After I Dressed as a Man, He Mistook Me for His Rival Novel – Chapter 1 My sister had a princess fantasy. Everyone around her had to be one of her knights. On the day I was born, she made a wish. “I hope it’s a little brother. Only a brother can protect his big sister.” My parents couldn’t bear to disappoint her. Before I was old enough to understand what a form even was, they had my records filed as male. After that, I kept my hair short. I followed Maribel Ashwick everywhere, carried her backpack, and fought her battles. But no matter how hard I tried to be good, I still felt wronged. When I was seventeen, I secretly made a private Instagram account. The profile picture was girly. So was the bio. My feed was full of pretty dresses, soft colors, and all the beautiful things I was never allowed to touch. One day, a guy found the account and followed me. We talked for six months.
Then one day, he laughed softly over voice chat and said, “I found you.” That afternoon, the most popular guy at Evershore Prep asked my sister out in front of the whole school. I was about to explain when the floating comments flashed across my vision. [What is Sutton even thinking? Does he really believe admitting the truth will keep Lachlan away from Maribel?] [Please. The Crest heir would never fall for a boy. That would be humiliating.] [If Lachlan finds out he spent six months talking to a guy, he’ll be furious. He’ll feel like Sutton played him.] But I wasn’t a boy. I was a girl who only wanted to wear a dress once. My finger hovered over the screen, but in the end, I never sent the message. *** After I shut off my phone, the students around me were still buzzing with excitement. “Wait, is that Lachlan Crest?” “He’s so hot. I passed by earlier and sneaked a look.
He looked so cold.” “He actually asked Maribel Ashwick out?” At Evershore Prep, gossip about Lachlan Crest always traveled the fastest. “Did you guys know Lachlan has liked Maribel for ages?” “My cousin rooms with him. He said Lachlan is always on his phone, and he looks so soft when he texts her.” “Apparently the girl he likes has this sweet voice. She daydreams a lot. Her posts are all kittens and princess dresses.” I looked out the window. Down in the lower courtyard, Maribel stood in a designer pleated skirt, her long hair falling over her shoulders in soft waves. She threw herself into Lachlan’s arms. Even the way she blushed was pretty. I thought they were right. Maribel really did look like a princess. My desk mate leaned against the window too. He looked at my sister, then turned back to me with a serious face. “Sutton, you don’t look like your sister.” “How?” Piers Fenwick thought for a moment before giving me a comparison. “Your sister is a swan.
You’re more like… her servant.” He glanced at me again. “Skinny, short, and that haircut is tragic.” I got angry and dropped my head onto my desk, refusing to talk to him. Piers nudged me again with that annoying grin of his. “Come on, Sutton. Don’t be mad.” “I’ll buy you a drink.” I had just started to lift my head when he added, “This one’s for you. And can you give the other one to your sister?” Mine was a cheap bottled lemonade from the vending machine. Hers was a $7 berry-cream frappe from the campus café. I stayed facedown on the desk. “I’m not going.” “My sister doesn’t like you. She won’t take it.” His face flushed with embarrassment. Then he slammed his hand on the desk. “We’re guys. We don’t need the expensive stuff. Why are you being so sensitive?” “Sutton, you’re just jealous of your sister.” After saying that, he ran off. Everyone in class turned to stare at me. I buried my face in my math problems and pretended I didn’t care, but my fingers were clenched so tightly in my shirt that the fabric dug into my palm. I never spoke to Piers again after that day. When school let out and no one was around, I hid and cried. For some reason, I suddenly remembered something from years ago.
I had secretly worn one of Maribel’s hair clips. When Mom found out, she scolded me. I was so sad that I posted a picture of the clip online. A kind stranger reached out. [Is this the one? I can send it to you. No charge.] Later, he messaged again. [So you like pink? All these princess dresses too. Wow. Very girly.] [But… it suits you.] I knew he liked every post I made. Lachlan had mistaken my sister for me. I didn’t blame him. After all, I was the one acting like a thief, secretly envying her, secretly peeking at the life that should have belonged to me too.