The rejected son became the saviour

“Michael, what are you doing when the dishes are still dirty?” Mr. Adrian asked. His voice carried across the house as he looked at his son. “Dad, should I wash those when I have a younger brother?” Michael asked, glancing toward his younger brother. His father had always expected him to do more, even when Ethan was right there doing nothing. “I don’t care. If you want peace in this house, you must work very hard,” his father replied coldly. It was the weekend, and Michael had been doing all the house chores while Ethan laughed again. “You are so naive, Michael. You need to understand something. Father has said that everything belongs to me. You better find your own way in life.” Michael said nothing. Ethan’s words stayed in his mind as they continued walking to school. He was very bitter on the way his brother sounded so certain about their father’s plans. Still, he tried to convince himself that Ethan was only trying to upset him. He did not want to believe that his brother could be so confident about taking everything that their father owned. Michael could not let the matter go. When they reached home later that day, he greeted his parents and rushed to his room. He closed the door behind him and sat quietly for a while, trying to make sense of everything Ethan had said. “I couldn’t be sure before, but I should make an investigation,” he said to himself. The next morning, Michael woke up early. He had barely slept because Ethan’s words kept returning to his mind. Instead of going straight to school, he stayed quiet and listened carefully, hoping to hear his parents talking. He wanted to know whether Ethan had been telling the truth or whether he had simply been trying to frighten him. “Adrian, I know you don’t love Michael, but at least for my sake, treat him nicely. He is still your child, despite everything,” his mother said. “Hm, my child?” his father replied bitterly. “I can’t love that boy. He is the reason I am still suffering. I would have married Olivia and inherited her father’s wealth, but he came and destroyed everything.” Michael stood frozen. He had not expected to hear those words. His body began to tremble as he listened to his father speak about him as though his existence had ruined his life. The words were painful. Everything his father had done suddenly seemed to have a reason, but it was a reason Michael had never known. Michael was dumbfounded. He slowly stepped backward, afraid that someone would discover that he had been listening. His foot struck something behind him, and before he could steady himself, the flower vase fell to the floor. The crash echoed through the house. “Who is there?” his father shouted. Michael’s heart raced. He stared at the broken vase on the floor, unable to move. For the first time, he understood that his father’s hatred was not something he had imagined. There was a reason for the way he had been treated, and now Michael had finally heard it with his own ears. His father’s footsteps came closer. Michael swallowed hard as the door opened.