It was very late before my mother finally got home. I didn't feel like saying hello to her, the fact that she's hiding things from me really touches me. I think I'll just try and get some sleep. Today didn't go as I hoped.

The next morning I started studying a bit for school, because the last few days I had done little or nothing. It was hard to concentrate as I was thinking all the time about who 'that friend' might be, but I tried my best anyway. I didn't hate school, but I didn't really like it either.

No matter how hard I tried, somehow I couldn't quite complete my task. So I called Max and asked if he would come over and help. He said "yes", which made me feel relieved. While I was waiting for Max, I walked to the living room to get a drink.

"Who is that?!" I said startled as I entered the living room. I was nailed to the ground. There were 2 strangers chatting happily with my mother. But the moment I entered, everyone was silent and staring at me. I felt like I was there at the wrong time. The feeling that I shouldn't have known this. I got a cramp in my stomach and I think I wanted to throw up. My mother was the first to speak. "Since you're here, Liam. This is Benjamin, your new father-to-be. And this, this handsome young man, Nate, is your future stepbrother."

I could not believe my eyes. "Father-to-be !?" I almost screamed. I could not believe it. "Are you getting married again? How long have you even known him?" My mother wouldn't make eye contact with me, and I could tell she was uncomfortable with the situation. I couldn't stand it and walked away as loud as I could so they could hear that I was feeling angry.

"Wait!" I heard a boy voice call. I stood still in the hallway, I didn't even want to make the effort to turn around. "Wait." The boy said again, this time more calmly. He also sounded closer. "Are you OK?" He asked. I turned around to see who it was. It was Nate. He smiled at me and looked at me questioningly. "I'm fine. I just have to process a lot." "That's fine, i understand." I don't know if he really understands how I feel, but I shrugged and went to my room.

Nate is handsome, but I don't like him, I certainly don't like Benjamin. How could she just replace my father with a random stranger? I couldn't understand it, I didn't want to. And Nate, he just felt like an intruder, an intruder in my family that doesn't belong to him.

From now on my mission begins, mission Ignore Stepbrother Nate. I want him to realize he doesn't belong here. This also applies to Benjamin.

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𝙷𝚎𝚢! 𝙸 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢𝚎𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟹! 𝙸𝚏 𝚢𝚎𝚜, 𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚟𝚘𝚝𝚎

𝚀 : 𝙳𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚜𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜?

𝙰: 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚗 𝚘𝚕𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚙𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛.