Chapter 957: A first born agony

"Hehe. He was pretty upset about last night. He was in the car, by the way. And he’s a little pissed, but he’s okay now."

Theo and his father felt their hearts sink into the pit of their stomachs as they stared at Penny blankly.

Did she just say Zoren was at their house with her last night?

Both father and son slowly looked up, recalling what had happened the night before.

—

Last night, in the Miller Family home:

The family had gathered in the dining room. The only sounds they listened to were the clinking of cutlery against plates. Theo and his father looked exhausted as usual, with no trace of the previous confidence or arrogance they’d once carried. Mrs. Miller sat quietly, her face marked with irritation.

As Theo forked another cube of potato onto his plate, his eyes drifted to the empty chair at the table. "Where’s Patricia again?"

"Your sister is old enough," Mrs. Miller replied sharply. "She said she’s staying over at a friend’s house."

"Friend?" Theo let out a mocking laugh. "She has friends?"

"Theo, enough with that now, son," Mister Miller warned sternly, though his tone was tinged with exhaustion. "Just let your sister be. She’s already going through a lot."

"Do you think I’m not going through a lot of crap lately, Dad?"

"Theo Miller, language!" Mrs. Miller exclaimed sharply. "Don’t talk to your father like that!"

Theo hissed, and Mister Miller sighed. Although he understood his wife, he also understood his son. Today, especially, had been tiring. Theo and Mister Miller had met with a few people, trying to save their company with the help of others.

They had even gone so far as to offer a low price just to get them to invest or do business with them again. But all those people either turned them down or gave them false hope before ultimately rejecting them.

There were a few people whom Mister Miller called friends. They offered help, but the help wasn’t enough. Others offered "help," but it was clearly just a disguise for something else. That’s what the father and son had to endure all day.

"Why does everyone have to adjust and understand her?" Theo breathed out through gritted teeth, fed up at this point.

This wasn’t the first time his parents or others had told him to understand or just let Patricia be. However, today, hearing those words struck a chord that filled him with bitterness.

How could Patricia still live worry-free while Theo had to exhaust even his soul to save this family?

"I’m done," he announced, pushing himself up without finishing his meal. "I’ll go to bed."

"Theo Miller, you barely touched your food!" Mrs. Miller jumped from her seat. "Sit down and don’t waste food."

Theo listlessly glanced at his mother, only to see his father reach for her hand and shake his head. He didn’t say anything, lowering his head, and walked away without pausing despite his mother’s yelling.

’If Patricia is that precious, why don’t they just ask her to do what I do?’The thought crossed Theo’s mind as he walked away, his heart filled with bitterness. ’Patricia can throw a tantrum and be forgiven as long as she squeezes out a tear and apologizes. While I...’

He clenched his teeth again, hissing to release the bitterness in his heart. He used to be so fond of his sister. After all, Patricia used to be so adorable and sweet, always trying to please her brother and doing her best to impress him.

When had their relationship soured?

Was it when Theo started failing in the Star Section? The time Finn Davis, out of nowhere, targeted him and made him a laughingstock? Or was it because even when Theo entered the Star Section, it became nothing but an empty title that held no value in the Star Section or in the school itself?

But all of that...

Again, Theo was filled with bitterness.

’She’s the reason why all those things happened to me in the first place,’

Theo had never said anything to his sister or anyone in the past, and hadn’t until now, because he didn’t want to burden her. He didn’t want his sister to think it was her fault that Finn had put a target on his back. After all, Finn had said the reason he was particularly picking on Theo and humiliating him—showing he could always steal his spot in the Star Section—was because...

Finn didn’t like Patricia. He did it because his sister was annoying and too entitled, and because Patricia had once confessed to Finn despite knowing he was engaged to someone else. It might have been an arranged engagement, but Cassandra also disliked someone trying to steal what was hers right under her nose.

It was all Patricia’s fault.

Theo should’ve known better. He shouldn’t have protected his little sister by giving up the Star Section to study abroad. He shouldn’t have begged their parents to leave just because he knew Cassandra would come after Patricia. Slater’s bullying issue hadn’t helped either, especially since Atlas had put additional pressure on Theo in the past.

’Even that wasn’t my fault!’Theo balled his hands into tight fists. ’Yet, despite all of that, and having to clean up their messes—even protecting them from whatever misfortune would fall on them—I still had to endure everything to save this company just so everyone could maintain the life they were familiar with.’

It was bitter, being the eldest, having to put up with everything while the younger ones of the family lived recklessly. He wasn’t asking for a lot in return, but he wished they would at least behave themselves and show some remorse. But they weren’t—neither Patricia nor Keith, who was living the best of his miserable life.

Theo was about to reach the stairs, his heart filled with bitterness and anger, when the doorbell rang.

DING DONG!

Deep lines appeared between his brows. "Who’s coming to our house at this hour?" he wondered, walking to the door. The second he opened it, the lines on his forehead deepened.

"Penny?"

Penny flashed him a bright grin. "Hello, is your company available? I’d like to buy it."