Chapter 2

After exiting the train, Alexis and Samuel walked ahead of me while I trailed behind them.

There was a long queue in front of the elevator that would take us out of the station. I had barely stepped foot inside the elevator when an alarm blared out, indicating that it was full.

Samuel was still standing outside.

Upon seeing that, Alexis shoved me and my suitcase out of the elevator before tugging Samuel inside.

"Ethan, your suitcase is too big and takes up too much space. You should wait for the next elevator. We'll wait for you at the exit."

Before I could protest, the elevator doors were already closing.

Behind me, the train sped past, kicking up a strong gust of wind that sliced at my cheeks like icy daggers. The cold seemed to seep right through my skin and into my bones.

When I finally made it to the exit, I saw no sign of Alexis or Samuel. My parents, who had agreed to come pick us up, were nowhere to be seen either.

It was currently summer, and the weather could be rather unpredictable. Without any warning, it began to pour, the rain coming down heavier with each passing second.

Since I didn't have an umbrella, I could only hide under the awning as I called my parents.

It took me half an hour of calling them non-stop before they finally picked up.

Dad exclaimed over the line, "Ethan, didn't you get in the car? Oh dear! I was so caught up that I didn't even realize that you weren't in the car!"

I could hear Mom scolding him before she snatched the phone from him.

"This is all your father's fault for being so careless! Still, we're already almost home, so why don't you hail a taxi home yourself?"

As I stared out at the torrential rain pouring from the sky, I found my vision growing blurry with tears.

There had been four people in that car, yet none of them had realized that they were missing one person. I had no idea when it began, but I started to become invisible in the family at some point.

This train station was a newly built one on the outskirts of the city, so it was incredibly difficult to get a taxi.

It wasn't until night had fallen that I finally managed to hail a taxi that had arrived to deliver a passenger.

When the driver noticed how drenched I was, he took out a towel from his glove box and handed it to me.

"Here, wipe yourself dry, son. Wouldn't want to get sick, huh? This train station is notorious for being difficult to hail taxis. Why didn't you tell your family to come pick you up?"

Tears sprang to my eyes again, and all I could do was shake my head dejectedly.

My family had come, though it hadn't been to pick me up.

On my way home, I happened to come across Dad's social media post with the caption, "Don't you worry, George! Our son has truly made us proud!"

I couldn't stop my fingers from tightening on my phone, even as it felt like there was a knife stabbing into my heart.

The photo he had uploaded was a group photo of the four of them standing outside the train station. Samuel stood beside Alexis with a bouquet of sunflowers in his arms, courtesy of my parents.

They had specifically prepared it for him, but neither of them was holding another one meant for me.

As it turned out, they had never intended to give me one at all.

Samuel was the son of one of Dad's war buddies. After that friend had sacrificed his life for the country, Dad brought Samuel into our family.

To ensure he adapted well and felt comfortable, my parents began to give him the best of everything. Slowly but surely, even I, their biological son, couldn't compare to him.

By the time I walked through the front door of our house, everyone had already moved on to dessert. The lively atmosphere painted the picture of a perfect family.

Dad handed Samuel a huge slice of watermelon.

"Here, Sam, have this slice. This is the sweetest part of the watermelon. I had Mary chill it for you ahead of time."

Alexis thoughtfully peeled some grapes and placed them into Samuel's bowl.

"Sam, these grapes are super sweet. Quick, try some."

I couldn't even remember the last time they offered me the sweetest part of the watermelon and peeled grapes.

Suddenly, Samuel spotted me and headed toward me. Taking my suitcase from me, he tugged me toward the dining table, all the while saying, "Ethan, it's my fault that we left in such a hurry. Don't be mad."

My heart clenched in my chest, and it felt as though my legs had turned to lead, making me unable to take even a step forward. Yanking my arm out of his grip, I stormed upstairs.

From behind me, I could hear Dad say, "Sam, don't take his attitude to heart. We've always indulged Ethan, resulting in him becoming spoilt. If only he were half as considerate and understanding as you are."

It took the last bit of strength I had left in my boiling hot body to shut my room door.

After being soaked in the rain, I developed a high fever. Yet, even until midnight, nobody came to see me. Nobody bothered to ask how I was doing, or whether I was feeling unwell or hungry.

Suddenly, my phone lit up with a message, causing a faint hint of hope to flicker in me.

"Ethan, your dad was right. We've indulged you too much and spoiled you. Starting from tomorrow, we're cutting off your allowance. You really should learn to be more like Sam. Otherwise, how are we supposed to not worry when you head off to university?"

The last bit of hope shattered, thoroughly and completely.

I crouched on the floor, abruptly feeling utterly drained. It was as though all the energy to cause a fuss had been sucked out of me.