Half an hour later, I was in the car on the way home.
Derek kept fussing over me. “Want a drink? Want some snacks?”
I shook my head, smiling. “No, thank you, brother.”
Derek: “Oh… want to listen to some music? Play some games?”
I shook my head again. “Thanks, big bro, but you don’t have to trouble yourself.”
Derek savored the title, finally satisfied.
I was scrolling through our chat history. “Brother,” I asked, “I get the feeling we didn’t get along very well before.”
Derek bristled like a stray dog. “Who said that! Who said that!”
I held the phone up to him. “I saw it myself. And my tone with you wasn’t very nice…”
be was about to co with emotion
09:10
Chapter 2
09:10
Derek looked like he was about to cry with emotion.
“What’s not nice about it? I think it’s great.”
Me: “?”
Bro, are you okay?
In our chat history, I ordered Derek around like a dog. If he did anything to displease me, I’d chew him out. And yet, Derek never fought back, just silently endured it. He’d even end with: [Don’t be mad, it’s all my fault. I sent you some money, go buy a new bag to cheer yourself up.]
How could I have been so awful!
Derek began to list my virtues. “See? When someone bullies you, you tell me to go beat them up. Isn’t that just you being concerned about my health, afraid I’ll get a
beer belly, making sure I get my exercise?”
“And you ask me for money every week. Why? Because you know I’m bad with money, and you’re stopping me from wasting it at the source! And you don’t buy junk, you buy gold and luxury bags. What’s that? That’s an investment! You’re managing my finances for me!”
“And sure, you can be a little blunt sometimes, but that’s fine, we’re family! As they say, the people who love you most are the ones who hurt you the most. You love
me the most, so I completely understand.
Me: “?”
The car pulled into a gated community of villas. As I got out, Derek held a sun umbrella over me.
He suddenly asked, “By the way, you said your fiancé came to see you. Who is he?”
I smiled sweetly. “He said his name is Christian. Do you know him?”
Derek fell silent.
After a long moment, he said through gritted teeth,
“SON OF A BITCH. They robbed the house.”
“Whatever sweet nothings he whispers to you, don’t you believe a word of it.”
“Guys like that who look all pure and innocent on the outside are actually rotten to the core. They’re the best at tricking people.”
Just as he finished, a cynical laugh echoed from ahead.
“Are you introducing yourself?”
- 4.
My gaze shifted to the girl standing on the staircase.
She had her arms crossed, a smirk playing on her lips as she watched us.
I looked quizzically at Derek beside me.
Didn’t he say I only had one brother?
Do I have a sister too?
Derek: “Uh… that’s… Rhea.”
As he said this, he carefully watched my reaction.
“She’s Mrs. Wallace’s daughter.” Mrs. Wallace was our family’s housekeeper.
“Her family’s place is being renovated, so Mom and Dad let her stay here on weekends.”
