Chapter 1

As soon as I sent the message, I got a call from my mother, Carmen Dunham. She excitedly told me she was already waiting outside the campus gates.

If I hadn't seen that post first, I probably would have been moved to tears.

I hummed in acknowledgement, then shut down my computer and headed downstairs.

My younger brother, Steve Kaufman, stood obediently beside them and greeted me.

I nodded. Whenever he ran into me on campus, he always pretended not to know me.

Mom elbowed me disapprovingly.

"Steve's greeting you. Why are you still so quiet? Honestly, I don't know how you even got into grad school."

I pressed my lips together and said nothing.

She had forgotten that I'd ranked first on the written exam and passed the first round of interviews on my first try. But when Steve suddenly fainted, and there was no one else at home, I had no choice but to give up my chance and take him to the hospital.

It was only in my second attempt that Steve and I both made it through.

I'd ranked first in both the written exam and the second-round interview, yet they didn't even care or want to know.

My older sister, Rebecca Kaufman, nudged her chin toward Steve.

"You should learn from Steve. Stop acting like you're mute. No wonder no one likes you. Steve's already landed an offer from one of the top global companies. What about you?"

Everyone turned their scrutinizing gazes on me.

I looked up, ready to speak. However, Steve beat me to it first.

"Thomas' advisor, Leroy Turner, is known for being really strict. Honestly, it's a miracle Thomas is even graduating. Anyway, I still need to buy some clothes for work. Why don't we go shopping after lunch?"

Mom shot me a stern look. "You'd better not end up struggling to graduate. That would be so embarrassing for us."

I almost laughed.

It was true that Mr. Turner was strict, but the resources at his disposal were even more impressive.

My family had never asked about my situation or my plans for the future. They had no idea what I was truly capable of. Instead, they simply took it for granted that I was inferior to Steve.

"Go ahead and work on your thesis. Steve will show us around."

Mom made it sound like she was being considerate, but I'd grown all too familiar with these tricks. When I was a kid, she had always "bothered" Steve like this.

"Grandma's house gets so hot. You wouldn't be comfortable there, so just let Steve come with us."

"The mall is too far away. Just stay home and wait for us to bring back some snacks."

"The amusement park is so crowded. What if some kidnapper snatches you away?"

Mom always had a ready excuse, making it seem perfectly natural for Steve to enjoy all the preferential treatment.

In the end, Steve was the one who won our grandmother's affection, got to eat all the snacks, and played at the amusement park until he was exhausted.

Meanwhile, I was the one who earned a reputation for being quiet, unsociable, and reluctant to go out.

Bitterness rose in my throat, but I simply nodded.

Back in my dorm, I reread my acknowledgments several times. Over and over, I typed out the names of my family and my girlfriend, Audrey Fulton.

The fact that my family had come all this way meant they would probably be attending my graduation ceremony too. If I left them out of my acknowledgments, they'd probably be hurt.

My phone vibrated. It was a message from Steve.

"Thomas, come quick. Audrey's treating Mom and Dad to a welcome dinner."

He sent a photo of the dining table.

Why was Steve the one telling me about a dinner Audrey was hosting for Mom and Dad?

Before I could think it over any further, Audrey's impatient voice came through.

"I thought you were still working on your thesis, so I didn't want to disturb you. But Mr. and Mrs. Kaufman insisted that you come."

My heart warmed a little. So, they hadn't completely forgotten about me after all.

But by the time I arrived, there was barely any food left on the table. Not only had they not waited for me, but Mom even looked at me with disdain.

"You're always so slow. Don't blame us if you miss out on the food."

I clenched my fists.

Audrey stepped in to smooth things over. "Mrs. Kaufman, please don't say that." Then, she tugged at my sleeve. "Thomas, why don't you take care of the bill first? I'm sure you wouldn't want to upset your parents."

My fingers trembled slightly. In the end, I caved and paid the bill.