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My Family Made Bets about Me

My Family Made Bets about Me

Short Story · Emotional Realism
By:  Another SpringCompleted
Language: English
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10Chapters
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Synopsis

Family Emotions

Biological Family

Bias

Independence

Familial Bond

Plot Twists

On Thanksgiving, after I got off work, my younger brother, Nate Anderson, left an update in our family group chat about having moved to a different address. I had to take five different public transport connections before I finally reached the location he had sent me. However, when I arrived, I found that I was in a deserted area. Nate sounded smug over the phone. “Got you! My prank was successful! The last bus has left. What’re you going to do now?” I was dumbfounded, but my parents were laughing. “Why did you believe such an obvious lie? Who did you inherit your dumbness from?” “We’re having our Thanksgiving dinner soon. You can walk home.” My girlfriend, Gwen Smith, was chuckling. She said mockingly, “Oliver, you should come back on your own, just like your parents said. “It’s not the first time you’re getting pranked like this. Don’t be a sore loser!” After that, she hung up on me. In the past, I would have called them and begged them to pick me up. However, this time, I was overwhelmed with exhaustion as I gazed at the distant city lights. Nate loved to play pranks on me, and my entire family enabled him to do so. Two years ago, he put peach fuzz into my drink, and I suffered an asthma attack because of it. Last year, he swapped my shampoo with a hair removal gel, and I failed an interview because of it. My entire family knew that I was terrified of the dark, but they conspired with him and lured me to a deserted area. They were betting on when I would call them and beg for their mercy at the dinner table. I did not cry or beg. In the dark, I walked in the opposite direction from where my home was. I was going to put an end to these pranks.

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Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It was extremely dark.

Through the live surveillance app on my phone, I saw my family gathered around the dinner table with four phones placed in the middle.

They were betting on how long it would take me to call them for help.

My younger brother, Nate Anderson, said confidently, “It’ll take one minute.”

When I was ten years old, Nate poisoned my puppy on Thanksgiving.

I cried in defeat and rushed into my parents’ room. I begged them to take my puppy to the vet.

My parents did not take me seriously even when I sobbed my eyes out.

“Nate’s just pranking you. We can get another dog if this one dies.”

My puppy had a seizure and died in my arms.

It took exactly one minute.

After that, they did not even bring up the new dog that they promised to get me.

It was my parents’ turn. They said together, “Five minutes.”

There was once when I had a family dinner with them. Nate swapped my soda for pesticide.

My tummy was twisting in pain, and I rolled on the floor for five whole minutes before I finally begged for help.

That day, I had my stomach pumped in the hospital while they went out for a night stroll.

Ever since, I was wary of Nate’s pranks, and I never spent Thanksgiving with them again.

My girlfriend, Gwen Smith, felt bad for me. Despite her unique career, she would take time off every year to accompany me for Thanksgiving.

At that very moment, she suddenly seemed to recall something.

She stood up while the others laughed, grabbed a jacket, and ran toward the door.

I grabbed my phone instinctively.

I was about to send my location to Gwen when I saw her stop in her tracks before the door.

She looked at the clock on the wall and said confidently, “I bet Oliver won’t call for help tonight.

“The cell tower in that area is owned by my company. I just asked my assistant to put up a maintenance notice. After midnight, that area will have no signal at all.”

My heart sank.

Nate was pleasantly surprised. He rushed over to hug Gwen.

“It’s no wonder you insisted on changing the address to the outskirts.

“Gwen, you’re undoubtedly a prank master!”

In the past, Gwen had not allowed me to get close to that area.

She said that it was not developed enough, and a lot of robberies occurred there. There were even wild dogs that had attacked people before.

She was worried that I would run into danger.

However, to support Nate’s prank, she was willing to leave me there with no help.

My family members were cheering for a new team member who had joined their game. They hugged each other and jumped for joy.

The very last bit of hope that I had vanished.

While my phone still had a signal, I replied to the overseas offer that requested me to move there in three days.

In the past, I hesitated because the place was too far away. I did not want to be away from my family.

However, I did not like how they treated me.

I no longer wanted to be part of this family.

At midnight, my phone lost its signal.

I picked up a stick and walked forward nervously.

