Chapter 1

When I got home from work, I saw my mom sitting on the sofa in my house with her stepson, Kaden McCartney. They were critiquing the place.

"We should knock out this living room window and replace it with floor-to-ceiling glass. That would look so much better."

"That walk-in closet facing north—I'm turning that into a game room."

"The whole decor in here is way too cheap. I want to switch it to European style."

Hearing them talk, I got a bad feeling.

My mom waved me over, all warm and friendly.

"Xavier, you're home from work. I made you dinner. Come try it."

I looked at the table. It was packed with all my favorite dishes. I searched my memory.

I couldn't remember the last time she'd cooked a meal just for me. Was I nine? Ten?

It was definitely back when my father was still alive.

I was born into an ordinary but happy family. But all that happiness came to a sudden stop when my dad died in an accident.

Less than a year after his death, my mom remarried. Her new husband was Lesley McCartney, her first love from when she was young. He was also on his second marriage and brought along a son one year younger than me.

Because she loved Lesley so much, she treated that stepson—who wasn't even her blood—better than she ever treated me.

From that day on, she gave all her motherly love to Kaden.

I looked away from the table and sat down across from them.

"Mom, what are you two doing here?"

I wasn't naive enough to think they'd come all this way just to make me dinner.

She sat there and let out a couple of dry laughs.

"Xavier, I always knew you were a capable kid. It's only been five years, and you've already paid off 200 thousand in loans."

Kaden gave me a big smile. "Xavier, you make over 40 thousand a year. That puts you ahead of most people. You've got a bright future ahead of you."

I sat there without saying a word, just waiting for them to get to the point.

Sure enough, within two minutes, my mom came out with it. "We're all family. Kaden is getting married soon, Xavier. Give him this house as a wedding gift."

Kaden jumped in right after. "And for the wedding ceremony, we'll need 60 thousand. Mom and Dad will cover 20 thousand. You cover the rest, Xavier."

The way they said it was so matter-of-fact that I almost thought I'd heard wrong.

I raised my voice without meaning to. "Why on earth would I give my house to Kaden?"

My mom didn't agree with that. "What do you mean, 'yours' and 'mine'? We're family. Kaden is getting married. Of course, he needs a wedding home. You don't even have a girlfriend right now. The house is just sitting there empty."

My heart sank. My voice turned cold.

"In your eyes, this stepson of yours has always been more important than your own son. You're not welcome here. Please leave."

For five years, crushed under the weight of that mortgage, I pinched every penny. I wore my clothes until the edges frayed. I didn't dare waste a dime.

And now, she thought she could say a few words and make me hand the house over to Kaden? No way.

Faced with my cold attitude, her face hardened too. She pulled the property deed straight out of her purse.

"Xavier, I'm not asking you. My name is on this deed. I'll give this house to whoever I want."