The Comments Said My Brother Hated Me

The day my parents went to bring home the real heiress, I saw how I was going to die in the floating comments. I'd always thought I was just a little slower than everyone else.

My parents went to pick her up, and I stayed home cooking like always. What my brother hated, what he liked—I'd never been able to tell.

Until I picked up a glass of milk, and comments suddenly appeared in front of my eyes: [She still doesn't know, huh?

Big brother hates milk.] [Everyone used to think she was just dumb.

Once the real heiress comes back, they'll find out she's dumb and rotten.] [Let her keep hogging the room and whining for attention, and big brother is going to feed her to the wolves himself.] Right then, my brother came in to help.

He ruffled my hair and reached for the milk. But I took a step back, holding back a sob: "This isn't for you." "II'm sorry.

I'll never make you warm milk again." Chapter 1 My brother, Nathaniel, was taken aback. His fine brows drew together slightly.

He glanced at the empty milk carton on the table and gave a helpless smile. "Out of milk?" "That's my fault. I didn't get around to buying more.

You have every right to be upset, Lu." "I'm not upset," I cut in. Then it felt like I'd said it too sharply.

I hesitated, then asked, "Big brother, don't you like milk?" Nathaniel bent a little and cupped my face. "Who told you that?" "Nobody.

I just noticed… every time you drink milk, you kind of look like you're forcing it down." I really was that slow.

Only after seeing the comments and thinking back did I realize Nathaniel always left the milk for last. And as soon as he finished eating, he'd go straight to the bathroom.

He actually never used to drink milk. I was the one who'd added it, on my own, because he worked late every night and couldn't sleep.

To make it taste better, I'd even stirred in strawberry jam. He had never refused it. I'd thought he liked it. Who knew he hated it. And hated me along with it.

At that thought, my nose stung: "If you don't like it, you can tell me.

I won't make it anymore." "You don't have to… don't have to force yourself." He knit his brows, troubled, and wiped the tear from the corner of my eye with the pad of his finger.

He said patiently: "I don't like how milk smells, but the strawberry jam you add, Lu, covers it up.

It's not that hard to take anymore." "Besides, you're doing it for my own good, aren't you?" [Actually it's because big brother doesn't feel close enough to the side character to say no.] [The second he found out the side character wasn't even a real Thatcher, he switched what he calls her.

It used to be little sis, now it's just Lu. Only the side character's too dumb to notice he's pulling away.] My hands were shaking.

I asked tentatively: "But I saw you throw up in the bathroom." When I saw Nathaniel's face go stiff, I couldn't hold it in anymore and pushed him away. "I'm sorry.

I want to go to my room and calm down." The truth was, I'd been adopted by the Bishops in the first place. My last name is Thatcher.

When I was five, my birth parents died in a car accident. Out of gratitude to my birth parents, the Bishops took me in.

They were worried that losing my parents so young would leave scars, so they had me call them Mom and Dad from the start. And Nathaniel became my big brother.

But last week I had a GI bleed and needed a transfusion. Chapter 2 That was when everyone found out I was type A.

They knew one of my birth parents had been type O and the other type B. They realized right away there must have been a mixup at birth.

Mom was afraid her benefactors' real child was out there somewhere suffering, and that same night she had her secretary start searching. I had only just stabilized.

But I was still pale.

After a moment of silence, I looked up and asked Nathaniel: "Once Mom finds my sister, am I going to have to move out?" "And I'm not your sister, either." "Go do your work.

Don't waste your time on me." He had just finished a video conference. His eyes were tired. He squeezed my palm. "How could Lu think that?

No matter who you are, you're the most important person in my life." I believed him. I was so happy I forgot everything else.

I didn't even notice he'd already changed what he called me. Actually, when I was little, he used to call me Lu too. Then came my eighteenth birthday.

Mom took out a letter of agreement and told me my birth parents had arranged a childhood engagement for me. The other family used to live in the same neighborhood as mine.

The boy was studying abroad now and probably wouldn't be back for a few more years. I glanced at his photo. He was decentlooking, kind of delicate.

Without really understanding, I said yes. That night Nathaniel barely ate a few bites before he went upstairs.

I carried the cake to his study and, while he was working, smeared frosting on his face. But I lost my footing and fell right into his arms. It was very dark that night.

We held each other for a long time. After we let go, Nathaniel called me "little sis," low and quiet. After that, he always called me little sis.

A few days later he came to pick me up from school, and my classmates said my brother was so hot. Only then did it finally click, and I asked him why he'd changed what he called me.

His expression was calm.

He reached up and brushed a petal off the top of my head. "Isn't it closer this way?" "It'll always remind you that you're my sister." That was why I was sure the comments weren't lying to me.

My brother. He really was pulling away from me on purpose. I buried myself under the covers. Nathaniel came and knocked twice.

In the end, with no other choice, he left the food on the little table outside my door. "Even if you're mad at me, don't take it out on yourself." "Didn't you say you wanted the Mermaid's Heart from last month's exhibition for your birthday this year?

I'm free next week. I'll take you to see it." Remembering the comments, I trembled with fear and quickly called out: "I don't want it anymore!" "You… buy it for your real sister.

Not for me." It was silent outside for a long time.

At last, Nathaniel's low, hoarse voice came through the door: "Baby, once you've calmed down, your big brother will come find you." After his footsteps faded, the hallway was empty.

And a piece of my heart went empty along with it. I opened my phone, meaning to scroll numbly for a while. Instead I saw a message from Mom. [Home in ten minutes.

