My Mom Made Me Give My Girlfriend to My Brother

I brought Vivian, my girlfriend of five years, home to meet my parents. Over dinner, my mom found out Vivian made $500,000 a year as a tech lead. Her smile nearly split her face. She even uncorked a bottle of vintage wine she’d been saving for three years. The mood was perfect. I smiled and decided to strike while the iron was hot. "Mom, so when should we set the wedding date?" My mom’s hand paused mid-pour. She didn't look at me. Instead, she hesitated, her eyes drifting toward my younger brother, Julian, who was quietly eating beside us. "Julian isn't as capable as you." "His job is mediocre, and his social circle is small. Let him have Vivian. You can always find someone else." I froze. The smile on my face hardened, my brain completely stalling out. My own mother was actually telling me to hand over my girlfriend of five years to my brother. My hands began to shake with rage. "Mom, love isn't a hand-me-down. You don't just 'give someone up' like that." I turned around, grabbed Vivian’s hand, and moved to leave. But Vivian stayed rooted to the spot, looking at me with a conflicted expression. "Lucas, actually... I think your mom has a point." I was stunned. My mind went completely blank as I stared into Vivian’s face. I searched that familiar face, desperate to find even the slightest hint that she was joking. There was none. She was dead serious. "What did you just say?" The words scraped out of my dry throat. "My mom is talking crazy, and you're just going along with it?" Vivian didn't budge. She glanced at me calmly. "It's not crazy. I just gave it some serious thought." "Thought about what?!" I practically yelled. "Your mom is right." Vivian pulled her gaze away from me and let it settle on Julian, who was sitting quietly on the couch. "My mom has always preferred someone like Julian, too. Stable, grounded, built for a quiet domestic life." Suddenly, I felt like a massive joke. Five years together. We went from scraping by in a cramped studio apartment to a nice two-bedroom. Because her job was insanely demanding, I learned to cook every single meal she liked. Every day, on top of working full-time, I took care of her every need. And now she was telling me I wasn't built for a domestic life? I looked at Julian on the couch. He sat there so quietly, looking completely docile and harmless. Just like he’d been our entire lives. Always the fragile one who needed protection. Always the one everyone favored. I just never imagined that this time, what he wanted to take was my girlfriend. "Julian, say something," I demanded, staring down my brother. "Do you honestly think this makes any sense?" Julian lifted his head, his eyes already brimming with tears. Then, he spoke. "Lucas, you're so accomplished. You have everything." "You have a great career, you're handsome, and you can easily find someone better anytime you want." "I'm not like you. I've always been useless. I don't know how to do anything, and my circle is tiny. If I lose Vivian, I might never meet someone this amazing for the rest of my life." Tears spilled over his lashes, dripping one by one onto his knees. "Just let me have her. That way, Mom won't have to worry about me anymore." "Lucas... you love me the most, right?" Right. Ever since we were kids, everything I had was up for grabs if he wanted it. He liked my brand-new sneakers? Give them to him. I got straight A's and Dad bought me a gaming console? Julian wanted it, so give it to him. He was sickly, so I did his homework, took his chores, and took the blame whenever he messed up. Everything. I let him have everything. But Vivian was a human being. She was my partner of five years. "Julian, do you even hear yourself?" I glared at him. "She's your brother's girlfriend! We were about to get engaged! How could you—" "That's enough!" My mom slammed her wine glass down onto the table, splashing red wine across the tablecloth. "Lucas, your brother is literally begging you! What more do you want?" She stood up, glaring at me aggressively. "Vivian already agreed! The girl herself doesn't mind, so why are you throwing a tantrum here? Acting like you're the victim!" "She is MY girlfriend!""Mom, which one of us is actually your son? You're telling me to give my girlfriend to my brother! What kind of mother does that?!" "What kind of mother? Everything I do is for Julian's sake!" My mom didn't even flinch. "You've always been easy to raise. You know your brother has weak health! It's easy for you to date, but do you know how hard it is for him?" "Take a look at the people he works with—all underachievers! Not a single one of them is half as good as Vivian!" "Haven't you always said you care about your brother? Well, here's your chance to prove how much you love him!" My mouth fell open, but no words came out. Tears blurred my vision. I snapped my head toward Vivian, who was still standing beside me. "Vivian." I took a ragged breath, aggressively wiping the tears off my cheeks, and asked her word for word, "I'm asking you one last time. What does this mean?" Three seconds of dead silence. She met my eyes. "I'll just be blunt, then." She didn't even hesitate. "The truth is, I stopped having feelings for you a while ago." My chest seized violently. I heard my own voice ask, "Since when?" "A while." She didn't look away. "Remember two months ago when your phone died and you asked me to back up your files?" I froze, desperately digging through my memories of that day. "I saw pictures of your brother in your camera roll." "Later, when I was using your phone, I secretly saved his SnapChat." My blood ran cold. "So you've been texting him behind my back this entire time?" My voice barely sounded human anymore—hoarse, cracked, and trembling. "The two of you... have already been together?" Vivian didn't deny it. Over on the couch, Julian ducked his head, his ears turning bright red. Suddenly, everything