When my aunt kicked me out of the house, the Sterling family's heir took me in. He brought me into his mansion and became my deskmate at school. He was notoriously difficult, the most unmanageable student on campus. I walked on eggshells around him, terrified of provoking him. Mrs. Sterling, who had always dreamed of having a daughter, held my hand happily and said, "Sweetie, how about I become your godmother? Caleb happens to need a sister." Beside us, the heir's handsome face darkened. He smashed a bowl on the floor and laughed in anger: "Who said I wanted her as a sister?" 1 When my brother knelt on the ground begging my aunt not to kick us out, I was happily holding a bag of steamed buns, planning to bring them home for him. School was far from home, but I didn't take the bus because the money I saved could buy four big meat buns for my brother. The buns were still steaming hot, but as soon as I turned the corner, I heard my brother's pleading. "I'll go, but... sister is good, please, please don't kick her out." He was kneeling at the gate, luggage scattered at his feet. My brother's clouded eyes were full of anxiety. He rubbed his hands helplessly and kowtowed. "Auntie, sister needs to study, needs to go to college. I'll leave, don't kick sister out." He then crawled over to grab the man's pant leg, begging, "Uncle, I won't contact sister, please don't kick her out." Neighbors poked their heads out to watch the commotion. The man felt embarrassed, a flash of disgust in his eyes, but he still put on a façade of kindness. "Uncle has no choice. We've done our best raising you for so long. We're just relatives. We don't ask for gratitude, but you can't just leech off us forever. We have our own son to raise." My brother stubbornly held onto the man's pant leg. A boy kicked my brother hard and said impatiently, "Dad, why talk so much to a retard? Does he understand? He's so dirty." My brother was kicked to the ground but didn't dare say it hurt. He scrambled up and smiled ingratiatingly. "I can do a lot of work. Sister goes to school, I go wash dishes at restaurants, make money." 2 My brother was born intellectually disabled, but he never forgot to love me. When he was eight, he gave all the candy in his pocket to five-year-old me. When he was thirteen, afraid that his scavenging would embarrass me, he held back tears on the street and refused to admit he knew me. When he was sixteen, for a few cookies, he listened to my aunt's son, crawled on the ground barking like a dog, and let them beat and scold him. In the end, with a bruised face, he held the cookies out to me like a treasure. That day, my eyes turned red with anger. I threw the cookies on the ground. "Who asked you to beg them for cookies?" Usually meek, I fought with my cousin for the first time. My aunt rushed over and pushed me far away. She hugged my cousin distressedly. Without listening to any explanation, she started scolding me, "Harper, this is your cousin! Why don't you know how to yield? How can you be so heavy-handed at such a young age?" I clenched my fists tight. "He brought people to bully my brother first." My aunt looked at my brother without any apology on her face. "Ava, your brother is an idiot. What does he understand? He's trouble to begin with, so you should be more sensible. What's wrong with letting your cousin win?" I didn't speak, but the light in my eyes dimmed significantly. They all thought my brother was stupid, so they could bully him wantonly, but my brother felt pain too. But my brother and I were unwanted children. No one cared if we hurt. 3 My mom got cancer when I was five. The day she left, my dad sat at the hospital entrance all night, cigarette butts scattered on the ground. At dawn, he took us home. He never mentioned Mom's name again, but the extremely suppressed sobs always came from his room late at night. Back then, Dad said his biggest wish in life was to raise us healthy. Although we were poor, the love my brother and I received was no less than anyone else's. But when I was ten, Dad went to prison. My aunt was abused by her husband for a long time. Our grandparents passed away early, and as her brother, Dad couldn't stand seeing his sister bullied. He stood in front of her with a wooden stick. But that day was too chaotic. The abuser was beaten into the hospital by Dad and ended up in a vegetative state, never waking up. To fight for custody of my cousin, my aunt gave up the forgiveness letter from the abuser's parents, and my dad was sentenced to 15 years. The day Dad went to prison, my aunt hugged me and cried, "Ava, I'm sorry, it's my fault. I harmed your dad. But Auntie is a mother. Your cousin is still too young; he can't live without me. A child without a mother will definitely be bullied." She said she was apologetic to us, but she turned around and remarried with my cousin, moving into our house under the guise of taking care of my brother and me. She pulled my brother and me aside and repeatedly instructed, "Your uncle is a good man. He's willing to live with you two, so you must be sensible and obedient. Remember your uncle's kindness and be filial to him when you grow up." Our luggage was moved into a small, dilapidated utility room, while the master bedroom was taken by my aunt as their new room, and my cousin lived in the second bedroom. Although my brother didn't understand anything, at the door of the utility room, he held my hand tightly and spoke slowly, "Ava don't be scared, brother protects you." My cousin never hid his hostility towards my brother and me. He thought we killed his father. So he often took pleasure in bullying us. He didn't let us eat at the table, saying my brother was an idiot and sitting with us would make him stupid too. Afraid my cousin would