of the streetlight, accompanied only by my shadow.

Was I scared?

Of course, I was.

I'd heard plenty of stories about girls living alone being targeted, but I never thought I'd be one of them. Not this soon after stepping into the adult world.

I looked down at my feet and saw two shadows overlapping. Glancing up, I caught sight of Brandon. His gaze scanned me from head to toe, making sure I was okay before he let out a breath of relief.

The police told us they hadn't found the intruder yet. They suggested I stay somewhere else for the night for my own safety.

Brandon mentioned that his sister had an empty apartment nearby, and I could stay there for now.

With no better option, I agreed. He walked me to the apartment and prepared to leave.

I thanked him repeatedly. "Take care on your way back."

But to my surprise, he turned and opened the door across the hall from mine.

Seeing my shocked expression, he chuckled and shrugged. "Well, what can I say? I live right across the hall."