After Levi was born, she began to resent him for always siding with me, convinced that his loyalty was nothing but ingratitude and betrayal.
There was a time when Tiffany would at least defend me now and then, but those days were long gone. Now, her eyes were locked on Peter, admiration gleaming in her gaze as if he were some priceless treasure.
Peter met my stare with a subtle, taunting smirk before turning to support my mother-in-law, his voice laced with false concern.
"Auntie, you’re getting older; you shouldn’t let things upset you. If it pleases you, Gabriel can be your grandson from now on."
Her face lit up with joy, showering him with endless praise, as if he were the most considerate man in the world.
Peter then guided the young man toward me, a bright, insincere smile on his face.
"Long time no see, Joseph. My condolences. We just got back from abroad and didn’t have time to change, but you’re a magnanimous man; I’m sure you won’t mind, right?"
He paused briefly, then added with casual ease, "Oh, by the way, this is my son, Gabriel."
Gabriel carried a striking resemblance to Tiffany, at least fifty or sixty percent. His gaze swept over me with open disdain before he sneered, his voice laced with arrogance.
"Uncle, you’re really ugly."
Then, as if I were nothing more than an invisible speck, he reached out to Tiffany with effortless familiarity, completely disregarding my presence.
"Mom, didn’t you promise that when Dad and I came back, you’d have presents for us? My eighteenth birthday is in two days. Last year, you only gave me ninety-nine gifts, so this year, I want a hundred."
Tiffany didn’t so much as acknowledge the insult he had just thrown at me. Instead, she let out a soft sigh before gently patting his head, her touch filled with indulgence.
"I know."
With careful hands, she took out a longevity lock and fastened it around Gabriel’s neck, her gaze brimming with motherly affection.
As if that wasn’t enough, she snapped her fingers. Outside the funeral home, the deep rumble of engines filled the air as more than ten brightly colored sports cars pulled up in perfect formation.
"Here, Mommy knows you love bright colors. These are all yours."
Peter wrinkled his nose, clinging to Tiffany’s arm like a spoiled child. "Tiffany, what about me? You can’t just spoil our son and forget about me!"
Tiffany playfully tapped his nose, her voice dripping with amusement. "Of course, I didn’t forget about you."
The moment her words fell, doors swung open. From each car, two attendants stepped out, their arms laden with over thirty sets of luxury jewelry and watches. The collection was an opulent display, different styles, rare materials, intricate designs, but they all had one thing in common: extravagance beyond imagination.
One of the rings had even graced the hand of a royal prince from a kingdom.
Peter kissed Tiffany’s cheek, his boyish grin brimming with excitement.
"Wow! Aren’t these the pieces from that European royal auction the other day? Even the cheapest one was worth over a billion. You bought them all for me? Tiffany, you really spoil us. But spending so much money… Joseph won’t get mad, will he?"
Levi’s funeral had been reduced to nothing more than a grand showcase of wealth, a parade of luxury cars and priceless jewels, completely eclipsing the reason we were even here.
Unshaven, dressed in an outdated black suit, my eyes swollen like walnuts, I stood in sharp contrast to Peter, impeccably groomed, glowing with effortless charm.
And to think, the gifts Tiffany had given Levi over the years didn’t even amount to a fraction of one of Gabriel’s sports cars.
Ridiculous. Truly ridiculous.
Only then did Tiffany seem to remember I existed. She cleared her throat, her tone awkward as she fumbled for an explanation.
"Joseph, don’t take this the wrong way. Peter and Gabriel are just used to customs abroad; this was simply a gesture of courtesy."
"You heard just now that Mom has recognized Gabriel as her grandson. It’s only natural for him to call me Mom. His birthday is coming up and I just wanted to do something nice for him. As for the longevity lock, it’s just…"
Before she could finish, Peter suddenly staggered, his body lurching forward as he collapsed into her arms, his voice frail and pitiful.
"Tiffany… my head… everything’s spinning… I think I might have heatstroke…"
Tiffany instantly abandoned me, rushing to steady him, her face etched with worry.
"How did this happen? I had an entire summer villa built just for you so you wouldn’t suffer in the heat. You could’ve rested there, but no, you insisted on coming to this dreadful place. Come on, I’ll take you somewhere to rest."
