Chapter 1

My twin brother, Julian Lockwood, and I had always been treated differently.

He'd been sickly ever since we were kids, so I was expected to give way to him in everything.

Anything good in our house went to Julian first. Whether it was new clothes, birthday gifts, or the best food at dinner, he always got first pick. I had to make do with whatever he didn't want.

Then his college entrance exams came back far worse than expected. His scores weren't good enough to get him into any of the universities he'd applied to.

For the past two days, he'd been holed up at home, throwing tantrums and smashing anything he could get his hands on.

The person on the other end of the phone could barely get the words out through my tears. "Julian bombed his exams, and Mom and Dad felt sorry for him. They said they couldn't bear the thought of him going off to college alone, so they changed your applications behind your back.

"I was stupid enough to believe every word they said. I ended up at the same lousy community college as Julian, and from that point on, I might as well have been his personal servant.

"I spent my entire time there doing his laundry, picking up his meals, and taking care of everything for him. By the time I graduated, my degree was practically worthless. I couldn't find a decent job anywhere.

"And Mom and Dad wanted Julian to have everything. The house. Their savings. All of it.

"So, they found a rich family with a vicious, controlling daughter and practically sold me into marrying her. Then they took the money they got out of the arrangement and used it to buy Julian a house."

That voice suddenly rose into a desperate cry. "You have to change your future! Don't let any of this happen to you!"

And then the call abruptly went dead.

My head was buzzing, and my fingers wouldn't stop shaking. The moment I saw the community college listed as my final choice, I hit Edit.

I changed it back to the university I'd had my heart set on, one of the best schools in the state.

Save. Confirm.

Then I went straight to my account settings and changed the password before anyone could touch my application again.

By the time I finished, there were only five minutes left before the submission portal closed.

I stared at the countdown in the corner of the screen, barely daring to blink.

Cold sweat trickled down my forehead and dripped onto the keyboard. Mom and Dad could still be logged in on another device. If they realized what I'd done, they might try to change it back.

I kept my finger on the refresh key, reloading the page every second.

Five minutes. Four. Three.

I didn't move.

I didn't breathe easy until the timer finally hit zero.

A message appeared on the screen. "The application deadline has passed. Your selections can no longer be changed."

I sank back into my chair and let out a long, shaky breath.

My eyes stayed fixed on the university name displayed on the screen. This time, it was locked in. No one could change it now.

The tension finally drained out of me.

My eyes stung, and before I knew it, I had fallen into a deep sleep right there in the chair.

Early the next morning, I got up as usual and went downstairs to make breakfast for everyone. Eggs sizzled in the skillet as I stood over the stove.

A few minutes later, Julian wandered out of his room in a silk robe, yawning as he made his way into the kitchen.

He pulled out a chair and dropped into it like he expected to be waited on.

Picking up his fork, he prodded at the slightly overcooked edge of the fried egg on his plate, his face twisting in disgust. "Adrian, what the hell is this supposed to be?"

He jabbed at the egg again. "It's completely overcooked. You seriously expect me to eat this?"

He shoved the plate away. "Are you trying to make me choke?"

Before yesterday, I would've apologized immediately. Then I would've gone straight back to the stove and made him another egg, perfectly cooked with a soft, runny yolk, exactly the way he liked it.

But not today.

Today, I just looked at him. At the face that looked so much like mine, yet somehow wore an expression so spoiled and spiteful that I could hardly stand the sight of it.

I walked over, snatched the plate from in front of him, and tossed the whole thing into the trash, plate and all.

"If it's that bad, don't eat it. Go hungry," I said.

Julian froze. His fork was still suspended halfway to his mouth as he stared at me in disbelief.

He clearly couldn't wrap his head around the fact that I, the brother who had spent his whole life giving in to him, had actually fought back.

Then I saw something shift in his expression.

Without warning, he clutched his chest and stumbled over to the couch, collapsing onto it as he began taking quick, labored breaths.

"It hurts..." he gasped. "My chest... It hurts so bad..."

The bedroom door flew open. Mom and Dad came rushing out, barely dressed.

"Julian! What's wrong? What happened?" Mom ran straight to him and pulled him into her arms, holding him like he might fall apart at any second.

Dad turned on me instead. "What the hell is wrong with you, Adrian?" he snapped. "What did you do to your brother this time? You know he's had health problems since he was a kid! Are you trying to put him in the hospital?"