Chapter 2

Smart.

That was the word I'd heard the most ever since I was brought back to the Hunt family.

Reynold was the child Mom and Dad adopted after I went missing. He had helped them through their darkest days.

So even though I was their biological son, I could never measure up to Reynold in their hearts.

The only thing I had going for me was that I was smart. I only had to look at a textbook once to get it, and a single glance was all it took to solve a problem.

But Mom and Dad never loved me any more for it. They would only sigh helplessly. "Being smart is a good thing, of course. But we're a family. There's no need to always turn everything into a competition. Reynold is already working so hard. Can't you just let him have this?"

And so, coming in first was my fault. Scoring a perfect mark was my fault. Being better than Reynold was the biggest fault of all.

To make up for my "wrongdoings", they doubled their efforts to make it up to Reynold.

The best food went to him first. He would receive new clothes before I did. Even their affection went to him first.

But Julia was supposed to be different.

Before I turned five, she was my best friend.

Our families lived close by, and she loved tagging along behind me, constantly calling out my name.

That year, we went to an amusement park together. A car almost hit her, and I pushed her out of the way without thinking.

That was also the day a child trafficker snatched me away in the chaos.

I didn't see her again for many years.

A year ago, my family finally found me. When I saw Julia again, her eyes were red from crying.

She held me tight and repeated over and over, "Ollie, I'm so sorry. If you hadn't saved me, you would never have gone missing. I'll take care of you from now on."

At that time, she really did take good care of me.

She helped me get used to this house, which felt both strange and familiar, and tutored me to help me catch up on the schoolwork I'd missed over the years.

And when others gossiped about me being an outsider, she would knit her brows and speak up for me. "Ollie is the Hunts' biological son. His return is never a mistake."

I used to think that even if everyone else changed, Julia never would.

But later, Reynold grew more and more insecure because of my return.

With tears in his eyes, he would constantly say he was afraid that my return meant Mom, Dad, Paige, and Julia wouldn't want him anymore.

So Julia started spending more and more time with him, comforting him.

Gradually, she began choosing his side more and more. Eventually, she started defending him in front of me, always with unwavering conviction.

"Reynold is innocent. Now that you're back home, stop trying to kick him out."

Still, I liked Julia because she was the very first person who had ever firmly stood by me.

But now, even she was saying this.

The living room fell silent for a moment.

Paige was the first to frown. She tapped the coffee table impatiently. "Ollie, say something. Mom and Dad are doing this for the sake of the family. It's not like they're trying to hurt you."

I kept my eyes down. My throat felt like it was being tightly squeezed.

After a long pause, I managed a quiet "okay".

Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief, and as if on cue, they each pulled out a bag from behind them.

"Alright. Drop the long face. These are your graduation gifts. You get whatever Reynold got. Don't go saying that we're biased."

As I looked at the four gifts in front of me, my eyes suddenly stung.

What was this supposed to be?

A slap across the face followed by a piece of candy?

Besides, I had seen clearly just moments ago.

In front of Reynold were the latest phone, a laptop, limited-edition sneakers, and concert tickets he'd been begging for.

What they handed me was just a fountain pen, a book, an ordinary backpack, and a shirt with the tags already cut off.

I took the gifts and stood up to leave.

"Ollie."

Mom stopped me and hesitated before asking, "Do you want to stay for dinner?"

I couldn't help but look down with a bitter smile.

This was supposed to be my home too. Yet, even having a meal here was phrased as "staying".

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I shook my head and said, "No, thanks."

Once outside, I tossed all four gifts straight into the neighborhood dumpster.

On the bus ride back, I scrolled past a new post from Reynold on Instagram.

"The annoying person finally left. It's time for a good dinner!"

The attached photo showed Mom, Dad, Paige, and Julia gathered around the dining table.

The table was packed with crabs, shrimp, and oysters…

There were eight dishes in total, and every single one contained seafood that I was severely allergic to.

At that moment, I actually felt relieved that I hadn't stayed. If I had, it would have just been a self-inflicted humiliation.

Out of that entire spread, the only thing I could have safely eaten was that bowl of salad.

Back at the apartment, I started packing my things.

I turned the rag dolls in the living room around, facing them against the wall like they were in timeout.

On the desk, pinned under the most noticeable spot, was a postcard.

It was a gift from Julia when I was first brought back to the family.

It featured a picture of the lake at Beaumont University, and in the bottom right corner was her neat yet firm handwriting. "Ollie, I'll be waiting for you at Beaumont University."

I stared at it for a couple of seconds, pulled it out, and tore it right down the middle.