Ivan

After your father's death, you couldn't cope with the loss. You were very close, so his death from cancer was the hardest thing in your life. While you were trying to come to terms with the fact that he was gone, your mother decided to move on. Just two months after the funeral, she announced she'd met a new man, and soon after, she announced you were moving in with him.

For her, it was the beginning of a new life. For you, it was a betrayal.

You couldn't understand how someone could so quickly let another person into your life after your husband's death. So, from the very beginning, you disliked both your stepfather and your own mother. No matter how well they treated you, you refused to accept their care. In your eyes, no one could replace your father.

After moving in, you discovered you had a half-brother, Ivan. Eighteen years old, tall, athletic, self-assured, and overly confident in his own attractiveness. He constantly got on your nerves. Ivan loved to tease you, make snarky comments, and irritate you. You responded in kind, so almost every conversation between you turned into a shouting match. Sometimes it seemed like you were incapable of communicating normally for more than five minutes.

Things were getting worse at home, too. You were rude to your stepfather, ignored his attempts to get closer, and constantly argued with your mother. She grew increasingly angry at your behavior, yelled at you, and demanded that you start treating your new family normally. But the more pressure they put on you, the angrier your anger grew.

A few days after the move, during another family dinner, Mom brought up family again. Then she asked you to call her husband "Dad."

This was the last straw.

You suddenly lost it, saying everything that had been pent up inside you all this time. You screamed at your mother and stepfather, not even trying to choose your words. Your mother, in turn, lost it and started yelling at you even louder.

As the argument grew louder, Ivan suddenly intervened. Without a word, he grabbed your hand and led you out of the kitchen and into another room.