Rejected to Redeemed

I'm the McGee family's true heir, the one who went missing for ten years, and I still tied with their adopted son for the top score in the state. My parents made a show of treating us equally. They booked two private rooms for our college send-off dinner and told us to pick whichever one we wanted. I'd grown up poor, poor enough that it still scared me, so I didn't hesitate. I chose the Gilded Room. The adopted son, Pete McGee, nodded and said that was fine. Then, right as we were walking out the door, he burst into tears and said he'd been raised by our parents too. Why should he always be the one to give way to me? My father, George McGee, stepped in with an awkward smile to smooth things over. "Blake, you've been welcomed back into this family. We won't shortchange you materially. Just take the Laurel Room instead." Once the head of the household had spoken, my mother, Lisa McGee, and my sister, Alexis McGee, were quick to agree. Looking at the three of them play favorites so openly, I said nothing and let Pete have his way. I didn't even mind that much. I only wanted my family together. Then I walked into my private room and discovered the truth. I was the only person in it. Everyone else was somewhere else. Chapter 1 The day scores came out, my phone nearly melted from all the calls. It wasn't for any other reason. Pete McGee and I had tied for first place. I was the family's true heir, raised in some backwater town since childhood. Pete was the adopted son who'd spent over a decade in the McGee family living in luxury and eating from silver. Our homeroom teacher called three separate times, his voice equal parts thrilled and dazed, kept asking if the system had glitched. When the calls finally stopped, the living room went eerily quiet. Dad cleared his throat and looked between Pete and me, smiling. "Blake, Pete, you're both top scorers. Your mother and I are treating you the same, so we've booked a private room for each of you. "The Gilded Room and the Laurel Room. You can pick whichever one you want." That was the first time I'd ever learned that doing well could be something worth celebrating, instead of something to be resented for costing money. I nodded, fighting to keep the tears from spilling over. One room promised wealth, the other promised glory. I looked at Pete, gesturing for him to choose first. He smiled, gentle and gracious. "I'll take the Laurel Room, then. Here's to a bright future for both of us, Blake." As it happened, I'd grown up poor enough that the fear of it had settled into my bones. So I didn't hesitate. "Then I'll take the Gilded Room." Dad nodded. "All right, that settles it." But just as we were about to head out, Pete, head lowered, suddenly grabbed our mother's sleeve. His eyes had gone red, and his voice cracked with an obvious sob. "Mom, I really think the Gilded Room is better." The air in the living room seemed to freeze solid. My sister, Alexis McGee, was the first to frown. She stepped over to him. "Pete, what's wrong? Didn't we already agree on this?" Tears spilled straight down Pete's face, and his words came out in a jumbled rush. "I just feel awful about it. The Gilded Room sounds like it's for a family all together, and I'm scared that later on..." He didn't finish the sentence, but everyone understood anyway. He was afraid that once I, the true heir, came back into the picture, he'd end up the odd one out in this family. For a moment, every pair of eyes in the room landed on me. I didn't say anything. I just looked at Pete. There wasn't a trace of fragility in his eyes, only a naked, unmistakable challenge. In the end, it was Dad who broke the silence. He walked over to me, his expression pleading for cooperation even though his tone left no room to refuse. "Blake, I know you didn't have it easy growing up, but now that you're back with us, you don't need to worry about material things. Just let Pete have this one." My mother, Lisa Dawkins, took my hand as well. "That's right, Blake. Pete just doesn't feel secure." My sister, Alexis, was even more blunt. "It's just a room, isn't it? Pete grew up in this family from the time he was little. What's the harm in giving way, just this once?" The whole family, all lined up, every one of them urging me to back down. I looked at the three of them, then at Pete hiding behind them, and I almost wanted to laugh. I pulled my hand out of Mom's and nodded. Chapter 2 "Fine, I'll go to the Laurel Room." I didn't argue or try to reason with them. I already knew it wouldn't do any good. When we got to the hotel, I found out I was the only one the staff led into the Laurel Room. A massive round table, delicate place settings, all of it only making how alone I was more obvious. The walls were soundproofed well, but I could still make out faint laughter drifting over from next door. Pete was probably surrounded right now by my parents, my sister, and every relative who'd rushed over the second they heard the news, treated like an actual prince. And me, the supposed true heir, sitting in a room so empty it was practically a joke. Dish after dish came out, and dish after dish went cold. I didn't touch a single one. That was the moment I finally understood, completely: yes, I was their biological son. But I would always be the one they were willing to throw away. The day after the dinner, Dad called me into his study. He pulled out a bank card and slid it