Allergic to Filth, Including My Brother's Girlfriend

I inherited Grandma's terrible allergy. One touch of something gross, and I break out in rashes everywhere. At best, I feel dizzy; at worst, I go into shock. Grandma cherished me so much that she signed the old family home over to me. Right after I move into my new place, my older brother, Owen Carter, walks through the door with his girlfriend in tow. Caked in heavy makeup, Sofia Hayes picks apart the decor the second she steps inside. "I hate this. What kind of tacky aesthetic is this? Whoever picked this must be blind. Get rid of it. I want something in a more vibrant color palette." I frown. "This is my house." Sofia acts like she doesn't even hear me. She turns to Owen, pouting. "Babe, I want it to just be the two of us. It's weird for a sister to hang around her brother's place. I don't want her eavesdropping on us at night." Owen tosses his head back. "Emilia Carter, move out. Sofia doesn't like having outsiders around." I glare at my spineless brother, then at Sofia, drenched in cheap perfume and heavy makeup. Red rashes instantly explode across my arms, and blood rushes straight to my head. "Get the hell out of my house, you bitch!" Chapter 1 Sofia Hayes' face went completely pale. She stormed up to me in her high heels. "Who are you calling a bitch? Say that again!" Her voice was shrill and grating, and her blood-red manicured finger practically jabbed my nose. "You ill-mannered brat! Owen might spoil you, but I won't!" Who was the ill-mannered one here? I took a deep breath, only to be overwhelmed by her suffocating perfume. I quickly covered my nose. "You… I'm going to throw up. Back the hell away—" Before I could finish speaking, my brother, Owen Carter, lunged forward and shoved me hard. My back slammed into the wall, sending a dull ache through my shoulder blades as spots danced across my vision. He yelled, "Emilia Carter, shut the hell up! Stop acting crazy!" Leaning against the wall, I watched him shield his girlfriend like a beast guarding its food. Sofia pouted, and her eyes instantly welled with tears that spilled down her cheeks. The turnabout was seamless. She tugged on Owen's sleeve, letting out a pitiful sob. "Owen, look at how your sister treats me! I'm not even married to you yet, and she's already bullying me!" Owen's hand was already raised, hovering midair. I glared at him hard. "Try it, Owen! When Grandma hears about this, she'll slap the sense right out of you!" "Emilia, stop testing my patience. You really think I won't slap you?" The veins on his forehead bulged, and his jaw clenched so hard that his teeth ground together. Sofia buried her face in Owen's chest. Her shoulders trembled softly as she mumbled, "Forget it… She's just jealous that someone loves me. Look at her. Your parents don't love her, and she doesn't even have a boyfriend. It's only natural she'd snap at seeing us happy." My eyes went wide. Holy hell. How could anyone be so shameless? She looked up at Owen with tear-filled eyes. "Don't lower yourself to her level. Let's just be the bigger people." As Owen looked down at her, his brows drew together with affection. He gently wiped away her tears, treating her as delicately as fragile glass. But when he looked up at me, his gaze was cold enough to freeze everything. "Emilia, Mom and Dad already said this place is meant for me." He enunciated every word clearly. "Yet, you barged in here without uttering a single word. Pack your things and get out. Don't make me repeat myself." I leaned against the wall. My shoulder throbbed, and a rash spread across my arms, burning and itching unbearably. Looking at his confident expression, I suddenly burst into laughter. "Is your name on the deed?" He blinked in surprise, caught off guard. I drew myself up, took a step toward him, and lowered my voice to a whisper. "Owen, who do you think you're threatening?" Sofia peeked out from his chest. Tears still glistened on her face, but a smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. Unhurriedly, she pulled out her phone, tapped the screen a few times, and shoved it right in my face. It was a family group chat. The text right below Sofia's voice message was from Dad's account. "The old family home will be Owen's sooner or later. Emilia's just staying there temporarily. Don't overthink it, Sofia. Just focus on your relationship with Owen." Dad had sent those words. As I stared at those lines, my fingertips went numb. Owen's voice floated down from above, dripping with triumphant satisfaction. "See that? Mom and Dad said so! Don't think you can do whatever you want just because Grandma favors you. You really thought you could steal my house?" Sofia tucked her phone away and leaned back into Owen, looking me up and down like I was a pathetic beggar. Then, she let out a soft chuckle. "Some people just don't know their place, sitting around like a parasite. Aren't you