Chapter 1

Jasper's POV

With my girlfriend, Madeline Conway, chiming in like this, Mom, Dad, and my younger brother, Justin Norman, perked up at once and got along like a house on fire.

Justin slapped his thigh and pointed at me, exclaiming loudly, "That's right! It was definitely Jasper who stole it from you! Next time, if you run into something like this, just drag him over to the police station, and he'll definitely confess then!"

Everyone laughed the moment he said that. However, I was the only one with a pale look on my face.

Mom and Dad had indeed dragged me to the police station when I was little because of the gold necklace incident. I could still remember how helpless and terrified I'd felt back then.

Ever since coming back from the police station, everyone in the village began calling me "Swiper Norman" instead of my name, Jasper Norman. When I walked on the streets, they would recognize me at once and point a finger at me, laugh in my face, and run off.

If anyone lost anything at home, they would immediately come knocking on the door and accuse me of stealing it. No matter how much I tried to explain things, nobody would ever believe me.

"Justin is right, Jasper. Maybe we should stop by the police station on our way home later," Madeline joked as she looked at me. "It won't be a big deal if you never did anything wrong, right?"

It was obviously meant to be a joke, but it felt more like a knife stabbing into my heart.

Justin saw how pale I'd turned and cocked an eyebrow. He then said, "Don't say it like that, Maddie. He's always been an extremely petty and vengeful person. He still keeps bringing up the past and holding it against us.

"But you're about to marry him, so be careful. He might use this against you in the future."

I felt the anger surging in my chest and finally couldn't hold back any longer. I slapped my hand on the table. Even the dishes clinked and rattled from the force of it.

"Justin Norman! Are you done spouting nonsense?"

This was the first time I'd ever yelled at him.

Meanwhile, Dad, who'd remained silent this whole time, immediately slapped me in the face without another word.

My ears rang loudly, and even my vision blacked out for a moment. I swore I could see stars.

"How dare you raise your voice at us like that? Who do you think you're trying to intimidate?"

Mom looked like she was already used to it and just continued eating. Justin scoffed and made a face at me.

The tension hit the roof.

Mom was the first to break the silence.

"Maddie, why are you already wearing a ring when you haven't even married Jasper yet?"

Madeline was stunned for a moment. She then subconsciously hid her hand behind her back. However, her actions made my eyes suddenly sting with tears.

She had never taken off the ring ever since we dated. I had told her about my family's biases against me before, and she confidently said that she would always take my side.

However, this was the first time she was meeting my parents, and yet she was already siding with them and making fun of me.

"Maddie, we all like you very much, but you're not a good match for Jasper. We don't want you to waste your time either, so maybe if you'll just consider Justin…"

I whipped my head up at once and glared at Mom. My lips trembled as I exclaimed, "Mom! What do you mean by that?"

Mom exchanged a look with Dad and didn't say another word.

I turned to look at Madeline, but she pretended not to have heard anything, just letting it pass.

That made me even more disappointed than anything else.

Since young, Mom and Dad had always told me that I had to yield to Justin simply because he was my younger brother. So, I did everything as they said and gave him everything.

The moment my SAT results were out, I left my hometown and went to a different state that was hundreds of miles away from them. I'd only come home and visit at most once a year.

However, every time I came back home, there was no warmth and no welcome from my family—only endless jeering and sarcasm at the dinner table.

I tossed my fork onto the table, knowing that I couldn't stomach another bite. I got to my feet and pulled on Madeline's arm, signalling for her to leave with me.

However, she refused to budge. She cast me a sidelong glance and said, "You can leave now if you want. It's getting late. I'm not going back with you."

Justin burst out in a snigger at that.

I froze on the spot for a second. Then, I turned my back to her and scrambled out of the place.