I Don’t Want to Be the Heir

On the third New Year’s Eve since I reunited with my parents, I bumped into their former adopted son, who stole the happy life that I was supposed to have for the past twenty years. Adam Scott was once an arrogant, wealthy young man. However, he was now working as a food delivery rider. As he was more than ten minutes late delivering the food, he kept apologizing to me. “Sir, I’m really sorry. The roads are slippery because of the snow. I fell and spilled your food. “I can compensate you twice the amount. Please don’t leave a negative review for me.” Before I could speak, my parents already teared up and comforted him out of habit. “Don’t worry about the food, Adam. Are you hurt? It’s New Year’s Eve; come in and join us for dinner.” My hand tightened around the doorknob as I reminded them, “Mom, Dad, we only have enough utensils for three people.” Chapter 1 My parents were slightly stunned. It was as if they had suddenly come to a realization as they looked at me guiltily. As my parents remained silent, Adam Scott walked away with a limp. I shut the door and met my mother’s slightly awkward gaze. “Dylan, it must be hard for him to deliver food in such cold weather. We don’t necessarily need that dish anyway. Can you not give him a negative review?” Even though she sounded like she was seeking my opinion, it was clear that she was concerned about Adam. I nodded and gave a five-star rating as she watched. She only sat down in relief after that. There were a variety of dishes on the dining table, but my favorite grilled ribs were not there. No one started eating. I looked down at my prosthetic leg and felt a little suffocated. Back then, when they found out I was the real son, Adam planned a car accident on my journey home and caused me to lose my left calf because he wanted to secure his position as the successor. Initially, I wanted him to end up in prison. My parents begged me and promised that they would cut him off, so I let him off the hook. Throughout the past three years, we did not bring up Adam’s name at all. However, I knew that they had not truly forgotten about him. They did not remember that I like sweet things. They would always cook Adam’s favorite savory dishes. Even though they knew that I was allergic to dogs, they were unwilling to send away Adam’s childhood golden retriever. I kept telling myself that it was hard for them to change habits they had been building for twenty years. There would be a day when they would finally forget about Adam and remember that I was their real son. However, I suddenly was unsure if that day would ever arrive. My father suddenly stood up. The chair squeaked loudly from the friction against the floor. “I’m going to head out to buy a couple of bottles of wine. You can eat first.” I took out two bottles of red wine from the wine cabinet. “Dad, can’t we drink these wines instead?” He dodged my gaze and coughed. He looked a little guilty. “I’ll buy some beer then. It’ll be nice to drink some beer on a winter day…” After he said that, he grabbed his car key and left in a hurry. I looked over and saw that my mother had taken her purse as well. She did not even change her shoes before she walked out. “I think your dad forgot to bring his wallet. I’ll go with him. I’ll be back soon.” “Mom.” I stopped her as I pleaded, “Please don’t go, alright?” She looked torn. Then, she patted the back of my hand as though she was comforting me. “Ten minutes, alright? Just wait for another ten minutes. Once we return, we’ll have dinner with you!” I watched as she left. Then, I followed behind her as I did not want to let it go. I had just stepped out of the gate when I saw my father pass the car key to Adam. “Adam, where are you going all alone? It’s New Year’s Eve! Come and spend it with us!” “That’s right, Adam. Just stay. We’re happy to have you here.” Adam stopped in his tracks and glanced at me. Chapter 2 “I’m not a part of this family, so I don’t want to interrupt you.” After my mother heard that, she immediately started crying. “How are you not family? You’re my son!” My father followed Adam’s gaze and saw me. He paused before saying, “Dylan, let bygones be bygones. It’s New Year’s Eve. For my sake, please let Adam have dinner with us.” I looked down and hid the emotions in my eyes. “He’s right. This is my house; why would I let an outsider eat with us?” My father’s face fell. “Dylan, are you really trying to upset your mother and me today?” My mother also accused me with teary eyes. “We’ve already tried our best to make it up to you for the past three years. Your dad got you the best doctor and the best treatment. Now, when you’re wearing long pants, you look like a regular person. “But look at Adam! He’s not doing well now. Why don’t you have any sympathy at all? “He has never suffered while growing up!” When I did not speak, my mother assumed that I had given in. She stepped forward and wanted to hold my hand. However, I dodged her attempt. “Don’t touch me! “Yes, he’s never suffered anything like this before. That’s because I was the one who suffered! “When he was living the best life with you, I was beaten up by vicious human traffickers! “Now, I’m finally home, but I’m disabled because of him. “You’re so upset just because he’s doing food delivery. What about me? Have you ever truly felt bad for me?” My face was flushed from anger, but my body was trembling. I pointed at Adam and said to my parents, “This time, are you going to choose him or me?” The situation was immediately very tense. Adam’s face turned pale as tears welled up in his eyes. However, he tried to hold in his tears. “Don’t feel pressured. I’m not planning to stay today anyway.” My mother immediately spoke up. “No, Adam. You can’t go,” she said. When I heard that, my heart sank. To them, they only