Chapter 1

Chloe did it again, another boyfriend stolen, another round of humiliation in the family Facebook group.

"Sarah just can't keep a man," Aunt Linda commented, her words dripping with fake sympathy.

My mother, Susan, just sighed and told me to try harder next time.

This was the pattern, Chloe, my glamorous cousin, made it her life's mission to take whatever, or whoever, was mine.

But this time, I was ready, this time, it would be different.

I had a plan, meticulously crafted, and Ethan was the key.

Chloe lived lavishly off her divorce settlement from David, a man I once knew in college.

She was older, more confident, and in her mind, always superior.

Her life revolved around attention, and my relationships were her favorite targets.

She' d "test" them, seduce them, then discard them, all while painting me as the fool.

My mother, obsessed with appearances and keeping up with Chloe' s mother, Linda, would always feed Chloe information.

Susan would tell Linda about my dates, my jobs, my struggles, and Linda would relay it all to Chloe, who then used it against me.

It was a cycle I was determined to break.

Ethan, my new boyfriend of six months, was someone I kept deliberately quiet about.

He was charismatic, successful, handsome, everything Chloe would find irresistible.

And he had a secret, a dark one I' d discovered early on, a secret that made him perfect for my trap.

I let it slip to Mom, a carefully orchestrated "accident" during a phone call.

"Oh, Sarah, you're seeing someone? Is he nice? What does he do?" Susan' s voice buzzed with excitement.

I gave her just enough details about Ethan, his tech startup, his good looks.

Predictably, the news spread like wildfire through the family channels.

"Sarah's new man sounds like a real catch!" Mom posted in the group chat, complete with a heart emoji.

It didn't take long for Chloe to message me.

"Heard you have a new toy, cous. Mind if I check him out for you? Make sure he's up to par."

Her audacity was astounding, but it was exactly what I expected.

I told her to stay away, that Ethan wasn't her type.

Internally, I smiled, the first piece of the puzzle was in place.

I had already warned Ethan about Chloe.

"My cousin Chloe can be... a lot," I told him over dinner one night.

"She has this weird habit of trying to get involved in my relationships, sends friend requests, DMs, you name it."

"Just ignore her if she tries anything," I said, looking him in the eyes, "She' s trouble."

Ethan, ever the confident entrepreneur, just smirked.

"Don't worry, Sarah, I can handle a little family drama."

He had no idea what he was truly signing up for, or perhaps, on some level, his own darkness recognized a kindred spirit in the chaos I was orchestrating.

My warning wasn't just a warning, it was a challenge, a subtle dare.

And I knew Chloe, and now Ethan, well enough to predict they wouldn't resist.