My Sister Invited Me to a Five-Star Resort as Her Birthday Gift to Me – On Our Last Day, She Handed Me the Bill and Said, ‘You Had More Fun Than I Did’

I went back to my room, still trying to make sense of it.

A few minutes later, the door flew open. Gabriella rushed inside. She looked genuinely scared.

“Please tell me you didn’t actually do it,” she said.

My sister wasn’t just trying to make me pay for my own birthday present. She was lying about the amount.

I stared at her. “Do what?”

“Call Dad.”

That caught me off guard. But I wasn’t about to tell her the truth.

“No. Why would I call Dad? He’s working today.”

Her shoulders relaxed almost immediately.

“Okay. Good. Just send me the money when you can, okay?”

“Sure.”

That was apparently all she needed to hear.

“Please tell me you didn’t actually do it.”

She left.

I waited until the door closed. Then I grabbed my bag.

Now I knew two things. Gabriella had lied about the $1,400. And she was terrified I’d talked to Dad about it.

I went straight to reception.

“Could I get an itemized copy of all the charges on our reservation?” I asked.

The receptionist checked my information and printed several pages.

Now I knew two things.

***

I went straight to reception.

“Could I get an itemized copy of all the charges on our reservation?” I asked.

The receptionist checked my information and printed several pages.

At first, everything looked normal. Rooms. Breakfasts. A facial we’d done together. Lunch by the pool.

Then I turned the page.

Room service. 11:43 p.m.

At first, everything looked normal.

Two steaks.

Champagne.

Chocolate-covered strawberries.

I frowned.

That night, Gabriella had told me she was exhausted and wanted to go to bed early. I’d spent the evening walking around town alone.

Then I saw one charge that made me stop.

Chocolate-covered strawberries.

Couples massage.

“Excuse me,” I said to the receptionist. “This couples massage. Was that definitely for two people?”

She checked the computer. “Yes, ma’am.”

“And it was charged to my sister’s room?”

“Yes.”

I checked the date.

That night, Gabriella had told me she was exhausted and wanted to go to bed early.

That afternoon, Gabriella had disappeared for almost three hours because she supposedly “needed some alone time.”

Apparently, she’d needed company for it.

I folded the bill and headed upstairs.

I knocked on Gabriella’s door.

No answer.

Apparently, she’d needed company for it.

I knocked again. “Gabby?”

Nothing. I tried the handle.

The door wasn’t completely closed. I pushed it open just enough to step inside.

“Gabriella?”

Her suitcase was open on the bed, but she was nowhere in sight. On the table beside it were the remains of what looked like another private feast: an open tin of caviar, two cocktail glasses, a half-empty bottle of champagne, and a silver tray of strawberries.

Her suitcase was open on the bed, but she was nowhere in sight.

Then I heard the shower running and a man’s voice. I froze. Gabriella laughed.

I took one quiet step toward the bathroom. The door was partly open. Through the gap, I saw my sister.

And a man.

He had one hand around her waist, and she was kissing him.

I knew him.

I’d seen him near the pool several times that week.

He had one hand around her waist, and she was kissing him.

Once, I’d even asked Gabriella about him.

“Who’s that guy?” I’d asked.

“Some guest,” she’d said with a shrug. “We talked once.”

Apparently, they’d talked a lot more than once.

I backed away before either of them could see me.

I slipped into the hallway and quietly pulled the door shut.

“We talked once.”

My hands were shaking. I wasn’t Gabriella’s birthday guest. I was her cover story.

And now she’d tried to make me pay for her affair.

I turned toward the elevators.

The doors opened.

Ryan stepped out.

I wasn’t Gabriella’s birthday guest. I was her cover story.

***

He smiled when he saw me.

“Hey! Surprise.”

For a second, I couldn’t speak. Ryan wasn’t just my brother-in-law. We’d been friends since college. I was the one who’d introduced him to Gabriella.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I got away early,” he said, lifting his car keys. “Thought I’d surprise Gabby and take her to dinner on the way home.”

Ryan wasn’t just my brother-in-law. We’d been friends since college.

“Which room is hers?” He started walking.

I grabbed his arm. “Ryan, wait.”

“What?”

My eyes went to Gabriella’s door.

If he walked another twenty yards, he’d see exactly what I’d just seen.

And as angry as I was with my sister, Ryan didn’t deserve to find out like that.

My eyes went to Gabriella’s door.

“She’s still getting ready,” I said.

“So?”

“You know Gabriella. It’ll take forever. Come get coffee with me.”

He gave me a strange look. “Right now?”

“Please.”

He studied my face for a second, then nodded. “Okay.”

I had no idea whether protecting Gabriella for even twenty more minutes was the right thing to do.

“You know Gabriella.”

But I decided to give her one chance to get the man out, come downstairs, and tell her husband herself.

***

Ryan and I walked to a café near the hotel.

“I’m glad you two did this,” he said.

“Why?”

He hesitated. “Things haven’t been great between us lately.”

“How bad?”

“I’m glad you two did this.”

“She’s been distant. Irritable. I thought maybe she needed a break.”

I said nothing.

“When she said she was taking you away for your birthday, I thought it might be good for her,” he continued. “A week away. Time with her sister.”

I stared at my coffee.

“What?” he asked.

But I decided to give her one chance to get the man out, come downstairs, and tell her husband herself.

“Nothing.”

“You’re being weird.”

“Talk to Gabriella when we get back.”

His smile disappeared. “About what?”

“Just talk to her.”

That was all I could give him.

“Just talk to her.”

We returned to the resort twenty minutes later. Gabriella was standing near the pool.

She saw Ryan beside me. And instead of looking guilty, she looked furious.

“What the hell is this?” she demanded.

Ryan frowned. “What?”

“Why are you walking around alone with my sister?”

“What the hell is this?”

“I came early,” Ryan said. “She was keeping me company while you got ready.”

Gabriella gave a bitter laugh. “Of course she was.”

I stared at her. “Gabby, stop.”

“No. You’ve always done this.”

“Done what?”

“Inserted yourself into things that are mine.”

“Why are you walking around alone with my sister?”

Ryan looked between us. “What are you talking about?”

I knew exactly what Gabriella was doing.

She was scared.

So she was attacking me before I could say anything.

I still gave her one last chance.

“Gabriella,” I said quietly. “Don’t.”

She was scared.

“You spend the entire week complaining, then refuse to pay me what you owe me, and now I find you sneaking around with my husband.”

Ryan turned to me. “She says you owe her money?”

“$1,400,” Gabriella snapped.

That was it.

Something inside me finally broke.

I still gave her one last chance.

I’d stopped Ryan from walking in on her with another man. I’d given her time to get her lover out of the room. I’d given her a chance to tell the truth herself. And this was how she thanked me.

By accusing me of going after her husband and still trying to squeeze $1,400 out of me. Fine.

If Gabriella wanted a fight, she was getting one.

I reached into my bag and pulled out the itemized bill.

Fine.

“Actually, Ryan, I think you should see exactly what your wife wants that $1,400 for.”

Gabriella’s face changed.

“Give me that,” she snapped, reaching for the paper.

“No.”

“Give it to me!”

She lunged for it. I stepped back, her hand closed around my wrist, I pulled away, my heel hit the edge of the pool, and suddenly I was falling.

If Gabriella wanted a fight, she was getting one.

***

The water closed over my head.

I panicked immediately because I can’t swim.

I kicked wildly and tried to reach the edge, but my hand found nothing. I surfaced long enough to gasp before water filled my mouth and I went under again.

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