clicked into place. No wonder Julian had been finding every excuse to come over to our apartment lately, claiming he was dropping off takeout for me when he really just wanted to see Vivian. No wonder I’d come home from work multiple times to find them sitting close in the living room, instantly freezing and shutting up the second I walked in the door. No wonder Vivian had been 'working late' more and more recently, getting home past midnight, dodging my questions whenever I asked about her team's sprint progress. It was never about work. She and my brother had been carrying on an affair in the apartment we rented together, right under my nose. A laugh tore out of my throat. It was so absurd. Even trashy soap operas wouldn't dare write a plot this ridiculous. Yet here it was, happening to me. "Fine." I dropped Vivian’s hand and took a step back. "That's great. Be together, then. I wish you two nothing but happiness."Vivian’s brow furrowed slightly, clearly surprised that I gave up so easily. Knowing how I usually was, she probably expected a massive meltdown. She expected me to smash things, scream, and throw her out. That was how our fights had gone over the past five years. My emotions would flare hot and fast, only to break apart against the wall of her cold silence. But this time was different. Vivian just didn't know the truth. Julian was damaged goods. He was completely sterile. We found out when he was eighteen. My mom had dragged him to every specialist in the state, and every single lab result came back identical. In this lifetime, it was medically impossible for him to get any woman pregnant. My mom kept that secret locked away in a vault. Julian knew, I knew, and nobody else was ever supposed to find out. Vivian’s mother only had one child—Vivian. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas, she would drill into my head that we needed to have kids early while we were still young, promising she’d help raise them. The older woman was deeply traditional; in her mind, a home without grandchildren meant the family line went extinct. I had originally planned to gently work on her mother after we tied the knot, maybe even go child-free, since Vivian used to say she wasn't obsessed with having babies anyway. Well, now I didn't need to do any convincing. Let Julian try to give her a child. Let her overbearing mother breathe down Julian's neck for a grandchild. Let her nag him for eight or ten years until their lives turned into a living hell. What did that have to do with me? And another thing Vivian didn't know: Julian couldn't do a single chore to save his life. Growing up, my mom babied him like porcelain. He was never allowed to wash a single plate or pick up a broom. She wanted someone 'stable and built for domestic life'? She was about to find out just how 'domestic' her sweet, innocent Julian really was. As for me? The past five years of catering to Vivian like a live-in maid were basically wasted. How did she think our life ran so smoothly all these years? Who did she think kept that apartment spotless? When her mother was hospitalized last year, I was the one who took two weeks off work to take care of her at the bedside. Meanwhile, Vivian washed her hands clean of the whole thing with a casual, "Sorry, this work project is too crazy right now." "Now that's more like it!" The smile returned to my mom’s face. She picked up the wine bottle and poured another glass for Vivian. "We're all family here. It's good that everything's out in the open. Vivian, sweetheart, don't feel guilty. Julian has been an angel since he was little. He'll be far less of a headache than some people." I didn't say a word. I just stood by the front hallway entrance, watching the farce unfold in the living room. My mom was beaming as she served Vivian wine; Julian sat there blushing with his head down; and Vivian kept that same emotionless, detached look on her face. "Now that this is settled, let's get the ball rolling quickly," my mom declared, puffing out her chest like the head of the household. "Tomorrow looks like a great day. We'll throw the engagement party first." "And next week, we can set up the wedding!" "Mom..." Julian whined softly, blushing even harder. "What's there to be shy about? Strike while the iron is hot!" My mom rolled her eyes playfully at Julian, then turned to Vivian. "Vivian, what do you think?" Vivian nodded. "Whatever you think is best, Mrs. Hall." "Still calling me Mrs. Hall?" My mom laughed with delight. "Time to change that title!" "Mom."Vivian said it so naturally. Standing in the hallway, I felt like a clown. This was my family home. My mother was planning a wedding for my girlfriend, and my brother was blushing at her side. "Great. Then I hope tomorrow's engagement goes smoothly, and next week's wedding is a smash hit. May you all live happily ever after." My mom shot me a sideways glance, clearly picking up on the venom in my voice. But she was in too good of a mood to care. "Glad to see you being sensible for once," she waved a dismissive hand. "Anyway, if you don't feel like sleeping here tonight, go get a hotel room. Just make sure you're back tomorrow for the engagement lunch. You can't miss your brother's big day." I didn't answer. I turned around and pulled the front door open. As I stepped across the threshold, my mom’s voice echoed behind me: "Come here, Julian, sit closer to Vivian. Let Mom take a picture of you two!" Then came Julian’s soft giggle, clear and delighted. Ever since we were children, my mom had always favored Julian. He was born premature, weighing barely three pounds. He spent over a month in the neonatal ICU before his life was out of danger. He grew up sickly, in and out of clinics constantly. My mom never let him lift a finger, shielding him from every hardship. And me? I was the older brother. I had to be easy to raise. I had to yield to my brother. When I was eighteen, my SAT scores were high