True Heir? Sorry, I'm Here for My Bro

I've wanted a big brother for as long as I can remember. The second I open my eyes every morning, I start making a fuss and shout, "Dad, give me a big brother!" Even with my eight sisters taking turns trying to cheer me up, I keep clinging to Dad and begging him for a big brother. So when people from Jarroville suddenly show up saying I'm the real heir to a family I was switched away from at birth, Dad immediately shoves me into a luxury car. "Go on! Off you go! Your brother's over there waiting for you!" The second I step through the Decker family's front doors, my biological sister, Amber Decker, sneers at me. "Arthur Decker is the only little brother I acknowledge!" My betrothed, Mindy Hickman, whom I'm promised to by our families, frowns as well. "Jake Moore, know your place. Arthur is the only person I'll ever marry." But regardless of what they say, my eyes stay fixed on the fake heir. Oh my gosh! He's the brother I was always meant to have! I squeeze past the two women blocking my way, lunge at him, and wrap both arms tightly around him. "I've always known I was destined to have a big brother!" Chapter 1 "What do you think you're doing?" Amber Decker, my biological sister, looked like she was ready to explode. She and Mindy Hickman came at me at the same time, each clamping down on one of my arms and yanking hard. "Where did this uncivilized punk even come from? Don't you know how to behave yourself?" Mindy looked utterly disgusted as she tried to yank me off. "You just got here, and you're already disrespecting Arthur. Do you not have any manners?" I was still basking in the joy of having such an amazing big brother when these two clueless women interrupted me and made my blood boil. I tensed my arms and, with a quick twist, shook them off. A dull thud sounded as the impact knocked the wind out of Amber, sending her stumbling back. Mindy got thrown off balance too and nearly landed flat on her butt. As I continued to cling to Arthur Decker, I raised my chin and snapped back without the slightest bit of hesitation, "I want to hold onto my brother. What's it got to do with you two?" My words left them speechless, their faces twisting with rage. Arthur was clearly taken aback by how aggressive I was. He froze for a couple of seconds, his body going rigid. But when he noticed that I was wobbling a bit from the exertion, he instinctively steadied me by the shoulders instead of shoving me away. When Amber finally caught her breath, she was boiling with rage. Jabbing a finger right in my face, she yelled, "You ill-mannered country bumpkin, just you wait! I'll be sure to teach you a thing or two about how things work in this household!" I almost laughed out loud. What made her so sure that just because I was the Decker family's long-lost son, I had to be some country bumpkin? Before I could say anything, a calm but firm voice sounded. "That's enough, Amber." Arthur gently pulled me behind him, his brow furrowing. "You're his biological sister. How can you not show him even a little kindness?" Amber stared at him in disbelief, gaping like a fish. One disapproving look from Arthur was enough to bring the whole farce to an end. Soon, dinner was served. Trying to put me in my place, Amber deliberately assigned me the seat at the very end of the table. It was right next to the dining room entrance, where a steady draft of cold air blew through. However, I couldn't care less about the assignment. I simply picked up my chair and squeezed myself right next to Arthur. A housekeeper brought out a huge platter of imported lobster. Amber let out a cold scoff as she speared a piece of meat. "Go ahead and eat up, you country bumpkin. You probably don't even get to see lobster shells back from where you're from. Just try not to embarrass the Decker family by acting like a savage." Mindy sat across from me, taking her sweet time cutting her steak. She glanced at what I was wearing, her eyes filled with contempt. "You're dressed in clothes from the bargain bin. Do you seriously believe you're good enough to be the heir of the Decker family?" Amber turned to the butler beside her before speaking in a lofty tone. "Have the room in the back cleaned up for him. People raised in the sticks are tough enough to handle the cold. Giving him a decent room would just be a total waste." The butler looked troubled. He glanced over at my biological mother, Donna Knapp. But she just kept drinking her wine, not even bothering to look my way. Chapter 2 The entire time, I didn't even spare those two idiots a single glance as I was too busy cozying up to my amazing big brother. "Arthur, the lobster meat is pretty tender, perfect for a handsome guy like you," I said and dropped a big piece of lobster meat straight onto Arthur's plate. Then I turned to push the bowl of broccoli over to Amber. "The broccoli looks gross, perfect for that nasty woman over there." My antics made Arthur chuckle, his eyes crinkling with amusement. He picked up a piece of pork rib and gently placed it on my plate. "You eat up too, Jake." Seeing us act so brotherly made Amber and Mindy grind their teeth in rage. Once those two finally got tired of running their mouths, I calmly wiped my mouth before reaching into my pocket. I pulled out a sleek black card that gleamed under the light. It was an unlimited Venturion Black Card that my eight sisters had insisted I take, just in case I ever needed it. I shoved the card straight into Arthur's hand with a big grin. "Here, Arthur. Take this. It's for my best-looking brother! You can use it however you want!" As I took out the card, my sleeve rode up just enough to reveal the edge of the snake-shaped bracelet reserved