All Chapters of Escaping My Brother’s Shadow: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

"Julian, crying and throwing a fit isn't effective communication. We've always tried to teach you how to solve your own problems, not argue over every little thing at home."Mom adjusted the rimless glasses on the bridge of her nose. Her voice stayed perfectly flat.She was a psychology researcher. For eighteen years, she had been an expert at using professional language to brush aside every hurt I had ever felt.I stared at the silverware she had just slammed onto the table, searching her face for even the smallest hint of guilt.There was nothing, only the same impatient look she wore whenever she faced an annoying research problem."That $10,000 was my scholarship money," I said, bunching up the hem of my shirt so tightly that my knuckles hurt. My voice shook from all the emotions I was forcing myself to hold back. "I earned it. It didn't just fall out of the sky."My tuition, my housing, my living expenses... I was counting on that money. You transferred every cent to Ethan

One week before Ethan was set to leave for Francoria, he began making a huge production out of packing for his trip.The door to my storage room was thrown open just as I was reviewing my student loan application.Ethan walked in wearing a pair of expensive limited-edition sneakers and immediately waved a hand in front of his nose."Why does this room smell so musty?"His eyes wandered around the room before settling on the wooden box sitting on my desk. It was the last thing Grandma had left me. Inside was an old Leica camera.Before she passed away, she had told me, "When you grow up, get out and see the world. Use this to record your own life."Ethan's eyes lit up. Without asking, he walked over, picked up the box, and opened it."This camera looks so vintage. It'll be perfect to take to Parish as a photography prop."He reached inside and took out the camera as if it already belonged to him."Put it down." I stood up and grabbed his wrist. "Grandma left that to me. You

The thirteen-hour train ride from Cascade City to Jubilee City carried me past countless unfamiliar towns and endless stretches of open countryside. The coach smelled of stale coffee and greasy fast food.I leaned against the window, watching one unfamiliar landscape after another disappear behind me.For the first time in eighteen years, even breathing felt easy.After arriving at Jubilee State University, I used my student loan to pay my first semester's tuition. Then I spent the last of the money I had earned from my summer job on the bare essentials. Soon, my days settled into a relentless routine: orientation, classes, long hours in the library, and part-time work. From morning until night, every hour was spoken for. I stayed so busy that I never had time to look back.Meanwhile, over a thousand miles away in Cascade City, the realization that I was truly gone began unfolding much too late.Half a month into the semester, I was clearing trays in the campus dining hall w

Over the next month, autumn slowly settled over Jubilee City.The maple trees across campus turned shades of gold and crimson, and the crisp air carried the clean scent of the changing season.I successfully qualified for the university's academic excellence scholarship. My advisor also selected me for one of the lab's key research projects.My life felt like a sponge that had been dry for years, greedily soaking up the knowledge, opportunities, and freedom that had arrived eighteen years too late.Meanwhile, back in Cascade City...The Smith household was slowly falling apart.Dad used his connections in the education system to obtain my complete high school records, along with the school's archived security footage.He and Mom sat in the administration office, replaying the recordings over and over again.One video showed the winter of my junior year. Snow was falling so heavily it buried the sidewalks. Ethan sat comfortably inside the family's heated SUV, eating a sandwich M

The atmosphere inside the Smith house in Cascade City had turned ice cold.Ever since returning from Jubilee City, Mom and Dad had been like empty shells, moving through each day without a spark of life.The only thing that ever broke the silence was Ethan's desperate phone calls from Francoria."Dad! I can't pay my rent! My landlord's going to kick me out!"Mom! Can you send me some money? I can't even afford instant noodles anymore!"In the past, whenever Ethan complained, they would have done anything for him.If he had wanted the stars, they would have tried to pull them down from the sky.However, now, Dad simply switched the phone to speaker and answered in the same detached tone he used in his lectures."You're an adult now. From today on, no one is going to clean up your messes and no one is going to support you financially anymore. It's time you learned to take responsibility for your own life."On the other end of the line, Ethan completely snapped."You're the ones