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."