embarrassed? Move out now. We need to renovate the place." Owen threw an arm around Sofia's shoulder and jerked his chin toward the door, as if shooing away a stray dog. "Out by today. Don't make me throw your stuff out myself." I stared at the two of them. One was my brother, and the other was the woman he had brought home. They were standing in the house Grandma gave me, telling me to get out. Fine. Fine! I reached into my coat pocket and slammed the title deed right into their faces. "Open your damn eyes and look closely." Chapter 2 Without even bothering to look, Sofia let out a sharp laugh. "What, did you buy that off Pamazon for ten bucks with free shipping?" She pinched the corner of the title deed between two fingers as if handling trash, then flicked her wrist. The stack of papers arched through the air and landed right into the trash can by the front door. Sofia clapped her hands, her lips curling into a triumphant smile. "If you're going to fake something, at least make it look real. Who are you trying to fool with that junk?" I watched in disbelief as the deed Grandma had handed to me sat in the trash, on top of fruit peels and paper scraps. Blood rushed to my head instantly. Owen took a heavy stride forward and kicked the bin with all his might. It flew across the room, clattering against the wall and spilling its contents all over the floor. The foul stench exploded into the air, blending with Sofia's cheap perfume. Waves of the foul smell kept assaulting my senses. The rash on my arms felt like it had been set ablaze, scorching its way from my wrists to my elbows. It itched so badly that I wanted to tear my skin off. My breathing tightened, and a heavy weight pressed down on my chest. Every breath took real effort. "Emilia, I know what you're capable of. You've got some nerve." Owen's face was filled with unmistakable disdain. I looked at the title deed lying among the trash on the floor, and a bitter laugh escaped me. "Fine. It's fake." I took a step back to avoid the pile of filth on the floor and pointed straight at the door. "Go check with the county recorder's office. Take a right out the door, and it's just 20 minutes by cab. Go right now. If you don't find my name on it, I'll apologize to you on my knees. "Nobody is stealing my house. Get the hell out! Don't force me to call the cops!" Sofia's expression flickered for a second before her smug mask snapped right back into place. "Check what?" She let out a scoff. Her tone was light and dismissive as she said, "Your parents made it crystal clear in the chat that this house belongs to Owen. What's the police going to do? "Owen will be the one running this family. You're nothing but a worthless woman who couldn't even get married. What makes you think you have any say? She took a step closer and scanned me from head to toe. When her eyes landed on my rash-covered arms, she wrinkled her nose in disgust. "What kind of disgusting disease is this? You must be sleeping around. I'm amazed any company actually hired you. If I reported you, you'd lose your job in a heartbeat. Want to test me?" She was trying to ruin me. The weight on my chest pressed heavier, and the rash on my arms merged into a deep, purple-red blotch. The itching and pain blended. My hands were trembling, but I couldn't tell whether it was from anger or the allergic reaction. "You shameless bitch!" I forced the words out through clenched teeth. My voice came out rough. "Your mind is dirty, so everything you see looks filthy! Like that's ever going to affect my job!" Sofia's jaw tightened. Her cheeks bulged, and her eyes narrowed into thin slits. "How stubborn." She swung her arm and slapped me across the face. The blow sent my head spinning to the side, my cheek burning like fire. When I reached up to touch it, my fingertips came away with a smear of blood. My ears rang loudly, and half my face went completely numb. "How dare you—" Before I could finish speaking, Owen charged like a rabid bull and kicked the coffee table over. The glass tabletop shattered against the floor, sending shards flying everywhere. A piece grazed my lower leg, slicing through my pants and leaving a fresh trail of blood. I froze, stared down at the cut on my leg, then at the shattered glass covering the floor. I couldn't believe that this was happening in my own home. "Sofia is pregnant!" Owen yelled so hard that he nearly blew the roof off. His eyes were bloodshot. "How dare you put a hand on her! Are you out of your mind?" Holding my numb cheek, I stared at him with wide eyes. "Are you blind? I didn't even touch her! She slapped me!" Sofia was already clutching her stomach and bending over. Her face twisted in agonizing pain as she sobbed. "Owen… my stomach hurts… It hurts so bad…" Owen went pale. He scooped her up into his arms and turned toward the bedroom. When he looked back at me, his gaze looked like he wanted to skin me alive. "Emilia Carter, just