My Family Bets on My Adoptive Brother

Jeremy Stewart, my adopted younger brother, thought he had misheard the professor, Suzanne Graham.

"What was that? Who did you say you're choosing, Professor Graham?"

Professor Graham firmly replied, "Your older brother, Nathan Stewart."

Jeremy shot to his feet, pointing at the recommendation letter and concert tickets on the table.

"Didn't you see these, Professor Graham? My mother even wrote the recommendation letter by hand!"

"I'm aware of that." Professor Graham slipped the recommendation letter back into its envelope. "But I still retain the right to choose which candidate to accept into the postgraduate program. My choice is Nathan."

Jeremy clenched his teeth. "You really think my family won't retaliate against you?"

Professor Graham paused. Everyone knew that the Stewarts always followed through with what they said, especially when it came to threats.

Our mother, Maureen Lloyd, was a renowned academician. Our father, David Stewart, owned a multibillion-dollar company. Our older sister, Whitney Stewart, was an award-winning actress. Our younger sister, Wendy Stewart, was a singer.

They were all the type of people who'd insist on getting their way. Any one of them would be enough to give Professor Graham a headache. Not to mention that her own son and daughter would be dragged into this as well.

Even so, Professor Graham sighed. "I'm sorry. I've made my decision."

Jeremy stared at her in disbelief. His eyes reddened as he glanced at me. I stood beside Professor Graham, watching him coolly. He turned around and left, slamming the door behind him.

As soon as he was gone, Professor Graham turned to me with a pleading expression. She even moved to kneel, but I hastily stopped her. "You really don't have to do this, Professor Graham?"

"Please, Nathan, you have to save my father!" she begged.

Just moments ago, I had whispered something into Professor Graham's ear. "Has your father been coughing frequently these past two days and jolting awake at exactly 3:00 am each day? He traveled to Vangloria a month ago, right?"

Professor Graham had never told anyone outside of the family these things. She had taken her father to several hospitals, but none of the doctors had been able to determine what was wrong with him.

She had long suspected that it might have something to do with that trip he took. However, as a university professor, she couldn't make baseless claims.

Yet I'd somehow named every detail about his condition.

I sighed. "Don't worry, Professor Graham. It's just a small issue."

…

A week later, a smile had returned to Professor Graham's face. Her father had stopped coughing.

She didn't regret taking me in for the postgraduate program, even at the cost of incurring the wrath of the other Stewarts.

She knew the truth.

As fate would have it, every single member of my biological family was doomed in some way. Mom was supposed to have died in despair after failing to achieve any recognition for her brilliance. Dad should've struggled his entire life to make ends meet, never attaining any substantial wealth.

Whitney was meant to have suffered an accident that left her disfigured, severing all chance of her making a name for herself in the entertainment industry. And Wendy should've been born deaf and mute. She was destined to die young.