As three years went by, my elder sister was no longer the sister I once knew. She had become Kevin’s elder sister instead.
I clearly understood she would not side with me, but I still carried a tiny bit of hope, hoping she would speak up for me and take my part. Yet that final bit of hope turned to ashes under her questioning.
My heart went cold. I took the vintage watch off my wrist and raised it in front of my sister and Kevin.
“Kevin likes this vintage watch. Lorraine, are you saying I should hand it to him?”
Once her eyes fell on the vintage watch, Lorraine’s face shifted, and she didn’t dare make a sound.
This was the Dasom family’s hundred-year ancestral vintage watch, the symbol of the Dasom family, marking identity. How could someone from outside wear it, let alone want it?
If she dared say it should go to Kevin, she might end up kneeling in the memorial chapel tomorrow.
“Lorraine, why don’t you go ask our uncles? Can this be handed to Kevin?”
“Since I didn’t dare decide on my own, I chose not to agree. But I never thought that Kevin’s sad tears would make you and Yvonne rush to defend him.”
“If that’s how it is, I’ll let you decide. This vintage watch, give it to whoever you choose.”
I set the vintage watch lightly on the table.
Lifting his eyes, Kevin stared at it, a flash of pure joy showing in them.
The diamonds and gemstones on the watch were worth a fortune. From the first moment he saw it, he had taken a liking to it.
More than once, he had cried softly before my sister and Yvonne, hinting again and again at how much he admired the watch.
Their hearts hurt for him so quickly that they didn’t even bother asking anything; they hurried to back him up and scold me.
Then the vintage watch sat in front of him.
With only one word from my sister, it would become his, just like everything else he had taken from me before.
“Ridiculous!”
My uncle slammed the table.
“Lorraine, you are Kirk’s elder sister! How can you act like this?”
“Is this vintage watch something you hand to some stray cat or dog? You want your younger brother to give it to someone from outside? Are you planning to break the Dasom family’s rules?”
“Where did all your teachings and family rules go?”
“Go kneel in the memorial chapel and copy the family rules once!”
My sister tried to explain, “Uncle, no, it’s not what you think. I didn’t know it was that vintage watch!”
Then she turned toward me in anger. “Kirk, you did this on purpose, didn’t you? You knew how important this watch is, yet you purposely misled me, made me stand with Kevin, and now you let the elders scold me?!”
“How could you be so scheming? When did you turn into someone like this? You really let me down.”
“I once thought you were a reasonable younger brother, but I didn’t expect you to be this kind of person.”
I stared at her.
“What kind of person do you think I am? The sort who is ‘stubborn’ because I won’t hand my things to Kevin? The sort who is ‘picking on him’ because I won’t give up my room for him?”
“In your eyes, I’m nothing. I never even hoped you would help me. But every time, before hearing what truly happened, you rush to defend Kevin. Is that also something I should take the blame for?”
“If anyone must be blamed, blame my bad luck for not having an elder sister who will ever speak up for me.”
Turning pale, Kevin lowered himself to his knees in front of me.
“Kirk, please don’t be upset. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have wanted something that isn’t mine.”
“It is your fault.”
I stopped him before he could apologize.
“If you didn’t keep trying to take things that belong to others, how would something like this happen?”
“Has the Dasom family not treated you well enough? You’re given the best food and clothes. You said you wanted to learn piano, so the Dasom family brought in a well-known teacher for you. You said you wanted to learn painting, and the Dasom family invited a respected professor to guide you. You have never been treated badly.”
“But even with all that, you’re still not content, you still want to take everything that should be mine.”