you wait." His voice dropped to a dangerously low tone, each word forced out through clenched teeth. "If anything happens to Sofia or the baby, you're going to pay dearly." Sofia snuggled into his chest, burying her face. My body trembled with rage as I saw the unmistakable smirk of provocation on her face. Owen kicked the bedroom door open. "Just wait till Mom and Dad hear about this. You had better think hard about how you're going to explain yourself!" Chapter 3 The living room fell quiet. Inside the bedroom, I could faintly hear Sofia's sniffling and Owen's hushed comforting. The overturned coffee table lay on the floor, with glass shards scattering over trash. The rash on my arms had spread rapidly. It crept from my wrists to my forearms. The itch and pain made it feel like countless ants were digging beneath my skin. It itched so intensely that I almost ground my molars to dust. The lingering reek of cheap perfume mixed with the foul stench of trash made my skin flare up more with every breath. I couldn't handle this much longer. I crouched and set the trash bin upright first. My fingers paused when I picked up the title deed. A bit of fruit pulp stained the paper, so I wiped it clean with my sleeve. I stared at it. My name—Emilia Carter—was still there, clear and bold. Tucking the deed into my pocket, I went back to cleaning up. My hands began to shake. It wasn't out of anger. A deep, weak tremor was rising from inside my bones. The allergic reaction was taking over. Using my knees for support, I pushed myself up and stumbled over to the cabinet to dig out my pill bottle. My hands trembled so violently that it took three tries just to twist the cap open. I shook out two pills, but one slipped from my fingers and fell onto the floor. When I bent down to grab it, my vision went dark for a second. Without bothering to blow off the dust, I shoved it straight into my mouth and swallowed it dry. I slid down against the cabinet and sat on the floor, waiting for the effects of the medicine to kick in. As the rash on my arms slowly subsided, I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. After three breaths, my mind cleared up all at once. This was my house. My name was on the deed, making me the rightful owner. Why were those two lying in my bedroom while I sat on the living room floor taking medicine? At that thought, I stood up and headed upstairs. The master bedroom door was shut. I raised my leg and kicked it hard. "Owen Carter, get your ass out here and explain yourself!" But there was no response from within. I slammed my palm against the door twice more until it went numb. "This is my house! You two pieces of trash. Get the hell out! Right now!" The air behind the door briefly went quiet before Sofia's voice floated out. "Owen, she's so loud. She's scaring me. My stomach hurts again..." Owen's heavy footsteps stomped across the floor, coming right up behind the door. "Emilia, kick it one more time and see what happens!" He kicked the door right back from his side, making the entire frame rattle violently. A pang of heartache surged through me, and I tightened my fists. Grandma had picked this red oak door. On the day it was installed, she stroked it repeatedly, telling me how solid it was and how it would last for decades. Now, his kick left the door shaking, leaving a clear footprint behind. Just as I raised my hand to bang on it again, my phone vibrated in my pocket. The screen lit up with an incoming call from Mom. Perfect. I should let Mom and Dad see what Owen was doing. I picked up. "Mom, you need to hear this—" Before I could finish speaking, Mom barked right into my ear, "Emilia Carter, what the hell are you doing? Throwing a tantrum at Owen? Have you lost your mind?" "I didn't! Owen brought his girlfriend over and hit—" Dad cut me off outright. "Enough! Quit fighting. Stop bothering your grandma with stupid issues about the house." I froze. "What?" "Your grandma had a fall. She had a fall while out getting groceries a few days ago and is currently in the hospital." Dad's tone was stern, and every single word landed in my ears like a blow. "You're her favorite. If you keep throwing a fit and her blood pressure spikes when she finds out, are you going to take responsibility?" My fingers tightened around the phone, turning icy cold. "Which hospital? I'm coming over right now—" "Don't bother." Mom's voice took over again, cold enough to feel like a slap across the face. "Just stay home and behave yourself. Mind your own business and stop provoking Owen. Your grandma is still waiting for a great-grandchild. Don't waste all the love she gave you. If you anger her into something worse, you can't afford the consequences." The call then disconnected. The dial tone beeped endlessly while I stood in the hallway holding my phone. My mind went completely blank. How could Grandma, the person who loved me the most, be in the hospital? My chest