Car Crash Proved Mom Never Loved Me

When we get into a car accident, I use all my strength to push my mother, Sheila Carver, out of the way. But after Mom is saved, she completely ignores me as I lie trapped under the wreckage. Instead, she immediately leads the rescue team over to my younger brother, Lance Howell, who has only scraped his knee, and frantically makes sure it gets disinfected and bandaged. With the last bit of my strength, I beg Mom to save me. But she simply shouts at me with annoyance, "Can't you pick a better time to fight for attention? Do you have any idea that Lance could have been left with a scar?" Soon after, I die from lack of urgent care, and my body turns cold. Mom, however, loses her mind overnight. Chapter 1 When I opened my eyes again, I saw Mom anxiously check on Lance's injuries. My corpse lay off to the side, all alone and completely ignored. Only after confirming that Lance's injuries were minor did Mom finally breathe a sigh of relief. She placed her hand over her heart and smiled with satisfaction. "Thank heavens. If anything had happened to you, I wouldn't have wanted to live either." Mom, who had never done anything but criticize and complain about me, actually spoke in such a concerned tone. Perhaps she was only dissatisfied with me. But the only reason she could stand there now, safe and sound, speaking like that, was that I had sacrificed myself. And yet, why wouldn't she even ask about me? Could they really accept this happiness built on my life with a clear conscience? The rescue team members who had hurried over glanced at me, then looked hesitantly at Mom. "Captain, your eldest son, Brett Howell, looks seriously injured. Does he really not need medical attention?" The moment she heard my name, Mom's smile vanished instantly. "Don't bother with that jinx! All he ever does is defy me! Lance is hurt, and he hasn't even come over to check on him. Instead, he's over there playing dead. He just had it in for Lance. I wouldn't want a heartless son like that." Those words stabbed deep into my heart like a sharp blade. The pain was so intense I nearly passed out. Even breathing became a luxury. Lance and I both came from the same womb, so why did Mom treat me this way? Was it all because of that year when she took Lance and me to visit her superior, Mr. Irving Kennedy, at his home? When Mom was leaving, she accidentally missed a step on the stairs. Just as she was about to fall, I rushed over and grabbed her hand, stopping what could have been a disaster. But in my frantic dash, I accidentally knocked over and broke Mr. Kennedy's vase. Mortified, Mom slapped me twice right in front of Mr. Kennedy. I talked back defiantly, and Mom immediately concluded I was an ungrateful brat who could never be raised right. After that, she poured all her heart and attention into Lance, and I became invisible at home. Not only did I have no standing whatsoever, but whenever Mom was in a bad mood, she would hit or curse me out as she pleased. It was nothing short of ridiculous, really. Lance was secretly delighted as he listened to the cold way Mom spoke about me. Yet, he still pretended to be concerned. "Mom, don't talk about Brett like that. He's just still upset, that's all." Mom, whose anger had just started to subside, completely changed her expression when she heard Lance speak up for me. "Lance, you're just too kind for your own good—that's why Brett keeps finding ways to hurt you over and over. Here you are, defending him, and he's just lying there. "You think a person like him even has a conscience? How can two brothers turn out so completely different? I would've been better off if he'd died the second he was born!" My mind went completely blank. I had never imagined that Mom hated me so much that she wished I had never existed. But Mom, I had really left this world. The moment I pushed her away, the truck rolled right over me. When that immense weight crushed down on my body, every organ inside me trembled. And even then, I was thinking about who would take care of Mom after I was gone. The despair I had felt before death engulfed me once again. But this time, I no longer had any belief left to keep me alive. Chapter 2 When Mom came home with Lance and opened the door, the person she saw sitting on the couch was none other than Esther Richmond. The moment I saw her, all my irritation vanished. Before I knew it, I was smiling. "Mrs. Howell, how's Brett's condition?" As expected of the girlfriend I had loved for years. No matter what others said behind my back, her feelings for me would never change. But just as I was brimming with joy, she suddenly took off the ring from her finger and pressed it into Mom's hand. "The reason I came this time was to break up with Brett." Those words struck me like a bolt from the blue. My smile hadn't even faded yet as I stared blankly at the ring—the one I had spent all my savings to buy. Mom quickly pushed Lance over to her side. She was very satisfied with Esther. Not only was Esther highly educated and beautiful, but she was also obedient and sensible. Most importantly, she came from a wealthy