All Chapters of The Call From Eighteen Years Ago: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

There was silence on the other end of the call.I then heard my young parents' frantic voices."Jess, don't cry. Tell me what exactly happened. Did you say you had a younger brother? What vocational school?"My young dad's voice was filled with fury."Your mother and I already agreed we'd only ever have a daughter. We were going to give all our love to you. How did you end up having a younger brother?"Whoever made you suffer, I swear I'll fight them to the death!"I stared blankly into space as memories drifted back.Before I turned three, we were poor, but my parents still showered me with affection.One winter, I came down with a high fever while heavy snow blocked every road.Gary wrapped me tightly against him and carried me for miles through the snow to the hospital.Marielle stayed by my bedside all night while crying anxiously.She stroked my forehead and whispered that she wished she could be the one who was sick instead.On my third birthday, Gary spent two weeks'

The next day, I was discharged from the hospital.It was also the day my family held the celebration banquet in honor of Jason's teachers.Marielle forced me into an old T-shirt that had faded from countless washes and dragged me into the hotel's private dining room.The room was packed with relatives who were all chatting and laughing.The moment they saw me, the room fell silent.Then the discussions grew even louder."Oh, look who's here, the college student! Jessica, Crownstone College must've given you a pretty big scholarship, huh?""Jason's born lucky. He's definitely going to be a big boss someday. Jessica, you'll have to look after your little brother."Gary sat at the head of the table and motioned me over.There was a single chair in the center of the room.Jason sat comfortably in it while holding a cup of coffee."Jessica, since all your older relatives are here today, let's establish a few family rules."Gary cleared his throat. He placed a handwritten documen

"Open your damn eyes and take a good look at this!"It was a handwritten pledge.[I, Gary Jagger, swear that Jessica Jagger will be my only child. I will never have a second child. If I ever break this promise, may lightning strike me dead!]The pledge smacked my middle-aged dad square in the face. His face shifted between pale and flushed.My young dad pointed at Jason, who was cowering in the corner."You seriously expect a worthless brat who, at fifteen, steals his sister's scholarship to support you in your old age?"When Jess was born, your wife nearly bled to death. The doctor said she shouldn't have another child."You swore you'd only ever have Jess! And look what happened?"You became obsessed with having a son. You tricked your wife into drinking all those so-called fertility remedies. You even took Jess' birth chart to quack fortune tellers, hoping to trade away her fate for a son!"My young mom stepped forward and grabbed my middle-aged mom by the hair."And you s

Without me as someone to compare him to, Jason became the family's only remaining hope.He also became a complete parasite.In the end, Gary still found a way to transfer my scholarship fund to Jason.On the very first day he got the money, Jason bought himself an expensive superbike.He spent every day hanging around with a gang of street punks.Less than two months after starting vocational school, he crashed into someone while street racing and broke the man's leg.That day, Gary was summoned to the hospital.He kneeled before the victim's family, begged for forgiveness, and ended up paying ten grand in compensation.Everything the family had saved was wiped out overnight.When Gary returned home, he was trembling with rage. He grabbed a broom and swung it at Jason."You brat! Your sister practically gave up her life for this family, and all you do is cause trouble!"Jason caught the broom with one hand and shoved him hard.Gary crashed to the floor.Looking down at him