I think my girlfriend has been reborn. It’s like she’s suddenly realized I’m the bad guy, that I’ve been playing with her heart. And she’s started being incredibly kind to my sweet, innocent younger brother. The other day, I saw them together, tucked away in a quiet corner. Her eyes were red as she said: "I was so stupid. So blind." "It was you. You're the one I was always meant to find." "I missed you in my last life." "In this one, let me make it up to you with everything I have. Please?" 1 This was the fifth time Elara had bailed on dinner. Before, that would have been unthinkable. I sat by the window, staring out at the relentless rain. Then, I ran out into the storm. 2 Elara Hollingworth and Aiden were sitting in a café. They looked completely absorbed in each other. I shoved the door open and stormed inside. A little bell chimed, slicing through the quiet atmosphere. My brother’s face went pale with shock. Elara pulled her hand back and looked up at me. "What are you doing here?" I managed a weak, fragile smile. I’d checked my reflection in the glass door on my way in. I looked pathetic enough to inspire pity. So, when I slid into the booth beside Elara, she didn't push me away. "You said you'd have dinner with me. Did you forget again?" I leaned in close, our noses almost touching. I've always been confident in my looks, especially when I put on this wounded, pleading act. As expected, the woman hesitated, then apologized. "I'm sorry." "Aiden had some homework he needed help with, and I lost track of time..." "We didn't eat together." "..." I smiled, playing the part of the magnanimous boyfriend. "It's okay." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my dear brother. His fists were clenched tightly under the table. He was struggling to hide the pain on his face. 3 Back in middle school, when those bullies were shoving my head into a toilet, I made a vow. I would do whatever it took to get the life I wanted. I would never let anyone see me broken again. So no, I’m not a good person. I never have been. I studied relentlessly, perfected my posture, and learned how to present the best version of myself to everyone, constantly expanding my social circle. I was ruthless in my pursuit of excellence, becoming so outstanding that whenever people mentioned my name, they’d say: "Sam Thorne? How can a guy that perfect even exist?" I finally earned the approval of my stoic, demanding father. My teachers adored me. My friends supported me. I thought I could maintain this delicate balance forever. Until Aiden showed up. 4 He was my father’s illegitimate son. Aiden found his way to us on his own. The moment he appeared, the balance of our family shattered. I demanded to know why my father had cheated, but he only met my questions with silence. And Aiden just stood in the corner of the room, shrinking away as if none of it was his fault. Worse, there was a kind of magic about him. It was an innate, effortless vulnerability, completely different from my carefully constructed facade. It was as if everyone around him was compelled to protect him. Soon, my own father was defending him. My friends all told me to be nicer to him, that it wasn't his fault, that I shouldn't become some evil step-brother from a TV drama. That old sense of crisis washed over me again. I realized he was slowly, quietly stealing everyone from my life. I had to defend my territory. 5 So I took Elara from him. Although, it was less "taking" and more that Aiden handed her to me on a silver platter. Aiden, ever the selfless hero, had volunteered for a disaster relief team after an earthquake. He’d rescued Elara Hollingworth, a debutante who had been hiking in the mountains. Unfortunately for him, Elara’s vision was blurred, her consciousness fading in and out. She never got a clear look at her savior. So I stepped in and took his place. Elara had been desperately searching for the man who saved her. But for some reason, Aiden refused to admit it was him. So I said, "Brother, if you really don't want her to know, why don't you introduce her to me?" At the time, he agreed. But I imagine, by now, he’s regretting it. 6 Elara. Elara was a good person, full of warmth and a fierce sense of justice. When she was good to me, she was all in. She’d do anything for me. She’d peel my grapes for me, for God’s sake. But then, overnight… She changed. Her warmth turned to ice. She started ignoring my calls. On Saturday morning, I went to her studio. She’s an oil painter, a graduate of a top international art academy. The studio smelled of sunlight and turpentine. I walked into the wide, open space and saw her, slumped over her easel, asleep. She must have pulled an all-nighter. Her breathing was slow and even. I crept closer to look at her canvas. The man in the portrait looked about thirty, maybe forty percent like me. He was smiling at the artist. The colors hadn't been filled in yet. It took me a moment to realize. It wasn't me. It was Aiden. 