Chapter 3

Sitting in my office, my mind drifted to the past.

Back in elementary school, Julian spent every break playing basketball, never touching his homework.

Afraid of the teachers' wrath, he would take my completed assignments and put his name on them.

My parents always justified it. They said I was a straight-A student, so the teachers wouldn't mind if I "forgot" my homework.

But Julian was different. If he didn't hand it in, the teachers would scold him in front of the whole class.

A boy's pride was everything, they said.

So, to save Julian's pride, my hard work was routinely stolen.

Eventually, I learned to write two copies of every assignment just to keep the peace.

In high school, Julian was the popular kid. He chased the prettiest girls, got into fights, and charmed his teachers.

Even though his grades were terrible, his outgoing personality earned him tons of friends.

His entire life, someone had always been there to clean up his messes.

Meanwhile, I had to walk on eggshells, calculating every single step.

In college, he met Audrey Vance at a music festival. They formed an indie rock band and played in local bars.

For two months, while I was working three part-time jobs just to afford my tuition, they were living out their wild youth on stage.

I thought that once I graduated, I would save enough money to escape my toxic family forever.

Until one night, Julian stumbled home late, reeking of alcohol.

My parents stayed up to make him soup and undressed him.

The whole house revolved around him.

But then, a drunken Julian dropped a bomb that shocked everyone.

He was going to be a father.

For weeks, a suffocating silence hung over the house. My parents were in a frenzy over the sudden scandal.

I was busy working my summer jobs to save for my final year of tuition.

The only relaxed person in the house was Julian.

He had absolutely no concept of what being a father meant.

To cover up the scandal, my parents kept him locked in the house.

Meanwhile, our family negotiated a marriage alliance with the Vances. They agreed to hold the wedding after a paternity test proved the child was Julian's.

Everything was set. The Vances had reluctantly accepted the arrangement.

After all, if the scandal leaked, the Vance family name would be dragged through the mud, and their stock prices would plunge.

The night before the wedding, I took a four-hour train ride home to attend.

But the next morning, Julian vanished.

The bridal suite was left with nothing but baby Lily in her crib and a room full of furious Vances.

Audrey’s face was dark, while my parents stood trembling in the corner. Then, their eyes slowly drifted to me.

My mother grabbed me as if I were a lifeline.

"We have another son! He's never even been in a relationship! We'll give him to you to make up for this!"

My father immediately chimed in.

"Yes! Ethan! Hurry! Your brother is gone. You have to take his place!"

I stood frozen, my mind unable to process their words.

Before I could speak, my parents grabbed my arms, trying to drag me into the dressing room to force me into a tuxedo.

I struggled against them, my heart sinking into a bottomless abyss.

Anger and disbelief clashed violently inside me.

I had lived the first twenty years of my life in Julian's shadow. Now, they wanted me to sacrifice the rest of my life for him too?

The sheer injustice of it made my throat tight.

For the first time in my life, I snapped. I screamed and yanked my hands free.

"Why?! Why do I have to pay for his selfishness? This is his mess, not mine!"

My father's hand flew across my face, delivering a vicious slap.

"Julian is your family!"