The Truth About My Cousin’s Body

My cousin was born without a uterus and with a sealed vaginal canal. Medically speaking, she was intersex. But that didnt stop her from spending nearly every night out with a different boyfriend, flaunting her supposed sex life like it was some kind of trophy.

One day, she leaned in close with a conspiratorial grin and whispered to me, You know, Fran, theres more than one way to make a guy happy.

I tried to talk some sense into her, warned her about the infections, the risks, the sheer lack of hygiene and honestly, shes just asking for an STD. But she just laughed it off.

Then she fell for some rich boysecond-generation money, the kind that came with an estate and a last name that mattered. And suddenly, she wasnt so cocky anymore. She asked me whether she should get surgery to fix herself, to make everything work the way a man like that would expect.

I warned hersurgery comes with risks. A womans body isnt some tool made to satisfy a man. If she wanted to be with someone, she had to put her own health and dignity first.

But she wasnt interested in being careful. She believed her tricks in bedor whatever version of it she could managewould be enough to keep him around.

On their wedding night, no matter what tricks she pulled out of her twisted little playbook, he still turned on her. Said she disgusted him.

Word spread like wildfire.?The guys family kicked her out like yesterdays garbage. The engagement was called off before the wedding cake had even been cut. Her dream of marrying into wealth? Dead in the water.

She lost everythingher pride, her place in high society and the engagement.

Her dream of marrying into wealth? Dead in the water.

And then she blamed me for it all.

She poured gasoline on me and set me on fire.

You bitch! If it werent for you talking me out of the surgery, I wouldnt be a laughingstock right now!

When I opened my eyes again, I was back in that exam roomthe very day she told me her secret.

Seriously, Fran, its the 21st century. You really gotta stop thinking like a nun, she giggled, twisting her waist like she was auditioning for a music video.

There are so many ways I can make a guy happyway more than just that one, she purred, licking her lips seductively.

Last night, my boyfriend and I went at it again. He was so wild. We went through eight condoms. Strawberry flavor.

She actually looked proud of herself. Beaming. Glowing, like shed won some kind of trophy.

Meanwhile, I just sat there, trembling. Every word from her mouth hit like a knife, dredging up memories from the life Id already livedand died for.

I took a long, shaky breath and forced myself to stay calm. My hands clenched into fists under the table, but I smiled.

Impressive, I said flatly.

She mistook the sarcasm for praise and lit up even more. Of course Im impressive.

Then she leaned in, that fake smile slipping into something sharper. Anyway youve been with Owen for whattwo years? And you still havent done it? She clicked her tongue. Arent you afraid someone else is gonna swoop in and steal him while youre out here playing the Virgin Mary?

I didnt answer.

You know, guys dont care about whether youre a virgin. What they do care about is whether you can please them. Keep em happy and theyll never leave.

Of course she brought Owen into this.

The boyfriend she claimed to have had a wild night with? That was Owen Pollardmy boyfriend.

In my past life, I didnt find out until after I died that shed been seducing him behind my back. They were already tangled up in each other long before I realized itright up to the night I was supposed to get married to him.

And even after she burned me alive, Owen still sided with her. He signed an official statement asking the court for leniency on her behalf.

Watching her fake innocence and twisted pride now, I nearly crushed my fists under the table.

Owen respects my choices, I said tightly. Thats why I love him.

For just a second, something flickered across her faceenvy. But it disappeared quickly, replaced with her usual smirk.

I dont get it, she scoffed. Youre totally healthy, but you treat your body like some priceless relic in a museum. What a waste.

She leaned in even closer, voice like poison-laced honey. But hey, if youre so set on staying a virgin, maybe try taking a few lessons from me.

I pulled off my gloves and gestured toward her clothes. Arent you worried your moms gonna find out?

That wiped the smirk clean off her face. Her hand froze mid-button and her eyes narrowed.

She wont find out, she said sharply. Not unless someone tells her. And youre not stupid enough to bite the hand that feeds you, are you, Cousin?

Back in college, when I lost both my parents in a car accident, it was Aunt Hannah who stepped in and paid my tuition. She made sure I graduated from med school.

But that generosity came at a price.