7 I must have been staring at the painting too intently, because I didn't even notice her wake up behind me. I was crouching. When I turned, she was watching me silently. "What's this? Painting my brother now?" "How about you paint me next time?" She sighed and wrapped her arms around me from behind. "No time." The gesture was gentle, but the words were pure ice. I think the phrase "each with their own ulterior motives" described our current state of mind perfectly. But I’ve always been good at wearing a mask. I blinked and turned back to face her. "Elara, listen. If I ever do something you don't like, you have to tell me, okay?" "Don't keep it bottled up, you dummy." I reached out and gently pinched her nose. It wasn't just about playing the part of the gentle, sensitive boyfriend. It was an attempt to find a way back to what we had. Sometimes, silence is the deadliest poison in a relationship. And right now, I still needed Elara. Her brown eyes stared at me for a long moment. She looked so serious, so intense, that I had the distinct feeling I was digging my own grave. Then, I heard her ask: "That day... was it really you who saved me?" 8 "..." That was a difficult question to answer. Elara was an elite graduate, and her family's business empire spanned half the city. She was the ideal, perfect partner for the perfect life I was building. At first, I had pursued her with marriage in mind. But after we got together, I discovered that when it came to love, I was just as clueless as any other guy. To put it simply, I had fallen for her. And that made lying to her... complicated. But she didn't wait for my answer. For the first time, I saw genuine disappointment in her eyes. "Don't answer." "..." She was right. My silence was an answer in itself. A hollow feeling opened up in my chest. It was like the fortress I had spent my whole life building… Had just been effortlessly torn down by a single question. 9 "So? Did you and Elara break up?" On the school rooftop, I was sharing a coffee with another girl. Her name was Maya. She was a year below me. But she was one of the few people I considered a true friend. We’d known each other since middle school. She had seen me when I was bullied. She’d even helped me get revenge on those guys. I rubbed my thumb over the rim of the can. The way things were, even if Elara hadn't officially ended it, we were close. "Oh, by the way, your brother has been coming to see me a lot lately." Maya stretched lazily and grinned at me. ... Looking back now. I should have paid more attention to what she said that day. "Oh, by the way, your brother has been coming to see me a lot lately." Because slowly, gradually… Aiden’s name started popping up more and more in my conversations with Maya. After Elara started ghosting me, Maya was the main person I talked to. My life was still a frantic rush. I had countless competitions to win. It wasn't just about relationships. I had to be perfect in every single area to maintain my image. It was exhausting. But it was the only way I knew how to live. I never complained. Until one day, before a public speaking competition. Something happened backstage that made my entire life feel like a joke. 10 I was the last speaker of the night. The headliner. So, I was the only one left in the dressing room. The door was thrown open with a bang. I was just tightening my tie. The person who stormed in was my girlfriend, Elara, who I hadn't seen in ages. Oh, and she was holding someone's hand. My brother, Aiden. She was furious. Aiden looked like he was on the verge of tears. She dragged the boy in front of me and shoved his sleeve up for me to see. "You did this, didn't you?" The boy's pale arm was covered in angry red welts. They looked like they were made by a whip. I raised an eyebrow. That small movement seemed to enrage her even more. "What's that look on your face?" "Hah. Sam, you couldn't even leave your own brother alone, could you?" My dear brother was still playing the victim, tugging on Elara's sleeve. "Please, Elara, don't," he whimpered. "It wasn't… it wasn't Sam's fault…" Elara. So familiar. I looked down at the marks on his arm. I had no idea how he got them. But it was clear Elara had already decided I was the villain. I was about to explain. But then someone else walked in. Maya, her hands shoved in her pockets. I felt a wave of relief. I tried to smile, to look composed. "Elara, think about it. Why would I do something like this to my own brother?" "Maya, you're just in time. You know my history. You know I was bullied. Why would I..." My words died in my throat. Because I saw the look on Maya's face. I had never seen her look at me with such disgust. My mind