After I Severed the Kinship Bond, My Whole Family Regretted It Chapter 02

After I Severed the Kinship Bond, My Whole Family Regretted It Chapter 02

Every year on the day our Kinship Bond came up for renewal, I brought Mom a gift.

If I showed up empty-handed, she’d drag out the renewal.

She always waited until I was panicking and in tears before finally agreeing, as if she were doing me some enormous favor.

Luckily, the bracelet hadn’t shipped yet.

The $307 refund hit my account.

Once I had enough to cover the clinic bill, I opened the Pack Registry app. I stared at the renewal screen for two seconds, then moved my thumb to the lower-right corner.

“Decline Renewal.”

Warning after warning appeared.

“Please consider carefully. Severing a Kinship Bond can cause severe distress to both parties. Do you wish to continue?”

Confirm.

“After declining renewal, you will have five days to match with a new family. You may withdraw this request at any time during that period. Continue?”

Confirm.

At almost the exact same moment, a message popped up in the concert staff group chat.

Another photo of my sister at the show filled the screen.

“No way, that’s Lyra Vance! She’s one of Rex’s biggest superfans. She never misses a show, and she always gets floor seats!”

Unlike me.

Most of the people taking temp shifts at the arena were fans themselves, so they knew exactly who Lyra Vance was.

I was the only one there because I genuinely needed the money.

The second someone recognized her, another message popped up.

“I know her! She’s my roommate. Lyra is seriously loaded. She gets like fifteen hundred to twenty grand a month just for spending money. Her skincare is like a thousand dollars a bottle, she barely repeats outfits, and she’s always taking us out to eat. Oh, and the last time she traveled, she brought gifts back for all of us.”

“She barely buys basics herself because her mom keeps her stocked with everything. Her mom calls every night too. They’ll talk for an hour and still not want to hang up.”

“And every time Rex has a show, Lyra just mentions it and her parents drop everything to go with her. God, if I were Lyra, I’d be the happiest person alive. Her parents are literally perfect.”

I stared at the messages.

I didn’t say anything.

In college, my parents sent me five hundred dollars a month. It barely kept me fed, never mind toiletries, skincare, or going out with clubs and classmates.

I’d handed out flyers, picked up shifts in the dining hall, and tutored. One family refused to pay me, then turned around and accused me of mistreating their kid. They complained to my school and demanded money from me instead.

Once, after living on instant ramen for days, I couldn’t take it anymore. I carefully texted Mom and asked if she could send me another two hundred dollars. Her reply dripped with contempt.

“Five hundred dollars isn’t enough? What do you want me to do, bankroll your whole life? I can’t believe you even asked.”

“Stop being so obsessed with money and appearances. Focus on school. You’re an adult now. If you need more money, get a job. We’re not going to support you forever.”

“Your sister gets the same five hundred a month, and I don’t give her a cent more. She never comes begging me for money. You’re two years older than she is, and you’re always asking for something. What exactly do you think I owe you?”

Heat crawled up my face as I avoided my roommate’s curious glance.

Even calling my parents just to hear their voices felt like too much to ask.

I watched my roommates laugh with their parents on the phone, teasing them and whining in that easy, affectionate way people did when they knew they were loved. Of course I envied them. But whenever I called Mom, her voice went cold. She’d barely give me two minutes before finding an excuse to hang up.

I’d always assumed Lyra was treated the same way. I’d even worried about her, wondering if she was struggling too.

Now strangers were telling me my parents knew perfectly well how to love a child.

They just didn’t love me.