Father's Birthday Cake

When Mom found me, she sighed in relief. "Don't worry about your brother, Yvonne. He's a good boy, he won't run off. Let's go home. What if bad people catch you?"

Dad took me home on his bicycle.

My brother's room was emptied, the walls painted pink, and a new desk and lamp were bought.

Mom served steaming roasted pork and freshly stewed ribs.

"Surprise! We prepared this for you."

Seeing Dad's frostbitten hands and Mom's bent posture, my nose felt stuffy, and my breath caught.

My brother eventually returned home.

He didn't have any complaints. Although he liked studying, he obeyed Mom and Dad and dropped out.

On weekends, he would sneak to my school to see me, bringing me little snacks.

It felt like there was no unhappiness between us despite our parents' blatant favoritism.

I studied hard.

I was afraid to relax, fearing I would disappoint my family.

After the SAT scores were released this year, I immediately called Mom with the new iPhone she bought me.

"Mom, I'm the top scorer in the state! I got into MIT!"

Mom's voice on the other end of the line trembled with emotion. "Good, good! Honey, Yvonne got into MIT! I knew our Yvonne would be successful."

That afternoon, they sent me photos in the family group chat, showing me a pink birthday cake, an exquisite doll, and a long birthday letter from my brother.

Yet I felt no waves in my heart.

I didn't want to keep pretending anymore.

I was so tired.

I wished they would die.

My little brother, eyes bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead, pulled back his fist and punched me, but I easily dodged.

I looked down at him as he stumbled and fell to the floor. "Do you really think I don't know? After all these years, doesn't your conscience hurt?"

Breathing hard, he replied, "Why should my conscience hurt? You have no idea how envious I've been of you over the years. I always told myself, you're my sister, and it's only natural that Mom and Dad love you. I don't care if you bully me, but how can you treat Mom and Dad like this?"

My classmates stared in shock, many whipping out their phones to stream my behavior live.

"Everyone, take a look at this ungrateful brat! Her parents and brother worked so hard to support her education, yet she wants to disown them, saying they haven't given her a life of luxury! I've never seen someone so shameless!"

"It's embarrassing to sit next to her! How could someone like her become the top scorer in the state? I suggest a thorough investigation!"

My brother gritted his teeth. "Why do you treat Mom and Dad like this? Why?"

I casually bent down to pick up the already deformed cake.

"Do you really want to know? Fine, I'll show you what's really in the cake!"

Dad, terrified, rushed over to grab me, but Steven held him back.

"Yvonne, don't open it here! There's a surprise in the cake! You must open it in your dorm!"

Mom scrambled to try and snatch the cake from me. She slipped, falling to the floor, and the principal immediately helped her up. "Let her cut it open! I want to see what her excuse is! I don't care what's in the cake, she can't treat her parents like this! She's a disgrace to our school!"

I chuckled lightly, ripped open the cake box, picked up the plastic knife, and sliced through the cake.

The next second, everyone's eyes widened in shock.

I heard a collective gasp.