reeled, uncontrollably replaying the last few weeks. Maya, constantly bringing up Aiden. "Your brother is so shy." "Your brother is seriously terrible at calculus." "I ran into your brother in the cafeteria today." "Your brother..." In the silent dressing room, her voice finally cut through the air. I heard her say, word by word. "Sam, I was so wrong about you." "Just because you were bullied, does that give you the right to bully someone else?" 11 The scene felt sickeningly familiar. I watched Aiden pathetically clutching Elara’s sleeve. I watched Maya instinctively step in front of him, shielding him. I smiled at them, even as my eyelashes trembled. "Is that so? If you think I’m a bully, then call the police." "Let them handle it. How about that?" I moved to walk past them. Elara grabbed my wrist, her grip like iron. I heard her hiss, "Apologize to your brother." Maya blocked my path. "Sam, don't become this person. Don't be so cruel." I haven’t done anything wrong, so why is everyone attacking me? I glanced over at Aiden. His eyes were red-rimmed. He knew. He had to know I wasn't the one who hurt him. But he said nothing. I wrenched my arm free, shoving both of them aside. "Excuse me, ladies. I'm a very busy man." "I have a speech to give. And I intend to win. I don't have time for this." "At a time like this, you're still thinking about your stupid speech?" Maya's voice followed me, but I didn't care. I didn't look back. I walked onto the stage. Even with nothing but emptiness behind me, I would keep moving forward. 12 The speech went off without a hitch. The applause at the end was thunderous. I smiled and bowed. But my mind was elsewhere. I looked out at the audience. I saw Aiden, in his crisp white shirt, being led away by Elara. Maya trailed behind them, her fingers playfully flicking the ends of his hair. But why? The spotlight was on me. I hadn't lost. I hadn't let them humiliate me. So why… Why was my heart being swallowed by this overwhelming, crushing wave of despair? ... A few days later, Elara contacted me out of the blue. Honestly, I didn’t have time for relationship drama. If Elara was gone, another woman could take her place. But as I stared at her name on my phone screen… I realized it wasn't that easy to let her go. It was true. She was the only girl I'd ever been with. It started as a strategic move for my future, but somewhere along the way, I had actually started to like her. I held onto a tiny sliver of hope. Hope that she'd come back to me. Or that she'd realize I could never have bullied my own brother. But she summoned me to a deserted gymnasium. And then she was gripping my wrist, her voice dripping with venom. "Sam, can you just leave your brother alone?" "Why are you spreading rumors that he's the one who broke us up?" "We're over. Have some damn dignity, Sam." I blinked, almost laughing from the sheer absurdity of it. That tiny bit of lingering affection I had for her vanished in an instant. "Wait, Elara, who told you I was spreading rumors?" She scoffed. "Who else could it be?" "Your brother is a saint. He's always telling me how great you are." "Can you stop projecting your own pathetic jealousy onto him?" "???" I was about to explode. "You two are together 24/7! Anyone with eyes can see what's going on! Why is this my fault?" She sneered at me. "There it is. Your true colors. Let me tell you something, Sam. Your brother is a thousand times purer and kinder than you'll ever be." "I won't let you hurt him." "Not in this lifetime. Never again." ??? I wanted to scream at her, but my only reply was the sound of a heavy door slamming shut. When I tried the handle, it wouldn't budge. ??? She locked me in here? For the first time, my composure was about to completely shatter. I rattled the door violently, the noise echoing in the empty gym. "Hey! Elara! Get back here!" "What gives you the right to say that to me?!!" "You...!" "Are you an idiot???" No one was around. I let it all out. I kicked the locked door until my leg ached and my nose stung with the threat of tears. I'd been playing a part for so long, this was a perfect release. Just as I was exhausted, spent, and miserable… A soft laugh came from nearby. "Sam Thorne?" "So this is the real you." 13 I slowly turned my head. A girl I didn't recognize at all was sitting on a stack of old gym mats. She was swinging her legs, watching me. She must have been sleeping there, which is why neither Elara nor I had noticed her. My first thought when I saw her was, how many holes does this person have in her face? An eyebrow stud, a lip ring, a constellation of earrings. I despised anything that challenged my traditional sensibilities. But she was beautiful, in a wild, untamed way. I froze for a second, my usual mask taking too long to slip back on. "Hm? Do I know you?" She smiled, a