Chapter 1

I lost a kidney, and then I died from an infection in the hospital.

My girlfriend was marrying my adopted brother in a fancy ceremony.

My mom couldn’t get a hold of me and chewed me out for being inconsiderate.

“It’s just a kidney. You gave it to your brother. Why are you so mad that you can’t even come to the wedding?”

My sister glared at me, seething.

“I didn’t think he’d be so bitter. It was Lindy who fell for Chris. He couldn’t keep her, and now he’s pulling a disappearing act.”

My usually quiet dad slammed his glass on the counter, shattering it.

“Fine, don’t come. We’ll pretend we never had such an ungrateful son. He was never a likeable kid anyway.”

“Yeah, let’s just pretend he doesn’t exist. We never really liked him.”

They… never really liked me?

Their words made my soul ache.

I wanted to vanish.

So, when I got a second chance, when my parents and sister told me I had to give everything to my adopted brother, I just nodded.

Give it to him.

Give him everything.

I don’t want this biased family anymore.

This time, I just want to be healthy and live my own life.

I woke up.

I was fifteen again, the day Chris came to our house.

Chris was the son of my parents’ friends.

His parents died in a car wreck, leaving him all alone.

He’d always been sickly and needed expensive medicine. None of his relatives wanted to take care of him.

My parents saw him at the funeral and felt sorry for him.

They took him in.

“Mom, Dad, can I really stay here?”

“This house looks so warm.”

Chris snuggled into my mom’s arms, looking hopeful.

Mom squeezed him. “Of course, you can.”

Then she looked at my sister and me.

“Ryan, Taylor, this is Chris. He’s your brother now. You have to be good to him.”

The pain of having my kidney ripped out was still fresh in my mind.

I blinked, staring at the boy who was clinging to them, looking like a scared little fawn.

He was just as I remembered him: fifteen, skinny and weak from being sick all the time.

His face was handsome, but his pale skin and fragile look made people want to protect him.

He used to be like that before he came to our house. I love to eat sweet and sour pork ribs. Most of the pork ribs were mine.

But after he came, I couldn’t have any more after eating one piece.

Because I had to let Chris eat the sweet and sour pork ribs that he also liked to eat.

If I showed even a little bit of dissatisfaction.

My parents and sister would look at me with contempt.

Scolding me, why are you so unreasonable.

Inconsiderate.

Petty.

Why did not understand that I was not from their family.

So my room.

My piano.

My childhood sweetheart.

All my things.

As long as Chris wanted it, I had to give it to him unconditionally in the disappointed and oppressive eyes of my parents and sister.

If I don’t want to give it, it’s okay.

They have a way to take it away and give it to him.

In the end, even my kidney and my life.

They were taken away and given to Chris.

“He’s such a sweet brother. I can’t wait to take care of him,” my sister said cheerfully.

Dad smiled, then looked at me.

“Ryan, are you going to take care of your brother and give him whatever he wants?”

Everyone in the living room looked at me, waiting for my answer.

Like always.

Give him everything?

I swallowed my bitterness and nodded.

“Sure, I will. Don’t worry, I’ll let him have it.”

Yes.

I’ll let him have it all.

I don’t want any of you biased people.

But this time, don’t expect to get anything that’s mine.

Chris moved in.

Since there wasn’t an extra room, Mom and Dad decided he’d stay with me.

Chris glanced at me, shyly, then said, “Mom, Dad, I… I don’t like sleeping with other people.”

“I can’t sleep if I have to share a room. Do you have a storage room, or a maid’s room? Or could you put up a wall on the porch? Anywhere I can sleep would be great. Please.”

He started crying.

“Maybe I should just go to an orphanage. I’m just a burden.”

“Ryan, don’t worry, I won’t bother you. I won’t take your room.”

“Please don’t make me leave. I really like Mom and Dad and Taylor…”

He started bowing to me like crazy.

I watched him, thinking he was even better at acting than last time.

All he wanted was my room.

Fine, he could have it.

Before I could say anything, my dad slapped me.

“Whack!”

My face stung.

So did my heart.

Mom, who used to freak out if I got a paper cut, hugged Chris and glared at me.

“Ryan, what did you say to Chris to make him so upset?”

“Chris, don’t worry, we won’t let you go to an orphanage. Not even for our own son.”

Dad raised his hand again.

“Ryan, apologize to Chris. He just got here, and you’re already treating him like this. You’re such a brat! What do they teach you in school?”

My sister patted Chris on the back.

“Ryan, you’re so petty and selfish. You’re embarrassing to have as a brother.”

“Chris, don’t worry, I’ll protect you. If he bothers you, tell me, and I’ll punch him.”

Chris looked at my sister with big, teary eyes.

“Taylor, you’re so nice. I’m so happy.”

My sister’s face softened.

Then she glared at me.

“Ryan, look at how sweet Chris is. You need to change your attitude.”

“I guess you don’t need your room anymore. We’ll give it to Chris. That’ll teach you a lesson.”

Dad nodded. “Good idea. He can have his room.”

Mom frowned, wanting to say something.

Chris snuggled into her arms, looking scared.

Her face hardened.

“Ryan, you can stay in the storage room. Maybe when you fix your attitude, you can come back.”

See?

They trusted Chris without question.

They didn’t even need to hear my side of the story before punishing me.

Even after being hurt by them so much last time, I felt it again.

The pain.

This time, it would be the last time.

I smiled. “Okay. I’ll move.”

I went upstairs, grabbed my things, and moved into the small, dirty storage room.

It was just a room.

He could have it.

