Chapter 3Blessing of Fortune

The word had barely left his mouth before they all shouted in unison, “Impossible!”

My third brother’s voice was shaking with rage. “You’re a fraud! A liar! Julia has lived with us for over a decade. How could she possibly bring us bad luck?” He looked ready to punch the man, but my father held him back.

My father’s eyes were narrow and suspicious. “Master,” he demanded, “you told me my daughter would bring good fortune, but you never said Julia would be cursed. Now my entire family is suffering because of Mia. You owe me an explanation.”

My mother, her eyes red, pulled Julia into a protective embrace. “Master, please, you have to do something! You have to break this curse!”

The mystic simply shook his head. “Mia’s luck can only affect her blood relatives, and she is only two years old. It is likely that your attempts to force her to channel her luck for Julia have caused a backlash. It has turned your good fortune into a curse, and now Miss Julia is shrouded in a dark, malevolent aura.”

He gave them a long, meaningful look. “I have said all that I can. The rest is up to you.”

With that, he turned and left.

Julia let out a choked sob. “I’m just an adopted daughter. I should have never been greedy for the Shaw family’s wealth. Then Mommy and Daddy wouldn’t have been cursed.”

She straightened her shoulders. “It’s better to sacrifice me, so that my parents and brothers can have their good fortune back.”

Her speech was so noble that, of course, they refused. They swore they would never let her suffer alone.

My eldest brother’s voice was firm. “It’s not your fault, Julia. It’s Mia. She’s been biased against you from the start. We will not give in to a toddler’s whims.”

My third brother added wistfully, “If only Julia were the lucky charm.”

They all nodded in agreement. I wanted to roll my eyes.

Julia’s gaze towards me was now laced with fear, and in private, she became even more vicious, pinching me and withholding food. But I wasn’t a real child. Whenever she hurt me, I made sure the whole family paid the price.

The Shaws’ attempts to get lucky now only worked one or two times out of ten. After every failure, they would rack their brains, trying to remember if they had accidentally mentioned Julia.

And so it went until I was five. My parents’ company was still floundering. My three brothers were still failures. And Julia had hit rock bottom, failing her exams so badly she couldn't even get into a community college.

The night the results came out, she cried all night, the entire family gathered around to console her.

When she saw me, she lunged, her sharp nails leaving red scratches on my face. “It’s all your fault! Why wouldn’t you give me your luck?”

My third brother, startled, moved to stop her.

“I can’t even go to college!” she shrieked. “Can’t I even take my anger out on the person who caused it? Don’t you even care about me anymore?”

My parents said nothing, turning a blind eye to the scene.

My eldest brother took Julia’s hand. “Don’t worry, Julia,” he whispered. “We’ll get back at her for you.”

That night, my three brothers dragged me out of the house, blindfolded me, and dumped me in a dark, deserted alley.

“Julia, we’re leaving her here to teach her a lesson. This is for you.”

I cried out for them, but they never looked back. They left, laughing, on their way to take Julia to an amusement park.

The moment the light from their car disappeared, my heart turned to ice.

They wanted to punish me, but they forgot one thing. I was a lucky charm.

As I stumbled out of the alley, I cashed in all the good luck I had been withholding from my family for years, all for a single wish.

Moments later, a car pulled up beside me. “Whose child is this? Are you lost?”

I looked up and recognized her instantly. It was Mrs. Sterling, one of the most powerful and philanthropic women in the city.

Tears streamed down my face. “My brothers…” I sobbed, my voice trembling. “They’re throwing me away.”