After Mom took the money, she and Dad both warned me not to tell Brian. I agreed—he was young and couldn't help anyway.
But the protection only made him bolder. Eight thousand dollar iPhones, sixteen thousand dollar gaming laptops, even the trips he took with girls were put on my tab. I had no choice but to take part-time jobs and I'd often faint from low blood sugar.
When Brian went to university and I started working full-time, my parents insisted I cover his tuition and living expenses.
"There's a lot of medical spending in this family. We can't afford to support your brother's schooling anymore. We raised you—it's time you give back."
Under that moral pressure, I obediently handed most of my salary to my mother.
When Brian graduated and found work, I thought I could finally breathe. I planned to tell him the truth about our family finances—but my mother strongly opposed it and threatened something worse.
"Your brother is a man. He'll marry and have children someday. Don't add pressure to him!"
Even now, I keep transferring money to cover my mother's medicines. From college through my working years, my youth and every dollar I earned went to this family. Not once did I live for myself. Yet my parents wouldn't lift a finger to defend me. It chilled me to the bone.
I couldn't stand it any longer and stormed out of the private room.
Behind me came Brian's sneer. "Small talent but a big temper."
My eldest aunt sighed. "If Florence had been as capable as Brian, you wouldn't have so many white hairs."
My mother's voice was low but it still cut me. "Exactly. She's the one I worry about most in this family."
I stayed in the restroom a long time, trying to steady my racing heart. When I came out, I heard my parents whispering in a corner.
"Did you call Dalton?"
"I did. He's on his way."
"We promised to find him a wife, and in return, he agreed to let Brian join the company. Who would've thought he'd take a liking to Florence."
"Today is the perfect chance for them to grow closer. Once Florence marries into his family, we can rightfully ask Dalton to give Brian a position. A happy ending for everyone."
"Just don’t let Brian know. That boy is proud and insists on standing on his own. But right now, he can’t make it on his own. While we still have the power to help, we should help him more."
Hearing my parents speak, a chill spread through me. My body felt rooted to the ground, my limbs frozen stiff.
I knew my parents doted on Brian and were willing to support him without reservation, but I never imagined they would sacrifice my entire future for his success.
Dalton was a distant relative of my father, forty-five this year, and once spent five years in prison for forcing a female employee to sleep with him.
The urge to rush out and scream at them burned in my chest, but then my mother’s words struck me like a blow.
“If Florence refuses, I’ll just use falsified medical records to force her hand. Her heart is too soft—this will go smoothly.”
My father clasped her hand, his voice calm, almost approving. “You always have good ideas. All these years, faking illness to squeeze money from her let us save enough to buy Brian a house and a car. Later, Dalton can help with his mortgage and loans. Life will be easy for us.”
I jerked my head up, staring in disbelief. Their voices were so casual, as if they were discussing the weather. It seemed perfectly normal to them.
So Brian hadn't just been coddled—everything he owned was built on my sacrifices.
By the time I regained my senses, my parents had already stepped out from behind the corner.
They froze when they saw me standing there.
"Florence... when did you come out?"
My throat felt stuffed with wet cotton. The questions, the accusations clawed at me, but not a single word would leave my tongue.
