Chapter 1The Monster I Raised

My mom got pregnant with a little brother.

When we went to the hospital for a checkup, we found out he had Jacobs Syndrome. Everyone told my mom to terminate the pregnancy.

My mom cried and refused to give him up. I asked her what Jacobs Syndrome meant.

She told me, “It means your brother is going to be the manliest of men. He’s going to protect you.”

I half-understood, until the year my brother turned seven, and he repeatedly smashed a brick into my mother’s head.

I think I finally understood what she meant by "the manliest of men."

* * *

When I was six years old, my mom got pregnant.

Once she was far enough along, my parents secretly paid someone to find out the gender. When my mom heard it was a boy, she was overjoyed.

Even though my dad always said having me, his sweet little girl, was enough, having a son had always been my mom’s ultimate wish.

Until the amniocentesis results came back, and everything changed.

They said my unborn brother had an XYY chromosome pattern.

The legendary "Super Male Syndrome."

I was eavesdropping outside the door. My dad was desperately trying to convince my mom to give it up. “Let it go. Having Lily is enough for us! The doctor even said kids like this have strong antisocial tendencies in the future. We can’t raise a child like that.”

Tears streamed down my mom’s face. She shook her head, clutching her stomach. “No, I can’t bear it. Look how big the baby already is. Are you really going to end your child’s life over one thing a doctor said?”

My dad hesitated, his brows furrowed tightly.

My mom said firmly, “Didn’t we raise Lily perfectly? I believe this child will be fine too. As long as we educate him properly…”

My dad was so frustrated he was left speechless. He went to the balcony to smoke alone, leaving my mom crying with red eyes.

I crept closer and asked, “Mommy, what does Super Male mean?”

My mom looked at me sadly, thought for a moment, and said, “It means your brother is going to be the manliest of men. He’s going to protect his big sister.”

I hesitated. “Will you only love my brother and not love me anymore?”

My mom stroked my head. “How could that happen? Mommy loves you the most.”

I smiled.

A few months later, my brother was born.

Everyone who saw him praised how beautiful he was. Big eyes, pale skin—he looked like an angel baby from a painting.

Whenever someone complimented him, my mom swelled with pride. She’d say, How could such an adorable baby ever be violent?

She vowed to spend her entire life loving him.

Wrapped in my mom’s protective love, my brother slowly grew. He started babbling in a cute baby voice and began to express his emotions.

It’s just that his way of expressing emotions was a little different from other kids.

If he didn’t like the carefully prepared baby food, he would just smack the bowl onto the floor.

If his toy car ran out of battery and stopped moving, he would fly into a rage, violently stomping and smashing the car against the floor. He was only happy once the toy was completely pulverized.

He had an extreme desire to destroy. Toys in our house never survived past the second day. When he ran out of toys to destroy, he’d move on to other things. It was as if destroying things brought him infinite joy.

No matter how my dad tried to discipline him, it was useless. My mom, however, stuck to positive reinforcement. “Good job, sweetie! Our baby is so strong!”

I felt wronged. I went to complain to my mom. “Why do you hit me when I break something, but you never hit my brother?”

My mom sighed. “Your brother is different. We have to guide him gently. Lily, you’re the older sister, you need to be understanding.”

I didn’t understand.

It was blatant favoritism.