Chapter 1

"Alex, I'm buying you an apartment next year."

My mother, who always favored Chloe over me, suddenly announced this at dinner.

The entire dining table fell silent.

After all, we hadn't spoken properly in twenty years, ever since I witnessed her affair.

The next second, my sister's angry voice cut through the quiet.

"Mom, why?! Alex is a grown man, he has hands and feet, why would you buy *him* an apartment?"

"I'm getting married soon! If all the money goes to him, what about me?!"

With that, Chloe slammed her forks down and stormed off.

My father, who always claimed to love me the most, panicked at my mother's sudden show of kindness.

"Chloe's right. She's getting married soon; she needs enough savings so her fiancé doesn't look down on her."

"Alex, you're a man; you should take on more responsibility. If you're worried about not having money for a wedding, you can always find a rich girl to marry and move in with her family, become a house husband, whatever!"

"What do you say, Alex?"

I stared at him blankly, nodding stiffly.

My father breathed a sigh of relief.

But this time, I didn't listen to him.

Later, when he saw the three property deeds in my hand, my father's composure finally shattered.