"Reina, I've made up my mind." I stood before the mirror, staring at the pale, hollowed-out reflection of myself. It turned out that making one of the most important decisions of my life wasn't so difficult after all. "Jasper... will you accept my proposal?" On the other end of the line, Reina's voice was a soft, gentle melody. A sudden pang of sorrow touched my heart, but I nodded. "Reina, I will." "Jasper, I'm so happy." "You know, back in college, I dreamed of this day." In the mirror, a faint smile had unknowingly appeared on my lips. "Reina, just give me two weeks. I need to take care of some things here." "Alright, Jasper. I'll be waiting." The moment I hung up, my bedroom door was violently shoved open from the outside. "Jasper," my father said, clearing his throat with a touch of unease. "Your brother's health isn't good. Your room gets the morning sun. Why don't you two… switch for a few days?" I didn't answer. My gaze fell on my stepmother and my half-brother, Simon, standing behind him. My stepmother quickly interjected, "Oh, dear, we don't need to trouble the young master." Simon looked aggrieved. "Yeah, Dad, it's fine. Don't make my brother upset because of me." "What trouble? You're my son too," my father said, then turned a stern gaze on me. "Jasper, you're the older brother. Be more sensible." I stared blankly at my father. I thought I would be devastated, furious. That my own flesh and blood would dote on a son who wasn't his, more than on me. But I felt nothing. Not a single ripple of emotion. I even managed a small smile and a nod. "Fine. I'll switch with him." In two weeks, I would be leaving this place forever. Which room I slept in didn't matter anymore. 2 My father seemed pleased with my compliance. My stepmother smiled, satisfied. After they left, however, Simon lingered. "Brother, let me help you pack." He stood before me, the picture of obedience, but his eyes, as they scanned the room, held a smile he couldn't quite conceal. "I didn't expect Dad to agree to let us switch rooms." "Brother, are you angry with me?" "After all, I just stole Victoria from you, and now I've stolen the bedroom you've lived in for ten years." I didn't want to engage. I turned to get my suitcase. Suddenly, Simon let out a yelp and fell hard onto the floor. "Brother..." His arm had hit the corner of the desk as he fell, and a dark bruise was already forming. "Jasper, what are you doing?!" Victoria had come upstairs at some point. She saw Simon on the floor. Her face hardened. She rushed over and gently helped him to his feet. "Tori, I'm fine. My brother didn't mean to." Simon grimaced in pain but forced a pained smile. "It doesn't hurt, Tori." "It's already bruised, and you say it doesn't hurt?" Victoria looked at the injury on his arm, her eyes filled with heartache. But when she looked at me, her gaze turned cold as frost. "Jasper, if you have a problem, take it out on me." "Don't hurt Simon. He's been through enough." "Unlike you, born with a silver spoon in your mouth, you've never known a day of hardship in your life." I thought I was past being hurt by her words. I thought I would never again let Victoria break my heart. But in the end, I was just an ordinary person. I wasn't made of steel, and my heart wasn't unbreakable. The girl I grew up with. The woman I had loved for three years. In just a few short days, she had fallen for the younger, more cloying Simon. And had started to see me as a vicious, cruel monster. I didn't want to be sad. I even wanted to laugh. But when I opened my mouth, my voice was raw. "Victoria, we've known each other for so many years. Don't you know what kind of person I am?" Victoria's brow furrowed slightly. Her eyes met mine, and for a moment, her expression seemed to soften. 3 But then Simon spoke up. "Tori, don't fight with my brother because of me." "It's fine. He has every right to be angry with me..." Simon's voice trailed off, as if he were the victim of some great injustice. Victoria's gaze on me hardened once more, turning to ice. "You're jealous that I like Simon." "Jealous that I'm good to him." "Jealous that everyone likes him." "Jasper, you're not the person you used to be." "You're twisted now, aren't you?" With that, she took Simon's arm and turned to leave. I watched them go. And suddenly, I realized that the last, lingering shred of sadness had vanished. This was for the best. I had grieved over Victoria countless times in the past few days. From now on, I truly believed I would never feel a single pang of sorrow for her again. That evening, the group chat with our mutual friends exploded with activity. Victoria had posted a message. "What do you do when you suddenly want to get married?" The chat went wild. "Tori, are you and Jasper finally tying the knot?" "Should we start calling him brother-in-law now?" People started tagging me. "@Jasper Congrats, brother-in-law! Are you going to send out big red envelopes?" "Tori, when are you inviting us to the wedding?" The chat was a chaotic flurry of messages. I was about to type a message to clarify. I wasn't their brother-in-law. And I wasn't the one Victoria wanted to marry. But Victoria beat me to it. "What are you all talking about?" "I never said I was marrying Jasper." With