Chapter 1

As that vivid red color filled my vision, I stood frozen at the library entrance for a moment.

It reminded me of the blood that had pooled beneath the back of my head when Mom shoved me down the stairs in my past life.

Countless memories flashed through my mind in rapid succession—the chaos in the hospital corridor, Mom's cold gaze, Dad's furious roar, and the terrifying sensation of free-falling.

I spun on my heel, taking off in the opposite direction as if my life depended on it.

I flagged down a cab and practically scrambled inside. Even after settling into the back seat, I still couldn't stop trembling.

Trevor Keller's parents had died saving my sister, Holly Keller, during an earthquake, leaving him an orphan.

Feeling indebted to his family, my parents welcomed Trevor into our home.

From then on, Trevor became the golden child of my family, while I was reduced to an eyesore who didn't belong. Even Holly, who had always doted on me, gave all her affection to Trevor instead.

And no matter what I did or said, I could do no right in their eyes.

In my past life, I desperately tried to explain that I was just trying to save Holly, that Mom had gotten it all wrong. Alas, they wouldn't believe a single word of it.

They even believed that Holly getting shot was part of some sick, elaborate plot orchestrated by me.

As ridiculous as it sounded, they believed it without question. So this time, I was going to mind my own business.

After all, Holly did nothing even though she knew Trevor had people bully me at school. She even had the nerve to tell me to look in the mirror and ask myself if my horrible personality was the reason I was targeted.

The moment I entered the house, I heard Dad talking to himself, his voice full of excitement.

"Man, these shrimp are huge. Trevor's going to love these. I should whip up some hearty pot roast when he gets home. He's lost a lot of weight lately and needs the protein."

It wasn't until I reached the dining room doorway that Dad finally noticed me. His smile vanished in an instant, replaced by a stern glare.

"Norman, why did it take you so long to buy the crabs that I asked for? Do you have any idea what time it is? Where the hell have you been? If the crabs aren't fresh anymore, we're going to end up with food poisoning! Do you have any sense of priorities at all?"

Dad laid into me right off the bat. I just stood there in the doorway, still holding the bag of crabs. It felt incredibly heavy in my hand.

Lowering my head, I muttered, "There was traffic…"

"Traffic? You're telling me you're the only person in this city who got stuck in traffic? And honestly, you're way too sensitive.

"The moment you get the slightest criticism, you clam up. You're nowhere near as sensible and considerate as Trevor."

Ever since Trevor came to live with us, I had been hearing things like that nonstop.

Every action I took and every emotion I expressed were weighed against Trevor. And the verdict was always that I fell short.

I glanced up at Dad. The look of disappointment on his face was impossible to miss.

I tightened my grip on the bag, my nails digging so deeply into my palms that it hurt. Suddenly, a sharp ringtone cut through the air. It was Dad's phone, which was on the cutting board.

"Hello? Oh, Mr. Shaffer! Yes, hello…"

He spoke in a casual tone, clearly expecting the teacher to be asking for Trevor.