Chapter 4The DNA Test That Broke My World

I started avoiding Julian. No, I have to call him Arthur Jr. now... wait, no, Julian Vanderbilt. The fact that Julian is my brother brought quite a shock to my circle. They started a new group chat, discussing frantically.

"Oh my god, that doctor had some guts. Swapping babies, offending two wealthy families at once!" "Good thing the doctors and nurses involved back then were all sent to prison by the Sterlings." "Deserved. But I'm curious what Julian thinks?" "What can he think? Probably going crazy. Not playing ball, not logging into games, locking himself in his room all day. He even bailed on the graduation trip to see the Northern Lights in Scandinavia." "Well, how could Julian go now." "Why do you say that?" "Because Bella has always liked the Northern Lights. Julian planned to take Bella to see them and bond." "Julian liked Bella so much, a secret crush for years, finally finding out she's his biological sister. How can he handle it?" "Feel sorry for Julian." "Feel sorry +1."

Amidst a pile of sympathy. I belatedly realized that some of Julian's strange behaviors back then made sense if he liked me. Basketball game, taking away the water I just opened. Insisting on teaching me different solutions to math and physics final questions. Reporting boys who wrote me love letters... Too many to count. Back then, I thought he was provoking me... But it's meaningless to say these things now.

The group was still discussing: "By the way, did Julian confess to Bella? If he succeeded, wouldn't that be the real-life version of 'May all lovers turn out to be siblings'?" "Even if they dated, they'd have to break up. Wealthy families like ours can't accept taboo love." I really want to curse this pretentious guy to death. Someone beat me to it: "Lee the Second, what nonsense are you spouting? No normal family would accept it, okay!" "Wait, who the hell added Bella to the group!" "Holy sht!"* Amidst a pile of "grass" (slang for f*ck) emojis, the newly established gossip group was disbanded. So uncomfortable, can't watch them gossip about me anymore.

I felt helpless. It's no longer about love or not love. Julian being my brother is an established fact. We have to stay within the bounds of secular morality. Julian should understand. He thinks about his romance. I think about my inheritance rights. I hope Julian doesn't hate me because of love and fight too hard for the money. I think a 50/50 split is reasonable.

The evening breeze was a bit hot today. Cicadas disturbed my dreams. I climbed up. Stared at the wall Julian used to like climbing the most from the balcony, dazing for a long time. I don't know how long passed, the door of the balcony next door clicked softly. I turned my head and saw Julian, who now lives next to me. He didn't expect me to be on the balcony either, stunned for a long time before speaking. "Why... haven't you slept yet?"

The love I didn't notice before was now surging in Julian's eyes. I seemed to find the beginning of the tangled mess. Julian's love was being peeled away bit by bit in front of me. I started to see. But now the love carries struggle. Julian wanted to hide it, but couldn't. If I had to describe my feelings. It's that, I rejected him before because I've been single since birth and couldn't accept a confession momentarily. Now it's a moral judgment! Dame (No)! It won't pass censorship.

I could only pretend to be sleepy and yawned. "Going to sleep now. Goodnight. Brother, you sleep early too." I turned back to my room and lay down. Couldn't sleep at all. Because the bullet screen started refreshing: "Brother! One word, shattered our humble male lead's heart into glass shards." "It's most moving when you want to love but can't." "Can only say the male lead's moral bottom line is too high."

Damn, this is basic morality, okay? But I didn't dare speak, afraid of being discovered. Continued peeking at the bullet screen: "Begging the heroine to look at our broken puppy, he's turning from a sunny boy into a gloomy ghost." "Really want to fast forward to the forced love plot." Forced love? Is this serious? No, I have to escape this terrible native family. Swim fast, little fish, anywhere is freer than here.