Aunt Hannah wasnt a saint. She used to be the mistress of a powerful businessman, hoping to lock down her place in the elite by giving him a son. But life played a cruel joke on her: she gave birth to Alisonintersex, sterile and entirely useless to her dreams of marrying up.

So, she took the hush money, raised Alison alone and never gave up on the fantasy of trading her daughter for a shot at high society.

When I became a doctoran OBGYN, no lessshe saw her chance.

She wanted me to operate. Clear the canal. Stitch on a fake hymen. Make Alison look like a blushing virgin so some rich man would never know the difference. And since post-op care would be an ongoing thinghormones, maintenance, therapyId be the perfect built-in solution.

But she didnt know was that her daughters been actively destroying herself.

Of all the wild things my cousin had bragged about, two of her "tricks" left me horrified.

As a gynecologist, I knew the dangers better than anyone. Were not just talking about STDsthis stuff could tear muscle, leave long-term damage, even cause internal scarring. When I warned her about the risks, she just laughed at me like I was some prude.

Relax. We used protection, she said with a roll of her eyes, like that magically made it safe.

Not long after she and Owen got involved, Aunt Hannah introduced her to some rich heir shed been grooming her for.

He had one requirementhis future wife had to be a pure woman. In other words, untouched.

Aunt Hannah practically begged me to perform the surgery. She wanted me to fix Alison. Create the illusion of virginity. I tried to explain the risksloss of sensation, scarring, complicationsbut she didnt care. She saw a golden ticket and I was the tool to get it.

I pulled Alison aside and told her the truth. Every detail.

Surprisingly, she backed off. She was convinced her seduction skills alone could land her the guy. Said rich people didnt care about natural births anywaymost of them hired surrogates. This way, she could keep her figure and still lock down the bag. A win-win.

Or so she thought.

Turns out, the wedding night didnt go as planned. No matter how much she tried to please him, the guy lost it. The moment he realized something was off, he called off the marriageright there, in bed.

Humiliated. Rejected. Shamed in front of an entire dynasty.

And somehow, she decided I was the one to blame.

That night, she lit the fire that killed me.

Thinking about it now, I knew what I had to do.

If I couldnt stop her, Id at least make sure she and Owen were locked together. That way, the cheating scumbag and the manipulative vixen would be too busy wrecking each other to ruin anyone elses life.

Dont worry, Alison, I said sweetly. Your secrets safe with me. Aunt Hannah will never hear it from me.

Once the door shut, I pulled out my phone and texted my darling boyfriend.

[Miss you, babe.]

Along with it, I sent a few choice photoslingerie, props, the whole nine yards.

Owen took the bait instantly, replying with drooling emoji like some desperate teenager. I didnt answer. I let him stew.

By the time I got off work, I had dozens of unread messages waiting for me. Owen was clearly on fire, thinking Id finally changed my mind.

That night, I went all incopying every flirtatious line I could find online and sending them one by one, building up the heat until he was begging.

[Babe, can we video chat? Please?]

His voice was thick with lust.

I turned him down with a laugh, claiming I had to take a shower.

Not long after, I heard Alisons bedroom door click open. She slipped out in the middle of the night like a teenager sneaking to a secret hookup.

She came back at dawn, legs wobbling.

Over the next few days, I checked Owens online shopping cart.

Sure enough, hed ordered a bunch of sex toys. Fancy ones.

Every time he wanted to hook up with her, he used the excuse of being out of town. This latest business trip had lasted a whole monthand my cousins gait had gotten noticeably strange. She was taking forever in the bathroom too.

Aunt Hannah finally noticed something was off. She pounded on the bathroom door, yelling like a banshee.

But Alison?brushed it off with a casual, Just an upset stomach.

Then one day, she showed up at the hospital, pale as a ghost.

S-somethings wrong, she muttered.

I had her lie down on the exam table and did a quick check.

The results werent good. Her muscles were showing early signs of fatigue and loss of toneclassic wear and tear. Things were not holding up well.

You and your boyfriend really need to stop. Or at least tone it down, or its going to get you

Before I could finish the sentence, she snapped.

Youre just jealous because I actually know how to enjoy life, while youre trapped in your miserable little bubble!

She wasnt going to let go of Owen. That much was clear. She never could stand the idea of me being happy. Over the years, anytime a guy showed the slightest interest in me, shed swoop in like a hawk, flaunting her charm until he forgot I even existed. It wasnt about lovenot for her. It was about winning. Always proving she was somehow better.

