20. How it got here.

"I was bored. I needed something fun to do, so I created another Instagram account, naming it Taylor. I posted her pictures.

But having fun wasn't the only reason I created that account.

Honestly, I thought Taylor was too good to hide her face from the world. I was curious about how many people would follow her. I... I never meant for it to come this far," Tyler says, his voice filled with a mix of guilt and chaos.

His mother listens impatiently, her arms crossed, standing rigidly in place.

"I haven't heard you mention Tanner in your narration!" Joe snaps, his voice sharp with frustration.

"When I uploaded Taylor's picture, she got lots of likes and positive comments. But one comment stood out-it said, 'All that glitters is not gold.'

I was so mad at the person who commented. I couldn't help but lash out at him. He was equally rude, and I didn't give him a chance to win that argument.

The arguments turned into just normal conversations. He told me he commented like that because Taylor reminded him of someone he detests. He finally apologized, but even after that, the conversation didn't stop.

It never seemed to end. It became more intense day by day, impossible to walk away from.

I never revealed my true identity to him. He always thought he was talking to Taylor because she was the one in the pictures.

Before I knew it, the conversations had taken a different direction-flirting, constant texting, and not even being able to go an hour without talking to each other.

And then... he asked me out."

Tyler's words hang in the air before his mother cuts him off sharply.

"He didn't ask you out, Tyler! He asked your sister, because that's who he thought he was talking to! So stop thinking highly of yourself after such an irresponsible act!" she yells, her anger filling the room.

For a moment, Tyler is stunned, unable to think or say anything. The weight of his emotions crushes him, making it hard to speak.

"Go on!" Joe says, trying to keep his composure, though his tone carries a stern edge.

"I agreed," Tyler continues, his voice faltering, "without thinking about the consequences. To me, all that time, I believed I was just punishing this guy for messing with my sister's picture.

It wasn't long before he told me he had a branch company in New York and that he'd be visiting soon. He wanted to meet me.

That's when reality hit me. I realized what I was doing, and I panicked. I stopped talking to him, ignored him, and almost blocked him... but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

And then that evening, you came home with a visitor. It dawned on me that the same guy I was fooling around with was the man you introduced as your CEO."

Tyler pauses, his voice breaking as he struggles to control the chaos swirling inside him.

"I... I didn't know what to think. I couldn't believe it. For a moment, I thought he was spying on my family, which was why he was here with you.

I felt helpless and out of my mind. I knew I was doomed. I couldn't bring myself to tell Taylor what I'd done. I couldn't tell you. I couldn't even tell Tanner himself.

I spent sleepless nights, berating myself, trying to find a way out. And when I couldn't think of any solution, I told Taylor the truth.

I begged for her help. I wanted her to pretend to be Tanner's girlfriend for a while and maybe break up with him later. But she was so mad at me that she refu-"

"Oh, Jesus! Did you really expect your sister to take part in your dirty games after what you had just done to her?! Tyler, I-" Rachael snaps again, her voice rising.

Joe interrupts her calmly, placing a hand on her arm. "Hun, let him finish."

Tyler's eyes remain downcast, his voice shaking. "The next morning, everything came crashing down on me. I didn't know how to fix what I'd done without causing chaos.

But as I was still spiraling, Tanner and Taylor met. And unexpectedly, Taylor liked him."

"Loved him!" Taylor interjects sharply, her voice thick with sobs. "I loved him, not liked him! Don't try to make it sound so simple. You knew how much I loved him from that moment!"

By now, Tyler is completely overwhelmed, his throat tight, tears brimming in his eyes.

"Go on," Joe commands, his tone unyielding.

Tyler hesitates, swallowing hard. "So Taylor agreed to continue the relationship I'd started with Tanner. And after she agreed, when I saw them together, for a moment they seemed happy. But... I wasn't happy about it. I didn't know why, because my problem had been solved. But the sight of Tanner with Taylor-it bothered me. It gave me sleepless nights.

So many times, I thought about telling Tanner the truth-that it was me he'd been talking to, that it was me he liked. But I couldn't.

And ever since Tanner and I met, nothing had ever felt right between us. There was always this tension, this unspoken thing between us.

At Thanksgiving dinner, there was a moment-a moment that confirmed Tanner felt something for me too. Every day after that, there was something that solidified it further.

Finally, we talked about it. He admitted it. He told me that something had changed, that the way he felt about Taylor while he was still in Paris wasn't the same anymore."

Tyler hears Taylor's cries grow louder, her sobs shaking her entire body. He pauses, his voice choking on his words.

After a long silence, he continues. "I didn't have the courage to tell him the truth behind everything. We just agreed to tell Taylor about our feelings. Tanner was struggling with how his emotions had shifted, and he felt terrible about it. But I still couldn't tell him.

Every day, I tried to suppress my feelings for him. I didn't want to ruin what he and Taylor were building. But it was useless. I couldn't. And it didn't matter because Tanner's feelings were leading him to me too.

Tay, I swear I never mea-"

"Don't say anything to me! And don't call me that ever again! I-" Taylor's words are cut off as the sound of footsteps echoes from upstairs.

All heads turn toward the source of the noise, the tension in the room thick enough to suffocate.