tightened as if a fist were squeezing it. I immediately dialed Grandma's number, only to be told that it had been powered off. I sent her text after text on WhatsApp. "Grandma, what happened? "Grandma, which hospital are you in? "Grandma, answer me!" But none of my messages received a reply. I dug out our neighbor Paulina Pugh's number and called her. She said she hadn't seen Grandma in days. After hanging up, I collapsed into a crouch in the hallway, my back pressed against the wall. I slid helplessly onto the floor. They knew that Grandma was my only weakness. Now they were using her to force me into submission! Chapter 4 For three whole days, Mom and Dad refused to tell me where Grandma was. On the morning of the fourth day, before dawn had fully broken, a rotten stench jolted me awake. I pulled the blanket over my face, but the smell still seeped through. In the hallway, the air felt even heavier. The sour reek clung to the back of my throat, sending a wave of nausea through my stomach. Holding my breath, I walked downstairs. Halfway down, I saw it. Sour, foul waves surged from a big bag, making my eyes sting and tears well up. The rash on my arms instantly flared up from my wrists. Sofia walked over, her hair messy, dressed in Owen's shirt and barefoot on the floor. "You're not living here for free. Start doing your part." She grabbed my wrist and dragged me toward that pile of stinking clothes. I struggled but couldn't break free. My feet slipped on the floor, and Sofia yanked me forward, sending me stumbling. I snapped, "What are you doing? Let go!" Her other hand reached around from behind, slamming into the back of my head and forcing my face down into the open bag. The stench hit me full in the face. The smell of mildewed fabric, fermented sweat, and a damp musk that had been festering for who knew how many days slammed into me like a wall. My stomach churned, and bile rose to my throat. I thrashed wildly, trying to break free, but Sofia's nails dug into my scalp, sharp and painful. "Don't move. Owen told me all about it. Let me help desensitize you. This illness of yours just comes from not touching dirty things enough. Smelling and touching it more will fix you right up." My entire upper body was forced down over that pile of foul, moldy clothes. The red rash surged from my wrists up to my forearms. It rose in thick welts as if someone were branding my skin with hot irons. The itch and pain fused into an agonizing burn, leaving me suffocating. Owen stood at the foot of the stairs with his arms crossed. "Sofia's doing this for your own good. If you're always having allergies like this, what are you going to do once you get married? Just bite your tongue and push through it." One person stood in front, gripping my wrist and forcing my head down, while the other blocked the way behind me. I was trapped between them. The rash had already crawled up my neck, and my throat began to tighten, as if my airway were being pinched half-shut. I couldn't breathe. I was suffocating. Gathering every ounce of strength, I jerked my head back fiercely and tore free from Sofia's grip. As I pitched forward, my knees slammed hard onto the floorboards with a bone-jarring pain. "Meds… My meds…" I scrambled up and rushed toward the coffee table. The pill bottle was sitting right there. The bottle was knocked off and landed on the floor. I instantly reached out to grab it. Suddenly, a bare foot stomped directly onto the bottle. Under my desperate gaze, the plastic bottle cracked open, and pills burst out like popcorn. Sofia towered over me, looking down with cold indifference. "No taking medicine. I told you, this is your treatment." Owen looked down at me kneeling on the ground with a sneer plastered on his face. "Taking it is a waste anyway. I really don't get how Grandma could favor a worthless brat like you. You deserve this." As I lay flat on the floor, my breathing grew fast and shallow. "My meds… Grandma…" My vision began to blur. The ceiling spun above me while the white pills scattered across the floor dissolved into smudged spots of light. I reached out blindly toward the crushed powder on the floor, but Sofia stepped down hard right onto the back of my hand. It hurt so much. I tried to pull back, but my hand wouldn't obey. My arm went limp, and my cheek pressed against the cold floor. My sight faded further, the outline of the living room blurring bit by bit. Sofia took half a step back. Her voice sounded as if it were drifting from miles away. "She passed out already? For real?" Owen's voice sounded even further away. "Just ignore her. She woke up on her own last time. She's just faking it." A loud ringing filled my ears, cutting off all sound. In the final second before total darkness took over, I caught sight of Owen's lips trembling violently. His pupils shrank to tiny pinpricks, and every trace of color drained from his face in an instant. "G-Grandma…"