family background. Whoever married her would be set for the rest of their life. However, in Mom's heart, the person suited to be Esther's husband wasn't me, but her precious Lance. Mom placed the ring on the table beside her and looked Esther up and down with a beaming smile. "You should have broken up with Brett long ago. You're just wasting your time staying with a deadbeat like him with no drive whatsoever. A woman as exceptional as you deserves someone better—someone like Lance." At Mom's words, Esther's fair cheeks immediately flushed crimson. She lowered her head and stole a glance at Lance. "Actually, Mrs. Howell…" They were all adults, so of course everyone could see right through her. It turned out the two of them had been fooling around behind my back, and the whole family had conspired to keep it from me. Everyone I cared about had been lying to me. Even though I was already dead, I couldn't help but feel utterly devastated. I instinctively wanted to escape from this place, only to discover that, for some reason, I was firmly bound to Mom's side. I couldn't go anywhere at all. Mom thrust a glass of water into Esther's hands and let out a cold laugh as she looked at the ring. "I thought Brett said he was broke? Yet, he still bought such an expensive right. Not a single truthful word ever comes out of his mouth! Just because he's jealous of Lance, he deliberately staged that injury to win my sympathy. Oh, what have I ever done to give birth to such a monster like him?" To Mom, I was the most worthless person in the world. I couldn't even begin to compare to Lance, who was outstanding in both character and conduct. Even now, she still hadn't realized that if I hadn't risked my life to push her away, she would already be dead. I looked at Esther hopefully, wishing that for the sake of our years together, she would say a few fair words on my behalf. However, I was destined to be disappointed. She gazed at Lance affectionately and said, "For Brett to do something like that is just inhumane. Someone as wonderful as Lance shouldn't have to put up with being bullied by him." Those words struck me like a blow to the head, completely extinguishing every last hope I had for life. For the first time, I even began to wonder if I was truly as worthless as they all said. But I had clearly done my very best to treat them well, so why had it turned out this way? Mom casually tossed the ring that held all my feelings into the trash can. Esther didn't even spare it a single glance. After all, all her attention was now fixed on Lance. The air between the two of them was becoming increasingly charged with desire. It was as if the three of them were the real family, and I would always be the one who didn't belong. Chapter 3 I could never understand why Mom would treat me this way. When I was little, Mom was extremely strict with me. The slightest displeasure and she would fly into a rage, cursing and hitting me. As a young child, my body was practically covered in bruises and wounds, with not a single patch of unharmed skin. Even my school allowance was just a measly few bucks. At lunch, all I could do was gnaw on a stale bread roll while gazing enviously at the other students. Lance, on the other hand, had everything handed to him on a silver platter. Anything he desired, he could get it effortlessly with just a bit of wheedling. But I never resented them. Instead, I worked even harder and got into a business school. Just when I thought everything would change after I found a job, Mom called and ordered me to send my salary home every month, leaving me a measly 500 dollars to keep. Though I didn't understand why, I still did as I was told. This left me living in dire straits in a bustling city, surviving almost entirely on instant noodles every day. I didn't even dare to have any kind of social life. Meanwhile, Lance used my salary to buy a car and a house back in our hometown, living the life I had always dreamed of. I once confronted Mom and asked her why she treated me this way, only to have her throw a handful of walnut shells right into my face. "You still have the nerve to ask? Do you really think I don't know about all the filthy things you've done behind our backs? When you were little, you had someone corner Lance in the bathroom and bully him. "After you grew up, you stole Lance's money. And he still covered up for you. If I hadn't read his diary, how many more years would I have been kept in the dark?" My brain short-circuited for a moment. I was absolutely certain that I had never done any of those things. In fact, the one who had been bullied at school was always me. Lance had paid older students to corner me in the bathroom every day and torment me, just to make my life miserable. So, how did I end up becoming the guilty one instead? When I saw Lance snickering off to the side, it all became perfectly clear to me. I rushed forward like a madman and grabbed his arm. "Hurry up and explain to Mom that it wasn't like that!" But to my surprise, he immediately burst into tears. "Don't hit me, Brett! I'll give you all the money! Just don't send people to bully me