As I walked, I felt less afraid.

It seemed that once I accepted I had no one to rely on, I felt much braver.

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10 Chapters
Chapter 1
It was extremely dark. Through the live surveillance app on my phone, I saw my family gathered around the dinner table with four phones placed in the middle. They were betting on how long it would take me to call them for help. My younger brother, Nate Anderson, said confidently, “It’ll take one minute.” When I was ten years old, Nate poisoned my puppy on Thanksgiving. I cried in defeat and rushed into my parents’ room. I begged them to take my puppy to the vet. My parents did not take me seriously even when I sobbed my eyes out. “Nate’s just pranking you. We can get another dog if this one dies.” My puppy had a seizure and died in my arms. It took exactly one minute. After that, they did not even bring up the new dog that they promised to get me. It was my parents’ turn. They said together, “Five minutes.” There was once when I had a family dinner with them. Nate swapped my soda for pesticide. My tummy was twisting in pain, and I rolled on the floor for five
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Chapter 2
The next morning, I walked on with my feet and pants covered in mud. I took the first bus I could find and borrowed a charger from the bus driver. I had not returned home all night.There were more than a hundred texts in my family group chat.Nate sent photos of the night sky, my parents sent gift vouchers, and Gwen shared photos of her cooking. The only text that was directed to me was from my company. [You don’t have to come to work for the next few days. This work assignment will last ten years. You should spend the remaining time with your family. We’ll depart in two days as scheduled.] I stood in front of my house for a really long time. I had five theme park tickets in my pocket. This was the gift I wanted to give my family for Thanksgiving, which I had saved up for by working overtime for a month.Initially, I wanted to go with them, but there was no point in that anymore.I kept my own ticket and slipped the remaining four tickets under the door. The next s
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Chapter 3
Ever since Gwen suggested that Nate organize our engagement party, I had had my suspicions.However, my parents promised me that it was all genuine. “Oliver, you’ll only have an engagement party once in your lifetime. “Why would we let Nate play a prank on such an important event?”Gwen also convinced me that it was real. “Nate just wants to ease your load for the engagement party, so you can be the most handsome fiance there ever will be.” I had finally agreed to that. While they were out shopping with Nate, I took out the pendrive labeled “Oliver’s Happiest Memories” and plugged it into my laptop.When I clicked on a video, I heard muffled laughs. My back was drenched in cold sweat when I heard the familiar voice. In the video, my parents and Nate told me to finish the birthday cake. I was twelve years old in that video. I had a black-and-white cake-like mush in my mouth. I asked carefully, “Mom, Dad, what’s this cake made of? I really can’t eat it anymore.” Af
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Chapter 4
My parents were happy. They praised me for being so mature. I packed my bags at night. Gwen came to my room, looking relieved. “In the past weeks, I felt hesitant thinking about our engagement. I wondered if I should really go ahead with it. “You have a bad temper and are timid. You get offended at Nate for the silliest pranks.“But seeing that you’ve prepared gifts for Nate and your family, I’ve decided that I do want to be with you.”I paused and looked up in disbelief. “So… you supporting Nate on his pranks on me was a test?”She did not deny it. “I didn’t want to marry a man who couldn’t forgive his own brother for silly jokes.”After that, she left satisfied. On the day of our engagement, Nate said as a reminder, “Oliver, you must sit in the white car. It’s luxurious and classy. It signifies a great start to your marriage with Gwen.” My parents also agreed. “Nate sent the car for a wash early this morning. Just don’t let him down.”I laughed and nodded. Howe
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Chapter 5
After my plane landed, five hours had already passed since the engagement party started.As soon as we touched down, my phone started buzzing with notifications.I had missed calls from four people—my father, my mother, Nate, and Gwen. I did not rush to return their calls. Instead, I wheeled my suitcase out of the arrival hall. I found a convenience store outside the airport. I let my phone ring. I would be lying if I said I was not upset. However, I did not miss them at all. My only regret was that I could not be there to see their expressions when they watched what I had prepared for them. After a few minutes, I made up my mind and answered my mother’s call. The moment the call went through, my mother screeched, “Oliver, what are you trying to do? Are you insane?!“Didn’t you consider what would happen when you released those videos?”I gazed at the scenery through the windows. Her screech hurt my ears. Fortunately, there was a six-hour difference between us.
