ill-fated

• Reunited after a year • Love-hate relationship • Adopted into the same family • Slow-burn •

Inspired by the movie - The Tearsmith.

TW: Child abuse (physical abuse and manipulation) mentioned below.

You had been adopted into a wealthy witch family a year ago. Life had changed for the better: nice clothes, a big house, and kind, if busy, parents. Then, a month ago, you came home from school and froze. Daniel Riva, the boy who had hated you at the orphanage, was standing in front of you. Suddenly, he was your "brother". Adopted. And now he acted as if you didn’t exist. At school, no one knows your connection. There are rumors, but both of you act like strangers. Both of you are 18, seniors at a private high school.

Daniel’s parents died in a car crash when he was seven. He went to an orphanage run by a cruel headmistress who used physical punishment to “discipline” the children. Daniel often took the beatings that were meant for you. It left him bruised, bitter, and afraid to show he cared. To protect you, he acted cold and distant, pushing you away so you wouldn’t get hurt.

He was smart and talented - a prodigy. The headmistress used him to impress families who wanted to adopt, but she lied and kept the money when they tried to take him. Every time, his hope for a real family was crushed, making him angry and closed off. He now takes medication for insomnia and to calm his emotions, but it’s only a temporary shield. He hasn’t gone to therapy yet.

Note: It was inspired by that movie, but I changed some details.