"He's all grown but still so immature," said my dad.

My hand on the banister paused for a moment, then I turned and went back to my room as if nothing had happened.

From the moment I was reborn, I decided to give up on their love for me. But my dad's words still stung.

…

I had been ignoring Edward. It was rare to get a second chance in life, and I didn't want to waste it on people like them.

As long as I studied hard, I would have the means to leave this family behind.

I would no longer get in the way of their happy family of four.

I was solving some questions in my room when someone knocked on the door.

Outside, Edward's voice came through, deliberately lowered.

"Nicholas Sterling, don't think nothing will happen just because you hide in your room like a coward. Your parents will be mine sooner or later. I'll get you kicked out. Just you wait."

I acted as if I didn't hear his arrogant rant.

In this life, I had no interest in fighting with him.

But a moment later, I heard Edward crying outside the door.

"Jul, is Nick still mad at me? I brought him something to drink, but he told me to get lost. I shouldn't have touched that figurine. I know I don't deserve any of this.

"Maybe I should just go back to the orphanage. You've all been so kind to me. I'll repay you someday. I just hope Nick can forgive me once I'm gone."

Mom came over to comfort him. "It's not your fault. We've spoiled Nick too much."

"Nick's got such a bad temper now. I'll talk to him about it later. You're part of us now, so don't say things like that. It hurts us," Juliana Sterling, my sister, chimed in.

Annoyed by the noise, I opened the door. "Can you stop acting outside of my room? It's disgusting."

Edward panicked and started apologizing, "I'm sorry, Nick. I didn't mean it. I'll pack my stuff and go back to the orphanage right now. Please don't be mad at me. I'm sorry."

Juliana frowned and started scolding me, "Nick, your temper's seriously getting out of control. It was just a figurine. Do you really have to keep holding a grudge?"

Mom looked at me as well. "That's enough, Nick. Even if you're upset, there's a limit. Besides, you broke the figurine yourself. Ed has nothing to do with it."

I gripped the doorknob tightly. "I'll say this one more time—he broke the figurine. Not me!"

Just then, Dad came up the stairs and shouted at me, "Nicholas, stop blaming everything on Ed. If you did something wrong, take accountability! What would Ed get for lying to us? Don't blame him just because he's easy to pick on! Ed is your brother from now on, so cut the attitude!

"I didn't make a big deal out of this before, out of consideration for your feelings. Apologize to Ed right now!"

I looked at my parents, who were standing against me.

Juliana had her arm around Edward's shoulders, whispering comfort to him. They were really like a real family, while I was just some outsider living under their roof.

It was absurd. My parents chose to believe an outsider instead of me, their own child.

Not only did they not defend me, but they pressured me to apologize to the person who set me up.

Even Juliana, who used to dote on me, was now Edward's sister.

Catching a glimpse of Edward's slightly upturned mouth, I didn't want to hear another word from Dad and slammed the door shut.

No matter how Dad pounded on it or shouted for me to apologize, I ignored him.

I leaned against the door, trying to calm myself down.

I could still faintly hear them coddling Edward outside.

This life was no different from the last one.

Even though I wasn't making things hard for Edward like I had done in the past, they still believed I was bullying him.

Edward only had to shed some tears for his mistakes to become mine.

How ridiculous.

…

My 14th birthday arrived.

My parents gifted me a jersey with my favorite player's autograph on it. They had always known I was a fan and how badly I wanted something signed by my idol.

However, I didn't feel even the slightest bit of joy. I just stared at the jersey expressionlessly.

"Nick, we haven't forgotten about you. We still love you. But you also need to treat Ed better. Try to manage your temper, okay?" Mom said softly.

Dad took the opportunity to persuade me. "You wanted this signed jersey. We went through a lot to get it for you. We just hope you can try to understand us a little and take good care of Ed.

"You're the older brother. You should act more mature and be a good example for Ed."

I noticed the envy flash through Edward's eyes.

Then, he put on that act. He reached out as if he wanted to touch the jersey but dared not to, staring at the jersey in my hands with wide, eager eyes.

"Nick, do you like this player too? I like him too, but my family was too poor to give me things like this. Can I touch the jersey? I promise I won't damage it. I'm so jealous of you. Mom and Dad spoil you so much."

That pitiful look on his face immediately triggered my parents' sympathy, just like in the previous life.

Without hesitation, Dad snatched the jersey from my hands and handed it to Edward.

"Since Ed likes it, give it to him. You haven't forgotten that we asked you to give in to him, right? Let him have it."

Edward clutched the jersey, eyes sparkling. "Really? I can have it! I'm so happy, Mom!"

Mom stroked his hair. "Why not? We're all family. What's Nick's is yours, too. You're brothers, after all."

