The moment I discovered I didn’t share a single drop of blood with my parents, I stopped being Manhattan’s most reckless, spoiled heir. Instead, I became the quietest, most compliant boy in the room. When Christian wanted my tailored suits, I let him have them. When he ruined my twenty-first birthday party, I didn’t say a word. Even when he smiled and told me he had fallen in love with Serena—my girlfriend of four years—I simply nodded, swallowed my pride, and stepped aside. But the next day, Serena cornered me against the brick wall of the corridor, her eyes bloodshot as she demanded, “Why are you acting like this? It’s just a piece of paper. Does blood really matter that much to you? Are you really going to just throw me away?” I looked at her, at the raw desperation in her face, and felt nothing but a hollow confusion. She was acting as if she wasn’t the very one who had forged the DNA test proving I was the “fake” son in the first place. … She stood there, her eyes brimming with tears, waiting for an answer. I gently pushed her hands off me and stepped past her. “You should be inside with Christian, Serena. He needs you.” “My graduation ceremony starts in an hour,” I added, my voice flat. “Please let me through.” Christian had only recently woken up from his comatose state. He was fragile, clinging to Serena like a lifeline. And in this house, my needs would always, without fail, be pushed to the very bottom of the pile if Christian was in the equation. Serena froze, but she wouldn’t let it go. “Jace, you promised you’d want me by your side today.” I kept walking without looking back. “I don’t have the luxury of wanting things anymore.” Walking out of the estate, my father’s town car was parked by the driveway. My parents, Richard and Linda, were standing by the car, dressed in elegant formal wear. “Even though we aren’t biologically related,” Richard said, adjusting his cuffs, “we raised you for over twenty years. That bond doesn’t just disappear. We’re going to your graduation.” Linda smiled warmly. “We won’t miss any of your milestones, sweetheart.” Suddenly, she stopped. Her gaze drifted past my shoulder, landing on the front doors of the villa. Christian was standing under the portico, tears streaming down his face. Before anyone could speak, he turned and bolted back inside. My parents’ faces fell instantly. Forgetting all about their expensive attire and the dignity they usually guarded so fiercely, they dashed after him. I could hear Christian’s hysterical cries echoing from the hallway. “Are you going to leave me alone again? The hospital room was so cold, so dark… I don’t want to be alone!” Two minutes later, Richard and Linda emerged, holding a trembling Christian between them. Linda gave me an apologetic, strained smile. “Christian never got to finish college because of his accident,” she said. “We’re going to bring him along so he can see what it’s like. It’ll make up for what he lost.” I murmured a soft agreement, keeping my face entirely blank. I knew the truth. The moment Christian was involved, I became the afterthought. The “along for the ride” guy. I used to fight it, but every time I did, I only ended up looking pathetic. Everyone in our social circle whispered the same thing: if Christian hadn’t gotten into that car crash and ended up in a vegetative state, the Kingsleys would have never adopted me to fill the void. I was just the placeholder. Now that I knew my place, I didn’t fight. Whatever Christian wanted, he could have. At the graduation venue, my classmates crowded around me, trying to take pictures. Then Christian appeared beside me, wearing an expression of pure, innocent wonder. Instantly, the attention shifted. “Oh, who’s your friend, Jace? He’s gorgeous. Can we get a picture with him?” one of the girls asked. I opened my mouth to speak, but the words died in my throat. There was no need for introductions. Christian was already smiling warmly, stepping into the frame. “Of course! But I’m not just his friend. I’m actually his parents’ biological son.” The implication hung heavily in the air. My classmates’ faces went through a rapid succession of shock, gossip-fueled realization, and pity. Within seconds, they had swept Christian away, laughing and chatting with him as if they’d known him for years. When they looked back at me, their gazes had changed. Just like that, with the effortless grace of a true heir, Christian took my friends, just as he had taken everything else. I stood alone in the center of the lawn, the space around me suddenly vast and empty. Linda walked over, stopping exactly three paces away. That was the “safe distance” Christian had established. “After graduation, we’ll put out a formal press release,” she said quietly. “We’re going to legally adopt you as our son. You won’t have to worry about being a ‘fake’ anymore. You will officially be a Kingsley.” Any foster child