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Left Behind on Purpose, I'll Chase My Own Light
Left Behind on Purpose, I'll Chase My Own Light
Autor: Weirdo

Chapter 1

Autor: Weirdo
Caleb's POV

The day I returned from my trip to Marevia, my family also came back from their trip to Sereia.

No sooner had my mom, Megan Burton, stepped through the door than she glanced at the empty kitchen and started complaining, "You know full well that Carson gets carsick and can't eat anything on the road. Couldn't you have prepared dinner at home in advance? You have no sense of responsibility as an older brother!"

I was left speechless by Mom's lecture. Sure, I was the older brother, but only by an hour. Carson Smyth was my twin brother, but since I was young, I'd been expected to take care of him in every way and to yield to him at every turn. The slightest shortcoming would earn me the label of being "vicious".

Besides, I had only been home for less than ten minutes and hadn't even had time for a sip of water yet.

Cabs at the train station were nearly impossible to get. I had specifically asked in the family group chat for the time my parents would be back, hoping they could pick me up on the way. But my message sat there unanswered.

In the end, I had no choice but to resign myself to lining up. I stood under the scorching sun for a full two hours before finally getting a cab.

Just then, Carson nudged Mom's arm and mouthed something, reminding her to check her phone.

Mom paused, then opened the family group chat and finally saw my message. A flicker of guilt appeared in her eyes, but she still snapped at me, "If something comes up next time, just call us! Who has time to scroll through all that junk in the group chat all day?"

I knew it wasn't because she was too busy to check her messages. It was only because they had long since created a separate group chat just for their beloved Carson, where they pampered him. Of course it didn't include me, the eyesore.

If I had to guess, that group had existed since I was in eighth grade. One time, when I was in eighth grade, I was hit by a car on my way home from school. Strangers who witnessed it used my phone and tagged my parents dozens of times in the family group chat, but no one ever responded.

It wasn't until the traffic police tracked down their contact information through public records that they finally showed up at the hospital.

Meanwhile, Carson had never once said a word in that group, yet my parents always knew exactly where he was and what he was doing.

In the past, I had refused to believe that my parents didn't love me, so I never looked too closely at the signs. Now, I finally understood. I was always the unwanted one, be it in the family or in the group chat.

I kept my head down and murmured, "Got it. There won't be a next time."

I would never trouble them again, and I would no longer hold out hope for any illusions of family affection either.

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  • Left Behind on Purpose, I'll Chase My Own Light   Chapter 10

    Third-Person POVOnce they learned the truth, Megan and Jude showed no mercy and slapped Carson hard across the face."Do you have any idea what you've done to the family?" They were so heartbroken and furious that they wished they could tear Carson apart.They ended the banquet early, dragged Carson home, and locked him in his room. "Stay in there until you've truly reflected on what you've done!"After punishing him, the two contacted Caleb through the university counselor.They had originally counted on the celebratory banquet to mend their relationship with him, but it had backfired completely.Though most of the guests at the banquet could tell right from wrong and did not condemn Caleb excessively, rumors still spread. Gossip found its way outside, and as it circulated, Caleb was painted as a failure both academically and in character.Over the phone, Megan and Jude wept and reflected bitterly. "Caleb, you have to believe us! This was never our intention!"Carina also a

  • Left Behind on Purpose, I'll Chase My Own Light   Chapter 9

    Third-Person POVWhat played on the large screen was not the footage of Caleb's hard work and diligence that Megan and Jude had previously collected. Instead, it showed the scene from the day Caleb discovered that his milk had been spiked, when he furiously lost his temper at the entire family.But all the evidence of Carson spiking Caleb's milk had been edited out, leaving only his aggressive, harsh words. To anyone watching without context, he would come across as a violent, disrespectful, and vicious person. Sure enough, the guests began whispering among themselves. But contrary to what Carson had expected, most of the criticism was directed not at Caleb, but at Megan and Jude."That was Caleb in the video just now, right? He's so aggressive and utterly lacking in manners!""Exactly. And when children misbehave, it is always the parents' fault for not disciplining them. His parents bear at least 70% of the responsibility!""That's right! But instead of reflecting on themselve