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Chapter 6
She was quiet for a really long time. I had shattered Gwen’s expectations the moment I told her I had given up on our relationship.She could not believe that I would cut her off this firmly when I had always listened to her before. A few seconds later, she snorted. “Fine! You can do as you want. I’m not stopping you.“But I’m telling you now, Oliver. You’ll regret this sooner or later.“When you can’t continue your work assignment and are all alone in a foreign country with no one to rely on, you’ll come back crying to me.“I’ll wait for that day!” After that, she hung up on me. I deleted all the photos of my family and Gwen from my phone without a second thought.I carried my suitcase and walked out of the airport. My company’s representative was there waiting for me. I filled in my accommodation form and completed the induction. I moved into a brand new apartment and settled down.For the next ten years, I would live, work, and build my life here. I could not fal
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Chapter 7
After the recording was exposed at the engagement party, my family was in complete chaos.The relatives all gossiped about the adoption as well as the intended drugging. My father was detained by the police for investigation, and Gwen cut them off completely. Nate’s pride was shattered after the series of events. In just two weeks, Nate, who used to be arrogant and loved to prank me, had changed completely. He locked himself in his bedroom and did not talk to anyone. He remained locked inside and was mentally unstable.Not only did he lose sleep, but he would also burst into tears and start smashing things.The doctor said that he was severely depressed. If it were in the past, my mother would have been extremely anxious and taken him to seek medical help. However, my mother had more important things to focus on at that point. She did not care about Nate’s feelings. Instead, she begged him to sign the mediation papers, telling him that he owed them for raising him for
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Chapter 8
I was living a new life in the city for three months and slowly beginning to get used to life here.After the incident, my parents no longer dared to look for me. As for the huge mess back home, it no longer had anything to do with me, except for Gwen.After the engagement party, she had never stopped texting me.In the beginning, she was stubborn and cold. [How long are you planning to stay overseas?][What your parents did has nothing to do with us! Are you really not going to explain yourself to me?] When she noticed that I was ignoring her texts, she panicked. [Oliver, the company said that you’ve signed a ten-year contract. Are you planning to relocate there permanently?][Are you really not going to return? You haven’t contacted me in so long. Are you really cutting me off?][Oliver, I was wrong, okay? It was my fault! I shouldn’t have said that you’re a sore loser. I shouldn’t have sat still while they pranked you.][I thought it was just a joke. I’m sorry. I’ll a
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Chapter 9
Gwen was standing alone on an unfamiliar street, holding a small suitcase. She looked like she had just arrived.She had lost a lot of weight, and she had acne on her face. Her eyes looked hollow, as if she had not slept well for a very long time.It was obvious that she had taken a red-eye flight here. Just to talk to me, she had traveled thousands of miles to a new city. When she saw me, she shuffled forward and sounded cautious. “Oliver, I’m sorry for showing up unannounced. You were not responding to my texts, and I really missed you.” She wanted to hold my hand, but I took a step back and frowned.“Go back. There’s no point in any of this anymore.” It was like she did not even hear me.“Oliver, just give me a little time.”From that day on, Gwen ignored my wishes and stayed in the new city. She rented the apartment opposite mine. She apologized and tried to get back with me.Somehow, she got hold of my work schedule and waited for me every single day at my offi
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Chapter 10
She fell silent. She finally understood that I was not just upset with her. I had truly let her go. No matter what she did, or how much she sacrificed and pleaded, I would not go back to her. The next morning, she moved out of the apartment. Before she went back home, she left me a note. There were only a few words on it. [I’ll wait for you.]I did not even bother to read it as I tossed it into the trash can. Neither of us expected the real trouble to start after she returned home.Nate, who had lost his sanity, was even more fixated on Gwen. He had a huge crush on her, and all our relatives said he was targeting me because he was jealous of me.Nate believed that if Gwen married him, his life would return to normal. The moment she landed back home, Nate was waiting for her in her neighborhood. He waited there the whole day, every day. If Gwen did not go out, he would wait at her apartment complex. If she did go out, he would stand before her car. Nate was
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