Chapter 3

I wasn't trying to flatter myself when I said those words. Ever since I was a kid, I had this fated luck aura. As long as I was around, the family prospered.

Ever since my aura activated, Arthur’s failing business suddenly took off, making him a multi-millionaire CEO. Victoria, who was on the verge of being laid off, got promoted all the way to becoming a celebrity dance instructor.

Because of the blessing of my aura, Brandon was hailed as a math genius, and Chloe was praised as a prodigy dancer.

I blessed everyone in that house, yet I was treated like a parasite. And now, they had abandoned me.

The firstborn is the pride, the youngest is the spoiled baby, and the middle child is just the invisible punching bag. Classic Middle Child Syndrome.

I was always the extra one.

In their world, there was never any room for me.

I still remember when we were kids. When Brandon won a math competition, Arthur bought him a ten-thousand-dollar gaming rig without blinking. When Chloe performed on stage, Victoria would proudly present her with massive bouquets of flowers.

And me? I brought home straight A’s and top-tier trophies year after year. All I got in return was cold mockery.

Victoria wouldn't even look up from her phone. "Stop wasting time on useless things. Who knows if you cheated just to get attention."

Arthur tore my certificates into shreds. "Can this paper buy food? Can it make money? You're just trying to copy Brandon to beg for presents, aren't you? Stop embarrassing us."

All my hard work, all my proof of worth, was nothing but trash to be stepped on in their eyes.

What hurt even more was that they always "forgot" to send me lunch money, while Brandon and Chloe’s accounts were always loaded on time, often with extra bonuses.

Arthur was a wealthy CEO, and Victoria was a famous instructor, yet their middle son almost starved to death. How ironic.

Outside the courthouse, when they heard me talk about my luck aura, they laughed.

Arthur sneered, "A luck aura? You? You don't deserve it! My company is successful because of my own hard work! It has absolutely nothing to do with a loser like you!"

Victoria scoffed, "Lying just to get our attention. You're trying to take credit for our hard work. You are rotten to the core. Thank god we didn't choose you."

Brandon glared at me, his voice full of arrogance. "Ethan! How dare you curse our family! You're disgusting!"

Chloe looked at me with pure disdain. "No wonder Mom and Dad hate you. You only know how to throw tantrums because you're incompetent. Look at yourself."

Faced with their insults, I shut my mouth. They would cry soon enough.

I left without even going back to pack my things.

That house had never had a place for me anyway. I slept in the cramped utility closet and wore Brandon’s old hand-me-downs.

The SATs were only a few days away. This was my last chance, my only ticket out. I had to fight with everything I had. Otherwise, I would truly be ruined for life.

But once I started living on my own, I was shocked to find myself completely transformed. My mind was clearer than ever. Even the hardest prep questions felt incredibly easy.

I even bought a few scratch-offs at a gas station and won several thousand dollars in a row.

A thought flashed through my mind: "Now that I’ve cut ties with them, my luck aura is finally blessing ME. Because I am my own family now."

This realization made me ecstatic. The scales of fate were finally tipping in my favor.