Chapter 3

In Mom's and Dad's minds, favoring Henry had long become second nature.

Hearing my reply, Dad immediately broke into a satisfied smile, as if he had just resolved a huge problem. Mom remained silent, picking at the food on her plate and acting as if nothing was happening. Henry, on the other hand, fiddled with his new watch even more smugly, unable to hide the smile on his face.

I rose from the table and went into the bathroom. I then closed the door and stared at my pale reflection in the mirror.

I had spent 18 years in this family, but I had never truly felt like I belonged. I studied hard and pushed myself to become better, believing that maybe I could earn some attention and some love. I was mistaken, though. I realized now that there were some things that effort alone could never get me.

I overheard Henry talking as soon as I walked out of the bathroom. "Dad, tons of people in my class are going on graduation trips. Zack and his friends are going to the beach, and Anthony's going to Cloudmere. I really want to go on one too, Dad…"

I then heard Dad's gentle, pampering reply. "You should go on a graduation trip if you want to. Your mother can help with the cost, and I'll give you some as well."

"Really? Thanks, Dad!" Henry exclaimed before his expression turned hesitant, as if he had thought of something. "I-It must cost quite a bit of money to go on trips like that, right? Gavin still has to retake his SAT next year, too. Is it going to put too much pressure on the family financially, Dad?"

"You're so considerate, always thinking about the family," Dad said, sounding rather pleased.

"You don't have to worry about the money. We'll just have Gavin get another part-time job. He can take a rest after he retakes the SAT next year. You're the priority right now, so go wherever you want to go. I'll have your back, Henry."

I stood in the dark corner of the hallway, looking at the three of them enjoying each other's company under the warm yellow light.

Dad smiled, which he rarely did, and reached out to ruffle Henry's hair. Mom hugged Henry, her face beaming with pure pride and doting love. Henry leaned into her embrace, smiling like he was the happiest person in the world.

It was such a heartwarming sight, so much so that it was painful for me to look at. I just stood there in the dark, feeling like an outsider crashing their moment.

Unfortunately for them, I wasn't going to pay a single penny toward Henry's trip. I was going to save every bit of money I made from my part-time job. That money would cover my travel and living costs when I finally left this family.

I planned to stay as far away from the three of them as I could moving forward, never returning to their side again.

I woke up the following morning and started working at the courier station that Dad had picked out. I put in eight hours a day, doing the tedious work of scanning parcels over and over for miserable pay.

I didn't want to settle for such low pay, so during my free time, I looked for another part-time job online. I found a tutoring position teaching a middle school student math, physics, and chemistry. I taught for three hours every evening, and the hourly rate was several times higher than my courier job.

I had to juggle two part-time jobs, which meant that I was out early every morning and came home late every night. I hardly had any contact with my family because of that.

I headed out each morning before anyone was awake and dragged myself back late at night when they were already in bed. I saved all my money in a new bank account. I wasn't going to pull out a single dime to help around the house, and I definitely wasn't saving up for Henry's trip or living expenses.

It was nearly 11:00 pm when I returned home one night. It was completely quiet and dark all around, with only Mom and Dad's bedroom still illuminated. I noticed that their bedroom door was slightly ajar, too.

I initially wanted to slip quietly into my room, but I suddenly overheard the conversation coming from their bedroom. I stopped dead in my tracks and heard Mom speaking in a somewhat anxious tone. "You shouldn't have hidden Gavin's admission ticket back then. It's his future on the line, after all."