My fiancee, Josephine Carter, tells me she is too busy with work to go home with me for Christmas just yesterday. But today, I find out that she has secretly booked a flight ticket to my hometown.

I am delighted. Josephine has always been good at creating surprises during our relationship. I do not expect her to still be doing this now that we have practically been dating for years already.

Just as I am about to tell my mom the good news, my stepbrother, Daniel Reed, suddenly announces in the family group chat that he is bringing his girlfriend home for Christmas as well.

My relatives immediately start teasing him in the group chat, asking to see the beautiful lady.

In the next second, photos of Josephine and him embracing like a couple appear in the chat.

Daniel texts, "See? I told you she is gorgeous. Not only that, she's rich too."

"Wow. You won the heart of such an amazing woman. That's impressive, Daniel."

Daniel replies smugly, "Of course! She is totally in love with me."

My breath catches in my throat, and the veins on the back of my hand bulge as I grip my phone.

No wonder Josephine says she cannot come home with me after learning I am spending the New Year at my mother's place. She doesn't expect that we will run into each other.

I close my eyes for a moment and send her one last message, "I have transferred back the 500 thousand dollars you asked me to manage for our wedding. It's over between us."

The younger relatives were still asking my stepbrother, Daniel Reed, in the group chat for advice on how to win someone over.

He replied, "There were plenty of guys chasing her, but I wasn't one of them."

Then he added, "That's right, she was the one who pursued me, so I don't really have anything to offer on that front. Why don't you guys ask Nicholas?"

They spammed my name all over the group chat, but I ignored them and turned off my phone.

So, Josephine Carter had been so hard to pursue because she already liked someone else. It took me three years just to pry open a small crack in her heart, only for it to turn out to be nothing but a lie.

I let out a self-deprecating laugh and went back to my room to pack. As I reached for the large suitcase on top of the wardrobe, an old tablet slipped off and hit the floor with a thud.

The screen lit up. I instinctively entered Daniel's birthday as the password, and it unlocked.

A group chat popped up.

"Jo, you're not actually going to marry Nicholas, are you?"

"Exactly. Are you still going to break up with him or not? We're still waiting on you and Daniel to get married."

Josephine sent a voice message, her tone carrying a hint of indifference. "That's up to Daniel."

Right after, she sent another voice message, but it was Daniel's voice that came through. "Hmm… Let's make it this year!"

At the end of the recording, a hint of Daniel's smug laughter lingered.

My heart pounded. I clutched the tablet so tightly my knuckles went white.

I opened their private chat. It was almost entirely Daniel venting his hatred toward me, with Josephine comforting him.

"That old man stole my mom away when I was a kid, and now he wants to take her money too. I hate him so much!"

"Jo, don't actually fall for him, okay? You know my mom never showed me any love growing up. I only have you. You're the only one I can rely on."

"Sweetheart, think about it. He's five years older than us and doesn't have a romantic bone left in his body. How could he understand you better than I do? Stop overthinking things. You'll always be the only one for me."

I couldn't bring myself to read any further. A heavy weight pressed down on my chest. The room was warm enough, but a sharp chill cut through me, settling deep in my bones.

It turned out Josephine didn't just dislike me; she even found me boring and old. Every time she called me Nick with that warm, familiar tone, it was nothing more than a perfunctory effort disguised as affection.

Every time she bragged to others about having a mature and stable partner, contempt lay hidden in her eyes. She once swore that when she had money, I wouldn't have to work so hard. It turned out she was afraid I would compete with Daniel for the inheritance and wanted to wear down my ambition.

What a ridiculous five years it had been. I would be 30 years old next year. My youth had been wasted on lies and betrayal.

I got up, looked at myself in the mirror, and lit a cigarette. A hint of exhaustion seemed to show at the corners of my eyes.

Was I really getting old? I didn't know. What I did know was that time would never come back, and I couldn't afford to waste any more of it.

I stubbed out the cigarette and quickly changed my flight booking. Then I grabbed my suitcase and headed out briskly.

Suddenly, the door swung open.

Josephine's hair was messy from the wind, and the panic on her face looked genuine. "What happened? Why did you suddenly return the money to me? Are you upset because I'm not going home with you for Christmas?"

She tried to take my arm as she usually did, but I stepped aside to avoid her.

She paused for a moment, then put on a coquettish look. "Nick, are you really mad? I truly am swamped. You know my company has so much going on right now."