or adoptee would have wept with gratitude. I just shook my head and smiled softly. “Don’t go to the trouble, Mom. Just having you here today is enough.” Once graduation was over, it would be time to sever the ties completely anyway. My phone buzzed with a message from the class president, telling us to gather for the group photo. I hurried back to the car to grab my cap and gown, but when I zipped open the garment bag, it was completely empty. A short distance away, by the ivy-covered brick wall, Christian was wearing my gown, posing for couple’s photos with Serena. Their fingers were tightly intertwined, their bodies pressed close. Their graduation caps bumped together, and they both burst into laughter. Those caps were custom-made. I had spent three months designing them myself—a matching pair for Serena and me. Sensing my gaze, Christian’s laughter faltered. Serena frowned, stepping defensively in front of him. “Christian just wanted to feel what it’s like to be a graduate, Jace. It’s just a piece of fabric. I’ll have my assistant send you another gown.” The words “don’t bother” were still on my tongue when Christian noticed the crowd gathering for the group photo. Curious, he drifted toward them. Serena followed him closely, acting like his personal protector. Christian whispered something to the class president, then stepped onto a chair, taking the very spot in the center that had been reserved for me. I could already picture it: years from now, when my classmates looked at the graduation photo, their fingers would rest on my spot, but all they would talk about was Christian. And I would leave no trace behind. Linda, who had been watching Christian with a tender gaze, noticed my silence. The warmth vanished from her face, replaced by a tense, guarded look. “Jace, I know you love taking portraits on special occasions. How about the whole family goes to the studio tonight? We’ll take ten different sets of portraits with you.” To them, this was a generous peace offering. But to me, it felt like damage control. They were bracing themselves, waiting for me to lose my mind and throw a tantrum, to claw for my place against Christian like I used to. But I had no leverage left. Why would I be foolish enough to challenge the real heir? I shook my head gently. “I’m not a Kingsley by blood. Even if I go far away, no one will miss me. There’s no point in taking portraits.” “And besides, it’s just a graduation photo. It doesn’t matter.” Christian had completely stolen the spotlight of my graduation. Linda froze, her smile completely fading. A complex, unreadable shadow fell over her eyes. Christian walked back over, cradling the bouquets of flowers my classmates and friends had bought for me. “Happy graduation, Jace,” he said, beaming. He reached into one of the bouquets, plucked out a single, green filler leaf, and handed it to me as a graduation gift. My parents watched us intensely. I quietly accepted the leaf. “Thank you.” Christian’s smile turned slightly mocking. He turned to Richard. “Dad, didn’t you get Jace a graduation gift? Don’t leave him out just because of me.” The air went dead silent. Because before Christian woke up, my parents had indeed prepared a graduation gift: a ten percent share in the family enterprise. It was even more than what they had given my eldest sister, Delia, who was running the branch office in London. But since Christian’s recovery, no one had mentioned it. Seeing my parents struggle to find words, I offered a reassuring smile. “I don’t deserve something that valuable, Dad. Only Christian does.” As for Serena, she had planned to propose to me today. But now, the ring I had dreamed of for over a decade was already sitting snugly on Christian’s ring finger. I realized then that I had absolutely nothing left to lose. Years ago, to stay close to my family and Serena, I had turned down an offer to pursue my master’s at Oxford. Now, it was time to get my life back on track. When we returned home, I immediately locked myself in my room and began contacting my old advisor. As I sat at my desk, a burst of laughter erupted from downstairs. Delia was back. When I was a child, I was clingy, and I practically grew up in her arms. But after she moved to London to manage the firm, she became so busy she barely had five minutes to reply to my texts. A few months ago, I had asked her if she could come back for my graduation. That email had gone unanswered. I wasn’t naive enough to think her sudden return today was a surprise for me. Sure enough, through the crack in my door, I saw Delia affectionately ruffling Christian’s hair, her voice thick with emotion. “I’m so sorry I’m late, sweetie. I can’t believe I missed taking photos with you today. I deserve to be punished.” Christian wrapped his arms around hers. “Then your punishment is no work for the next three months. You have to stay here and play with me.” Delia