Chapter 3

As she gently told Matthew to rest, my mom received a call from Amy.

"Amy, when does your business trip end? Your brother is waiting for you to watch his match!" Before Amy could even respond, she rushed to ask.

The day I was brought home, Mom and Dad stayed with a sobbing Matthew. Only Amy held my hand, brought me inside, and told me not to be afraid. The only warmth I ever felt in that house came from her.

On the other end of the phone, Amy paused in surprise. "Is it Ethan's math competition? Isn't that next month?"

Mom cut him off angrily. "Oh my, not Ethan again! Matthew is the brother you've known for years! How many times do I have to tell you? Ethan was raised outside and filled with bad habits. He doesn't deserve to be part of the Lambert family."

I could hear Amy sigh, as if she could not understand Mom's hostility toward me. "Mom, sometimes you shouldn't believe everything Matthew says. Ethan is kind and hardworking. If you paid more attention to him, you'd see that.

"I just called Ethan, but he didn't answer. He hasn't responded to the texts I sent a few days ago either. Isn't he home?"

Mom scoffed coldly. "He can come and go as he pleases. I'm not going to keep him on a leash, am I? He’s probably out causing trouble again. Tomorrow is Matthew's tennis match. If you can't make it, that's fine."

After a pause, she added harshly, "Tell Ethan that if he doesn't show up for Matthew's match tomorrow, he better not come home at all. Honestly, it's better if he’s not here."

Amy tried to defend me, but mom coldly hung up on her.

Dad walked in just as she was fuming. Seeing her upset, he asked, "Is it the case? Is the body difficult?"

Mom shook her head and complained, "It's not the body. It's Ethan again. He probably called Amy to complain, and now she is playing along with his disappearing act."

Dad let out a heavy breath. "He knows we're busy, but he’s still pulling these stunts. So irresponsible! I'll call him and straighten this out right now."

But every time he called, it went straight to voicemail.

"Ungrateful boy. We would've been better off never finding him. All he does is bring trouble!"

Standing nearby, Chester overheard everything. He sighed and said, "Back when Ethan was kidnapped, the two of you took a year off work to find him. Now that he’s back, it's like he's your enemy."

I bit my lip, bitterness filling my mouth.

The boy they brought home was not the one they had imagined. I was shy, awkward, and lacking in manners.

When I was fifteen and finally reunited with them, my parents sat in the grand living room. They were holding a sobbing Matthew and comforting him with patience.

I stood there in patched-up clothes, staring down at my worn rubber shoes with a toe sticking out.

Matthew stopped crying when he saw me. He pretended to be innocent and asked, "Who's this little beggar?"

My parents' expressions darkened. It was not because of what Matthew said, but because of me. Their disappointing son did not meet their expectations.

"Mr. Lambert, Dr. Zimmer, I checked the records, and there haven't been any missing persons reports filed in the last couple of days," a police officer said, approaching with the report in hand.

"Could the family not even notice their son’s missing? Maybe things aren't great at home?

"Can you believe some parents wouldn't even care about their child going missing?"

Hearing the murmurs around me, I could not help but feel a wave of sadness. It was so heavy that I could barely breathe.

My parents were worried about the victim's family for not filing a report in time, feeling sympathy for them.

Yet they never once considered whether I was safe during the days I had been missing.

Back when I was kidnapped, they were willing to abandon their jobs to search for me. But now, they assumed my disappearance was just a ploy for attention.

Maybe I never should have returned to the Lambert family after being found.

This was Matthew's home, not mine.

The years when they cared most about me had long been taken over by Matthew.

The love and affection that should have been mine would never come my way again.