In the past, hearing her speak so softly, I would have thought she was yielding to me. Now I understood it was nothing but mockery.

I gave a cold laugh. "It's fine. It's my fault. I'm too old and not good enough for you."

Josephine's pupils contracted instantly, her voice filled with panic. "W-Why are you saying that all of a sudden? You know I prefer mature and dependable men!"

I sneered. Maybe what she said was true, but it definitely didn't include me, the so-called boring man who was five years older than her.

She kept up the charade, going on about how much she loved me. She was already planning to go home with Daniel to meet his parents, yet she still wouldn't stop lying to me.

I kept my gaze locked on her eyes. "Josephine, do you actually want to marry me? Did you ever… truly love me?"

Her expression froze for a moment. Just as she opened her mouth to answer, I interrupted her. "I don't love you anymore."

I didn't look at her reaction and dragged my suitcase toward the door. I was done playing along with this pathetic performance.

The moment I got off the plane, the familiar scent made me feel incredibly at ease. The resentment I had built up seemed to vanish with the breeze of my hometown.

As I looked at the familiar streets, my eyes began to well up. It felt good to be back home.

I took a cab to the old house Mom had left behind. No one had lived there for a long time, but the interior was still exactly the same as when she was alive. With neither my parents nor I living there, the place felt quiet and empty.

I had once brought Josephine here because I wanted her to see where I grew up, but she complained it was too worn down and deserted, refusing to stay long. Even so, I still felt more of a sense of belonging here than in Dad's new house.

After Mom passed away, Dad brought my stepmom, Madeline Brooks, and my stepbrother, Daniel, back home. Not long after, Dad and Madeline had a daughter.

From then on, the small family I had with Dad turned into a family of five. He was no longer just my dad, and his home was no longer mine alone.

My thoughts slowly drifted back to the present. I tucked away the photo album filled with family pictures and stood up to go outside for some fresh air.

Just then, a familiar voice called out to me from behind. "Nicholas? Is that you, Nicholas?"

I turned around and saw Ms. Chase, Mom's closest neighbor.

"Ms. Chase! Long time no see," I said.

Ms. Chase set down her grocery basket and walked over to pat my shoulder. "It's been a while. You have grown sturdier over the years, like a proper man. How have you been? You and your girlfriend should be getting married soon, right?"

I froze, and my smile vanished instantly. When I brought Josephine back before, we had run into Ms. Chase. Back then, she said Josephine and I were a perfect match. Josephine happily agreed, while I stood there slightly embarrassed.

Time had passed, and everything had changed. The emotions I had tried so hard to suppress surged again. I took a deep breath and blinked back the tears.

Seeing my reaction, Ms. Chase hurried to comfort me. "It's my fault for saying too much. It's okay, Nicholas. You're still young. A capable man will never be short of a wife. If it doesn't work out, just find someone else."

Was I still young? Perhaps in the eyes of the elders, I was. But compared to Daniel, who was only in his early 20s, I was already considered old.

Looking back now, Josephine had given me hints. She had once said that at my age, I had already passed the stage of fighting for my career and should step back to take care of the family, while she would provide for me.

Back then, I thought she was only being considerate and completely ignored the underlying meaning.

Thinking back to her chats with Daniel, I realized she didn't just find me old. She wanted me to lose my competitiveness at work so I would become useless and dependent on her. After that, it would be easy for her to control me.

At that moment, the special ringtone I had set for Josephine sounded.

She asked, "Nicholas, where did you go? Are you still angry with me?"

Her voice carried a hint of probing. "Did you see something? Can you tell me why you suddenly got upset?"

"Did you really mean it when you said you would marry me?" I asked.

She replied quickly, "Of course! I meant it. Besides, you don't have to work so hard. You can just do whatever you like."

I looked at the shadows filtering through the leaves and let out a cold laugh. "Are you afraid that if I become more successful, Dad won't leave Daniel anything in his will?"

A dull thud came through from the other end of the line.

Josephine's voice turned stiff. "How did you… Did you see—"

I cut her off. "Don't worry. Your childhood sweetheart—the person you love most and have wanted to marry since you were kids—will get everything. I have no interest in competing with him, so you don't have to swallow your disgust and put on an act for me anymore."

I looked toward the house. "Josephine, don't bother me again."

I decided I needed to go to Dad's place and end things once and for all.

Josephine didn't call again. I spent a few peaceful days in the old house.

On Christmas Eve, I was buying holiday supplies at the supermarket when Dad called out of nowhere. "Come home for dinner today. Meet your brother's girlfriend," he said.

