How to Fix A “Girl Bro”

1
I've been playing men like fiddles since I was a girl, a self-taught master of the innocent act.
But even a woman as free-spirited as me had to face the music: an arranged marriage to save the family business.
Just as I was resigning myself to my fate, my fianc's best girl friend came back from abroad.
At her welcome-home party, this friend, Anna, lost a party game.
Her forfeit? To straddle my fianc, Adrian, and have him help her unhook her bra.
When she saw me arrive, she grinned.
"Hey, future sis-in-law! We're just pals, practically grew up in the same pair of jeans. There's nothing he hasn't seen. You're not gonna get bent out of shape over a little thing like this, are you?"
Adrian's childhood friends quickly chimed in to smooth things over.
"Everyone in our circle knows the future Mrs. Thorne is the epitome of grace and class. She's not the type to sweat the small stuff."
I'd already heard all about Anna and her "one of the guys" routine on my way over.
A slow smile spread across my lips. This was going to be fun.
She wanted to be one of the guys"? I'd show her what a true master of the game looked like.
I tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear, my smile flawlessly sweet.
"Why would I mind? It's totally normal for good friends to roughhouse a bit. Honestly, I'm a little jealous of your bond."
Adrian seemed surprised by my easy-going response. He gently pushed Anna off his lap, offering a half-hearted scolding.
"You're a grown woman. Stop messing around."
Anna stuck her tongue out playfully, then immediately locked her arm around Adrian's, refusing to let go.
Just like that, I, the fiance, was shoved to the periphery. A classic, premeditated move on Anna's part.
But I didn't let a hint of displeasure show. I simply took a seat and quietly joined their game of King's Cup.
During the first round, I pretended to be a complete novice, flipping my card over for everyone to see.
"I got the number four."
Anna let out a condescending laugh.
"Adrian, where did you find this girl? She's never even played a simple game like this? Another boring good-girl type."
My hand paused, and I let a flicker of hurt cross my face.
I knew Adrian had a soft spot for the fragile, damsel-in-distress act. It made him feel like a savior.
"I'm sorry," I murmured. "I've never been good at these things."
Just as I'd predicted, his brow furrowed, his voice taking on a serious edge.
"Don't be ridiculous, Anna. Sera is just innocent. This is her first time in a bar."
I lowered my head, letting my long hair curtain my face as I gave my shoulders a slight, almost imperceptible tremble.
In the dim, pulsing light of the club, they all probably thought I was fighting back tears. In reality, I was fighting back a laugh.
Thank you, Mom and Dad, I thought, for insisting I play the part of a sweet, untouched angel for this engagement.
Adrian gestured, and the person next to him quickly scooted over. He patted the now-empty space on the sofa beside him.
"Sera, come sit here. I'll teach you."
Ignoring the thunderous look on Anna's face, I moved to Adrian's side.
But she wasn't one to be outdone. She was already plotting her next move.
Soon enough, Anna was chosen by the King again. This time, the dare was explicit:
Sit on the lap of a man of your choice and feed him a drink, mouth to mouth.
The whoops and hollers from the group nearly blew the roof off the private room. Anna's eyes scanned the men before landing, with dramatic finality, on Adrian.
She picked up a glass of whiskey, her smile wild and triumphant.
"Adrian, my brother in arms. You gonna help a friend out or what?"
The hand Adrian had on mine tightened for a second. I could feel his hesitation.
The cheering only grew louder. His best friend, Ethan, started banging on the table.
"Don't go soft on us now, Thorne! Not in front of your girl!"
"Everyone knows you and Anna are just friends! It's just a kiss, what's the big deal?"
The words boxed him in. He glanced at me, searching for something.
I met his gaze with eyes wide and crystal clear, offering a look that was not just permissive, but encouraging.
"Go on," I said softly. "It's just a game. It's okay."
A flicker of annoyance crossed his face, as if my indifference bothered him, but the roar of the crowd was too much. He leaned back into the couch in a gesture of surrender.
Like a conquering hero, Anna sauntered over, whiskey in hand, and settled onto his lap.
