New Year's Eve: I Learned I'm the Spare

The day before New Year's Eve, my wealthy parents, Mitchell Parker and Delilah Smith, and my sister, Mila Parker, finally agree to ring in the New Year with me at the amusement park. However, when I arrive there, they are nowhere to be found. When I text them, they tell me they're stuck in traffic and will be late. I wait alone there until the clock hits midnight. Then, I come across my adopted brother Leo Meyer's Instagram post. He's dressed in an expensive suit, holding the piano trophy he has just won, with Mom, Dad, and Mila gathered around him at a New Year's Eve party. The caption reads, "It's another year with my family who truly loves me." His friends start liking the post. This isn't the first time my family has stood me up. But this time, I don't make a scene. I just leave a comment. "How wonderful. Happy New Year to the four of you." Chapter 1 That night, I stayed at the amusement park until almost dawn. I had just returned home and gotten into bed when my phone rang. I stared at the caller ID "Mila" without moving. After hanging up on her three times, I finally picked up the fourth time she called. Before I could even get a word in, Mila Parker yelled, "Jared Parker, why the hell are you acting up in the middle of the night? Leo won an award last night after working hard for 20 years. What's wrong with us celebrating with him?" Her voice turned frosty. "Can't you just be a little more understanding? Do you really have to upset all of us during the holidays?" Understanding. It was that word again. Ever since the day I rejoined this family, it had always reminded me to yield, keep quiet, and smile. I stared at the gray sky and finally spoke. "Mila, Happy New Year." Mila paused. All the anger she'd come ready to unleash got stuck in her throat. I didn't give her a chance to react and continued in that same flat, emotionless tone. "I didn't mean anything by it. I just think you guys are the ones who really look like a family." With that, I hung up. For a moment, there was only silence around me. My phone turned dark, reflecting my blank face. I stood up and went over to the huge walk-in closet. Then, I pulled open the bottom drawer and took out the old canvas bag I'd brought with me from underneath a pile of fancy boxes. I unzipped it and started stuffing my old T-shirts, my sketchbook, and the mechanical pencil I'd been using for years into it. Halfway through it, my phone rang again. This time, it wasn't Mila. It was my mom, Delilah Smith. I didn't answer. I hit the button to reject the call and kept folding my old clothes one by one, putting them into the bag. There weren't many, and the bag was full in no time. My phone rang once more. This time, it was my dad, Mitchell Parker. I rejected his call too. A moment later, my phone buzzed with a message. It was from him, and he was still using that commanding tone of the head of the family. It read, "Leo feels so guilty. If you're done throwing a tantrum, come home now and apologize to him." I didn't reply. There was another important thing that I needed to do. I pulled out my desk drawer, where a black card lay quietly inside. This was the money they gave me when I first returned to the family. They told me to buy whatever I wanted and not embarrass them. I never spent it, though. I took it out and placed it on the clean table. Then, I pulled out my phone and snapped a photo of it. I opened the dead-silent family group chat, where everyone only ever sent holiday greetings, and sent the photo. I typed, "Thanks for taking care of me. I haven't spent any of this money. The password is Leo's birthday. From now on, I'll take care of myself." Chapter 2 I finally relaxed after doing everything I had in mind. Just as I'd expected, less than half a minute later, my phone started blowing up. Everyone in the group chat started spamming messages, but I had no interest in reading them. Then, Delilah called for the third time. Her persistence made it clear she wasn't going to stop until I answered. This time, I did. The moment the call connected, Delilah's muffled, sobbing voice came through. "Jared, where are you? Come home now, okay? What did you mean by the message you sent just now?" "Well, I meant exactly what I said." "Jared, I know you've been hurt all these years, but Leo has always been frail. He's been sensitive since he was a kid. How could you do this to him? What if he sees it? He'll have another episode!" I nearly laughed out loud at her same old excuse. There she went again. Leo's poor health was the perfect excuse to explain their favoritism and all the hurt they'd put me through. In the past, I would've stayed silent and endured it, probably even said, "I understand." Not today, though. My voice was soft but clear as I cut her off. "Mrs. Parker." Delilah's sobs suddenly caught in her throat. I paused, giving her some time to process what I had just called her. Then, with the calmest voice that I had ever used, I asked her a