I turned him down. "I'm not coming. I want to stay at Mom's place."

"You—"

He choked up for a second. "It's just dinner. You only come back once a year. Won't you even visit me? You're getting more inconsiderate as you grow older. Who doesn't go home for Christmas?"

Sensing he was on the edge of losing his temper and not wanting to cause a scene over the holidays, I sighed and said, "Fine."

…

The moment Josephine saw me walk in, she froze.

Daniel, standing beside her, looked at me with clear provocation, as if he had been anticipating my arrival for a long time. He walked toward me with his arm linked through hers, the two of them looking close.

He said, "Nicholas, you made it. Let me introduce her to you. This is Josephine, my girlfriend and your future sister-in-law."

I looked at Josephine. Her face had gone pale, and her eyes darted away. She looked as though she wanted to say something, but she couldn't get a single word out.

Even though I had seen this coming, my heart still sank.

"By the way, Jo and I are getting married after Christmas," Daniel said. "You have to come to our wedding."

I kept my expression blank and cast a cold glance at them.

"Nicholas, what's with that look? Don't tell me you're jealous," Daniel said.

He leaned in closer and mocked me under his breath. "Then again, you're pushing 30 and still unmarried. Unlike me—"

Josephine cut him off abruptly, her expression tense. "Daniel!"

Daniel wasn't backing down. "What? Isn't it true? He's just an old man that nobody wants. Am I wrong?"

A smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth. "That is true. But unlike you, I don't make a habit of picking up other people's leftovers."

"You!"

Furious, he lunged forward to shove me. I stepped aside to avoid him, grabbed his wrist, and threw him off to the side.

Just then, Dad came out of the kitchen carrying a dish. "Nicholas Reed! What are you doing?"

Daniel immediately started complaining, his eyes reddening slightly. "I was just telling Nicholas to settle down sooner, but he got mad and shoved me."

Dad slammed the dish onto the table and tore into me. "Was he wrong? You're nearly 30 and still not married. You're an embarrassment. Now you're even picking on your brother!"

Madeline stepped in at just the right moment to smooth things over. "Alright, alright. It's Christmas; let's all calm down. Nicholas, you came all this way, so you must be tired. Go rest in your room."

As she spoke, she gave my shoulder a light nudge toward the stairs, the kind that was more for show than genuine concern.

Just then, a timid, childlike voice called out to me. "Nicholas."

I turned around and saw my half-sister Charlotte Reed standing in the doorway, looking at me expectantly.

Before I could react, Madeline quietly scolded her. "Don't bother your brother. Go play by yourself."

I gave Charlotte a small nod and headed upstairs to the bedroom. The moment I opened the door, I saw the room had completely changed. It was filled with Daniel's figurines and gaming gear, and his and Josephine's luggage was piled messily on the desk.

I stood frozen at the doorway for a moment, then turned around and closed the door.

The sky slowly grew darker. I stood on the second floor and looked down.

The kitchen lights were on. Daniel was playfully clinging to Madeline, while Josephine stood beside Dad, helping prepare the vegetables.

They looked like a real family. Without me, it actually felt more harmonious.

Before long, Daniel came upstairs to call me for dinner. As I passed him, he suddenly blocked my path and whispered in my ear, "Stay away from Josephine. She's mine now."

I didn't say a word. I gave him a cold glance, pushed past him, and went downstairs.

After dinner, Madeline took Charlotte upstairs to bed, and Daniel followed them. Only Dad and Josephine remained at the table. I couldn't stand another second of it, so I got up to leave.

Suddenly, Daniel rushed downstairs and stopped me. "Nicholas, did you take my watch? That's a limited-edition piece Jo gave me!"

I frowned. "What watch?"

"Don't play dumb! The one in my room. You must have stolen it! It was there before dinner, but when I checked just now, it was gone. You were the only one upstairs during that time!" he shouted.

"I never went into your room. I only looked in from the doorway," I said.

Dad slammed his hand on the table in irritation. "Enough! It's Christmas, and you still can't let things go!"

Then he shot me an impatient glance. "If you took it, give it back to Daniel right now. That's an expensive item."

I stared at him in disbelief, my fists clenched. "Dad, you don't believe me?"

Dad said nothing. He turned his head away and let out a long sigh.

Daniel looked at me smugly, a smirk playing on his lips. "Then let's do a body search! If you didn't take it, you've got nothing to worry about."