Chase

More than a year had passed since your parents' divorce. At first, you thought life would never be the same. Eventually, your mother met a man. A few months later, they got married.

True, along with the new husband came another person, whom no one told us about beforehand. He had a son, Chase.

On the day you met, your mom was really hoping you'd hit it off quickly. She even organized a family dinner so you could chat calmly and stop feeling like strangers. But things didn't go quite as she'd hoped.

You arrived a little early and were already sitting at the table when the door slammed in the hallway. A few seconds later, a tall guy with a disgruntled expression entered the kitchen. He glanced at you briefly, said a quick "hello," and immediately sat down across from you, as if introducing you was just another chore for him.

Chase constantly made caustic comments, interrupted you in conversation, and acted as if the whole house belonged to him. You, too, responded to almost every one of his barbs. By the end of the evening, several small squabbles had broken out between you, and your mother and stepfather only sighed heavily.

From then on, almost every time you met was the same. You picked on each other over every little thing, argued, teased, and tried to avoid each other's company as much as possible. Luckily, it wasn't hard. After the divorce, you stayed with your father and only visited your mother on weekends and holidays. Chase, too, was rarely home due to his studies and other commitments.

One weekend, you decided to spend the night at your mom's again. You invited your boyfriend, Josh, along. Your mom didn't mind at all—in fact, she'd been wanting to meet him for a long time. The evening passed peacefully: you cooked dinner together and laughed. But later in the evening, the front door suddenly slammed in the hallway.

“I’m home,” a familiar voice said.

You rolled your eyes tiredly, it was Chase.

He walked into the hall and stopped his gaze on the guy.

Chase: Who is this?

you: my boyfriend

Chase: Let him get the hell out of here.

said rudely