agreed instantly, without a shred of hesitation. That ease, that deep-seated affection… it was something I had never received once I grew up. I used to think Delia had just grown distant with age, until the night I accidentally overheard Linda on the phone with her. Linda had casually asked why she used to adore me so much as a child, yet practically fled the country to avoid me later. There was a long, heavy silence on the line. Then Delia’s voice crackled through the speaker, raspy and raw: “Because when Jace was little, he looked exactly like Christian.” Those words shattered me. Delia had sighed deeply. “I don’t want to treat them differently. But every time I look at Jace’s healthy, smiling face, all I can think about is Christian lying cold and motionless in that hospital room. It’s just not fair.” I had cried myself to sleep that night. I couldn’t understand why a tragedy I had no part in was being taken out on me. I refused to accept it. So, I did everything I could to fight Christian for my place. Until that forged DNA report was dumped on my desk. I hadn’t believed it at first. I had secretly run another test on my own, which confirmed that I was indeed Richard and Linda’s biological son. But looking at how they chose to believe the fake report just to appease Christian, I gave up. I stopped fighting. I let Christian have my clothes, watching quietly as he shredded them in front of me. I let him ruin my birthdays. I even let him have Serena. Because the moment my family decided to sever their biological ties with me just to make Christian feel secure, I knew I had already lost. I pulled myself out of the memory as Christian’s laughter rang out from the hallway. “Alright, I’ll give you one chance to make it up to me. Let’s go take our family portrait.” “Serena, you come too!” Everyone scrambled to cater to his whims. A second later, Christian let out a dramatic gasp. “Delia! The watch you sent me is gone! I wanted to wear it for the portrait! I know I put it in the pocket of the graduation gown. It must be Jace. Why would Jace take my watch?” Christian began pounding on my bedroom door, sobbing. “Jace, please give it back. That was the first gift Delia gave me after I woke up. If you think I took all the attention away from you, I promise I won’t talk to Mom, Dad, Delia, or Serena ever again. Just please give it back!” Inside my room, I was in the middle of packing my bags. The real DNA test—the one proving I was their biological son—was sitting on my desk. Hearing Christian’s dramatic cries, I froze. Before I could open the door to explain, the lock clicked violently as Delia forced her way in. “Jace, hand over the watch.” But I hadn’t touched his watch. No one believed me. Linda glared at me, her eyes flashing with disappointment. “We thought you had finally grown up because you’ve been so quiet lately. It was all a front, wasn’t it? You just wanted us to let our guard down so you could steal the one thing Christian treasures most!” I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug deep into my palms. My voice felt dry, like sand. “I didn’t take his watch.” Christian slumped, looking as if he were about to faint from crying. Serena caught him quickly, shouting at me in a rage. “Jace, when is this going to end? All we asked was for you to be the bigger brother! Are you so consumed by jealousy that you’re trying to kill him?” I shut my mouth. The defense died in my throat, cutting me open from the inside out. Suddenly, Christian lunged at my packed suitcase, ripping it open and tearing through my things. In the chaos, the paper on my desk—the real DNA report—was knocked to the floor. Then, Christian’s hand reached for my Oxford admission letter. My heart stopped. I lunged forward, screaming, “Don’t touch that! Stop!” Oxford’s registration process was incredibly strict; the physical copy of the admission letter was irreplaceable. But I was too late. Christian shredded the document in one swift tear. My mind went completely blank. As he leaned down near me in the scuffle, Christian whispered in my ear, his voice dripping with malice: “Your little classmate was right—you were planning to run off to grad school abroad. Want to escape? No way. I’m going to make sure you spend the rest of your life in my shadow.” “I never lost any watch, by the way. I just needed an excuse to destroy your ticket out of here. Oops.” A spark of raw fury ignited in my chest. Losing all control, I shoved him away hard and dropped to my knees, desperately trying to piece the torn fragments of my letter back together. Christian hit the floor, sobbing hysterically. Delia grabbed my arm roughly, her mouth opening to scold me, but then she stepped on something. She looked down. Right there, under her shoe, the words [RELATIONSHIP: BIOLOGICAL SON] stared back at her in cold, bold print.
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