Steal My Boyfriend? Go Ahead, He’s a Monster!

My cousin, Sophia, is obsessed with testing my boyfriends. No matter how many times I say no, she never stops. Once she hooks them, she dumps them, then posts in our family group chat to tell everyone my guy is trash. But this time, she has no idea she’s walking straight into a trap I designed just for her. She has to walk in. There's no other way. 1. Sophia has been divorced for three years. She lives off a massive alimony check from her ex-husband, playing around with a new guy every week. Male models today, young studs tomorrow. But recently, she set her sights on a new target—the guy I’ve been dating for six months, Tristan Thorne. I wasn't surprised she found out about him so quickly. Last week, my mom stopped by my apartment to pick up some things and bumped right into him. My mom, Eleanor, has a major disease: she’s utterly green-eyed. Her sister—my Aunt Sarah—constantly brags about how Sophia married rich and still has endless cash after her divorce. Naturally, my mom’s life goal is for me to marry someone even richer than Sophia’s ex-husband. The fact that I had been single for so long was practically giving her a heart attack. Tristan and I met at a bar. He caught my eye in the crowd, and it took me six months of chasing to finally make him mine. He is younger, hotter, and significantly wealthier than Sophia’s ex-husband. He was exactly what my mother had been praying for. She immediately posted on our family group chat on Snapchat: "My daughter is getting married soon!" I rolled my eyes and replied with a shrugging emoji: "It’s not that serious, guys. Don’t worry about it." My mom instantly fired back with a photo of him: "Look at his face, look at that designer watch. You’re telling me you’re not serious?" Sophia immediately chimed in: "Wow, Chloe, where did you find such a catch? Want me to test him out for you?" I didn't reply. But I knew that whether I liked it or not, she was going to try. This time, though, I was ready. 2. On our very first date, I warned Tristan. "I have a drop-dead gorgeous, very sophisticated cousin named Sophia. She loves adding my boyfriends on Snapchat. If she adds you, do not accept." Tristan smirked. "Afraid I’ll fall for her?" I gave him a sweet smile. "Afraid you’ll lose your mind and end up dead. Honestly, every single one of my exes died that way." He pulled me into his arms and spent the next hour reassuring me. "That would never happen. You’re the only one for me, Chloe." Thanks to my warning, when Sophia first tried to add him, Tristan ignored her. He even complained to me a few times. "Your cousin Sophia is relentless. She’s tried adding me from ten different throwaway accounts already." I kissed his cheek to reward him. "Good boy. Keep holding the line. Don’t let her wild reputation tempt you." He swiped to decline another request without missing a beat, then looked up at me. "My parents want to have dinner with you," he said. "We’ve been dating for six months, and you still haven't met them. They’re dying to meet you based on what I’ve told them." I paused, then ruffled his hair. "Let’s wait a bit. I’m swamped with work this quarter. Once the quarterly review is over, dinner is on me." "No way you're paying," he laughed. "If you just show up, my parents will be thrilled. We’ll eat at one of our family’s hotels!" Maybe because she was getting nowhere on Snapchat, Sophia grew impatient. She suddenly announced she was going to crash at my apartment for a while. I flatly refused, but my mom—who was desperate to show off the luxury condo Tristan had rented for me—eagerly gave Sophia my address. So when I got home from work, Tristan and Sophia were sitting on opposite ends of the couch, both staring at their phones. Tristan pulled me into the bedroom, looking annoyed. "I swear I didn't talk to her. Why is she even here?" I acted nonchalant. "My mom probably gave her the address. She’s always like this. Just ignore her." He swore to God he was innocent, but a small seed of unease was planted in my chest. I couldn't stop thinking about how they looked sitting on the couch together. Would Tristan really break? It took me six grueling months of chasing to get him. He wouldn't throw it all away in a single night, would he? I felt anxious. Part of it was my own insecurity, but another part was simply not knowing how long Tristan could actually hold out. 3. Tristan didn't stay the night. He owned another apartment in the building next door, so he went back there. The next morning, he came over to bring me breakfast. There were seven or eight different pastries and bagels spread across the table. When Sophia saw it, she smirked triumphantly. "Did you bring all this because you knew I was here?" she purred. "Oh, I love these bagels! The line at this bakery is always insanely long. Did you wake up early just to get them?" Tristan gave her a cool glance. "Actually, I forgot you were here. I bought less than usual today. Chloe has a weak stomach in the morning, so I wanted to give her options." Sophia let out a long, drawn-out "Oh," but her fingers kept tapping against her freshly manicured nails. I knew that habit. It meant she was calculating. If she had only been mildly interested in Tristan before, she was determined to have him now. I squeezed Tristan's hand, gripping it so hard that he looked at me in confusion. I quickly apologized and left the table. When I got home from work that evening, they were sitting on the couch again. Tristan stood up immediately to greet me. He whispered, "Doesn't your cousin have a job? Why is she always here? Doesn't she have her own place? Why is she lurking around ours every single day?" I looked at him and said, "Maybe if you just accept her friend request, she’ll leave you alone." His face froze. After a moment, he murmured, "Actually, I just added her. She said she’d go home tomorrow if I did." I just muttered "Oh" and walked into my bedroom. Tristan followed me in, wrapping his arms around me and asking if I was mad. "I just didn't want her hanging around us every day," he explained, pulling out his phone to prove his innocence. "Look, I already put her on mute. I won't even see her messages." I kept quiet, but my disappointment must have been obvious. Tristan spent the next hour trying to cheer me up. Even at dinner, he kept trying to make me laugh and piling food onto my plate. Sophia watched us, letting out a soft chuckle. "Aren’t you attentive, Tristan?" 