I didn’t want the house, or the people in it.

Late that night, I lay in the storage room, on the small bed I’d just cleaned.

I hugged myself.

“It’s okay, Ryan. I’ll buy my own house someday. I’ll have as many rooms as I want.”

Yes.

I’d earn everything myself.

It wasn’t a big deal.

If no one loved me, I’d love myself.

Chris couldn’t take that away from me.

Besides, anything he could take wasn’t worth having anyway.

From that day on, I stayed in the storage room.

I didn’t want to see my family fawning over Chris.

I needed to study.

I wanted to get into college and get away from here.

Last time, I learned that family could leave you, girlfriends could cheat on you.

But knowledge wouldn’t.

It stayed in my head. It was mine.

I had my memories from last time. Learning wasn’t hard.

I quickly finished high school.

I was so busy studying, I almost forgot about my family.

But someone wanted to remind me they were there.

One day, Mom knocked on my door.

She came in and saw how small the room was.

A look of guilt flashed across her face.

She seemed to remember she had another son. She smiled at me. “Ryan, it’s your birthday today. We have a surprise for you. Come downstairs and see.”

I stared at her smile and numbly put down my book. I followed her downstairs.

In the middle of the living room was a brand-new piano.

It was the one I’d always wanted.

They’d never wanted to buy it because it was too expensive.

Now they’d gotten it for me.

“Ryan, go look at it.”

Mom smiled at me.

I walked over and touched the keys.

I saw a flash of envy in Chris’s eyes.

Dad stood beside me. “Ryan, see? We still love you. We haven’t forgotten about you just because Chris is here.”

They still loved me? They hadn’t forgotten?

If that were true, it would be amazing.

Mom walked over and took my hand. “Yeah, Ryan, this piano wasn’t cheap. But we bought it for you.”

“Chris is sick, so we pay more attention to him. You’re sixteen now, you’re growing up, and you need to understand. You need to take care of your brother and let him have anything he wants, okay?”

There it was.

Let Chris have it.

Everything came back to Chris.

I swallowed a laugh and said, “Okay.”

My parents smiled.

Dad said, “Ryan, try it out. See how it sounds.”

I put my fingers on the keys, but before I could play a single note, Chris started crying.

“Sniff… Ryan’s so lucky. I’ve never even seen a piano before. I’m so jealous.”

“I want one, too… but no one will buy it for me.”

“Ryan’s so lucky to have such great parents. I miss my parents. If they were here, they’d buy me one, too.”

Chris’s tears were breaking my parents’ hearts.

They rushed to comfort him.

They wanted to give him everything.

Like last time, Dad pulled Chris over to the piano.

“You’re our kid now.”

“Chris, the piano is yours.”

Mom patted Chris’s back, saying the same thing she’d said last time.

“Ryan, since your brother likes it, give it to him.”

Chris looked at me with big, teary eyes. “Ryan, would you really give me the piano?”

Before I could answer, my sister said, “Why not? Ryan’s not that good anyway. It’s better for Chris.”

“Chris has such pretty hands. He’ll sound great.”

Chris’s eyes widened.

“Really? I can play better than Ryan?”

Mom nodded. “Of course. You’re smarter than Ryan. If he can learn, you can learn even better.”

“Wow, that’s awesome.”

“I love the piano.”

“Thank you, Dad. Thank you, Mom. Thank you, Taylor.”

I watched, feeling ridiculous.

They’d given away my gift in seconds.

Chris had thanked everyone but me, the one who the gift was supposed to go to.

Laughable.

Really laughable.

I looked at my family, all smiling, and asked the question I’d been wondering since last time.

“Why do you have to give him my birthday present?”

“If he wants one, why not just buy him the same one?”

They didn’t look guilty.

They looked angry. “Do you think we can just buy anything we want?”

“We don’t have a lot of money. Can’t you just give the piano to your brother? You’re not good anyway. It’s a waste for you.”

“You’re so inconsiderate and petty. I don’t know where you got that selfish personality. It’s embarrassing.”

Their cruel words cut like knives.

I smiled.

“I understand.”

“The piano is Chris’s.”

You’re all his, too.

I turned and went upstairs.

Behind me, Mom yelled and Dad raged.

“He just walks away when he can’t win! He’s so rude!”

“His brother’s sick. Can’t he let him have it?”

“He’s so old, and he’s still so immature!”

“I’m not giving him any more birthdays!”

Before I went into the storage room, I saw my sister hug Chris.

“Chris, don’t worry about him. You’re my brother now. I won’t let him bully you.”

“Thank you, Taylor.”

Chris looked up and gave me a smug smile when my sister couldn’t see.

He was showing off.

See? Your parents, your sister, love me.

I smiled back.

He stared, confused.

He didn’t understand why I wasn’t jealous and angry.

But he didn’t care.

Dad put my birthday hat on Chris’s head.

He took him to eat my cake.

My birthday had passed.

They never celebrated my birthday again.

Chris, who was three months younger than me, had big, amazing birthday parties every year.

This year, he wanted to go out.

My parents took him and Taylor to Disneyland in Hong Kong for his birthday.

I was told to stay home.

They said I’d cause a scene and make Chris unhappy.

I ate ramen and looked at the pictures Chris had posted of his birthday at a five-star hotel. I turned off my phone.

It was just a birthday.

Someday, I’d spend my birthdays with people I loved, who loved me.

Nothing to be jealous of.

I needed to study.

I finished my ramen and went back to my books.

College was coming.

This time, I’d go to a college far away. I’d never come back.Chapter 1