Chapter 2

Defenseless against Archer's fabricated lies, I could only lower my head and tremble.

By the time Mom and Dad rushed over and stood before me, they were already wielding their respective weapons. "How dare you bring up your brother, you jinx!"

"Archer is your brother. You owe your brother so much. You'll never be able to repay him in this lifetime!"

Before I could make a sound, Dad kicked me squarely in the chest. "Why weren't you the one who died? Why don't you just drop dead, you jinx?"

I desperately wanted to argue back, yet I couldn't find a single word to say in my defense. I, too, was consumed by regret. Why wasn't I the one who died that day? Why did I leave Asher behind and run home all by myself?

I was a piece of trash who didn't deserve to live. I actually hoped Dad would strike me even harder. It would be great if he could beat the life out of me. Then, I could finally be with Asher again.

I would never have to carry the burden of Asher's life on my shoulders again, dragging out this pathetic, miserable existence.

Mom and Dad beat me until the clothes hangers in their hands bent and snapped, and the leather whip broke apart. I was left lying in the foul-smelling, filthy basement, where a sliver of light seeped in through the ventilation window above me, casting a dim glow on a recordable teddy bear.

If I squeezed its belly, Asher's voice would play. "My baby sister mustn't be a picky eater. You need to eat properly so you can grow up big and tall!"

Unfortunately, the bear had died a long time ago, just like Asher, who was no longer by my side.

…

The following day was Archer's birthday. To be precise, it was Asher's birthday. To please Mom and Dad, Archer had completely embraced his role as Asher's shadow.

Our family villa was massive, and the birthday banquet was grand and lavish, yet there was no place for me. I squatted beside the bathroom, slowly wiping away the water stains on the floor with a rag.

"Check out these kicks. Cobe player exclusives, the only pair in the world."

I lifted my gaze and found Archer holding court with a bunch of rich kids nearby. He was practically glowing with vanity as he showed off his sneakers.

That pair of shoes had gotten me beaten for a solid hour yesterday. However, I didn't care about that. The only thing that caught my attention was the name of the basketball player he'd just mentioned.

Ever since he was a young boy, Asher's greatest passion was basketball, and he revered Cobe like a God. Back then, he would show off his shooting skills to me in the backyard, which had been converted into a basketball court.

For every shot he made, he made me agree to one condition. Out of ten shots, he had made seven.

"My baby sister needs to grow up healthy and strong.

"My baby sister needs to be happy every single day.

"My baby sister needs to live a long, peaceful life.

"My baby sister…"

I had refused to accept defeat. After missing 20 shots, I finally scored one while sitting on Asher's shoulders. "I want you to promise me one thing, too, Asher. I want you to stay by my side forever, and I hope you get to meet your idol as soon as possible!"

Sadly, Cobe had met a tragic end, and Asher was no longer here. Perhaps, at that moment, Asher had truly met his idol.

I was still reminiscing about every little moment I shared with Asher. Perhaps that was the only thing that kept me alive.

All of a sudden, a sneaker was thrust right in front of my face. "There's red wine on my kicks. Clean it up."

The red wine sloshed in his glass. Even though his sneaker was already hovering right in front of me, a few stray drops still splashed down, landing on his shoe and my head.

With red wine dripping down my face, I looked up and came face-to-face with Archer, who was wearing a smug look as he intentionally poured more red wine down. He didn't even like these kicks, yet he still chose to dirty them just to humiliate me.