NOT BY BLOOD, BUT BY FATE
After the divorce, Evelyn felt like she’d forgotten how to breathe. The betrayal cut deeper than she’d thought possible—her husband had cheated with her closest friend. In one day, she lost the two people she trusted most. And with them, her faith in men.
She used to laugh at the idea that all men were cheaters. She’d believed her husband was the exception. Now… now she knew better. Even the one you trust without question could betray you. Evelyn was left with her daughter, Bethany, and an emptiness in her chest. Her ex paid child support, sometimes even took the girl for weekends, but played little part in raising her. Evelyn resigned herself to solitude. She grew used to it. Even found a strange peace in it.
But life loves surprises.
At a friend’s birthday party, Evelyn met her brother—Oliver. He, too, had weathered a divorce. Strangely, his son lived with him instead of his mother—the boy had insisted, and his ex-wife was all too happy to start fresh without a teenager in the way.
That evening, Evelyn felt something she thought long gone. Her heart betrayed her with its erratic thumping, and forgotten butterflies fluttered in her stomach. As it turned out, Oliver felt the same. He got her number from his sister and called—no grand speeches, just a simple invitation to meet.
They spent that first evening in a restaurant, talking until closing time. Then came another date… and another. When Bethany stayed at her father’s one night, Evelyn invited Oliver over. After that, neither wanted to part.
But it wasn’t so simple—they both had children. Teenagers. Bethany and James were opposites in every way. Different tastes, different rhythms, different tempers. At first, they just dated. Then Oliver, unable to wait any longer, proposed. Evelyn said yes.
Living in either of their flats wouldn’t work—mixed genders, each needing their own space. They decided to sell both and buy a proper house. Money wasn’t an issue. But there was one hurdle left—telling the kids.
Bethany took it hard.
*”I don’t want to live with him and his son! We’re fine as we are—why ruin it?”*
Evelyn understood—her daughter was struggling. But she also knew: if she turned away from happiness now, it might never return. She promised Bethany no man would ever come before her. But her decision was made.
Oliver’s talk didn’t go smoothly either.
*”Why should I live with some random girl?”* James muttered.
*”Because I love her,”* Oliver said calmly. *”And she’s a mother—just like I’m a father. She has her daughter; I have you.”*
*”Then I’ll go live with Mum,”* James shot back.
*”Go if you want—I won’t stop you. But it’ll hurt. Also, Mum’s flat’s tiny. In the new house, I’ll put up a basketball hoop. We’ll play together.”*
A bribe? Maybe. But the truth, too. In the end, both teens agreed—grudgingly. Neither was thrilled about a new sibling, but they accepted it. At least they weren’t enemies.
The wedding was quiet. Just the four of them. The kids sat stiff-faced, as if attending a funeral. A week later, they moved into the new house—rooms decorated to their tastes, each with their own world.
Opposites in every way. Bethany lived for anime and K-pop; James blasted metal and superhero films. At first, they didn’t even try to get along.
Then, everything changed.
Bethany had a persistent admirer. After school rehearsal one day, he blocked her path, gripping her wrist too tightly. She froze in fear—until James, who’d been passing by, stepped in without a word and broke the boy’s nose.
After that, nothing was the same. Bethany whispered *”Thanks.”* That evening, she knocked on James’s door and asked if he wanted to watch a film. He said yes. When Oliver came home, he paused at the sight and whispered to Evelyn, *”Did we walk into the wrong house?”*
*”Shh,”* she smiled. *”Don’t jinx it.”*
From that day, the teens began talking. Still opposites—but learning to respect each other. Years later, they became best friends, godparents to each other’s children. To everyone else, they said, *”We’re brother and sister.”* Because even without shared blood, something stronger bound them—love, shared pain… and family.