The room fell instantly silent, all eyes fixed on the charged, scandalous scene unfolding before us.
Anna wrapped her arms around Adrian's neck, took a sip of the liquor, and leaned in, pressing her lips to his.
A few seconds stretched into an eternity. A trickle of amber liquid escaped the corner of his mouth, a glistening testament to their intimacy.
The room erupted in applause.
Anna's cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkling. She turned to face the crowd, her voice loud and clear, aimed directly at me.
"What are you all staring at? We're just friends! Don't make it dirty!"
I watched the whole melodrama play out, then calmly set down my glass of juice.
Now that everyone else had had their fun, it was my turn.
I'd outgrown these childish games years ago. When I wanted to play, I could make them all dance like puppets on a string.
For the rest of the night, every single round, the King card found its way into my hand.
I propped my chin on my hand, my gaze sweeping lazily across the room.
Anna watched me with a dismissive smirk, clearly convinced that a little wallflower like me couldn't possibly cause any trouble.
I smiled back, my eyes crinkling with mischief.
"Number three has to kiss number four. For five seconds."
Number three was Ethan, the loudest of the cheerleaders. And number four? My "devoted" fianc, Adrian.
The room went dead silent again. Ethan and Adrian stared, mouths agape, while the color drained from Anna's face.
Oblivious to the sudden tension, I chirped happily, "Go on! You're all best friends, what's a little kiss? Anna just gave a perfect demonstration! Don't be so stingy with your brotherly love. Oh, or do you only kiss your girl friends, and not your guy friends?"
I put extra emphasis on the words friends and demonstration.
After all the grandstanding about their "unbreakable bond," backing down now would be a direct insult to their sacred friendship.
Trapped by the rules and the suffocatingly awkward atmosphere, Ethan gritted his teeth and leaned in to give Adrian a long, passionate kiss.
I clapped my hands, laughing with delight.
"This is so much fun!"
She liked watching him kiss his friends? Fine. He could kiss them all.
Over the next three rounds, I didn't let up, drawing the King card each time.
By the end of it, every single one of Adrian's "brothers" at the table had shared a kiss with him.
After Ethan broke the ice, none of the others could refuse without looking like a poor sport.
Adrian, for his part, remained frozen in his seat, his face as dark as a thundercloud, radiating a chilling aura.
"Are you having fun?" he bit out, his voice dangerously low.
I tilted my head up, my expression one of pure, childish glee.
"So much fun! Darling, am I the luckiest girl or what? And your 'best girl friend' is so interesting! I can't wait to hang out with her again."
Adrian's expression was a twisted knot of emotions. He gave up trying to speak, snatched his jacket from the couch, and stormed out of the room.
Anna scrambled after him. "Adrian, wait for me!"
I called out sweetly to their retreating backs, "Are we done playing? But I was just getting the hang of it!"
Anna shot me a look of pure venom over her shoulder.
"You're sick."
2
Adrian didn't contact me for a few days after that night.
I was more than happy for the peace and quiet. I went shopping, took a flower-arranging class, and enjoyed my freedom.
Anna's social media, however, was anything but quiet. A couple of days ago, she was at a ranch with Adrian, riding horses. The caption read:
"There's no point in being his trophy wife. Be his ally. The one who's always by his side."
A few days later, they were on jet skis, a nine-photo spread of their cozy moments.
In the pictures, they wore matching t-shirts. Hers read "The First Woman," with a line of smaller text beneath it: "Always in your heart."
My best friend shoved her phone in my face, zooming in on the text.
"This girl is beyond shameless," she fumed. "She's not just annoying, she's actively trying to steal your man! Sera, how can you be so calm?"
I took a leisurely sip of my afternoon tea. "Why rush? There are plenty of men in the world. If she wants him that badly, she can have him."
"But what about your family?" she pressed, her voice laced with worry. "I thought the whole point of this engagement was to fix your company's cash flow problem."
I shrugged.
"The ink on the partnership agreement dried two weeks ago. I never planned on actually marrying Adrian anyway. The breakup was always part of the plan. I just needed him to be the one at fault."
