The Son They Never Wanted Became the One They Needed Chapter 09

The Son They Never Wanted Became the One They Needed Chapter 09

After that day,
They never came looking for me again.
Four years passed in the blink of an eye.
I earned direct admission into graduate school and was also accepted into an exchange program at one of Ivy League schools.
My days were busy but fulfilling.
Everything that had happened with my family felt like something from another lifetime.
The day I left for the airport, I stood in line for the security checkpoint with a small suitcase.
By chance, I glanced toward the sidewalk nearby.
I saw Mom.
And Logan.
Mom had aged even more.
Her back was noticeably bent as she hurried alongside Logan, talking nonstop.
“When you get to the audition, keep your temper under control.”
“Don’t make faces.”
“Be polite to the director.”

“I had to call in so many favors just to get you this opportunity.”

Logan walked ahead without slowing down.

Heavy makeup covered his face.

His expression was filled with impatience.

Over the years, I’d occasionally heard bits and pieces about them from old classmates.

Logan had gotten into a performing arts conservatory.

His looks were undeniable.

But the entertainment industry was full of beautiful people.

Growing up, he’d been spoiled by the entire family.

He’d never learned discipline.

He refused to put in the work to improve his acting.

And our family didn’t have the money or connections to pave the way for him.

After drifting through four years of college.

He graduated and simply stayed home.

Every audition he landed came from Mom begging people for favors.

Vanessa’s life wasn’t any smoother.

She’d started dating someone the year before.

Now they were talking about marriage.

Her family needed money for the wedding.

But over the past few years, Logan had spent most of the family’s savings.

Designer bags.

Expensive cosmetics.

One questionable acting workshop after another.

The siblings had argued about money more times than anyone could count.

Whenever I heard those stories,

I felt nothing.

The love.

The favoritism.

The fairness I’d once desperately fought for.

None of it mattered anymore.

A boarding announcement echoed through the terminal.

The clear voice of the airport announcer filled the hall.

I looked away.

Wrapped my hand around the handle of my suitcase.

And walked toward my gate without looking back.

Beyond the windows,
The sky stretched endlessly.

And the road ahead belonged to me alone.