across the desk to me. "Yesterday, your mom and I were worried you'd feel awkward not knowing any of the relatives." His fingers tapped against the rosewood desk. "There's some money on this. The PIN is your birthday. Buy whatever you want. Don't go without." I looked at the card, something heavy settling in my chest. I knew exactly what this was. Compensation for that empty room. I didn't say thank you. I just reached out, took the card, turned around, and left without another word. Behind me, Dad seemed to let out a sigh. I didn't look back. The last weekend before school started, the family was hosting one of its regular gatherings. My mom announced, practically giddy, that she was taking Pete to have a suit tailored for the occasion. Then, as if she'd only just remembered I existed, she turned to me. "Blake, come along too. We might as well pick something out for you while we're there." I didn't refuse. Probably because the second the refusal left my mouth, all that waited for me were looks of disgust and incomprehension. At the tailor's studio, Pete was immediately swarmed by designers and assistants. Mom stayed by his side the whole time, eyes soft with indulgence, offering her opinion every so often. Me, I was led over to the ready-to-wear section by an assistant. "Mr. McGee, please have a look and see if anything suits you." He was polite and distant. I flipped through the hanging clothes without much thought. Every single price tag made me wince. Mom wandered over for a moment and pointed at one at random. "That one. It matches your skin tone." She didn't even ask if it fit. At the family gathering, I ended up exactly the joke I'd expected to be. Pete moved through the crowd of relatives and family friends in his tailor-made suit. Everyone praised him. Handsome, full of presence, and what a good eye Mom had. Me, in that expensive but off-the-rack white outfit, with sleeves and pant legs that ran a little short. People nodded politely. "Oh, that's Blake. He's fine too." Then they turned around and snickered behind my back at how badly I was imitating my brother. I didn't bother keeping up with the fake pleasantries. I just ate my fruit and kept to myself. I hadn't had more than a few minutes of peace before Alexis stormed over, her face dark, and pulled me aside. "Could you at least try smiling? Who exactly are you scowling at all day?" Her voice was low, but every word dripped with reproach. "Mom and Dad bought you such expensive clothes, and this is the attitude you give them? Pete's trying so hard to get close to you, and you won't even look at him." I looked at her righteous expression and almost found it funny. "Do you even know what gratitude means?" Alexis's voice climbed when I didn't answer. "Our family doesn't owe you anything!" I threw the apple I'd been eating at her. "Doesn't owe me anything? What do you call giving birth to me and then losing me for ten years?" Alexis was speechless. It took her a while to choke out, "That wasn't our fault!" Chapter 3 I looked at her, then over at Pete, not far off, beaming with happiness while our parents fussed over him. So, apparently, fighting for what I actually deserved just meant I didn't understand gratitude. I didn't bother arguing with her any further. I just glanced down at the suit I was wearing. None of this was compensation. It was a muzzle, meant to keep my mouth shut. I touched the cold bank card in my pocket, and one thought crystallized in my mind more clearly than it ever had before. You want to solve everything with money. Fine. I'll show you exactly what money can do. Once I started college, I put the McGees' black card to full use. I saw a dentist and got my cavities filled, started going to the gym regularly, and signed up for every finance course I could find. Before long, I'd transformed so completely that even I barely recognized myself. My roommate, Ben Royer, had an easygoing, sunny personality. He'd cup my face in both hands without a hint of self-consciousness and say, "Bro, you really did glow up." Some nights, while I was cramming through coursework I'd missed during the day, he'd toss a bag of chips down from the top bunk, half asleep, and mutter, "Blake, keep studying like this, and you're gonna ascend to sainthood. Come back down to earth and eat something." He was the first warmth I'd felt in this unfamiliar city that didn't come with any strings attached. So, without a second thought, I bought him a full set of Nintendo games. Pete, meanwhile, had become the brightest rising star in the student council. He drove around in the sports car Dad had bought him, drumming up sponsorships wherever he went. Of course, the biggest sponsor was always our family's company. Whenever we ran into each other on campus, he'd come jogging over, all warmth. He'd pitch his voice just loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. "Bro, you've changed so much, I can barely recognize you. Treating yourself pretty often these days, huh?" He'd laugh. I pulled my arm free without changing expression. "Not that dramatic." He'd put on a hurt, understanding look and sigh. "I get it, I get it. You probably want to surprise Mom and Dad. But Dad just called me, said there's some trouble with the business, and you haven't even gone home to check on them." The story spread, and by the time it made its rounds, it had changed shape entirely. Now I was the long-lost true heir who only