Chapter 1

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.

1

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 one―especially not me―disturbed 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.