It would broaden my horizons, give me a chance
to develop.
Dad shot that down right away.
く
“Why would he need to go overseas? He
doesn’t deserve it! We’re not throwing money
away!”
I froze.
Dad still saw me as the son who wasn’t worth
investing in.
He just didn’t respect me.
Susan frowned.
I guess she realized that Dad and I weren’t close.
Susan was a high–powered businesswoman: strong, smart, too bad she couldn’t have kids.
She probably married my dad because he did what he was told.
He was good at sucking un to her so she
<
He was good at sucking up to her, so she
always took care of him financially.
That was why, last time, I thought Dad was the
rich one.
And the reason Dad married Mom was because
she was good at flattering him.
She fed his ego.
When he met Susan, he dumped Mom to get to
her money.
Susan comforted me.
“It’s okay if you don’t go overseas. I’m not sure
I want you to be so far away by yourself anyway. With your grades, any of the top schools here will be lucky to have you.”
I thought she had a point.
<
8:54
Plus, the quality of education here was just as
good.
So, we dropped the idea of studying abroad.
Life went on.
I knew it was only a matter of time before Alex
and Mom showed up on our doorstep.
But I didn’t expect it to happen so soon.
I was coming downstairs after finishing some
practice tests when I saw Alex, looking like a drowned rat, grabbing Dad’s arm.
He was begging.
“Dad, please, can I stay with you for a while? I
have nowhere else to go.”
Dad looked heartbroken.
((
“Son, of course! I’d never turn you away.”
36)
Susan didn’t look thrilled, but she let it slide for
Dad’s sake.
After Alex moved in, Dad lavished all his
attention on him.
“Son, I bought all your favorite snacks.” He grinned.
“These new clothes are for you, too.”
Sometimes Alex would even steal Susan’s
jewelry and try to pawn it.
I caught him once.
He glared at me and hissed, “If you tell Susan, you’re dead!”
I just looked at him coldly.
<
8:54
“You’re on your own.”
Alex just laughed.
He told me to mind my own business.
If I didn’t, he’d set me up to take the fall and
get kicked out of the house.
Of course, I wasn’t going to say anything.
36
But the maids and the gardener weren’t stupid.
They’d been working here for years.
Their words would carry lot more weight than mine.
Susan had her limits.
Once he crossed the line, he’d be the one
packing his bags.
く
8:54
Alex thought Susan was clueless.
He started acting like he owned the place.
He was about to get a rude awakening.
