The Jinxed Son, My Family Chose A Fake

I died in the freezing cold while my parents were busy throwing a lavish birthday party for their fake son.

That was the moment I realized they never loved me, their own flesh and blood.

They only cared about the boy they had raised for over a decade, the one who wasn't even theirs.

When I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn.

I couldn't help but smirk; this time, my jinxing powers were going to be put to good use.

I woke up on the very day I was brought back to the Miller household.

My mother was hovering over Caleb, doing everything she could to soothe his ego.

She was terrified that he would feel replaced or think they loved him less now that I was home.

My father grabbed my arm and led me toward Caleb.

"Jaxson, from now on, this is your brother. You two must get along and stay out of trouble."

"No! I don't want him here! I don't have a brother!" Caleb started screaming and throwing a fit.

"I'm your only child! If he stays, you won't love me anymore!"

My mother saw his tears and heard his desperate pleas, and her heart immediately melted.

She started sobbing right along with him, pulling him into a tight embrace.

"Oh, my sweet boy, don't be afraid. Mommy is right here. I'll always be with you."

"Even if your brother is back, my love for you won't change one bit."

Caleb's tears stopped as quickly as they started, and he looked up at my father with puppy-dog eyes.

"Will Dad still love me the most too?"

Father stepped forward and pulled both of them into his arms, his voice deep and steady.

"Of course. You'll always be my favorite."

In that moment, they looked like a perfect, happy family, and I was just a ghost haunting the room.

Caleb turned his head slightly to look at me, a smug, triumphant grin plastered on his face.

His eyes said it all: "See? It doesn't matter that you're the real son. They love me, not you. Everything here belongs to me."

But I didn't care anymore.

They could have each other for all I cared.

My father finally let go of his wife and his precious fake son.

He saw me standing there like a statue, silent and unmoving, and his face twisted with anger.

"What's with that look on your face? Do you think this is a joke? Or are you already ungrateful for being brought back?"

I forced a wide, fake smile, even though my heart felt heavy with years of resentment.

"Not at all. To my parents and my dear brother, I only have one thing to say: I wish you three a long, long life together. May you never, ever be separated."

From this second on, they were a unit, and I was going to make sure no oneDespecially not meDdisturbed their pathetic bond.

I didn't talk much because I had a secret: I was a jinx.

Whenever I said something with even a hint of malice toward someone, it came true.

When I was a runaway kid living on the streets, a bully tried to jump me.

I told him, "Karma is a bitch, watch out for cars."

Two minutes later, he got hit by a sedan and broke both his legs.

Later, a restaurant owner chased me away with a broom because I was begging for food near his door.

I tripped and hit my head, bleeding all over the pavement.

I muttered under my breath, "I hope your business rots and closes down."

Within a week, a gang of thugs trashed his place during a brawl.

His family was ruined, and the shop never reopened.

That was when I realized I had a special gift.

Despite the hell I went through, I never intentionally tried to hurt people.

I just learned to keep my mouth shut.

After my parents found me, my silence only made them grow colder toward me.

It gave Caleb the perfect opportunity to drive a wedge between us.

"Why aren't you answering? Are you ignoring me? Are you a freak or a mute?!"

"Just leave him alone. If he won't talk, we'll treat him like he's invisible in this house."

"We'll just act like this son doesn't exist. We have Caleb, and that's enough."

"I love you guys so much," Caleb chimed in, his voice dripping with fake sweetness.

The insults stung, but I was used to it.

I never imagined they would literally let their biological child die in the snow for a replacement.

In my heart, the bond was already severed.

Now, I just needed to use their resources to finish high school and build a future.

They weren't going to give me love, so I stopped begging for it.

"Mom, Dad, now that Jaxson is back, should I give him my bedroom?"

One afternoon, Caleb brought this up while my parents were watching TV in the living room.

My mother didn't even look up from her fruit bowl.

"No. Jaxson is fine where he is. You keep your room."

For context, I was staying in a tiny, damp room right across from the maid's quarters.

The housekeeper was the only one who bothered to set it up for me.

My parents were too busy celebrating Caleb's latest test scores to notice.

Seeing that they didn't give a damn about me, Caleb's face lit up with a wicked joy.

He suddenly walked over and grabbed my hand, pulling me toward the stairs.

"I have so many cool things in my room! Come on, brother, I'll let you pick something out!"

I knew exactly what he was doing.

In my past life, he had pulled this same stunt.

He dragged me into his room and beat the hell out of me.

Then he started screaming and crying, telling our parents that I was the one who attacked him.

"I'm so sorry, Jaxson! I'll do anything! Just let me stay in a corner of the house like a dog! Please don't kick me out!"

Back then, my father was so enraged by Caleb's performance that he kicked me in the stomach.

"You pathetic brat! What did you do to your brother? He was always so happy until you showed up!"

My mother looked at me with pure disgust.

"I wish I had given birth to Caleb instead of a heartless monster like you!"