that, she added Simon to the group chat. Then she tagged everyone. "Take a good look. This is your real brother-in-law." The boisterous chat fell silent. For a long time, no one said a word. Victoria: "Why is everyone so quiet?" "Say hello to your brother-in-law." A few scattered greetings for Simon began to trickle in. I thought for a moment, then typed a message. "Congratulations. Wishing you a lifetime of happiness." After sending it, I left the group chat. 4 The moment I left the group, my phone rang. It was Victoria. "Jasper, I need you to come over. Right now." "Where?" "You know where. The usual place." "Is something wrong?" "Apologize to Simon." "Why should I apologize?" "Do you have any idea what our friends will think of him after you just left the group like that?" Victoria's tone was harsh, demanding. "I won't have people slandering Simon." "I'm the one who likes him. I want to give him a proper place by my side." "He's innocent. He shouldn't have to bear the stigma of being the other man because of your rashness and immaturity." Even though I was no longer emotionally swayed by her words, a dull, aching anger throbbed in my chest. My fingers, clutching the phone, trembled. When I spoke, my voice trembled too. "Victoria, you can't treat people like this." "What gives you the right to treat me this way?" "You were the unfaithful one. I did nothing. I even congratulated you. Isn't that enough?" My voice was shaking badly. There was a moment of silence on the other end. "Jasper." "I'll let it go this time." "But I want you to remember, Simon is innocent." "Don't take your anger out on him. Don't hurt him." She hung up. I sat on the sofa, my whole body shaking. On the nightstand, in a silver frame, was a photograph of my mother. She was looking at me with gentle, loving eyes. A sudden sting filled my nose. I lunged for the frame and hugged it tightly. Through the cold, hard glass, I pressed my cheek against hers. In the photo, it was as if my mother was grieving for her child's pain. I didn't want to be sad. I didn't want my mother to worry, wherever she was. After the anniversary of her death, I would take the few things she left me. I would leave this city forever and never come back. 5 Simon moved into my room. I, however, didn't move into his. I just found an empty guest room and stayed there. The bedding the maid prepared for me was cold and damp. I ended up sleeping in my clothes. It was only for a few more days. Once I got through this, it would all be over. But the next morning, as I came downstairs, I saw that the small side hall, where my mother's photograph and the memorial offerings were kept, was in complete disarray. My mother's photo had been thrown on the floor. The glass of the frame was shattered, and the picture was covered in muddy footprints. My mother's smiling face now seemed to be weeping in agony. The offerings were scattered everywhere, and Simon's puppy was chewing on them. Simon stood to the side, clapping his hands and cheering the dog on. I stood there, feeling the blood rush to my head. All reason, all thought of endurance, vanished in an instant. Like a madman, I grabbed a vase and hurled it at the dog. The dog yelped and ran off. Simon shrieked as a shard of the broken vase grazed his arm. "Jasper! What are you doing? How could you raise a hand to your brother?!" By the time my father's voice rang out, Simon had already hidden behind him, his face pale. "Dad, save me! My brother is trying to kill me..." "Jasper, you're going too far!" "Can't you see? He threw away Mom's offerings, he ruined her picture..." My whole body was shaking. Tears finally streamed down my face. I was heartbroken for my mother. I knew the dead couldn't fight the living. But even in death, she didn't deserve this. Was there no place in this house for even her memorial tablet? But my father only glanced at the mess on the floor and frowned. "That's no excuse to hurt someone!" "Dad..." "Jasper, your mother has been gone for so long. The living are more important than the dead." Simon spoke up timidly. "Dad, it was my puppy. He accidentally knocked over the offerings. I was going to apologize to my brother, but he just rushed down and attacked me. I didn't even have a chance to say anything before he threw the vase at me..." He held up his bleeding arm, looking pitifully at my father. "Dad, maybe Mom and I should just move out..." "The animal doesn't know any better, but don't you?" My father glared at me, then suddenly raised his hand. When the heavy slap landed, I forgot to move. He seemed to freeze for a moment too. But in the end, he said nothing. He turned and took Simon to treat his wound. I watched them leave, and only after a long moment did I feel the burning sting on my cheek. I raised a hand to my swollen face and couldn't help but let out a bitter, mocking laugh. I knew it then. This house had no room for any trace of my mother. And there was no place left for me. 6 In the middle of the night, I was woken by crying and screaming. I had just sat up when my door was kicked open. My stepmother rushed in, crying. Before I could react, she slapped me hard across the face, several times. "How could you be so cruel?" "Wasn't hurting him this morning enough? Now you