cared about Adam. It was as though he was their only son. They were forced to choose me three years ago due to the circumstances. They were afraid that I would really send Adam to prison. I had signed a mediation agreement back then. Three years had passed, and they could not suppress their desire to bring Adam back to the family again. When I thought about that, I chuckled. “If you’re saying he can’t go, does that mean I should be the one to leave? I’m right, aren’t I?” Then, I took off my apron. My father then chastised, “Enough! Stop fighting!” He sounded like he had given in, but it was obvious that he was suppressing his anger. “It’s New Year’s Eve today. Just let Adam stay for one night. He’ll leave tomorrow. Happy now?” I acted as if I had not heard him as I walked out. “Fine, suit yourself if you want to leave, but take off your prosthetic leg before you go. We bought that for you using our money!” Upon hearing that, I stopped in my tracks and turned around to look at my mother in disbelief. A hint of regret flashed across my mother’s face. She wanted to say something, but no words came out. I looked at my father. He immediately avoided eye contact. At that moment, I started laughing. I returned to my bedroom to retrieve my crutches. Then, I sat down on the couch to take off the prosthetic leg. Maybe I was too agitated, as I accidentally cut myself when removing the prosthetic leg. However, I continued to remove it as if I did not feel the pain. Blood stained the prosthetic leg and my hands. Chapter 3 My mother could not bear to see me like that. She rushed toward me and grabbed my wrist. “Dylan, please don’t do this. I didn’t mean what I said earlier. Please, just let Adam stay for one night. Just one night.” Her pleading voice reminded me of what she said three years ago. Instead of waiting for me to speak up, Adam immediately said, “Mr. Scott and Mrs. Scott, please don’t make it difficult for Dylan. I have reaped what I’ve sown. I’ll make a move first. Besides, I owe you a formal apology, Dylan. I’m sorry.” After he said that, he looked at me with a regretful expression, then left without any hesitation. This time, my parents did not chase after him. My mother turned around and sighed. My father also let out a long sigh. I felt unhappy as I heard the sound of fireworks going off. I tried to lighten the atmosphere. However, no matter what I said, my parents were no longer smiling sincerely. They excused themselves to their bedroom before 10 p.m. I was left alone in the empty living room. The laughter from the television show made me feel even worse in contrast. I thought they would be upset for a really long time, just like they were three years ago. However, in just two days, they returned to their normal selves. They took good care of me. I was secretly happy about it. I thought they had finally understood the situation and were going to treat me, their real son, well. Then, one day I overheard my helpers’ conversation. “I told you so! Mr. and Mrs. Scott still love Adam the most! When they saw that he wasn’t doing well, they immediately bought a mansion in the city’s most expensive postcode for him. They even secretly transferred some of their shares to him.” “I think they haven’t even fulfilled their promises that they made to Dylan, and they have yet to transfer the shares to him.” “As expected, blood relation means nothing compared to true companionship. They raised Adam, so they’re closest to him.” Even though the heater was on and the house was very warm, I felt cold all over. In order to make it up to me for my amputated leg, my parents promised to transfer half of their shares to me. However, whenever I brought this matter up throughout these three years, they kept finding excuses to delay it. In contrast, when they found out that Adam was doing food delivery on New Year’s Eve, they immediately gave him a house and their shares. I stood in the corner for a long while before I quietly left. The next day, a private detective sent me the address of that mansion. I stood outside the garden and saw my parents having afternoon tea with Adam through the mansion’s floor-to-ceiling windows. The three of them were chatting and laughing, as if they were a true family. The security guard saw that I was pacing before the entrance, so he stepped forward and asked, “Hello sir, are you looking for someone?” I pointed at my parents, who were peeling fruits for Adam, and said softly, “I’m looking for them. They’re my parents.” Upon hearing that, the security guard immediately sounded disgusted. “Sir, even though I’m not educated, you can’t lie to me like this. Mr. Scott told us that he only has one son. Even if you want to pretend to be their son, you should do some research beforehand. “Alright, this is a private residential area. Please leave now. Otherwise, we’ll take action.” I glanced at the security guard indifferently and then pressed the doorbell. The security guard was shocked. He wanted to gather his other colleagues to escort me out. A second later, someone opened the door. When my father saw me, he froze. Chapter 4 “Dylan… How did you find this place?” My mother subconsciously shielded Adam. She looked at me warily, as though I was about to harm her favorite son. I was hurt by her gesture. My body was shaking uncontrollably, and my eyes were bloodshot. “Is this what you mean by chasing him out and cutting him off? Also, why did you tell other people that Adam is your only son? What about me? What am I to you?” The security guards were puzzled. They wore awkward expressions when they heard my outburst. My father felt humiliated, so he tugged my arm and warned me in a low voice, “What are you yelling for? This is embarrassing! “Adam has been with your mother and me for so many years. We’re only buying him a mansion so