Chapter 2

Caleb's POV

Mom and my dad, Jude Smyth, eventually decided to take Carson out for dinner.

Just before they left, Carson asked me, "Caleb, do you want to come along?"

Before I could answer, my older sister, Carina Smyth, cut in. "He never eats with us, Carson. You know that."

Then, she even shot me a disdainful glare and spat, "Not a shred of warmth. Having a cold-blooded brother like you is a real disgrace!"

Her words made my face burn red, then pale. I wished the floor would swallow me whole. At the same time, a deep sense of grievance washed over me.

Carson loved spicy food, so every time we went out, they would opt for Taresian cuisine. However, because I had a sensitive stomach and couldn't handle the heat, I could only nibble on plain bread.

But whenever I did that, my parents would call me picky and accuse me of ruining the meal for Carson. After it happened enough times, I simply stopped joining them for meals outside.

As it turned out, my forbearance hadn't earned me any pity. Instead, it only became proof that I was cold-blooded.

Carson stuck out his tongue, stopped trying to persuade me, and followed my parents out the door.

After they left, I went to the kitchen alone and made myself a plate of scrambled eggs. Then, sitting alone at the dining table, I finished my food in silence before taking the plate to the kitchen to wash it.

Just as I set down the dishcloth, the phone rang. It was a video call from Mom. Apparently, after dinner, they'd taken Carson to the mall to buy him some clothes.

Mom pointed to a row of shirts behind her and asked, "Which color do you prefer? Pick one."

I hesitated between a blue shirt and a white shirt, but Mom gestured at both of them and said, "We'll just take both of them!"

As soon as I hung up, tears welled up and spilled over uncontrollably. They were tears of joy.

Compared to Carson's expensive designer shoes and high-end outfits, the shirts cost next to nothing. But at least they were proof that Mom still cared about me.

I even felt a sudden impulse to change my choice on the university application form back to Aurevia University, the local university in Aurevius, so that I could stay close to my parents.

Before long, my family returned. Sure enough, Mom, Dad, and Carina all came back with their hands laden with dozens of shopping bags of all sizes. All of them were the latest styles from various luxury stores, all bought for Carson.

I hurried over and reached out to take the shirts they'd bought for me. But then, I heard Carson's triumphant bragging.

"What a steal! All these outfits for only 4,800 dollars, and they even threw in two free T-shirts!"

My half-extended hand froze midair. So it wasn't that they'd had a change of heart and finally started to care about me.

Bitterness surged up in me all at once.

"Give those T-shirts to whoever you want. I don't want them anymore," I said, dropping the bag and hurrying back to my room.

The moment the door shut behind me, I clenched my jaw and let the tears fall.

Outside, the dissatisfied complaints of my parents and Carina filtered in through the crack of the door.

Mom grumbled, "Honestly, Carson was kind enough to give him two new shirts, and he doesn't even show a shred of gratitude! I wonder where he got that stubbornness from!"

Carina chimed in, "Exactly! He's nowhere near as likable as Carson. No wonder we don't like him!"

She even asked Mom and Dad bluntly, "Are you sure you had twins? If only Carson was my only brother, that would be so much better!"

"Don't worry. Your wish is about to come true," I thought.

Soon, Carina would no longer have this eyesore of a brother, and Mom and Dad would no longer have this unlikable son.

As for me, I would no longer have to waste effort begging for affection I could never receive.