Chapter 2

"Why?" I demanded, turning around to stare at Lauren. "Lauren, why would you do that?"

She looked down her nose at me, her face completely devoid of guilt. "Because he's my brother."

The words cut straight through me. I let out a hollow laugh, tears welling in my eyes. "And what am I, Lauren? I'm your brother, too."

This time, she didn't even bother to give me the silent treatment.

She simply spun on her heel, leaving me staring at her cold, rigid back.

Just as she reached the door, she paused. Without turning around, she threw a final warning over her shoulder.

"I'll keep Henry on a tight leash in this life. Just stay in your lane and stop making trouble."

Her promise meant so little that I already knew better than to believe it.

When the SAT scores were finally released, I received my official acceptance letter from Dreston University exactly as expected.

Henry, however, had a string of zeros across his tran because he had missed the exams entirely.

That night, the same scene from my previous life played out all over again in the living room.

Henry clung to Mom's arm, weeping hysterically, "Mom, I don't want to repeat my senior year! It's going to suck so bad! It's all Ethan's fault. If he hadn't riled me up, I wouldn't have done something so reckless…"

Mom held him close, rubbing his back as she threw a resentful glare my way. "Ethan, did you hear that? You're the reason Henry is in this mess!"

Dad slammed an enrollment form for a local summer school program onto the coffee table in front of me, issuing a stern command, "You're going to repeat senior year with Henry to keep him on track. We don't trust him to do this alone."

I calmly picked up the form without giving any of them another look.

In my previous life, I'd cried, argued, and even locked myself in my room and refused to eat in protest. None of it helped. All I got in return was harsher punishment.

This time, I was too tired to fight.

My willingness to go along with them actually seemed to catch everyone off guard. They clearly hadn't expected me to give in so easily.

Lauren remained on the couch through the entire exchange, watching from the sidelines.

Eventually, she lifted her gaze from her phone and studied me with faint curiosity, as if she were trying to figure out why I wasn't reacting the way I had before.

I met her gaze and saw nothing but indifference.

So, this was what she'd meant when she promised to keep Henry on a tight leash.

How ridiculous.

After that, I stopped having a place at the dinner table.

Every evening, the four of them sat together in the dining room, enjoying the dinner the maid had prepared, while I ate cold leftovers alone in the kitchen.

Before long, I felt just as numb as the food tasted.

I became invisible in my own home.

They talked about where they wanted to go for the weekend right in front of me, bought Henry the newest designer bags and watches, and made plans for Lauren's future.

None of those conversations ever included me.

Sometimes, Lauren passed the kitchen and saw me eating by myself in the corner, yet she never once stopped.

Then, one night, I overheard Henry talking to a classmate in his room, unable to hide the smugness in his voice.

"Ethan's such an idiot. All I had to do was cry a little, and our parents made him repeat senior year with me.

"Tomorrow's going to be fun. I've already got a few guys ready to teach him a lesson at school.

"Lauren? Please. She doesn't give a crap about what happens to that loser."

The call disconnected. Standing outside his door, I slowly balled my hands into tight fists.

Was the nightmare of my past life going to repeat itself so soon?

No. In this life, I wasn't going to let anyone slaughter me like a lamb.