cry, my aunt quickly held a bowl and coaxed him, "Okay, okay, we won't eat with them. Mom will tell them to eat after you finish. You are still growing, don't starve yourself, Mom's heart aches." So, their family sat happily together, using our bowls and chopsticks. My brother was very good. His clouded eyes could understand everyone's disgust towards him. For me, he compromised countless times. He put all the little food left into my bowl and rubbed his stomach. "Ava eat, brother is so full, can't eat anymore." Chronically malnourished, he was skin and bones, not convincing at all. 4 My brother and I didn't fight or snatch, hoping to find a place in this house that wasn't a home, because we had nowhere else to go. I did all the housework, and my brother was forced by them to do odd jobs, but now they weren't even willing to let us live in the utility room. I clenched my hands tight and quickened my pace. "Brother!" I ran over to help my brother up. My brother hung his head and refused to look at me, like he had done something wrong. I looked straight at the scattered luggage. "Is Auntie trying to kick us out?" Embarrassment flashed across my aunt's face. "Ava, what are you saying? How would Auntie kick you out? Auntie just thought your brother is 20 years old, and it's really unreasonable for us to keep supporting him." My brother nodded quickly. "I go, I can go, sister stays." My brother could hardly take care of himself. If he left, how could he survive? But now he only thought about letting me stay. Sourness rose in my heart. I patted the dust off my brother's hands. "Brother, you are not allowed to leave me." Hearing this, my aunt frowned tight. "Ava, do you still want me to support your brother? You know how hard it is for our family. You can't be so selfish. Auntie always knew you were sensible." I looked up at her, eyes red. "Sensible? I'm tired of pretending." More and more people were watching. I straightened my back. "Auntie seems to have forgotten that my dad bought this house. We have lived here since we were young. The ones who should leave were never us." Stung by my gaze, my aunt, who knew I was always soft-tempered, was shocked by my words. Her chest heaved with anger, looking like she wanted to eat someone. "Harper Vance! I am your aunt! What do you mean by saying such things? We raised you for so many years, shouldn't this house be ours? People need to know gratitude!" My cousin fanned the flames on the side. "Mom, I told you, they aren't good things. Look, Harper Vance can't pretend anymore, she's an ingrate. Should have kicked them out long ago." My aunt was furious. She picked up a wooden stick from the corner, her voice piercing. "Seems I spoiled you too much usually. You still want the house? Auntie will teach you a lesson on behalf of your dad today." My brother blocked in front of me. The wrist-thick stick fell, and the skin on my brother's back split open instantly. I quickly supported him, tears streaming down my face. I was so useless. At such a critical moment, my tears couldn't stop flowing. I couldn't cry. Crying would lose momentum. I finally toughened up once. But the stick was about to fall again. I closed my eyes waiting for the pain. But this time, the stick didn't fall on me for a long time. I looked up. A large hand with distinct joints appeared above my head, firmly catching the falling stick. A deep, pleasant male voice sounded, but with a hint of coldness. "Harper Vance, who allowed you to be bullied like this?" 5 Luxury cars drove into the alley one by one. More than a dozen tall bodyguards poured into the yard and surrounded my brother and me. The sun was setting. The tall boy blocked the sunlight above my head, his posture lazy and cool. I froze slightly and called him softly, "Caleb Sterling." He looked at me lazily, his eyes darkening for a moment, lips curling up. "Not bad, you remember my name." He was famously difficult. How could I not remember? Caleb Sterling, the only heir to the Sterling family, the most unmanageable figure in school. Also, my new deskmate. Before today, becoming deskmates with Caleb Sterling was something I didn't even dare to imagine. Caleb stood on the podium with his hands in his pockets, wearing the ordinary school uniform in a wild and rebellious way. Caleb, who had always been idle, suddenly changed his nature and wanted to study. The Sterling parents were so excited they donated three buildings to the school. The teacher wiped the sweat from his forehead, screaming internally. Who dares to manage this young master transferring to our class? But on his face was a kind smile. "Student Sterling, where would you like to sit?" Caleb lifted his chin, his gaze landing on the corner of the classroom, and said casually, "I can choose anywhere?" The teacher wiped his sweat again. This was the school's God of Wealth; no one dared to offend him. "Of course, of course. Wherever Student Sterling is happy." Caleb nodded, shouldering his bag and walking off the podium with satisfaction. His tall figure stopped at my desk. I, who was buried in questions, paused my pen. No way, did he fancy the seat next to me? Looking up stiffly, my gaze fell on that handsome face. High nose bridge, dark eyes. Indeed very fierce. After meeting his eyes, I quickly looked away. The pen in my hand was almost snapped by me. But Caleb looked straight at me, his gaze falling on the deformed pen in my hand. He smirked. "Classmate, mind if I sit next to you?" Snap. The pen broke. I mind! I mind so much! But he looked so fierce, I didn't dare say it. I stiffly pulled out the chair next to me, smiling forcedly. "Don't mind, please sit."
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "390727", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel