Chapter 3My Family's Favorite Joke: I'm a Thief

I developed myocarditis as a complication of acute influenza, thanks to the cold I caught the other day. The doctor admitted me to the hospital and informed my parents of it while I was out cold.

After Mom and Dad learned about this, they actually came to visit me at the hospital, something they would never have done in their lives.

Mom even brought a hot thermal flask of broccoli cheddar soup.

I was in complete shock and disbelief. Mom and Dad never treated me well in the past. Although they wouldn't starve me or make me freeze to death at night, they still never went out of their way to provide anything else for me.

Justin could just act spoiled and clingy with them without a second thought and get whatever he wanted, but I couldn't.

Even if I were craving bacon, it would never appear at home unless Justin himself wanted it too. If so, Dad would get up early in the morning to buy it just for him.

"I brought you some shrimp as well. You used to like it in the past, remember?" Mom said. "I spent a long time making this soup. Try some."

I snapped back to the present and saw Mom and Dad looking at me in concern. They even said that they would buy me a new car as my wedding gift.

Mom and Dad stayed at the hospital for the next few days to take care of me. I naively thought that they'd finally come to their senses and were finally treating me like their child. After all, every parent had to still love their child no matter what, right?

However, on the day I was discharged from the hospital, Justin and Madeline came over and placed a wedding photo album on the bed.

Justin grinned at me and said, "Jasper, since you were hospitalized, Mom and Dad asked me to take wedding photos with Maddie on your behalf. What do you think of them?

"I mean, I kind of look like you, after all."

I thought that I'd misheard him at first. However, when I looked at the photos on the bed, I felt my mind suddenly stop working for a moment.

I looked up at Madeline and asked shakily, "What is the meaning of all this? I'm the one who's marrying you! Why is Justin taking photos with you on my behalf?"

Mom explained.

"You were hospitalized, weren't you? That's why we told Justin to step in for you."

At that, Justin massaged her shoulders and said, "It's all thanks to Mom and Dad's help too."

Mom sighed. "If it weren't for the sake of covering for you, I would never have had to travel all the way here to take care of your brother at the hospital and get all exhausted like this…"

Dad glared at her the moment she said that. Mom then only realized her slip of the tongue and clamped a hand over her mouth.

My lips twitched. I gripped the hospital sheets tightly.

So, they had only come to look after me at the hospital so Justin could take the wedding photos with Madeline on my behalf.

"So, does this mean that you're also going to get Justin to step in as me at the wedding too?" I asked.

Madeline's face paled. Just as she was about to say something, Dad roared at me, "Your mom and I have been tirelessly taking care of you at the hospital for days, and this is how you repay us, you ungrateful brat?"

Madeline softened her tone and comforted me. "I was just treating Justin as a younger brother. Don't hold this against him.

"I'm still going to be marrying you when the time comes. But if you feel unhappy about it, we can always retake the wedding photos. We can even register our marriage ahead of time—"

I interrupted her and said calmly, "Forget it. We're not registering the marriage anymore."

Madeline was stunned. Yet, Mom and Dad were absolutely delighted.

Justin spoke up at once.

"That's good. Maddie, if you ever regret being with Jasper next time, you won't even need to bother with divorce."

His words were meant to provoke me, just as always. However, for once, I agreed with him.