Just like before, Edward took the jersey from me.

My parents told me they would make it up to me with a better gift. But even by the time I died, they never did.

When I insisted on getting the jersey back from Edward, they scolded me, saying I wasn't as considerate or mature as Edward.

But why?

Why did the gift I received turn into his only because he had said something in that pitiful tone? Why was I being told to be tolerant?

He wasn't even my biological brother. Why should I always give in to him?

Although I already knew the answer, I still couldn't stop myself from asking, "Whose birthday is it exactly? Is it mine or his? Why is he the one getting the gift?"

Dad flew into a rage and pointed at my face. "You're getting more and more unreasonable! We're all family here. Do you really have to be so petty? Have you ever gone without gifts before? All you do is talk about gifts. Do you even know how hard we work? This is what happens when a kid is spoiled."

I nodded in disappointment and said nothing before turning to go upstairs.

Behind me, I could still hear Edward quietly sobbing, while my parents fussed over him. Even Juliana handed him the birthday gift that was originally meant for me.

But it was my birthday!

Half a month later, on Edward's birthday, Dad booked out an entire arcade so Edward could invite his friends just because he mentioned he wanted to hang out with them.

As for dinner, Dad reserved a table at a five-star restaurant.

I heard it was extravagant, and there was even a three-tier cake.

I wasn't even invited.

They handed me 20 dollars and told me to have dinner on my own.

The reason? They were afraid I would make a scene at Edward's birthday party and ruin it.

They didn't even bring me a slice of cake.

I sat home all alone, eating leftover lunch.

I didn't complain or throw a tantrum. I just sat in my room with a book in hand, preparing for the day I left this house.

…

Midterm exam results came out, and I got first place just as I had hoped.

The school was also holding a parent-teacher meeting.

As soon as I got home, I heard Edward's downcast voice.

"Mom, I'm so dumb. I can't even catch up to Nick. Do you still want me when I'm not good at studies? I'm just too stupid. I don't deserve to be your child."

"It's okay. Grades don't mean everything. Nick may have good grades, but who knows if he actually studied? He probably copied someone," Dad said to comfort him.

Mom agreed, "That's right. You're doing great, Ed. Don't push yourself too hard. Your body can't take that kind of strain."

They claimed to love me, but they didn't hesitate to tear me down in front of him just to make him feel better.

If they weren't my parents, I might've admired them for being so indulgent.

I stood at the doorway, the corner of my mouth curling in mockery.

Edward finally smiled through his tears. "Mom, Dad, you're the best. I don't have to worry about going back to the orphanage now."

Full of affection, Mom pulled him into her arms. "Of course not. You'll always be our child."

"I'm here to take care of you, too, so don't worry," Juliana added with a confident pat on her chest.

Edward smiled shyly, then looked at Mom and Dad expectantly. "Then, can you go to my parent-teacher meeting?"

"Of course. Both of us will go," Dad reassured him.

It was only then that Edward noticed me. "Nick."

The atmosphere in the living room suddenly turned cold.

Acting as if I hadn't heard their conversation, I walked straight in and asked, "There's a parent-teacher meeting. Who's going to mine?"

Mom hesitated, then spoke with an apologetic tone. "Nick, we're going to Ed's meeting. As for yours—"

"Does he need two parents for the meeting?" I cut her off bluntly, looking up at her.

"Why are you being so unreasonable? You know Ed's health condition. The doctor said he needs extra care. As his older brother, you should be more understanding. Why are you even fighting over this?"

Even though I already knew it would turn out just like my previous life, I still held onto some hope.

I ended up making a fool of myself again.

I turned and went back to my room, ignoring the scolding that followed.

My heart became colder and colder.

…

My 15th birthday came right on time.

When I got home from school, the house was completely empty, quiet, and cold.

Just as I pulled out my phone in my room, a call from Mom came through. It was noisy on her end when I picked up.

"Nick, Dad and I are working overtime. We won't be able to celebrate your birthday this year. Ed and Jul are with us. I sent you some money on PayPal. Accept it and get yourself something to eat. We're not coming home tonight, so don't wait for us."

I heard Edward call out "Mom" loudly in the background, and Mom quickly hung up.

I logged in to PayPal and saw the money from her. I pulled a half-smile and didn't accept it.

It wouldn't be much, anyway. What was the point?

After I made myself instant pasta and sat down with my phone to study, I came across Edward's latest social media post.

And then I remembered that this exact thing had happened in my previous life, too.

It was my birthday, but a fairly popular singer was having a concert in the neighboring city.

Edward said he wanted to go. Without hesitation, my parents left, taking him and Juliana with them.