want to kill him?" She collapsed into my father's arms, sobbing. "He knows Simon is allergic to perfume, and he deliberately sprayed it all over his bed and pillows." "He's trying to kill our Simon!" "Alright, stop crying. Simon took his medicine in time, he's fine." My father comforted her softly, then looked at me with disgust. "Jasper, you've disappointed me greatly." "Move out tomorrow." "If you stay here, you'll just bring chaos to this family." My stepmother's crying stopped instantly. I looked at the man before me. He was once the closest person I had in this world. He had loved me dearly. I was his only child. But then, everything changed. I felt like the protagonist in a novel whose luck had been stolen, gradually losing everything. At first, I couldn't understand it. I fought, I argued, I resisted. But now, I finally understood. The bond between us, father and son, was completely broken. The day I moved out of the family home, my father said to me, "After the anniversary of your mother's death, I'll bring you home." I didn't answer. After they left, I took all the photos of me and Victoria, and all the photos of me and my father, from all the years. I cut them into pieces and burned them. Finally, I threw away the pair of rings I had secretly bought. I had bought them after Victoria confessed her feelings for me. I had imagined, countless times, the moment I would place one on her finger. But now, that was all over. 7 All that was left were the various gifts Victoria had given me over the past three years. There were quirky, fun little trinkets. And there were expensive watches and jewelry. I sorted out the valuable items, planning to have a friend hold onto them for me. After I left the city, he would return them to Victoria. That way, we would be truly even. There was a time when I cherished even a small keychain from her. But now, as I prepared to discard everything, my heart felt nothing. Not a single ripple. After I was done, I carefully wrapped my mother's photograph and placed it in the hidden compartment of my suitcase. Without a backward glance, I left the home I had lived in for ten years. As I walked out the main gate, Victoria's car happened to pull up. I didn't even look at it. But the car suddenly stopped beside me. The rear window rolled down, revealing Victoria's stunning face. My gaze merely brushed past her, and my steps didn't falter. "Jasper." Victoria's brow furrowed. "Where are you going?" I ignored her and kept walking. But Victoria suddenly opened the car door and got out. "Do you want me to have my driver give you a ride?" "No, thank you." I avoided her hand and continued on my way. But Victoria grabbed my wrist. "Jasper, why are you being so stubborn with me?" "Just be like you used to be. Bow your head a little. Maybe I'll soften up again." I forcefully shook her hand off and looked at her calmly. "Victoria, there's no need." No need to bow my head. And no need for her to soften up. Time and time again... I was tired. Exhausted. "Fine. Do whatever you want." Victoria scoffed, but her eyes held a look of disbelief. 8 After all, in the past, no matter how hurt I was, I would always willingly and silently wait for her to come back. She was used to it. Everyone around her said I would never be able to leave her. And she believed it wholeheartedly. I was about to leave with my suitcase when Simon's voice rang out. "Tori, you're here." He walked over and took her hand. "Is your allergy any better?" Victoria brushed the hair from his forehead, examining him closely. "Much better." Simon smiled obediently. "Tori, don't be mad at my brother." "It's my fault for being so weak. If my health wasn't so poor, Dad wouldn't have made us switch rooms." "And my brother wouldn't have taken his anger out on me..." "How is that your fault? He's the one who's petty." Victoria glanced at me, then deliberately stroked Simon's cheek. "Let's go inside. Your face just healed, don't let the wind get to it." "Okay." I watched the two of them walk away, clinging to each other like Siamese twins. And my heart was as calm as a placid lake, without a single ripple. After the anniversary of my mother's death, my father didn't come to get me. And in the blink of an eye, it was Victoria's birthday. In previous years, I would have prepared a gift long in advance. Then I would have gone to great lengths to book a hotel and meticulously decorate the party venue. But this time, I had no gift. And I wouldn't be celebrating with her. At five in the afternoon, I was in a car on my way to the airport. New messages kept popping up on my phone. My father was urging me, "Why aren't you here yet? Your aunt, Simon, and I are all here." "Jasper, you need to be more magnanimous. Victoria is going to be part of our family." "If you don't come, what will people think? They'll think you and your brother have had a falling out." I found it utterly ridiculous. I didn't reply, just blocked him. As I was about to board, I received a message. It was from Victoria. "Why aren't you here yet? Everyone is waiting for you." I smiled, didn't reply, and blocked all of her contact information. Then, I walked through the boarding gate and never looked back.
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