  • Left Behind on Purpose, I'll Chase My Own Light   Chapter 8

    Third-Person POVWhen Megan and Jude found out Caleb had ranked sixth in the grade, they tried to contact him again.But since they couldn't get through to him, they got his high school classmates to call him on their behalf. However, the moment Caleb heard their voices, he hung up immediately. He firmly refused to come back for the celebratory banquet they wanted to throw for him.The atmosphere at home was heavy for days. In the end, Carson suggested, "Even though Caleb isn't coming back, we can still celebrate for him."He proposed holding the banquet anyway, and if anyone asked why Caleb wasn't there, they could simply explain that the university required top freshmen to attend an intensive program in advance.Megan and Jude agreed without a second thought. After all, who wouldn't want to show off a little in front of friends and relatives when their child had become a top student?To make a grand impression, they canceled the ordinary hotel they had originally booked for C

  • Left Behind on Purpose, I'll Chase My Own Light   Chapter 7

    Caleb's POVWhile everyone back home was drowning in regret, I arrived safely in Valoria.Thanks to my outstanding grades, the university waived my tuition and awarded me an additional scholarship. Combined with the money I'd saved from part-time jobs during previous holidays, the expenses for four years of university were essentially no longer a concern.With a month to go before the semester officially started, I not only familiarized myself with the local culture and customs, but also gave myself a complete makeover.I discarded the formal attire I had worn before and switched to clean, sharp casual clothes. The truth was, I'd never liked formal wear. Carson was the one who always liked to dress that way.But whenever people saw us together, their first reaction was always to praise him in his suit and tie, calling him a handsome prince. Then, they would turn around and mock me for being in my sportswear, calling me a country bumpkin who would never find a wife.So to avoid th

  • Left Behind on Purpose, I'll Chase My Own Light   Chapter 6

    Third-Person POV"Mrs. Smyth, Caleb applied to Valoris University in Valoria. The acceptance letter has already been delivered to him. In fact, he left yesterday to report for enrollment. Didn't he tell the family?" Sarah asked. Megan didn't hear a single word Sarah said after that. Her mind was completely stuck on the fact that Caleb had gone to another city over 600 miles south.After a long while, she suddenly snapped back to her senses. That didn't make sense. Caleb's grades had always been average at best. The best university he could have managed to get into should have been Aurevia University. How could he possibly end up being accepted into Valoris University?"Ms. Cornell, are you sure you're not mistaken?"Hearing the doubt in Megan's voice, Sarah couldn't help but feel both amused and exasperated. "Mrs. Smyth, I don't mean to be rude, but how could you not know your son's score? Caleb's grades were a little lower before, but in the second half of the year, he suddenl

  • Left Behind on Purpose, I'll Chase My Own Light   Chapter 5

    Third-Person POVTo make good on the previous day's promise, and more importantly, to keep Caleb from holding Carson's deeds against him, the whole family got up before dawn the next day and waited outside Caleb's bedroom door, ready to retake the family portrait with him.He was usually up by 7:00 am, but this time, his door was still tightly shut at 9:00 am. Megan and Jude exchanged glances and signaled Carina to knock on Caleb's door. So, she walked over and pounded heavily on the door. "Caleb, time to get up for the photos. Come on, Mom, Dad, and I are all waiting for you!"She called out for a while, but got no response. Unable to hold back, she muttered, "He couldn't have had another glass of spiked milk and fallen into a deep sleep again, could he?"The moment the words left her mouth, three pairs of eyes shot toward Carson in unison.Carson jolted in fright and hurriedly denied it. "It wasn't me! I didn't do anything! You can check the surveillance footage if you don't b

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