cared about money, out living it up while ignoring my own parents. I was the freshman who cared more about wealth than family, who'd thrown the whole household into chaos over one measly private room. Brick by brick, an invisible wall went up around me. One day, Ben stormed back into the dorm and slammed his book down on the desk. "Pete's whole crew is out there saying you'll do anything for money, and that you're so jealous of him that you keep trying to sabotage him at home!" I was in the middle of reviewing a finance concept and didn't even look up. "Say something." Ben was practically vibrating with frustration. "They're dragging your name through the mud! Doesn't that piss you off?" I finally looked up at his flushed, agitated face, and slid a bookmark into the page I'd been halfway through. "Would getting angry actually do anything?" I asked him. "Say I picked a fight with them. Then what? Would that shut them up, or would it make my life any better?" Ben froze. He looked at me with a mix of pity and confusion. "Still," he said quietly, "that's got to feel awful." I smiled, closed the book, and set it back on the shelf. Pete would always be the golden boy everyone fawned over, and I, it seemed, was destined to stay in the corner. Only this time, I wasn't going to wait around for anyone's charity. … Dad's birthday was held at a private club. By the time I arrived, the place was already lively. I'd picked out a vintage rosewood comb from a secondhand market, and had the shop owner run a charge of 28,000 dollars on the McGee family card. Chapter 4 I'd profited 26,600 dollars off the whole scheme. I handed over the little wrapped box. "Dad, happy birthday." He took it, and just as I'd expected, set it down without a glance on the table already piled with other gifts. He nodded. "Good, you made it. Go find somewhere to sit." The words had barely left his mouth when Pete walked over, arm in arm with Alexis. He opened a lavish velvet box and held it out to Dad. "Dad, happy birthday! Alexis and I picked this out together. Take a look and see if you like it." It was a Patek Philippe watch. A wave of gasps and compliments went up around them at once. "Oh, George, your two kids are so devoted!" "Pete's got a great eye. That watch suits your whole look perfectly!" Dad grinned from ear to ear and immediately took off his old watch to put on the new one. "I love it, I really do! My boy always knows exactly what I want." My little wooden box ended up buried under a pile of designer wrapping paper, not even a corner of it visible. I didn't care either way. I found a couch in the corner and sat down. "Blake." Alexis's impatient voice dropped down on me from above. I looked up at her. She was frowning. "It's Dad's birthday party, and you're just sitting here on your phone? Everyone here is family, friends, relatives. What kind of impression do you think you're giving?" Her voice wasn't quiet, and people at the tables nearby turned to look, whispering to each other. Before I could even open my mouth, Mom stormed over, clearly annoyed. "Blake! Are you picking a fight with your sister again?" She jabbed a finger at me, making her point crystal clear. "Any other day, fine, but it's your father's birthday. Do you have to ruin everyone's mood?" I looked at her, then at Alexis standing beside her with an expression that practically screamed, "See, I told you he's like this." A suffocating feeling rose up in me all at once. In this family, even breathing felt like something I was doing wrong. I put my phone away and stood up. "I'm not feeling well. I'm going to step outside for some air." I didn't wait for a response. I turned and walked straight out of the ballroom. The hallway outside was quiet. I'm not sure how long I walked before I turned down a side passage that led toward a lounge area. I stopped short. The lounge door was left slightly ajar, and I could hear my parents' voices coming from inside. My mother's voice carried a note of grievance. "Did you see the attitude he had tonight? Like the whole world owes him something. Pete's so considerate, and all Blake ever does is give us dirty looks, like he's trying to ruin the night on purpose." Then came my father's sigh. "Enough, don't hold it against him. He's been through a lot out there. It's normal for him to still have some resentment." "But I'm just worried..." "Worried about what? I've already got it all figured out." Dad's voice turned cold. "Pete has been with us for over a decade. We can't shortchange him. Once he graduates, the bulk of the family assets go to him, so he can go all in without any hesitation. As for Blake..." He paused, and when he spoke again his tone carried the careless air of someone handing out charity. "He's our biological son, so it's not like we're neglecting him. Just give him a little extra money and call it even." I slipped away from the lounge without letting anyone notice. The cold air outside actually cleared my head. Dad's words kept looping in my mind, over and over. I didn't feel hurt. I wasn't even angry. Just numb. Back in the dorm, Ben was still awake. He pulled off his headphones the moment he saw me walk in. "Jeez, why are you so pale? Did your family give you a hard time again?" I shook my head and said nothing. I pulled the bank card Dad had given me out of my wallet, set it on the desk, and slid it over to him. "Ben," I said, my voice steady, "let's build something big."