Chapter 4

This time, I had no intention of wasting my time or energy, trying to please anyone.

Bryan seemed to sense my cold attitude. Feeling hurt, he ran over to David. Then, in fluent Ruslanthian, he whispered, “Uncle, I think I’m starting to dislike Daddy. I wish you were my dad instead.”

David shot me a glance, then smiled as he pulled Bryan into his arms. He responded in Ruslanthian, “If you don’t like your dad, how about I be your dad instead?”

Bryan eagerly nodded. His face lit up with joy as he answered, “Yes! I love you the most!”

I watched the two of them bonding like father and son. Then, I turned to Olivia, who also understood Ruslanthian, and asked, “What are they saying?”

Olivia hesitated for a moment, then responded naturally, “It’s nothing. Bryan was just being clingy. He’s mentioned how much he likes David’s gift.”

I stared at her for several seconds. It was as if I were seeing her for the first time.

“I see.”

My voice trembled slightly. Olivia had probably forgotten that I had studied in Ruslan.

The way they could lie so easily in front of me, without even a hint of guilt, made it clear that this was not the first time. How many times had they lied to me before?

They were speaking in Ruslanthian, right in front of me, sharing inside jokes that only they understood. They were communicating openly and putting me down behind my back.

Perhaps, in their eyes, this was their shared secret.

However, it no longer bothered me.

I would be gone soon anyway. I’d let them have their happy little family.

A little later, the doorbell rang.

My parents, Robert Spencer and Lisa Spencer, came in with gifts. Bryan ran into their arms.

“Sweetheart, did you miss us? We bought you so many presents. We also brought lots of your favorite snacks.

“Let us hold you. You’ve grown so tall! And David, you look like you’ve lost weight. We brought you some supplements.”

As another birthday celebrant, I did not even receive a glance from my parents, let alone a gift.

The favoritism was so obvious. If it were the old me, I might have felt disappointed, but at this moment, I only felt relieved.

This way, when I left, I would not miss a single one of them.

Olivia saw my blank expression and thought I was upset.

She gently placed her arm around my waist in an attempt to comfort me. “Hugh, it’s okay. You still have me. You’ve lost some weight too. Let’s go shopping tomorrow. You can buy whatever you want. Bryan is still a child, and David is young, so it’s normal for your parents to take care of them more.”

I inhaled the faint scent of sandalwood wafting from her, but all I could see in my mind was the image of her being intimate with David.

A wave of nausea hit me suddenly. I quickly found an excuse to go to the kitchen to serve the food.

To my surprise, Olivia followed me. With a hint of affection, she said, “I’ll serve it.”

I was happy to be left alone. I sat in the living room and scrolled through my phone. My parents were chatting animatedly, but I did not join in.

As my parents saw me sitting there, their conversation gradually faltered. They had been ignoring me, but when I gave no reaction, they did not know what to do.

As they watched me sit there perfectly at ease, they began making snide remarks.

“We came all the way here to celebrate his birthday, and here he is, pulling a long face. A grown man with no job is one thing, but now he can’t even take care of the house and waits around to be served.”