His Smile, Tender and Cruel

I’m the adopted daughter. And I just slept with my brother. It might have been okay if he were single, but just the other day he asked me, “What kind of things do you girls like?” I teased him, “Are you telling me I’m getting a sister-in-law?” “I’m planning on it,” he’d said, a casual glint in his eye. My heart sank into an icy abyss. Wrecking a relationship is just asking for bad karma. So, I packed my bags in the middle of the night and left a ridiculous note: “I’ve found my purpose in life. I’m going to be a wildlife photographer. Off to chase my dreams abroad. Goodbye Mom, Dad, and big brother!” Two weeks later, I was in the middle of the African savanna, being chased by a pack of hyenas. A passing jeep screeched to a halt and rescued me. I was about to pour out my thanks when a pair of warm fingers closed around my wrist, resting on my pulse. A man’s smile, both tender and cruel, met my eyes. “Get out, little sister,” he said. “Or kiss me. Your choice.”

1 I was an orphan. My earliest memories are of the orphanage. But I was pretty. And as everyone knows, a pretty face can change your luck. When I was five, I was adopted. My new family was wealthy. Like, seriously wealthy. I went from pauper to princess overnight. More than that, my adoptive parents weren’t just rich; they were full of love. My dad adored my mom and didn’t want her to go through the strain of a second pregnancy, but my mom had always wanted a daughter. So, they decided to adopt. I was the lucky one chosen to be their little girl. I also gained an older brother, who was three years my senior. My parents were wonderful to me, and so was my brother. I finally had a happy family. I always believed that happiness would last forever, that I’d still be a happy old woman at eighty. If only it hadn’t been for the incident.

2 I woke up to the feeling of a warm, sculpted abdomen beneath my hand. It felt… nice. Acting on pure instinct, my fingers traced the lines twice more. The skin under my touch quivered, and the steady breathing above my head grew heavy. I felt a stirring deep inside my body. Wait a minute… Inside my body? My eyes flew open in horror. This was… this was depraved! I buried my face in my hands, unable to face reality. But ignoring reality doesn’t make it disappear. The man holding me began to stir. He stroked my back, his voice a low, raspy murmur. “Can’t keep your hands to yourself this early in the morning?” A bolt of lightning shot through me. That voice… It was flu season, and my brother, Caleb, had caught a bad cold. Tone aside, his voice when he was sick was just as raspy as this. Could this man be… The chaotic memories of last night flooded back. A party, alcohol, a dizzying heat. Then, a series of images that shouldn’t be described. And his commands. “Open for me.” “Relax.” … What the hell was all this?! My mind frantically searched for more clues. Amidst the chaos, I remembered Caleb calling me his “wife.” I am not his wife. I’m his sister. Oh, God. He must have mistaken me for someone else. And worse, he really did have someone he was interested in. Just a month ago, after finishing my thesis defense, I was lazing around at home, getting underfoot. My dad, tired of seeing me, handed me a black card and told me to go bother my brother. One roof was as good as another, so I happily moved into Caleb’s place. I spent my nights gaming and my days sleeping. He couldn’t stand it and dragged me to work with him at his company. After a soul-crushing week of that, he was at it again, trying to pull me out of bed. “Caleb, seriously,” I moaned in despair. “Just get a girlfriend, will you? Please, just leave me alone.” He stood over me, looking down from his great height. Hearing my plea, he slowly leaned in, his face getting closer and closer to mine. He raised an eyebrow. “A girlfriend?” I nodded eagerly. “Yes! You get a girlfriend, I’ll ask Mom and Dad if I can move back home, and I’ll be completely out of your hair!” He let out a soft chuckle. “There are so many girls who like you,” I pressed on. “Isn’t there a single one you’re interested in?” Caleb, with his family, his looks, and his own formidable talents, was the ultimate catch. The line of women interested in him was a mile long. “There is one, actually,” he said, his voice laced with meaning. “Then go for it!” “We’ll see.” And with that, he hauled me out of bed and off to work, as usual. My persuasion attempt had failed. But that day at lunch, he asked me, “What kind of things do you like?” I chewed on a piece of braised pork. “I like to eat. Why are you asking?” “You’re the one who told me to go for it. So, what do you girls like?” My eyes lit up. “Am I getting a sister-in-law?” “Just answer the question,” he said with a small smile. How was I supposed to know? People’s tastes are different. I could only go by my own preferences. “Get her something good to eat. If that doesn’t work, just give her money. Who doesn’t like money?” A month passed. Just two days ago, I asked him how things were going with his mystery girl. He shot me a look. “She’s a little dense.” Dense. So… was that why he was so forward last night? But he was forward with the wrong person! I was starting to panic. The hand on my back was now shamelessly roaming, tracing a path from my shoulder blades to the small of my back, and then lower. Caleb nibbled on my earlobe. “Such a good girl. You did so well. You deserve a reward.” Thanks, but no thanks. A reward was the last thing I wanted. I racked my brain, trying to figure out how to escape without him realizing who I was. He was already turning me over to face him. Wait… what kind of reward? Was this a reward for me or for him? Soon, I couldn’t speak at all, only manage a series of muffled whimpers. Caleb held me tight from behind, my mind a complete blank. He kissed my neck. “Why aren’t you calling me ‘brother’ today? Cat got your tongue, little sister?” He and his girlfriend had such… common pet names. Considering his commands last night and this talk of rewards, my brain took a vacation and blurted out, “Shouldn’t I be calling you ‘Master’?” “Oh?” The voice behind me was thick with amusement. “We can certainly do that, if you’d like.” “No, I…” He cut me off. “On your knees.”