anymore!" His words successfully ignited Mom's fury. She grabbed a stick from the ground and swung it straight at me. The force was so great it nearly knocked me unconscious. I knelt on the ground and begged Mom to treat me a little better, but she kicked me away as if afraid of catching some kind of disease. "If only you had even half of Lance's sensibilities! The very thought that I gave birth to you makes me sick!" From then on, I learned to be silent. It dawned on me that I was completely expendable in this household. No matter how much Lance bullied me, I endured it all quietly because I knew I had no one in my corner. There was nobody who would ever take my side. That was, until Esther appeared. She stood in the sunlight and smiled at me, and it felt as if hope had returned to my life once again. I started working myself to the bone to give her a good life. Yet, I never expected that Lance would even try to rob me of this rare bit of happiness. Thunder roared outside the window, and a torrential rain suddenly poured down. Mom's voice just happened to reach my ears. "That little brat won't even answer my calls now. If he doesn't get his sorry ass back here and admit he was wrong, I'll cut all ties with him." My cracked, dry lips parted and then closed again. She'd never have to lose her temper over me again, for she would never see me again. Chapter 4 The day of Lance's follow-up appointment, Mom made a point of taking leave so she could take him out and take his mind off things. I remembered when I had a high fever and lay unconscious in bed, Mom had refused to stay home to take care of me. The excuse she gave was that work came first. So, why had that changed now? It turned out that for Lance, she was willing to set aside every last one of her principles. I gently closed my eyes, unwilling to dwell any longer on all the grievances I had suffered in the past. But when I saw how tenderly Mom asked about Lance's health, I still felt jealous. She carefully read through the medical report in her hands. "The doctor said you don't have any major problems—you're pretty much all better now. I just knew it—someone as blessed as you always lands on their feet. There was no way anything bad was going to happen to you." When I saw her relax, I wished so badly I could remind her that she still had another son. Perhaps a trace of conscience still remained, because Mom finally remembered me, her eldest son, who had been completely cast aside and forgotten. She furrowed her brows and asked, "Has Brett not contacted you during this time either?" At the mention of my name, Lance tensed up for a moment. Then, he forced a casual smile and said, "He's never wanted to talk to me anyway, so of course he wouldn't contact me. Mom, let's just go home." With that, he hurriedly stood up and reached for Mom's hand, anxious that she might think of me again. But this time, Mom actually pulled her hand back, looking somewhat doubtful. In the past, no matter how big a tantrum I threw, I would always come crawling back within a few days to admit my mistakes. So, how could it be that now there wasn't a single message from me? Could something really have happened to me? But she quickly dismissed that thought. After all, my character was so rotten beyond belief that I was probably hiding somewhere, living it up, and making them worry on purpose. Mom smiled at Lance. "You must be tired. I'll go pay the fees and then take you home. I bought lots of your favorite things to cook you a big sumptuous meal today." Lance finally breathed a sigh of relief and nodded quickly. Mom knocked on the doctor's office door and handed over Lance's medical records. After the doctor gave a few instructions, Mom casually asked, "When was Brett discharged from the hospital? Why hasn't he come home yet? As far as I can see, it was just a minor injury—is there really any need for him to make such a big fuss about it?" She rambled on, completely unaware that the doctor had suddenly stopped writing. By the time she sensed something was off, the doctor's expression had already grown deeply troubled. "Are you really not aware of what happened to Brett?" Mom found it strange. "He hasn't even come home, so how would I know? Don't tell me he's caused trouble again. All that good-for-nothing ever does is cause me trouble every single day!" As a mother, her first reaction wasn't to worry about my safety, but to suspect that I had gotten into trouble. When things between a mother and son had come to this, there was really nothing left to speak of. The doctor let out a heavy sigh, then pulled out a medical file and placed it on the table. "Brett passed away on the day of the car accident. His injuries were too severe to be treated. His death was rather tragic. I'm so sorry for your loss." The office instantly fell into silence. Mom stared at the file marked "Deceased" in her trembling hands. Her mind went completely blank, leaving only the doctor's somewhat sympathetic words echoing, "Brett has already passed away. It was a car accident. It's a pity—if he had been brought in earlier, there might still have been a chance to save him."