question that I should have asked a long time ago. "Do I need to remind you that you're not biologically related to Leo?" Delilah instantly went quiet. I hung up, and peace returned to my world. I silenced my phone and threw it on the bed. Then, I continued packing and returned to my dorm. The next day, I showed up to my class right on time and took a seat in the front row. My professor, Seth Litt, who was known for being notoriously strict, announced that our department had one spot in an exchange program with a world-class landscape design firm this year. Whoever was selected would get to work at the company's headquarters on a three-month project. The announcement dropped like a bomb in the classroom, and everyone started whispering. Their eyes lit up. I was just as excited, for this wasn't just an opportunity. It was my way out of this suffocating life. However, what Seth said next was like a bucket of cold water dumped over my head. He said that, to make sure the students could complete the project successfully, they would have to put down a 5,000-dollar deposit first. Unfortunately, I had less than 300 dollars to my name. I needed money, like a lot of it. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to go back to the Parker family and ask for it. I started practically living at the library, drawing until my knuckles ached. At the same time, I also took on three part-time jobs. In the mornings, I ground coffee beans at a cafe. In the afternoons, I tutored a high school student in math. At night, I rode a secondhand e-bike around town delivering food. My days were packed and exhausting. Sometimes, after dropping off my last order, I'd sit on the roadside, too tired to even lift my arms. However, when I stuffed the bills I'd earned that day into my pocket, still smelling faintly of ink and sweat, I felt like a small, empty place inside me had finally started to fill. The money was clean. Somehow, earning it felt better than anything the Parker family could have given me. I thought my life had finally split off from the Parker family. Then, I found out that someone was determined to tangle our lives back together. That night, after finishing my last delivery, I stopped by a convenience store and picked up a discounted sandwich for dinner. My phone lit up with a message from a classmate I was fairly close to. He sent me a screenshot of Leo's Instagram post. In the photo, Mila was gently fastening an expensive necklace around Leo's neck. What was circled in the screenshot was the exchange between Leo and Mila in the comments. Chapter 3 Leo said, "Mila, my classmates told me Jared's working multiple part-time jobs." Mila replied with a question mark. Right after that, Leo commented. "Is he trying to save up for that exchange program? Ugh, it's all our fault. If it weren't for what happened that day, Jared wouldn't have stormed out and ended up suffering out there. "Should we help him? He's all by himself. What if someone takes advantage of him, knowing he needs money?" Many of our mutual friends liked that comment, making it especially hard to look at. I stared at the message and noted how the fake concern was practically dripping off the screen. I calmly finished the last bite of my sandwich. He always had a way of making himself look completely innocent while somehow smearing me in the process. Stormed out? Desperate for money? With just a few casual words, he'd turned all my hard work and determination into some pathetic little act vying for sympathy. Mila had obviously bought it. Just as I'd expected, my phone vibrated, and a notification popped out, telling me that Mila had transferred 10,000 dollars to me. Then, her message came in, dripping with contempt. "Short on money? Is this little pity act of yours supposed to get you something? Name your price." I put my phone away, ignoring the money, and continued my delivery job the next day. … On the day of the anonymous showcase, my design, "Coming Home", was projected onto the big screen. Seth sounded excited, and his voice echoed through the lecture hall. "This piece has a certain spark to it, but more than that, it has heart. The creator wasn't trying to show off their skills, yet every line tells a story of its own." The room went quiet for a moment, then everyone started talking at once. I sat in the corner, gripping my pen with a sweaty palm. This was the path I'd built for myself, one line at a time, through countless sleepless nights. Now, I finally felt like it was ready to lead me somewhere new. The final list would be announced the following evening. The night before, I'd finished one last check of every detail. Just as I was about to save the final version, my laptop screen suddenly went blue. A bunch of weird symbols filled the screen. The fan stopped, and the faint hum of the hard drive disappeared too. For a moment, I just sat there in stunned silence. It felt like all the strength had left my body. I slumped back in my chair, my mind going blank. I restarted