pure, innocent kind of smile. "Quite the quick-change artist, aren't you? Weren't you just kicking the door down a second ago?" "How did you turn back into the perfect student so fast?" I ignored her teasing. I smiled my polished smile. "Excuse me, do you know if there's another way out of here?" She shook her head. "Just that one. And your lovely girlfriend locked it." "..." I nodded and pulled out my phone to call a friend for help. She hopped off the mats, hands in her pockets, and sauntered over to me. She leaned in and whispered with a laugh. "Sam, you really don't remember me?" I turned to look at her. Hmm. She had the kind of face that suggested a long list of ex-boyfriends. I would never get involved with a girl like this. She didn't fit any of my criteria for a future partner. "No." She raised an eyebrow. "We have each other's contact info." "Impossible." Refusing to believe it, I held out my phone for her to type her number. She leaned over, entered her digits, and sure enough, a contact popped up. The nickname I had saved for her was: "Rich Girl - No Reply" "..." She was silent for a moment, then let out a sly laugh right next to my ear. I suddenly remembered. Back when I was searching for a suitable girlfriend, I had... categorized... the girls in my contact list. "Sam, don't you even remember the fish you try to catch?" She had to twist the knife, didn't she? ... I took another look at her. My memory is excellent. I hadn't forgotten her. Her name was Vesper Liang. But the girl in my memory was completely different from the one standing in front of me now. I had met her at a gala my father dragged me to. If Elara's family's empire covered half the city, Vesper's family was one of those colossal dynasties woven into the very fabric of the metropolis. Even my father had to grovel before them. The reason I didn't recognize her… Was because I remembered her clearly from that night. She was wearing a black evening gown, an untouchable ice queen. And on social media, she ignored me. Completely cold. I had asked her out several times, only to be rejected every single time. 14 After that encounter in the gym, Vesper started showing up everywhere. Consequently, the nickname in my phone for her changed from: "Rich Girl - No Reply" To: "Rich Girl - Certified Psycho" I would never tell her that, of course. Her family was powerful, which meant connections. If she was interested in me, it suited my purposes perfectly. As for romance… I had learned a valuable lesson: Women were nothing but trouble. Elara and I were officially over. Though it didn't seem like she was with Aiden, either. Sometimes I'd see her waiting for him outside his classroom. So, she was still chasing him? I didn't have time for any of it. My father had started handing over company responsibilities to me, and I was busier than ever. I knew he had originally planned to train Aiden, but Aiden was… not very bright. I thought I had finally beaten him. I thought I had proven myself, that I could finally have my father back. But one afternoon, my father sat me down in his study and poured me a cup of tea. He spoke slowly, each word deliberate. "Sam." "Study hard." "In the future, you will need to support your brother." 15 I had worked so hard. I studied from dawn until dusk. I had no time for fun, no time for myself. I fought tooth and nail for everyone's approval. And for what? My father wanted me to learn all this… Just to pave the way for my love-sick, useless brother? That afternoon, I had a massive fight with my father. He smashed his inkstone on the floor, pointing a trembling finger at me, too furious to speak. "Don't you know, the truth is, you're..." In that moment, I felt like he was about to reveal the secret he'd been hiding from me for years. But a shadow burst into the room. "Enough! Dad, don't say any more." Aiden stood between us. His eyes were red. "Sam, please don't be mad at Dad, okay?" "It's… it's all my fault…" "If it weren't for me, none of this would have happened." "I'm just a curse…" He started playing the victim again. I didn't understand. I wasn't the one crying, so what right did he have to? I laughed, leaned in close to him, and said, word for word: "You're right. You are a curse." He flinched, like a startled rabbit. My father had already grabbed a dictionary from his desk and hurled it at me. This time, I didn't dodge. The sharp pain in my forehead was blinding, but I refused to cry. I wanted to laugh, but I couldn't. I turned and walked out of the room, my father's roars echoing behind me. He told me to get out and never set foot in this house again. 