he has a roof over his head. Why are you so stingy? “What did your adoptive parents teach you? Why are you acting like a hooligan?” I immediately laughed. “Your favorite son’s biological parents did not teach me how to act. They only taught me how to do shady dealings. If I didn’t cooperate, they’d kick and hit me. “Do you want to find out what kind of life I was living when Adam was having the best life with you?” After I said that, I ignored that we were in public and just took off my shirt. There were a lot of scars on my back. Adam’s biological father hit me with his belt when I was unwilling to steal from the neighbors. I was covered in blood after surviving a terrible beating. I was thrown out of the house wearing a thin shirt when it was below freezing outside. If it were not for my neighbors who felt bad for me and secretly called emergency services, I would have already died on that winter night. My mother saw the scars on my back, and her teary eyes were filled with shock and hurt. However, she still said, “I know you’ve suffered a lot over the years, but that has nothing to do with Adam. He’s also an innocent victim!” When I heard that, I lost all hope. It turned out that to them, Adam was the victim. When my mother saw my expression, she realized she had said the wrong thing. She immediately added, “Dylan, of course I know you’re a victim too. Both Adam and you are victims. “But can’t you let bygones be bygones? You can have a good relationship with Adam as brothers, and both of you will be the heirs to our fortune. “If you continue acting out, you’ll only cause trouble and bring pain to your father and me on purpose!” How was I the one causing trouble? I laughed angrily when I heard that. They were the ones who kept ignoring my feelings as they sided with Adam over and over again. In the end, it all became my fault. However, without waiting for me to speak, Adam already spoke up pitifully. He said, “Mom, Dad, I don’t think I should be taking this mansion. You should give it to Dylan instead. “I don’t want any of you to be unhappy because of me. As long as you’re happy, I’ll be happy.” The more understanding he appeared to be, the more unreasonable I seemed in comparison. It was the reason why my parents favored him over me even though I was their real son. I sneered, “I think you have to return the company’s shares alongside this mansion.” When I mentioned the word “shares”, my parents’ expression froze. However, I did not stop. I continued. Chapter 5 “Three years ago, in order to persuade me to drop the charges against Adam, you promised that all shares would be mine in the future. “But you’ve secretly transferred my shares to this fraud. How is this fair to me?” After I said that, I felt a blow against my cheek. My father had just slapped me. He glared at me. “It’s my company, and I decide how to give out the shares. It’s not your place to decide. “Get out of here now and stop embarrassing yourself. Otherwise, don’t even think I’ll give you a single cent in the future.” My mother was shocked as she held my father’s arm. She chastised him, “Why can’t you just say it nicely? You didn’t have to hit him! We’re in public! “Dylan, your dad…” Before she finished talking, I turned around and left immediately. I had an epiphany after he slapped me. Instead of wasting my emotions and effort on people who did not love me, I should be loving myself instead. After I walked away, I could still hear my father’s angry shouts. “What an ingrate! I shouldn’t have brought him home back then…” After I returned home, I quickly packed my bags. The past three years were a wishful dream. I never belonged here. Since that was the case, I no longer wanted this house. I just wanted to take what I deserved. I hired a lawyer to draft a disownment deed. Then, I immediately went to Scott Corporation’s office building. My father glared at me in annoyance when I entered his CEO office. He sounded cold. “Didn’t I tell you not to come to the office if there’s nothing important?” I knew that he was embarrassed of me because of my disability. I sounded very calm. My voice was devoid of emotion. “I’ll move out, but I want thirty percent of the company’s shares.” My father was looking at me as though I was an idiot. He mocked, “Your mother and I only hold fifty-five percent of the company’s shares, and you’re asking for thirty percent. Do you think you deserve that?” I was not surprised by his response. I calmly took out my phone and played a video extracted from surveillance footage. “This is the surveillance footage from three years ago—when Adam did something to my car brake. Tell me, if I share this video with the police, what will happen to him?” My father’s face darkened. “Dylan, didn’t you say all the videos were deleted? How dare you lie to your mother and me!” “Lie?” I sneered. “How many things have you lied to me about? I’m just learning from you. “If you’re unwilling to give me the shares, you can pay me in cash. It’s your choice. Choose between money and your precious son!” “Dylan, you’re basically cutting ties with me by doing this.” I did not say a word. Instead, I passed him the disownment deed. The atmosphere immediately became very tense. I met my father’s shocked and angry gaze. I was calm and determined. After a long while, my father took out his pen. “Dylan, have you thought this through? Once I sign this, you will no longer have anything to do with the Scott family or me anymore.” I nodded. “I’ve never been more certain in my whole life.” “Fine, I hope you don’t regret this! Take your things and leave! Don’t come back anymore. I refuse to believe I have such a greedy son!” I took the thin check. The nine zeros on the check had severed the family that I had wanted for over two decades. I took my luggage and left without looking back.