enough to get me into top state universities. My mom told me the family couldn't afford two college tuitions and forced me to go to a cheap community college instead. All so she could save the money to pay for Julian's private college tuition. When I said I could just take out student loans, my mom slapped me across the face in front of every relative at family dinner, calling me heartless and ungrateful. In the end, I went to community college. The summer I graduated, I cried in my rented room for weeks, thinking my life was ruined. But I refused to stay down. I worked full-time while grinding through night classes for another three years just to finally earn my bachelor's degree. By the time I graduated, I was twenty-four. People my age were already finishing their master's programs, and I had just scraped together an undergrad degree. Luckily, I had drive. I joined my current company at the bottom, taking every overtime shift, going on every business trip, tackling the hardest clients, and handling the dirty work nobody else wanted. Within three years, I worked my way up to project manager. I had a team of seven or eight people under me. The salary wasn't insane, but it was enough to live with dignity in this city. Then, I met Vivian. She was the technical lead at a partner firm, two years older than me. After we got together, I thought fate had finally thrown me a bone. It gave me someone to build a quiet, steady life with. I bet all my hopes for the future on that relationship. And the result? She chose Julian. Growing up, Julian never had to do a damn thing. All he had to do was stand there, squeeze out a couple of tears, and effortlessly take everything I ever wanted. My mom’s unconditional love belonged to him. The relatives' doting belonged to him. And now, even my woman belonged to him. What a tragic joke. The elevator hit the ground floor with a chime. I pulled out my phone and checked the time. Almost ten o'clock. I slipped my phone into my pocket and hailed a cab on the street. "Where to?" the driver asked. "Nearest hotel, please," I said. At the hotel, I checked in, entered the room, shut the door, and crashed face-first onto the overly soft mattress. Five years with Vivian. Recently, she started staying out late all the time. I genuinely thought she was swamped with work. I never snooped through her phone or checked her messages. I knew all her passwords, but I never invaded her privacy because I trusted her. And yet, she saw Julian's picture on my phone. She secretly added him on SnapChat. And behind my back, they became a thing, leaving me completely in the dark, still happily planning our wedding. I closed my eyes and buried my face into the pillow. Mother, brother, girlfriend. Not a single one was reliable. In the end, I only had myself.I drifted off to sleep at some point. The next morning, the shrill ring of my phone woke me up. Groggy, I fumbled for it on the nightstand. My mom's caller ID flashed on the screen. I swiped to answer. "Lucas! Do you know what time it is?! Why aren't you here yet?" Her voice blasted through the speaker. "Your brother is getting engaged today! The relatives are all here! What will people think if the older brother doesn't show up?!" I glanced at the clock. Nine-thirty. "Hurry up! Your dad booked the banquet hall at that restaurant on the south side. Grab an Uber right now!" She hung up immediately, not even giving me a chance to reply. I tossed the phone onto the bed, sat up, and rubbed my temples. My backpack was still back at that house. Inside was my driver's license, credit cards, work phone, house keys, and company badge. None of that mattered as much as the signed original client contract from last Friday, which had to be archived at the office on Monday morning. The hotel was about a twenty-minute drive from my parents' house. In the cab, my mom called again. "Where are you? We're literally waiting on you!" "Almost there," I muttered, hanging up. Outside the window, the cityscape blurred past. I leaned against the glass, staring at the city I had lived in for eight years, suddenly feeling like a complete stranger in it. I got out of the cab in front of the banquet restaurant. Three large tables were packed to the brim. Aunts, uncles, cousins, and even distant relatives I barely recognized from my mom’s side had shown up. Julian sat in the center seat at the main table, with Vivian right beside him. My entrance caused the chatter in the private dining room to pause for a brief second. Then, the noise resumed. Nobody thought I had any right to feel upset. "Lucas is here!" My aunt spotted me first and waved with a big smile. "Come sit, come sit, we were just waiting on you! Look at your brother, so lucky! Finding such an amazing catch!" "Seriously! I heard she makes half a million a year as a software engineer. Real ambition right there!" The relatives chattered away, every single word landing clearly in my ears. My mom cut through the crowd, grabbed my arm, and dragged me toward the front with a radiant smile. "Finally! Can't you hurry up even on your brother's big day?" She yanked me right in front of the main table, directly facing Vivian and Julian. Vivian looked up at me, her eyes as calm as if she were looking at a complete stranger. Julian ducked his head shyly, but his fingers visibly tightened around Vivian's hand. My mom beamed, nudging me forward. "Lucas, aren't you going to congratulate your brother?" Every pair of eyes in the room locked onto me. I looked around at all those expectant faces. The sheer absurdity of it made me want to laugh out loud. "I actually do have something to say." I looked straight at Vivian, delivering every word deliberately: "Congratulations on finding a man who's so stable, grounded, and built for domestic life." Then, I turned to Julian, the corners of my mouth curling into a cold smirk. "Stealing your brother's girlfriend... feels pretty good, doesn't it?"