16 When did it all start? Everyone leaving me, one by one. No matter how hard I tried, it was useless. They all ended up standing behind someone else. My brother, Aiden. It was strange, wasn't it? As if an invisible hand was orchestrating everything. I stopped winning competitions. First place went to my brother. Not because he was more skilled, but because the judges saw his "effort" and were "moved" by it. My brother would always add my friends on social media, under the pretext of wanting to be closer to me. And after a while, for reasons I never understood, those friends would drift away. Lately, the rumors at school had started again. That I was a bully. That I was a vicious, two-faced hypocrite. That I had been bullied myself, and now I was taking it out on my own brother. Some of the old photos from when I was bullied were leaked. They were like a knife, slicing open old wounds. Only Maya had those photos… I confronted her, demanding to know why she would do it. Spreading rumors was one thing, but posting pictures of my deepest humiliation on the school forum? She said. "You deserve it." "This is what you get for hurting your brother." 17 "What's the point of hanging upside down like that?" Vesper stood in front of me, her head tilted. I was, in fact, hanging upside down from the parallel bars in the abandoned gym. It was the only way to keep the tears from falling. I'd forgotten that Vesper also used this place as her private napping spot. We had gotten to know each other over the past few weeks. I learned that beneath her cold exterior, she was a complete weirdo. I learned that she was lonely, too, which was why she always sought me out. No one else hung out with her. They all said she was bad luck. "Vesper, I was reading a novel recently." "It's about a fake young master living the high life, and then the real young master returns." "I think… I think I'm the fake young master." "I'm the villain who stole someone's place, the evil side character, the one who ends up abandoned by everyone and gets his face slapped in the end." She looked at me, then smiled. "Really? I've never seen such a cute side character." She laughed and helped me down from the bars. "Come on, you're going to get a brain hemorrhage. Are you a bat?" Outside, the rain continued its endless drumming. I suddenly asked her, "Do you think I'm a bully too?" She blinked, looked down, and pulled out the necklace she always wore. It was a tarnished, brass-colored, six-pointed star. A girl like her had no business wearing something so cheap. "This… a boy gave this to me back when I was in the orphanage." The star glowed dully in the light of the setting sun. "That little boy… he was my reason for living back then." "He told me that it's the cracks in life that let the light in." "Sam." "You can be the kind, good person. You can be the determined protagonist. You can be the one who gets a happy ending." "It's your path to choose, isn't it?" ... Yes. So what if fate was playing games with me? So what if the whole world was against me? Even if I had to die, I was going to die beautifully. 18 That's how I survived. Even if my bones were broken, I would get back up. Even if I wasn't happy, I would act happy for the world to see. I thought if I was stubborn enough, if I refused to lose, fate would eventually have to side with me. I was wrong. ... After spending so much time together, Vesper had heard a lot about Aiden. They had never met, and Aiden didn't know I knew her, so he hadn't tried to add her. "You know, I'm kind of curious what your little white-rabbit brother is actually like," Vesper said one day, chewing on her straw. "White Rabbit" was her nickname for him. I could tell from her tone she didn't like him. But I still frowned instinctively. "Don't go near him." "There's something... wrong about him. Something dangerous..." I didn't know what was wrong with me. I didn't actually believe Vesper would be swayed by Aiden. She wasn't like the others. For one thing, she was a psycho, and the thoughts of a psycho are hard to predict. But I still felt a deep unease. "What? Are you afraid I'll get stolen away by him, hmm?" Vesper was enjoying this, teasing me. ...Yes. That's exactly what I was afraid of. Vesper was the only person left on my side, even if she was crazy. "Seriously? Like I would ever leave you." Vesper laughed it off. At the same moment, a gentle voice sounded behind me. "Oh? Sam, what are you doing here?" It was too late. I watched as the woman across from me, the one who had just been laughing, froze solid when she saw Aiden. For the first time, I felt like I was in the grip of a giant, cosmic hand. Vesper had a necklace given to her by a little boy in an orphanage, a necklace she still wore to this day. Who was that little boy? My brother's expression was one of pure surprise. He smiled at Vesper. "Vesper! What are you doing here?" "Sunny Meadows Orphanage... do you remember me?" ...Remember him? She had said. He was her reason for living.
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