Chapter 3

I did not know how Sean or Sonya reacted, but I knew my parents, Robert and Agatha, were furious.

In less than a minute after the message was sent, my parents kicked my door open.

Without asking a single question, they started berating me, "We took so much effort to take you home from the mountains, not so you can laze around all day and bully your brother!"

"Sonya's your older sister. Sean's our son, too. How dare you talk to them like this! As expected of a country bumpkin! You clearly have no upbringing at all!"

"Your adoptive father was probably just like you! Some backcountry nobody! Serves him right to die in the mountains!"

I was not angry at first, but they brought up my adoptive father.

According to him, I was dumped into a trash bin when I was three months old. When he found me, I did not cry or yell. I just kept looking at him. He initially wanted to leave me, but he returned and took me along with him.

He said that perhaps this was fated.

Although he was wealthy, he was very hands-on in bringing me up. No matter how busy he got, he would always find time for me.

He taught me how to create weapons and improve them. He provided me with an education in school.

He had no obligation to care for me, but he always treated me like his own son.

My parents could insult me all they want, but they could never insult my adoptive father!

I immediately looked up at them, my gaze gleaming with fury.

I initially thought of just letting it go, due to their age, but it seemed that staying silent was no longer an option.

"What did I do? Why are you yelling at me without any rhyme or reason? Have you even looked into the entire story?"

They never saw me with a temper before, nor would they accept me for having one.

Robert raised his walking cane and struck it on my abdomen.

"You insolent brat! Sonya and Sean treat you so well! How could you upset them!"

Before I could even finish what I wanted to say, I was struck by his cane. I thought about standing up straight once more when his cane came down on me again.

Although Robert was old, he struck me quite hard. I could barely take it.

I fell on the floor on my knees. I could taste rust in my mouth.

Yet, I still looked up at Robert defiantly.

"I'm upsetting them? I just want to ask, why is it that the project I worked on, the research I completed, yet the results and bonus all went to Sean? He didn't do anything, yet the bonus was all his.

"He got the seaside mansion and luxury car, yet all I got was a coupon for a cup of latte and some stupid cake. Does that sound reasonable to you?"

My parents immediately looked shifty. It seemed that they forgot to block me on their social media.

But how could they ever admit their mistake?

Robert's cane came raining down on me once more.

"You're still talking back! So you care that much about material things? Those are your sister and your brother! You ungrateful brat! Do you not even care about your family? So what if your brother has a mansion? Does he not deserve one?"

Whether it was out of anger or to cover their guilt, he raised the cane again and struck my back several times.

A tearing pain exploded near my ribs. It felt like one of them snapped.

I gritted my teeth and forced myself to speak, "How many things did I do for you the past two months? How much bonus should I have received, and how much did I actually get? How much of mine has he taken? And you want to talk about family? I don't need a brother who only takes all of my things!"

Robert wanted to continue hitting me when a sob came from the door.

They turn to see Sean standing by the door. He said, "It's fine. Wesley's right. I'm not his brother. I don't deserve to be part of the Kensington family. Since my existence has hurt the family, I'll leave."