I gave her a sweet little smile. Suit yourself. Ill prescribe you something to help with the pain.

She left with a tube of medicated ointment and sure enough, after a few applications, she said things felt much better. Which only made her bolder. She doubled down, sneaking out more often, chasing that high like it was oxygen.

But the party didnt last long.

Aunt Hannah eventually caught on. Maybe it was the way Alison kept vanishing in the middle of the night. Maybe it was the increasingly suspicious excuses. Either way, one night, the jig was up. Aunt Hannah laid down the law and put her on lockdown.

With his playmate suddenly under house arrest, Owen had no choice but to come crawling back to me.

He texted me that he was back from his business trip.

What a shame.

I replied with a breezy, Oh no, what a coincidence! I just booked a trip for workbeachside retreat this time!

And every single day on that beach, I kept the game going. Flirty messages. Double-meaning photos. And just for fun, I signed him up on every mailing list and dating site I could find.

Just as I expected, once he couldnt get his hands on my cousin anymore, Owen came crawling right backonly this time, he wasnt looking for love. He was looking for release.

He spiraled fast. Late-night parties, sketchy hookups, wild purchaseshis online cart turned into a parade of increasingly bizarre toys. I took screenshots of everything, documenting it like a case file using it as ammo.

Then I broke up with him.

No drama, no long texts. I just told him it was over. At first, Owen kept showing up at the hospital, trying to talk to me, win me back. But when his attempt result for nothing, he gave up.

My cousin, of course, was thrilled when she found out. Thought shed won. Thought her irresistible charm had finally done the trick.

And Owen? He wasnt just licking his woundshe was hell-bent on payback. The two of them dove headfirst into something even more reckless than before. The toys got darker, the stunts even more unhinged.

It wasnt long before the consequences caught up.

She started smelling off. Like something rotting underneath all that designer perfume. And instead of fixing the problem, she just sprayed more ontrying to mask it, trying to pretend nothing was wrong.

Then came the big day.

Aunt Hannah had found her next targeta rich heir named Soren Armitage. Shed pulled out all the stops: luxury dress, fine jewelry, salon appointment booked. The whole nine yards.

Alison, this is your big chance, she gushed as the tailor adjusted the hem. Soren Armitage is the real deal. Hes been raised on manners and money. And he likes innocent, wholesome girls like you.

I caught the way my cousin flinchedjust barely, but it was there. The panic. The guilt.

I already have a boyfriend, she muttered, eyebrows drawn tight.

Then break up with him, Aunt Hannah snapped. You think your little boyfriend can hold a candle to someone like Soren Armitage?

She waved it off like it was nothing. Besides, youre not even sleeping with him. Break it off, have Fran give you the surgery and youll be good as new. Clean as a whistle.

That was the plan. One surgery away from being a virgin again. One lie away from landing a fortune.

But for once, Alison hesitated. She faked a stomach ache, refused to go to the event no matter what Aunt Hannah said.

Aunt Hannah wasnt about to let a golden opportunity slip away. So instead, she turned to me.

Youll go in her place, she said, like it was a simple favor. Like I owed her.

I refused, of course.

Thats when she pulled out her favorite line. The one shed used for years, the one that always made my blood run cold:

Dont forget who gave you everything you have, Fran. I worked so hard to raise you and this is how you repay me? With disobedience?

I ended up in Alisons designer gown, sitting next to her at a swanky hotel ballroom, pretending to be her.

In my past life, I hadnt paid much attention to Soren Armitage. All I remembered was that he had a strong sense of principles. But meeting him again this time there was a strange sense of fate in the air.

He was handsome, well-mannered and refreshingly down-to-earthnot at all like the typical spoiled heir. Like me, hed only been in one serious relationship before and he carried himself with quiet integrity.

When I told him I believed in a lifelong, exclusive kind of love, he lit up. Said hed been pursued by plenty of women over the years, but all he really wanted was someone who shared his ideals. His one and only.

That night, we talked for hours. Everything just clicked.

We went on a few more dates after that and he seemed to like me more and more. Soon enough, Aunt Hannahs doorstep was flooded with designer gifts and lavish bouquets.