for the heir of Moore Group. Amber noticed it in an instant. She froze for a second before letting out a mocking laugh. "People from small towns really don't have any class. You think you can act like some big spender by whipping out a fake card you probably got on the street?" She pointed at my wrist, her face full of contempt. "And that trashy bracelet? Let me guess. Was it nine ninety-nine with free shipping? What a joke. I can practically smell the poverty on you." I took one look at her painfully clueless face and rolled my eyes. Early the next morning, the second I opened my bedroom door, a big basket of muddy vegetables was dumped right at my feet. Amber was standing there with her arms crossed, blocking the hallway like some kind of harbinger of trouble. "Since you're up, quit standing around and get to work in the kitchen." Looking at me condescendingly, she spoke as though she was doing me a huge favor. "Sons of the Decker family need to pull their weight. You're making breakfast for the twenty-plus people in this house, which includes the household staff. You're doing everything today." She snorted, her voice dripping with condescension. "Since you grew up in the sticks, you're used to doing grunt work and serving people anyway. This should be a walk in the park for you, right? If the food isn't up to our standards, you don't get a single bite of food today!" I stared at the dirt all over the floor, my fists instantly clenching. Was she seriously ordering me around like some cheap labor? As I took a deep breath, I rolled up my pajama sleeves. I exclaimed internally, "I swear, this basket is going on her head today! Just you wait!" I was just about to kick the basket into her when hurried footsteps came from the other end of the hall. Without even putting on a jacket, Arthur came running over in his thin loungewear and slippers. He snatched the basket off the floor and chucked it hard to the side. "Amber, you've really crossed the line!" Arthur had a cold look on his face as he planted himself in front of me. "Jake just got home. Who gave you the right to treat him like this?" He turned, grabbed my hand, and said firmly, "Come on. I'll help you make breakfast." Seeing Arthur defend me made Amber blow a fuse. She pointed an accusatory finger at Arthur, yelling, "Arthur, have you lost your mind? Why are you taking his side when he's an outsider? Did he cast some kind of spell on you? I'm simply teaching him how things work around here, so stop playing the nice guy!" Looking at her twisted face, I completely lost my last shred of patience. The nerve of her, yelling at my precious big brother! I pushed Arthur aside and charged straight at Amber. Grabbing her by the collar, I slammed her against the wall. "How dare you yell at the brother I've spent eighteen years wishing for? Who the hell do you think you are?" I stomped my foot hard right next to hers, cracking the floor tile beneath my feet clean in half. Amber let out a terrified scream and immediately crouched on the floor, cowering. Chapter 3 "I swear I'm going to shut that nasty mouth of yours for good!" As I reached for Amber's scarf, the hallway instantly descended into chaos. A furious roar echoed from the top of the stairs. "Stop it right now! What the hell are you all doing?" Donna stood there with her briefcase in hand, her face dark with anger. She looked at Amber, who was cowering on the floor crying, then shifted her gaze to Arthur, who was disheveled but standing protectively in front of me. She was absolutely furious, her face dark and stormy. "You ungrateful brat! How dare you start trouble the second you got home?" Donna strode over to scold me in my face. "You have absolutely no manners! How dare you drive a wedge between your siblings and terrorize your own sister?" She was shaking with rage, steam blowing from her ears. "Kneel in front of the house! And I want the Decker family code of conduct written out a hundred times!" I stared coldly at the woman who was supposedly my biological mother. She hadn't even bothered to find out what happened before taking sides. Right then, I realized that Arthur probably didn't have it easy in this house either. Just thinking about how Arthur had been mistreated made my rage boil over. I shot to my feet, ready to confront Donna head-on. "Are you freaking blind? She's the one who started—" Before I could finish, a pair of warm hands grabbed my arm. Arthur firmly pulled me back. He spread his arms wide, shielding me completely like a hen protecting her chick. His thin shoulders trembled slightly, yet he refused to budge. "Mom, he's your son too. How can you talk to him like that?" Donna frowned deeply at seeing her usually docile son suddenly become defiant. "Just look at him! Does he look anything like a son from a prestigious family to you? He reeks of poverty. He's an absolute embarrassment. If I'd known, I never would've brought him back!" Amber rubbed her bruised wrist and viciously added, "He's nothing but an uncivilized savage! Even though he just got here, he's already turning Arthur against the family! He's vicious!" Mindy appeared, wearing an expression of utter repulsion. "Mrs. Decker, since everyone is being brutally honest right now, I would also like to suggest that we just stick to the original marriage arrangement. Let's just go with Arthur." She shot me a look of disgust, as if even looking at me for another second would taint her eyes. "My husband can only be a refined gentleman like Arthur." That shameless little speech sent my rage meter straight through the roof. I was about to go off on her when Arthur beat me to it. His usually gentle face was now ice-cold. He glared at the three women across from