They took Caleb away to comfort him, leaving me bleeding on the floor of his messy room.

They were a family, and I was the villain.

Fine. This time, I'd give them exactly what they wanted.

The moment we stepped into his room, Caleb's face transformed into a mask of pure hate.

He slammed me against the wall, one hand on my throat and the other balled into a fist.

"You think you can just walk in and take my life? Not a chance, you little stray."

"Look at your parents. They don't want you. They want me! If you hadn't come back, everything would be perfect!"

I looked him dead in the eye, my voice cold and calm.

"You don't belong here. These things were never yours. Greed is going to be your downfall, Caleb."

He gripped my collar tighter, his knuckles turning white.

"Oh yeah? Watch me. Let's see who they believeDtheir perfect son or the trash from the streets."

Then, he punched himself in the face. Twice. Hard.

I actually winced at the sound of the impact.

He turned and ran toward the door, sobbing at the top of his lungs.

As he reached the top of the stairs, I whispered a tiny warning.

"Walk slowly, Caleb. It'd be a shame if you fell down the stairs."

There was a sickening thud.

It sounded like the entire house shook as Caleb tumbled down.

My parents rushed over, screaming in horror when they saw him sprawled at the bottom, face pale and clutching his leg.

"My baby! What happened? How did you fall?!"

My mother looked at his twisted leg and looked like she was about to have a heart attack.

Caleb pointed a shaking finger up at me.

"It was Jaxson! He pushed me! He said he's going to kill me! I have to leave before he finishes the job!"

My mother panicked instantly.

"No! You aren't going anywhere! You're hurt! You'll die out there without us!"

I started walking down the stairs to explain, but my father didn't give me a chance.

He stepped forward and slapped me across the face so hard I saw stars.

"You're a monster! How could you do this to your own brother?!"

My mother stared at me like I was a piece of trash she'd accidentally stepped on.

"I can't believe I gave birth to a curse. I should have left you where we found you."

The slap hurt, but the coldness in their eyes hurt more.

My face was already bruised from Caleb's punches earlier, but they didn't even notice.

Or maybe they did, and they just didn't care.

In their eyes, I was just a stray dog that had bitten the hand that fed it.

I stood my ground and spoke clearly.

"I didn't push him. He fell all by himself."

My father let out a dry, mocking laugh.

"Are you saying Caleb is lying? That's rich. I raised that boy for fifteen years, and he's never been a liar!"

"But the moment you show up, he's getting into fights and breaking bones? Give me a break."

I looked my father straight in the eye.

"So, you don't believe me. Is that it?"

The silence that followed was my answer.

"Fine. If that's how it is, let me move out. I want to live in the dorms at school."

"And I want a signed agreement stating that we are legally separated. You are no longer my parents."

"I'll pay you back for the school fees once I have a job. I'm done here."

I turned around and walked out without looking back, heading straight to the school to pack my things.

My mother looked pale, and my father was vibrating with rage, but they didn't stop me.

I knew what I needed now. I wasn't going to let them drag me down.

The fall had been bad for Caleb.

He was a star track athlete, and he had been banking on a sports scholarship for college.

Now, in the middle of senior year, his leg was shattered.

His only hope was to actually study, which was something he'd never done in his life.

He was spoiled, lazy, and honestly pretty dim-witted.

Being stuck in a cast and unable to sneak out and party was driving him insane.

Naturally, he decided to take his frustration out on me.

One day after class, I was heading back to the dorms when a group of guys cornered me in the hallway.

They pushed me into the bathroom and locked the door.

"What do you want?" I asked, keeping my voice steady.

One of the guys, a scummy-looking dude with yellow teeth, shoved me hard against the sinks.

"What do we want? Hear that, boys? The nerd is asking questions."

The others laughed, pulling out heavy wooden bats from under their jackets.

"Caleb said to teach you a lesson. He's the king of this school, and you're just a mistake."

"We're gonna break you so bad you won't even be able to crawl to class."

"Nobody is gonna help you. Even if we kill you, my dad will make it go away."

I was outnumbered and trapped. All I could do was protect my head.

Through the gap in the door, I saw someone sitting in a wheelchair.

It was Caleb, watching with a twisted, satisfied grin.

"You're going to regret this, Caleb! People who hurt others always get what's coming to them!"

Caleb laughed, his voice echoing in the hallway.

"You're dreaming! My mom knows everything I do, and she covers for me every time!"

"She hates you, Jaxson. She looks at you and sees a mistake. She'll thank me for this."

That hurt more than any punch ever could.

I knew it was true, but hearing it out loud fueled a fire in my gut.

I felt the curse rising in my throat, hot and bitter.

"I hope the sewage pipes in here explode and drown you in your own filth!"

"Even the literal waste in these toilets is cleaner than your disgusting mouths!"

The leader of the group roared with laughter, his mouth wide open.

Then, there was a deafening boom.

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