The moment Alison saw himpolished in a sharp suit, leaning against his Cullinanher entire attitude flipped. That very night, she dumped Owen and called me up, claiming that Soren had always been meant for her.

But I wasnt about to roll over this time. I met her words with a smile full of barbs.

Poor, Alison. Are you addicted to stealing my boyfriends?

She scoffed.

I let you have Owen because he was trash. But Soren? Soren has standardsand you dont meet any of them.

Her mask slipped just for a second, but then she put it right back on, her voice laced with smug confidence.

Think youre so great? she hissed. Believe it or not, Soren Armitage is going to be mine. And when that day comes, Ill savor the moment you finally realize youre nothing but a failurenever able to keep a man.

Rage boiled up inside me and I slammed my glass down so hard the rim cracked.

I slammed my glass down so hard it cracked.

Aunt Hannah came storming in and when she heard my cousin had finally come to her senses, she was thrilled.

Well, looks like Alisons finally come to her senses, she said, like we were all part of some sick game show.

Then she turned to me and dropped the hammer. Then she turned to me with that frosty, commanding tone.

Fran, lets not forget you were only standing in for Alison at that event to begin with. Its only right you give Soren back to her.

My hands shook. My jaw was clenched so tightly I could feel my molars grinding. I couldnt believe I was hearing this.

And just when I thought she couldnt cut deeper, she delivered the line she knew would paralyze me.

My hands trembled. My jaw clenched so hard I thought my teeth might break. I couldnt believe what I was hearing.

And then she hit me with the line she knew would shut me up.

Dont forget who gave you the life you have, Fran. Dont you dare repay kindness with betrayal.

The words lodged in my throat like a shard of glass. My vision blurred as tears poured down, silent and relentless.

If Mom and Dad were still here, they wouldve never let this happen. They wouldnt have just stood there and watched me get humiliated like this.

NoI wasnt going to crumble. I still have Soren. He said he liked me. He promised that he wanted to spend forever with me.

Soren would stand by me. He had to. He wasnt the kind of man to fall for Aunt Hannahs manipulation. I ran out of the house, my heart pounding as I tried to call him. But the line was busy. I tried again. And again. Nothing but that damn busy tone.

Two hours later, my phone finally rang.

Soren Armitage, the screen read.

I snatched it up, hopeful. Hello?

Fran, I have something to tell you, he said, voice flat. I dont think were a good match. Lets break up.

Just like that. A single sentence hit me like a gut punch. It echoed in my ears like thunder.

Yesterday, when we parted, he held me so tight, whispered that he couldnt wait to marry me.

And now this?

Why? I choked out, biting my lip so hard I tasted blood.

There was a long pause.

Thenbefore Soren could say anythingI heard another voice.

Do you really need someone to spell it out for you?

It was Aunt Hannah. Soren met your cousin and realized shes a better fit, she said, her voice smug and cruel. Shes prettier, more talented. She can play the piano, dance. What do you have? You're a doctor crawling around in scrubs, covered in sweat and other peoples fluids. Sorens just being kind not to mention the risk of catching something from someone like you.

Every word was a slap to the face.

I had never been ashamed of my job. I saved lives. I worked hard. Soren wasnt this shallow. He couldnt be.

Shut up! I snapped, voice trembling. I want to hear it from him.

Shes right, Fran. Im the only son of the Armitage family. My future wife has to carry herself with grace, know how to handle herself in public. Your cousins more polished, more charming and if I had to choose between you two, of course I have to choose the best.

He paused.

But hey, at least we haven done it. Dont hate me, okay, Fran? Who knows, we might still be family someday.

Screw that! Soren and his entire family can burn in hell for all I care. I hung up, floored the gas pedal and let the road blur beneath my tears.

I made up my mind right there: I was going to move out, find a place near the hospital and never owe Aunt Hannah anything again. Whatever debt she claimed I had, consider it paid in full.

When I parked at the hospital, I took a moment to breathe, then opened my photo album. One by one, I deleted everything related to Soren. Every picture.?

Every message. Then I looked upand saw something that stunned me into silence.

All my heartbreak, all my bitternessit vanished in an instant. Because right in front of me, I saw an opportunity. If they all wanted to play dirty, fine. Id play right back.