A Scene of My Brother's Girlfriend

Today is my birthday, and sunlight filters through the blinds, casting mottled shadows upon the documents on my desk. My name is Tina Collins, founder of a small design firm, and at this moment I am bent over, organizing the project proposal we completed just last week. The office door was gently pushed open, the wooden hinge emitting a faint creak. I looked up to see my younger brother, Finn Collins, standing in the doorway, holding a delicately wrapped bouquet of pink roses. He had just graduated this year, his features still bearing the freshness of youth; now, smiling, he stepped toward me, his cheeks touched with a shy blush. "Sister, happy birthday." He handed the flowers to me, the scent of roses mingling with the faint odor of ink from the wrapping paper, gently drifting into my nostrils. I set down the folder in my hand and reached out to take the flowers; the softness of the petals beneath my fingertips instantly warmed my heart. Just as I was about to say thank you, the office door suddenly burst open with a loud bang, startling me so much that I nearly dropped the roses. A woman in a red dress hurried inside, closely followed by two girls. Her hair was styled in generous waves, her face heavily made up; she was none other than Finn Collins' girlfriend, Melody Carter. "Tina Collins! Have you no shame?" Melody pointed accusingly at my nose the moment she entered, her voice sharp as nails scraping glass—piercingly harsh within the quiet office. I froze, the rose petals trembling lightly in my hand. Colleagues in the surrounding offices heard the commotion and paused their work one by one, peering over with curiosity. "Melody, what are you doing here?" Finn Collins hurried forward, reaching out to stop her. "This is a birthday gift I gave my sister. Please don't misunderstand." "A birthday gift?" Melody Carter shoved Finn Collins aside with such force that he staggered two steps back. She strode quickly to my desk, her eyes filled with hostility. "I see this as undeniable proof of your inappropriate relationship!" "You are nothing but a pickup artist in "bro's" clothing!" Her voice grew louder, spit nearly splattering on my face. "You pretend to be a good sister on the surface, but behind my back, you don't know how many ways you've tried to seduce my boyfriend!" These words stabbed at my heart like tiny needles; I clenched the rose tightly, my knuckles turning pale. Suppressing the swell of anger within me, I tried to keep my voice steady: "Melody Carter, speak with proof—I am his elder sister." "Elder sister?" Melody sneered, eyes filled with contempt, "An elder sister would spend every day by his side? An elder sister would accept the roses he sends? Do you take me for a fool?" As she spoke, she suddenly produced a bottle of ink from her bag, its black surface shimmering coldly in the light. Before I could even react, she twisted off the bottle cap and violently splashed ink onto my white shirt. The black ink instantly spread across the shirt, dripping down along the hem and onto the pale carpet, leaving a trail of dark stains. The documents on the desk were also splattered with numerous ink spots, the once pristine papers now soiled and stained. Colleagues nearby gathered quickly; some whispered quietly while others pointed at me. I stared at the stains on my clothes; the acrid smell of ink filled the air, invading my nostrils. Anger and hurt welled up inside me as tears brimmed in my eyes, yet I forced them back.