4. Tristan ignored her and kept talking to me about a new retail chain he was launching. Sophia deliberately clattered her fork against her plate. When we both looked at her, she smiled. "Oops, sorry. That’s my area of expertise. I got a little excited." She looked at a bewildered Tristan and said, "My ex-husband did pretty well with retail chains. He has tons of distribution channels he can share with me. For Chloe’s sake, I could totally hook you up." She went on to describe the brand in detail. I could see the spark of interest in Tristan’s eyes. He looked at me hesitantly, then back at Sophia. "But since he’s your ex, wouldn’t that be awkward?" "What’s awkward about it?" she shrugged. "One night together, and everything gets solved. Just wait for my call." Tristan didn't refuse this time. I knew right then that she was officially unmuted. Sure enough, once we were back in our bedroom, he said, "Your cousin is actually really helpful and straightforward." I looked up at him, my eyes welling with tears. He immediately pulled me close. "Hey, I was just saying. Do you really think I’d be interested in a woman who’s still sleeping with her ex-husband?" 5. Sophia left my apartment the next day, and Tristan didn't come back for several days either. He claimed he was out of town scouting locations because they were opening several stores at once. A few times during our FaceTime calls, I caught a glimpse of Sophia in the background. He quickly explained, "Sophia called to check on the progress. When she heard I was in the next city, she decided to tag along. Honestly, her help saved us a ton of trouble. Even my dad praised me for this." Like any trust-fund heir, Tristan spent his whole life trying to step out of his father's shadow. His father and grandfather were highly respected entrepreneurs. Tristan wasn't incompetent, but he was always eclipsed by his family’s legacy. He desperately wanted to prove himself. This expansion went incredibly fast and secured prime locations. Even his father and grandfather praised him at the family dinner. Tristan wired me $30,000, telling me to buy a designer bag for Sophia in my name. "I know she only helped me because of you," he said. "It’s better if it comes from you. I know how to handle these boundaries." He added, "Pick something she’ll really like. If it’s not enough, I’ll wire you more." I pulled out my phone and dialed my cousin's number. As soon as she picked up, I said, "Thanks for helping my boyfriend. He wanted to buy you a thirty-thousand-dollar bag. Is there a specific one you want, or should I just wire you the cash?" There was a long silence on the other end. Then, a deep, masculine voice spoke. "Chloe? Why is your boyfriend buying things for Sophia?" Oh my god. Sophia and her ex-husband’s names were right next to each other on my contact list. I had accidentally called her ex, Arthur Pendelton. Arthur, Sophia, and I had all gone to the same college. Arthur was a year ahead of us, and we used to run into each other at club activities. I had only mentioned once that I thought Arthur was incredibly attentive. The very next day, Sophia started pursuing him. They broke up and got back together several times before finally getting married right after graduation. Three years later, they divorced. 6. To prevent any misunderstanding with the man who was still paying my cousin’s massive alimony bills, I quickly explained. "No, no! It’s not like that. She did a huge favor for my boyfriend. But we should also thank you, Arthur. My boyfriend’s retail expansion only succeeded because of your resources." "I thought she was finally getting her act together and starting her own business," Arthur muttered. "Turns out she was doing it for your boyfriend. She’s certainly put more effort into him than she ever did for me." Before I could say anything, he added, "Alright, I get it. I’ll buy the bag for her. Keep the money for yourself." I returned the money to Tristan and told him Arthur said no. Tristan looked baffled. "Isn't he her ex-husband? Why is he still acting so possessive?" "How else do you think my cousin affords all those designer clothes and her lifestyle?" Tristan’s expression tightened. He looked at me, then murmured, "Right." That night, Sophia burst into my apartment. She had been drinking, her face flushed as she sat on the couch and picked a fight with me. Despite the alcohol, her mind was sharp and her logic was brutal. She tore me to shreds from head to toe, and finally pointed a finger at Tristan. "You think you can play in the big leagues?" she sneered. "Wake up, Chloe. You will never, ever live the life I live." "Did you seriously complain to Arthur that I was stealing your boyfriend so he’d cut off my alimony? Let me tell you, I can find a replacement tomorrow. Watch me." When Tristan heard that, a dangerous spark lit up in his eyes. I suddenly felt completely exhausted. Leaving them alone in the living room, I went back to my bedroom. 7. After that night, Tristan started working late and traveling even more frequently. Even when I told him I was free and could finally meet his parents, he politely declined, saying the timing wasn't right. By then, I already knew the truth. Sophia had won again.