my laptop multiple times, but nothing worked. The blue screen stared back at me. All my design files, all my materials, everything I'd worked so hard to create with the money I earned delivering food, were all gone. A bone-deep chill traveled from the soles of my feet to the crown of my head as I suddenly recalled the cruel look I'd seen on Leo's face at the showcase. I jumped to my feet, grabbed my jacket, and charged back to Parker Manor. I kicked open Leo's bedroom door. My sudden intrusion startled Leo. He was drinking a Coke and lounging comfortably on his bed as he scrolled on his tablet. My voice shook badly when I spoke. "What did you do?" Leo looked up innocently. "Jared, what's wrong? Who upset you?" "My laptop." I fixed my eyes on him. "My files." Leo let out a little laugh, as if I'd just told him the funniest joke in the world. "Jared, what are you talking about? What does that have to do with me?" My parents and Mila came running over upon hearing the commotion. They found me standing there, furious, while Leo looked like he was about to cry. Delilah immediately pulled Leo behind her, glaring at me. "Jared, are you insane? Why did you barge into his room in the middle of the night? What are you up to? Leo's health isn't good. Are you trying to scare him to death?" Mitchell snapped, "This is ridiculous! Apologize to Leo right now!" Chapter 4 I ignored them, my eyes locked onto Leo. There was a hint of smugness in the depth of his eyes that he hadn't managed to hide in time. That told me all I needed to know. Mila spoke then, her voice frosty and unrelenting. "You've changed into someone I barely even recognize because of jealousy. Leo has won so many awards, and I haven't seen you be happy for him even once. Now that you've lost something of your own, you're quick to blame him, huh?" She walked up to me, looking at me with disgust and contempt. "Wasn't the money I gave you enough? Did you really have to stoop so low just to get attention? Jared, you disgust me." I looked at them, the people who were supposed to be my family, standing like three walls between Leo and me, keeping the two of us in completely different worlds. Each of them was tearing me apart with the cruelest words, one blow after another. I suddenly laughed. I laughed so hard that my eyes welled up with tears. Then, instead of replying to them, I turned around and walked away. Behind me, I could hear Delilah crying and Mila yelling at me, but I couldn't bring myself to listen to another word. When I got back to my empty dorm room, I slid down the door and sat on the floor, feeling like nothing more than a hollow shell. The city lights flickered outside the window, but not a single one of them was shining for me. It was over. Everything was over. Just as I was about to sink completely into despair, my phone screen lit up with a crisp little chime. There was a new email from an anonymous sender. My hands trembled as I opened it. Attached to the email was a compressed file. Almost without thinking, I downloaded and extracted it. The folder was named "Coming Home", and inside were all my design files, modeling data, and backup materials. The email contained only one sentence. It read, "Your talent shouldn't go to waste." I froze. … The next evening, the ballroom of the city's most prestigious hotel was ablaze with lights. As one of the main sponsors of the exchange program, Mila was present. She was holding a glass of champagne and making small talk with a few of the other partners. Benjamin Dunn, one of the event organizers, walked over with his own glass and gave Mila's shoulder an approving pat. "Mila, your family sure are a talented bunch. Leo is incredibly gifted at piano, and who knew you would have another brother who was just as talented at landscape design?" Mila gave him a polite smile. But in her mind, she kept thinking about the word "brother". "Mr. Dunn, you must be joking. I only have one brother." "Oh, really?" Benjamin paused, then suddenly realized his mistake. "Oh, I must've gotten it wrong. I mean that student from your school, Jared. His design really blew me away today. He's one of the most promising talents I've seen in years!" Mila's smile stiffened. My name instantly shattered the calm in her mind. Mila suddenly remembered Leo telling her with reddened eyes how I'd left the house angry and was working multiple part-time jobs because I needed the money. He'd said he was afraid I'd get taken advantage of. Then, she remembered the money she'd sent me, the cold way she'd told me to name my price, and the way she'd scolded me the night before. Mila realized this was what I'd been working myself to the bone for. A design project that had one of the biggest names in the industry calling me one of the most promising young talents he'd seen in years. She, along with the rest of the family, had thought I was just pulling a childish stunt to win sympathy. Mila tightened her grip on her glass, her face pale. She quickly dialed my number.