My cousin was obsessed with testing my boyfriends.
No matter how hard I resisted, she reveled in it.
She'd charm them, then dump them, telling everyone my taste in men sucked.
When she pulled her usual stunt again, she had no idea it was a trap, custom-made just for her.
And she had no choice but to fall right into it.

My cousin, Zara, has been divorced for three years, still living it up on a hefty alimony check from her ex.
One day she's dating models, the next she's going for younger guys, always busy, always having fun.
Lately, she's found a new target: Julian, my boyfriend of six months.
I wasn't surprised she found him so quickly. My mom came to my apartment to pick something up and ran into him.
My mom, her biggest flaw in life is her obsession with keeping up appearances.
Zara married well, and even after her divorce, she has endless alimony. Plus, Carol never misses a chance to brag about Zara in front of Mom.
So, for me to marry a man even better than Zara's ex-husband has become Mom's mantra.
And my lack of progress has become her constant worry.
Julian and I met at a bar. I spotted him in the crowd instantly, and it took me over six months to finally win him over.
He's younger than my cousin's ex, hotter, and even richer.
Didn't that just play right into my mom's hands?
She immediately broadcast the news in the family group chat, even sending a money transfer to announce my impending marriage.
I saw it and felt so helpless. I sent a waving hand emoji in the chat.
"Not that serious, guys. No need to make a big deal."
Mom immediately shot back with a photo in the chat. "Looking like that, carrying that kind of bag C and you're not serious?"
Zara popped up. "Wow, where did Cassie find such a catch? Want your big sister to test him out for you?"
I didn't say anything, but I knew whether I wanted her to or not, she'd try.
This time, though, I was ready.



On the very first day of our relationship, I told Julian that I had a very beautiful, very sophisticated cousin. She loved adding my boyfriends on SnapChat, and if she ever added him, he absolutely shouldn't accept.
Julian jokingly asked, "Afraid I'll fall for her?"
I smiled faintly. "Afraid you'll be bewitched and come to a terrible end. Every boyfriend I've had has ended up that way."
He hugged me close, comforting me for a long time. "Then I definitely won't. I'm only marrying you, Cassie."
With my warning, when Zara first tried to add him, he kept refusing.
He even complained to me a few times. "Your cousin, Zara, is so relentless. She's tried adding me with like, ten different SnapChat accounts now."
I kissed his cheek as a reward. "You have to stay strong. Don't give in just because she's a charmer."
He didn't miss a beat, rejecting another account, then turned to me.
"My parents want to have dinner with you. They said we've been dating for six months, and you still haven't shown your face. They've heard so much about how much I like you."
I paused, then stroked his head. "Let's wait a bit. I'm pretty busy right now. After this quarter, I'll treat your parents to dinner."
"Treat them? No way. Just your presence will make them ecstatic! We'll eat at my family's hotel!"
Maybe because she still hadn't added Julian on SnapChat, Zara got a little impatient. She suggested staying at my rental for a while.
Of course, I wouldn't agree, but my mom was so eager to show off the new apartment Julian had gotten for me that she couldn't wait to give Zara the address.
So, when I got home from work, Julian and Zara were sitting on the sofa, phones in hand, one on each side.
Julian pulled me into the bedroom, sounding annoyed. "I really didn't engage with her. Why is she at my place?"
I said nonchalantly, "Mom probably gave her the address. That's just how she is. Just ignore her."
He raised his hand to swear to God, but I felt a little uncomfortable. My mind kept replaying them sitting on the couch.
Julian wouldn't, would he? I worked so hard for half a year to get him, he wouldn't be won over in just one night, would he?
I was still a little anxious. My lack of self-confidence was one thing, but I also had no idea how long Julian would last.



Julian didn't stay the night. He had another apartment in the building next door, and he went back there.
The next morning, he came over to bring me breakfast.
There were seven or eight dishes spread out on the table. Zara saw them and smiled somewhat smugly.
"Did Julian know I was here today, so he brought so much?"
"Wow, I love the soup dumplings from this place! Too bad they never deliver. Did you pick them up early this morning?"
Julian looked up at her. "No, I forgot you were here. I even bought two fewer things today. Cassie doesn't have much of an appetite in the mornings, so I just buy a lot so she has choices."
Zara let out a long "Ohhh," but her fingers kept fiddling with her freshly manicured nails. That's how she thinks. I figured if she was just a little interested in Julian before, now she was definitely determined to get him.
I unconsciously tightened my grip on Julian's hand. Maybe feeling the pain, Julian looked at me. I quickly apologized to him and left the table.
That evening, when I got off work, they were again sitting on opposite ends of the sofa. When I walked in, Julian got up to greet me.
He asked me in a low voice, "Does Zara not work? Why is she always here? And doesn't she have her own place? What's the deal with her being here every day?"
I looked up at him. "If you add her on SnapChat, maybe she'll quiet down."
His expression froze, and after a short pause, he said, "Just added her. She said if I did, she'd go home tomorrow."
I just said "Oh" and went into the room. Julian followed, putting his arm around me and asking if I was mad.
"I just don't want to see her every day. I can mute her, you know. Look, I've already set her to 'do not disturb'."
He pulled out his phone as he spoke, holding it up to me, trying to prove his innocence.
I didn't say anything. My disappointment must have been obvious. Julian held my hand, comforting me for a long time.
During dinner, he kept teasing me, trying to get me to talk, and piling food onto my plate.
Zara just smiled when she saw it. "Our Julian is so thoughtful, isn't he?"



Julian ignored her.
He was busy discussing the store setup for a direct-to-consumer brand he was working on with me.
Zara heard this and deliberately made some noise at the dinner table. When we both looked at her, she chuckled.
"Oh, you're talking about something I'm good at. Got a little excited."
She spoke to a confused Julian. "My ex-husband had a pretty successful direct-to-consumer brand. He has a lot of channels he could share with me. For Cassie's sake, I could help you out."
After that, she even detailed the brand. I could tell Julian was really tempted.
He looked at me, then at Zara, a little conflicted, and asked,
"If it's your ex-husband, won't that be awkward?"
"Awkward? A little charm offensive will fix everything. Just wait for my news."
This time, Julian didn't refuse. I knew his SnapChat notifications wouldn't be on 'do not disturb' for long.
Sure enough, when he came into the room, he said, "Zara is really loyal, and so upfront."
I just looked up at him, my eyes instantly welling up.
He immediately came over to comfort me. "I was just saying. Do you think I'd be interested in a woman who's still entangled with her ex?"