Passing the bakery. See if there's anything you want.] It was the bakery that specialized in tiramisu. They never skimped on ingredients, and I loved it.

But I worried about the calories, so I only ever let myself have one slice. That was why whenever Mom, Dad, or my brother passed by, they'd ask what flavor I wanted.

I opened the photo she'd sent.

My eyes landed on the streak of bluepurple in the middle, and I licked the corner of my mouth. [The greedy little piggy side character's totally gonna pick the blueberry cake.

But there's only one blueberry slice left, and the female lead wants it too.

She still gives it up to the side character though.] Chapter 3 [The female lead's face is all delicate and pointy, the side character's is round as a bun. Mom already feels guilty.

Once she calmly compares them, she'll see one is smart and sweet and the other is dumb and greedy.

Of course she'll get more and more sick of the side character!] I didn't want Mom to hate me. I almost cried again.

With shaking hands, I typed: [I don't want anything.] [Not ever again.] [Buy something for my sister, Mom.] I carefully studied what the comments had said.

They said I was the hateful side character in a switchedatbirth heiress novel. The real heiress, the female lead, had come back, and I was still hogging the sunny bedroom.

Acting cute and clingy with Mom and Dad right in front of her, with no boundaries around my brother either. In the end, everyone would get sick of me, and I'd come to a bad end.

I thought about it. What they said could very well be true. Because I really hadn't thought about giving up my room.

I didn't get why anyone would want to live in a room someone else had lived in for so long. I'd just assumed my sister would want a new room when she came back.

So after I got better, Mrs. Olsen and I got the biggest bedroom on the second floor ready. I put out little flowers and dolls.

Knowing she loved to read, I used my savings to order a big, very expensive walnut bookshelf. But the comments said I'd done it without asking, that I was showing off to her.

Knowing Mom was bringing her home today, I'd made a point of asking what she liked. Besides the usual, I'd cooked a whole feast, ten dishes, hoping to make her happy.

But the comments said I was marking my territory, and that it was obnoxious. Too many of my thoughts were different from theirs.

If my sister thought the way they did, then once she was back, I probably really wouldn't get along with her. But this was her home. Not mine.

Mom, Dad, and my brother must all want to make it up to her. I shouldn't stay here and make her unhappy. I heard Mom come home. I ran downstairs.

The first thing I saw was the blueberry tiramisu on the table. My eyes burned, and I quickly looked away.

When she found out I'd cooked a whole spread and left it in the warming drawer, Mom frowned, but still had the staff put it all in the fridge. She told me: "Jo just got back today.

Your dad and I want to take her out for a Michelinstar dinner first. Save your cooking for tomorrow." I nodded and said okay.

She stroked my hair, pleased. "Such a good girl, sweetheart." "Your dad and your sister are already at the restaurant. Your brother's away on a business trip.

I came back specially to get you." [Actually Mom forgot the necklace she got for the female lead and just came back for it.

She was scared of hurting the female lead's feelings, so she never planned to bring the side character at all.

Didn't expect to run into her coming downstairs!] [Let the side character go. Sitting across from the sweet, poised female lead, she'll look like a clown.

Mom and Dad will see who's good and who's bad in one glance.] My heart ached, and I shook my head: "My stomach hurts.

I'd better not go." "There's food at home anyway." "Then rest up at home. If it still hurts tonight, tell Mom, okay?" I nodded obediently.

But I knew that if Mom really wanted to take me, she would have tried a little harder to convince me. But she didn't. Which meant she really didn't want to take me.

Just like the comments said. She was only being polite. I hung my head, miserable. I didn't know when it had started, when I'd become a burden in Mom's eyes.

I dug a suitcase out of the closet in my room. It didn't even come up to my waist.

Chapter 4 It was pink and only thirty dollars, not great quality, but I'd bought it with the first paycheck from my parttime job.

For clothes and things, I only packed what I'd bought with my own money. Mom and Dad's gifts and the expensive jewelry from my brother were all in the safe.

I took a photo to remember them by, locked the safe again, and left the key beside it. By the time I finished packing, it was deep into the night.

The crisp sound of the front door opening came from downstairs, then an unfamiliar girl's laugh. Clear and ringing, full of sunshine.

I couldn't help pressing my ear to the crack of the door. I heard Mom's proud voice: "You've done very well in finance. A few more years of study and you can join the company.

Anytime you have a question, come ask me." "That's awesome, Mrs. Bishop!" Mom and Dad started asking Josie about her life before. That was how I found out.

Just like me, she'd lost her adoptive parents early. But she hadn't been as lucky as me. She'd stumbled her way through growing up all on her own.

I felt even guiltier for taking over someone else's life. My heart ached for her so much I couldn't breathe. Every so often, questions and hearty laughter drifted in from outside.

It was so warm. Only it seemed like everyone had forgotten I existed. My stomach started to ache dully. I curled up in the corner of the bed. At some point, I fell asleep.

The next day was Monday, and I had to go back to school for classes in my major.

I waited until nine on purpose, when everyone should have left for work, before dragging my little suitcase downstairs.

I didn't expect to run into Nathaniel on the couch, going over reports. Mom had definitely said he'd gone on a business trip. I jumped. I couldn't help taking a step back.

He turned at the sound. His gaze swept over the luggage in my hand, and his upswept eyes darkened slightly: "What's this?" I gave the excuse I'd prepared: "Books