Honestly, if Anna hadn't shown up, I would have had to work a lot harder to make that happen.
According to Anna's latest blog post, tonight she and Adrian were going to fulfill some important "ten-year pact."
I didn't know the details, but it sparked an idea.
I pulled out my phone and called my old friend Leo, inviting him to go camping on Blackwood Mountain to watch the stars.
As soon as we arrived, I posted a series of photos to my Instagram story. I carefully mimicked the composition of Anna's pictures with Adrian, tagged our location, and added a cryptic caption:
"You know the secrets of the universe, and the secrets of my heart."
An hour later, long before any shooting stars appeared, I heard the roar of an engine.
Adrian stepped out of his car, the harsh glare of his headlights casting his face in shadow.
"You don't send a single text for days, and I find you camping on a mountain with another guy? Seraphina, have you forgotten you're my fiance?!"
His voice was loud, and I feigned a terrified flinch, tears instantly welling in my eyes.
"Darling," I cried, my voice trembling. "You walked out on me the other night... I thought you were angry, that you didn't want me anymore. I was too scared to call you."
Adrian froze, his anger deflating as he looked at me. His gaze then shifted to Leo.
"And who is this?"
Leo stepped forward, and I linked my arm through his, explaining patiently to Adrian.
"This is Leo, my childhood friend. We practically grew up in the same pair of jeansjust like you and Anna."
My twisted logic left Adrian speechless, his face a mask of fury. He grabbed my hand and started dragging me back down the mountain.
On the way, his phone began ringing incessantly, buzzing like an angry hornet.
I was trying to nap, but the noise was driving me crazy.
"Sweetheart, who is that? It must be important, you should answer it."
Before he could protest, I reached over and hit the answer button on the car's display. Anna's frantic, screeching voice filled the cabin via Bluetooth.
"Adrian Thorne! You get a girlfriend and suddenly you forget about me? This is our ten-year pact! You promised me! I don't care what you're doing, if you don't come right now, I swear I'll jump off the damn roof!"
3
Adrian's face grew even darker. He stabbed at the screen, ending the call abruptly.
I spoke softly, my voice laced with gentle confusion. "Anna sounds really upset. What's a ten-year pact? It sounds important. Darling, do you have somewhere you need to be? It's okay, really. I can just get a cab home."
"Shut up," he snapped, his voice cold and frayed with irritation.
"It's nothing important. She's just being dramatic. I'll have Ethan go pick her up."
I said nothing more. The car finally pulled up in front of my apartment building.
Adrian leaned back in the driver's seat, rubbing the bridge of his nose before turning to me.
His voice was softer now.
"Sera, Anna and I have known each other forever. She's always been like one of the guys, a bit reckless and tactless sometimes. But we are honestly just friends. Don't overthink it. And please, don't do things like this just to make me jealous."
I turned to meet his gaze, a small smile playing on my lips. "I'm not overthinking anything. And I'm not jealous. I trust you. And you trust me, right? Leo and I... we're just 'sisters'."
His jaw tightened. He opened his mouth to say something else, but his phone rang again. It was Ethan.
"Dude, you need to get over here. Anna's losing it. You're the only one who can handle her."
Adrian hesitated. I offered him a patient, understanding smile as I unbuckled my seatbelt and pushed the door open.
"Go on," I said. "She really needs you."
I knew he was still watching. As I reached the entrance of my building, I let my body go limp, collapsing to the pavement like a fallen leaf.
The car door slammed. In seconds, Adrian was scooping me up and rushing me to the hospital. A night of admissions, tests, and worried bedside vigils followed.
I complained of phantom pains, of being scared, of feeling dizzy. I kept him occupied until the sun came up, ensuring he never made it to Anna's ten-year pact.
The next morning, with a heart full of three parts guilt and four parts pitiable sweetness, I used Adrian's phone to call Anna.
"Anna," I whispered weakly into the receiver. "It's all my fault. I don't know what happened, I just fainted. I feel so terrible for ruining your special night. Can you ever forgive me?"