3 I was starting to worry about my future sister-in-law. I hoped she was a fitness enthusiast. Otherwise, she was going to die in Caleb’s bed. At this intensity, he could probably handle eight girlfriends at once. I lay half-dead in his arms, not daring to look up, and we slept in that intimate tangle for what felt like an eternity. He, on the other hand, was still bursting with energy. When I finally stirred again, rubbing my eyes, he whispered in my ear, “Rested up?” Those words gave me PTSD. No, I was not rested up. I cleared my throat, altering my voice. “I really can’t… I need more sleep.” He stroked my hair. “It’s already afternoon.” If I didn’t sleep, he would… I pressed my forehead against his chest and pleaded softly, “Please.” Then, I added, “Brother.” Compared to the name that had escaped my runaway brain, it seemed he preferred his girlfriend to call him ‘brother.’ I was desperate. His tone softened even more. “Alright, sleep. When you wake up, we’ll have dinner.” I closed my eyes, my mind racing. How could I get him out of here? Before I could come up with a plan, Caleb’s phone rang. He silenced it after a single ring and answered in a low voice, careful not to wake me. “Mom? Why are you calling at this hour?” Mom? I peeked through my lashes and saw him gently move me out of his arms, grab a robe from a nearby chair, and walk toward the balcony. I could just make out snippets of his conversation. “She’s with me… sleeping… she was really tired…” What was he telling her? He slid the balcony door shut behind him, leaning casually against the railing as he talked. I silently slipped out of bed and tiptoed over. I pulled the heavy curtains closed. And then. Click. I locked the balcony door. Caleb was trapped. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding and frantically looked for my clothes. I had to get out of here before he called for backup. It was a hotel room, so the closets were empty. My clothes were scattered on the floor. My bra was torn. I salvaged what was wearable, thankfully it was winter so I had layers. I pulled on my clothes and then snatched Caleb’s trench coat, throwing it over everything. Finally, I gathered the ruined items, stuffed them in a bag, and took them with me. It was the fastest I’d ever gotten dressed in my life. Just as I was about to slip out, I heard Caleb knocking on the glass. His voice was muffled. My guilty conscience must have been playing tricks on me, because I could have sworn I heard him say, “Irie, why did you lock the door?” My heart leaped into my throat. I had to be hearing things. Iris, you definitely misheard him! He couldn’t have said Irie! Stop scaring yourself. My heart hammered against my ribs. I pulled my hat down, covered my face, and ran.

4 I wanted to go home, but I’d been living at Caleb’s for a month. Showing up suddenly would be weird. If Mom and Dad asked if we’d had a fight, what would I say? If Caleb was sensitive enough, my disappearance might make him connect the dots. But if both of us disappeared, he’d be looking for his girlfriend, not me. I was his dearest little sister. Who would ever suspect their own sister? Decision made, I went back to Caleb’s apartment, locked the door, and headed for the shower. Finally, a chance to assess the damage. The reflection in the mirror was a disaster. My neck, my collarbones, my breasts, my waist, my thighs—everywhere, there were marks from Caleb. The worst spots were red and swollen. As I cleaned myself up, I cursed him. Didn’t he know about protection? What if I got pregnant? No, wait. I remembered now. He had taken something. A pill. He’d taken it out of his coat pocket. The hotel only provided condoms. I felt the pocket of the trench coat I’d stolen. Sure enough, there was a small bottle inside. Holy crap. Why was he carrying this around? Did he have a date planned with his girlfriend last night? It was over. I was truly screwed. The other woman everyone hated… was me. I collapsed onto the bed. It couldn’t have been entirely my fault. Caleb mistook me for someone else; that had to be at least half the blame. I just felt sorry for his girlfriend. She was the real victim. Speaking of which, who even was she? I’d never met her.

5 It didn’t matter. She was the rightful queen. I was so miserable that I eventually cried myself to sleep. I had a nightmare. A woman whose face I couldn’t see was chasing me with a bloody dagger. I ran and ran, but she caught me and stabbed me in the neck, cackling, “You cheating dogs can die together!” And just like that, I was dead, my body tossed in a pile with Caleb’s dismembered corpse. At least I only got stabbed once. The woman then produced a long sword and skewered us both together like a kebab. I woke with a jolt. What a terrifying dream. What was even more terrifying was the first thought that popped into my head when I woke up. —I could really go for some kebabs right now. I must be losing my mind.