him, his voice icy enough to freeze the room. "He is my brother, and he is the biological son of the Decker family! What gives you the right to treat him like this? What gives you the right to kick him out?" Arthur took a deep breath, his tone leaving no room for argument. "If he goes, then I'm going with him!" His words stunned everyone into silence. My eyes reddened the moment I realized Arthur was willing to cut ties with the whole family for me, and I was torn between feeling deeply moved and pure rage. I shielded Arthur behind me. I simply refused to let anyone pick on him! Striding over to Mindy, I jabbed a finger at her and started tearing her a new one. "You think you're good enough to talk about engagements? Who do you think you are? Do you honestly believe a brain-dead idiot like you deserves my brother?" I was practically spitting in her face as I went off on her. "Trash like you isn't even worthy of being in the same room as him!" My scolding made Mindy's face darken with rage as she backed away. I let out a cold scoff and kept going. "Just so you know, I've got eight older sisters! I could pick any one of them to marry Arthur, and she'd still be a million times better than you!" Hearing that, the three women froze for a moment. Then, they burst into a chorus of grating, mocking laughs. Amber was laughing so hard she was practically in tears. Chapter 4 Amber asked, "Eight sisters? You think your sisters are your private superhero squad or something?" Mindy looked just as smug and contemptuous, her tone downright condescending. "Everyone knows your adoptive family is just a bunch of low-class nobodies. They're already dirt-poor, and you're saying you have eight sisters?" Amber let out a disdainful snort, looking at me like I was dirt. "They're probably just a bunch of delinquents who spend their days causing trouble. "You actually have the nerve to brag about bottom-feeding trash like that? Have you no shame? You're an absolute disgrace to the Decker family!" Arthur held my hand tightly, shaking with anger. As I stared at the three self-important morons, an angry laugh escaped me. Arthur looked at me with a pained expression, his brow drawn tightly together. Donna seemed to have run out of steam right then. She waved her hand impatiently, putting an end to the whole farce. "That's enough. All of you, stop arguing." She shot me a glare, her tone utterly patronizing as she said, "Since Arthur's sticking up for you, I'll let you off this time. I can't be bothered to argue with an unruly punk like you." She went right back to acting like the untouchable head of the family and said, "There's going to be a business gala in a few days. Make yourself presentable and come along. "It'd be good for you to see how the real world works. Keep your mouth shut and don't speak unless spoken to when you're there. You'd better not embarrass the Decker family!" With that, Donna turned on her heel and headed downstairs. Mindy shot me a disdainful look before sidling up to Arthur to suck up to him. "Don't be mad, Arthur. Getting yourself worked up over this isn't worth it. How about I have that designer you love make you a custom suit for the gala? "But you can't act like you did today. You and I are supposed to be on the same side. If you keep taking this country bumpkin's side, I'm going to be upset." Arthur didn't even spare her a glance. With a cold expression, he dragged me straight to my room. The door slammed shut behind us with a loud bang. I sat on the edge of the bed, and the more I thought about it, the more pissed off I got. Once we were at the gala, I was absolutely going to have my sisters end this engagement once and for all. I wanted to make sure that idiot Mindy was sent packing as far away as possible. The day of the gala came in a flash. I put on the cream-colored suit Arthur had specially picked out for me. The second I stepped into the dazzling ballroom, I started looking around, trying to spot Arthur. Amber, who had been trailing right behind me, suddenly stuck her foot out. She then waited for the perfect moment to slam right into my lower back. Caught off guard, I lost my balance in an instant and lurched forward. In a panic, I flailed my hands around, desperately trying to grab at whatever I could. My fingers just happened to catch the wrist of the woman in front of me. A snap echoed in the ballroom, and the strap of the limited-edition watch on her wrist snapped clean off. The diamond-encrusted watch flew through the air in an arc before falling hard against the polished marble floor. It then skidded a long way across it. The room went dead silent in an instant. Amber instantly slapped on an apologetic look. "Oh, I am so sorry. He's my younger brother. We just brought him back from the countryside. "I see that he has ruined your multi-million-dollar custom watch, but I promise I will make sure he is held fully accountable! I'm going to teach him a lesson he'll never forget as a way to make it up to you!" Since I had hit the floor hard, my knees were still throbbing from the impact. When I heard Amber spew that nonsense and twist the facts, I was so mad that I was about to get up and give her a piece of my mind. Suddenly, a hand appeared in front of me, and with a gentle tug, the person pulled me right back onto my feet. I brushed the dust off my suit before looking up in anger. The next second, I found myself staring straight into a pair of familiar, mesmerizing eyes. The woman was dressed in a perfectly tailored black evening gown. But right now, her usually gentle face was frighteningly dark. "Who exactly are you trying to punish? You want to punish the heir to the Moore family?" It was my oldest sister, Catherine Moore.