Chapter 3

On rainy days, Noah would drape his whole raincoat over me while he got soaked to the bone.

When kids picked on me, he charged in and fought them, and he ended up with four stitches in his forehead.

When he got home, Dad gave him a beating, but he didn't make a sound. He even winked at me and said, "I'm fine."

So later on, when he turned out to be bad at school, bad at his jobs, bad at everything, I never looked down on him.

I figured, worst case, I'd support him.

If he liked playing video games, he could play. If he liked traveling, he could go. I made more than enough to cover it.

But now that he had a girlfriend, he actually wanted Mom and me to walk away with nothing, and he acted like it was perfectly reasonable.

The nitroglycerin had only just kicked in, and Mom's face was still pale.

She spoke up in a shaky voice. "Son... Noah, how can you say that? That company is something your sister worked so hard to build..."

Noah suddenly roared, "Mom, shut up! What does an old woman like you know?"

Mom flinched in fright.

At the sight, Ashley grew even smugger.

She leaned back against the couch and slowly rubbed her belly. "If you won't agree, fine. Then I won't marry him, and I'll get rid of the Spears heir in my belly too!"

Mom's eyes went wide, her voice trembling. "What did you say? You're... You're pregnant?"

I frowned without thinking.

But Noah was too busy being happy to notice how strangely the two of us were reacting. "Ashley, you're pregnant with our baby? Why didn't you tell me?"

Thinking she had us under her thumb, Ashley smiled even wider. "I only found out a few days ago. I meant to surprise you, but I never expected..."

Her voice suddenly turned aggrieved. "Your family actually treats me like this? I'm carrying a Spears heir, and nobody even cares. If I marry into this family, I'll never have a good day in my life.

"I might as well break up with you now. I'm not having this baby for you either. Let's just never contact each other again!"

When she got up to leave, Noah panicked completely.

He crouched down in front of Ashley and grabbed her hands. "Don't be mad, Ashley. Please don't be mad. Don't worry, I'll make this right for you!"

Then he stood up, wearing an expression like we owed him millions. "Mom, what are you two doing?

"I'm not young anymore, and I finally found a wife. Instead of thinking of me, you're dead set on ruining it, is that it?"

He grew more and more worked up. "Those little requests Ashley made, which one of them isn't for my good?

"Telling you not to call me 'son' or 'big brother' is for the sake of peace in the family!

"So what if the company is Stacey's? She's a Spears, and the house should go to the Spears men!

"You're being so selfish. Do you want me to stay a bachelor for the rest of my life?!"

After he roared out that last line, his chest heaved, and he glared daggers at Mom and me. As if we had truly done something unforgivable.

I was about to fire back when Mom suddenly collapsed.

I caught her in my arms just in time. She slumped against me, her face ashen, her lips a frightening shade of purple.

"Mom! Mom, what's wrong?"

I looked up and shouted at Noah, "Mom's heart is acting up! What are you standing there for? Call 911!"

My yell snapped Noah out of it, and he fumbled his phone out of his pocket.

His finger had barely touched the screen when Ashley snatched the phone away.

"Oh, so now she's putting on a show?" She gave a cold laugh and glanced at Mom in my arms.

"A heart condition? Who are you kidding? It didn't act up earlier, it didn't act up later, but the second we bring up our terms, it suddenly acts up?"