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.

It wasn't until they left that Mom realized it was my birthday and sent me some money. She even lied to me, saying she and Dad were working overtime.

But then I saw Edward's story, and when they came back, I lost it.

Edward cried and said he wanted to go back to the orphanage, so Dad pinned my head down and made me apologize to him.

Snapping out of the memory, I tapped on his story.

Edward was holding up a lightstick, flashing a peace sign at the camera.

There was also a family photo of the four of them, with the concert venue in the background. Yes, the four of them, without me.

All of them were smiling happily.

They said they were working overtime so they couldn't celebrate my birthday, and they sent me a bit of money.

Yet, on the same day, they took Edward to a concert without bringing me along. They even lied to me.

This happened in both lifetimes.

I suddenly felt a little sick.

…

Time flew by. I got into a key high school as I had hoped, and I successfully applied for a dormitory.

To avoid Edward, I didn't even go home on weekends or holidays. I handed out flyers to make some pocket money.

Now that school was out for the summer, I didn't have a good reason to stay here, so I packed my stuff.

It seemed that in the past few months without me at home, the four of them had grown even closer, closer than me, their flesh and blood.

No one was in the living room when I got home. I didn't care and just dragged my suitcase upstairs.

But when I opened the door to my room, everything inside wasn't how I remembered it to be.

My bed and desk were gone. They were replaced by a few expensive computers and gaming chairs, along with a white screen for projecting movies.

Hearing the noise, Edward took off his headphones and raised an eyebrow smugly when he saw me.

"Well, if it isn't Nick. You finally decided to come back. See? Mom and Dad remodeled your room into my gaming room. Sometimes, the whole family watches movies here together. I told you I'd drive you out of the family, and this is just the first step."

I kicked the door wide open with a loud bang, glaring at him coldly.

He curled his lips and sat on the floor, lifting his chin as he said to me, "This is no longer your house."

Furious, I was about to fire back when he immediately started crying loudly.

"Nick, don't kick me out…"

Juliana was the first to run in. She shoved me aside, crouching next to Edward in a panic.

"Ed, what's wrong?"

Edward leaned against Juliana's shoulder with teary eyes. "Jul, it's all my fault. I just wanted to relax and play games a little. Don't fight because of me. A family should be peaceful and loving.

"Nick hasn't been home for a long time. He must really miss Mom and Dad. If it bothers him, I can leave. I'm at an age where I should be independent, anyway."

After saying that, Edward coughed hard a few times, his body swaying as if he was about to faint.

Juliana immediately supported him and shouted at me, "Nicholas, do you have to stir up trouble the moment you get home? Why do you have to upset him like this? You're a damn curse! Whenever you're here, no one in this house can relax.

"Ed doesn't owe you anything. In fact, he's always spoken up for you. What about you? You come in the door and try to kick him out. Are you even human?"