Anna was seething, but with Adrian right there, all she could do was slam the phone down. A moment later, her blog exploded.
"Some 'fiances' have all the tricks. Playing the frail victim one minute, then dragging guys up mountains to 'see the stars' the next. And making sure to post the location so everyone knows. Does she think we're all blind?"
"A ten-year pact? Ha. Apparently, it can't compete with one night of 'stargazing confessions.' That's men for you. The new girl comes along and suddenly your oldest 'friend,' the one who's been there forever, means nothing."
"Whatever. Friends are for life, girls are just temporary. You can live without a limb, but you can always get a new shirt. I get it."
The post was accompanied by a photo of her sitting alone in the grandstands of a racetrack, a single, desolate figure next to two cans of beer, one of which was empty.
I couldn't help but laugh as I screenshotted everything.
After being thwarted twice in a row, Anna was clearly on the verge of a complete breakdown.
The day after tomorrow was our engagement party. I hoped she had a surprise for me. I was dying to see it.
4
On the day of the party, Anna was a vision in a stunning red dress, gliding through the guests with a glass of champagne, laughing and chatting with Adrian's circle of friends.
Eventually, she made her way over to me, holding two glasses of red wine, her smile blinding.
"Sera, I know I've been a bit childish lately. This is for you, an apology. To you and Adrian. May you have a long and happy life together."
She was standing so close I could see the feverish excitement dancing in her eyes.
When the wicked offer gifts, they are plotting something foul.
I waved a hand dismissively, my expression apologetic. "Anna, I appreciate the thought, but I'll have to pass on the wine. I'm not feeling very well today."
Her expression instantly hardened. She leaned in, her voice a venomous whisper in my ear.
"Are you done playing the innocent little flower? Because I'm about to rip those petals right off."
I looked up at her, my face a mask of confused panic.
"I don't understand what you mean."
But Anna just smiled, turned, and walked away, leaving me with her cryptic threat hanging in the air.
The ceremony was halfway through. Adrian and I were standing hand-in-hand, about to exchange rings.
That's when Anna made her move.
"Wait!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the elegant music. "On this joyous occasion, I have a special gift for the bride-to-be!"
A confused murmur rippled through the crowd. Anna clapped her hands twice, and the grand doors to the ballroom swung open. Four or five handsome men walked in.
The moment I saw their faces, I froze.
Anna seized on my flicker of stunned silence, her smile growing wider and more vicious.
Adrian frowned, turning to me. "Do you know them?"
Before I could answer, Anna spoke for me.
"Of course she knows them! These are just a few of the many men she's had in her life since she was a teenager."
"She jumps from one to the next, tossing them aside when she gets bored. She's a seasoned player, pretending to be some innocent little lamb."
"Adrian, we've been friends for over twenty years! I couldn't stand by and watch you be deceived like this!"
The ballroom erupted in gasps and whispers.
I felt Adrian's arm go rigid beside me. When he looked at me, his eyes were filled with shock and suspicion.
Across the room, my parents' faces were pale. Adrian's family looked grim.
I lifted my chin, my eyes quickly filling with tears that clung to my lashes, refusing to fall. My lip trembled.
"How could you say such things? How could you try to ruin my engagement day like this? What do you possibly have to gain?"
Seeing my desperate denial, Anna looked as though she'd just cornered her prey. She lifted her chin higher.
"Ruin you? Seraphina, you really won't confess until you're staring at your own coffin! I have videos! Videos you filmed yourself during your little escapades! Should I play them right now? Let everyone here see just what a tramp you are in another man's arms!"
With that, Anna marched onto the stage and inserted a USB drive into the laptop connected to the large projector screens.
I stumbled forward, grabbing her hand as it reached for the mouse.
"Anna, don't."
Her voice was shrill with excitement. "You're scared now, aren't you? Too late! I'm going to play it! I want Adrian, I want everyone, to see the real Seraphina Vance! You're a liar!"
The entire room held its breath, all eyes glued to the giant screen, waiting for the promised spectacle of my downfall.

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