Parents and Son Under Attack Chapter 3

The next morning, Ethan's and my parents' cheerful voices came from the dining room. I silently walked downstairs to see Ethan sitting in my seat, eating with my favorite utensils.

When they saw me, the harmonious atmosphere suddenly broke, as if I were the outsider intruding on their family.

Mom's face flashed with embarrassment.

"Caleb, why are you up so early? Ethan doesn't have his own utensils yet, so he's using yours first. Can you use your brother's set, okay?"

"No need. I don't like stealing other people's things."

Everyone heard the sarcasm in my words directed at Ethan. Dad seemed still angry about me "bullying" Ethan yesterday. His usually kind expression turned ugly.

I glanced at the milk, sandwiches, and bacon and eggs on the table—all things Ethan liked. I was lactose intolerant and usually had congee for breakfast.

"Oh, I forgot you can't drink milk. I'll make you some soy milk in a bit." Mom rushed to smooth things over, afraid of exposing the fact that she cared more about her adopted son than about me.

Bang! Dad slammed his cup on the table, his tone displeased as he scolded:

"Why so picky? You're just too spoiled. At such a young age, you're already spoiled rotten! We need to take Ethan to transfer schools later. No time to waste!"

If it were the old me, I would have been heartbroken by those words and made a scene. But now I felt only numbness inside.

I silently sat in a corner of the table and saw Ethan, head down eating, with a smug smile playing at the corners of his mouth. But when he looked up again, his little face was full of sorrow.

"Dad, please don't talk to my brother like that. He's not like me. He's been cherished since childhood. It's natural for him to be a bit willful. That shows how much you love him."

My saint-like parents were moved to tears again. How could there be such an angelic little boy in the world? By comparison, me—who'd had everything since childhood yet was so willful—was truly inconsiderate. The look in their eyes held deep disappointment once again.

But I didn't care. In my previous life, I'd almost completely broken with Mom and Dad. I didn't care what they thought of me.

I could have played up to Ethan, acted like a brainless, easily controlled little brother. Then I'd still be Mom and Dad's good son, able to pick up some scraps from the attention they gave Ethan.

But I would let Ethan know that the family affection and love he'd schemed so hard to obtain was worthless in my eyes.