Chapter 5: Pretty Older Sister

Chapter 5: Pretty Older Sister

When I stepped through the front door, I saw my uncle, Marcus Carter, my aunt, Sarah, and their daughter, Sierra, sitting in the living room, chatting with my father.

The moment Aunt Sarah saw me, her face lit up and she happily stood up. "Zach! Look who's back!"

"Hey! Uncle Marcus, Aunt Sarah, Sis!"

Even though I couldn't stand my uncle's arrogance, Aunt Sarah and my older cousin, Sierra, had always treated me like gold.

Because Aunt Sarah couldn't have children of her own, she had always loved and pampered me like a son. As for Sierra—she was adopted. Aunt Sarah had brought her into the family when she was very young, and since she spent almost all her weekends and summers at our house, the two of us had grown up closer than actual siblings.

"Zach, drop your backpack in your room and go help your mother in the kitchen," my father, David Carter, said.

I nodded, ready to head down the hallway, when Uncle Marcus suddenly raised his hand to stop me.

"What does a grown man need to be doing in the kitchen for? That's completely useless!" Uncle Marcus scoffed, waving his hand dismissively. "Sarah, go help your sister-in-law in the kitchen, and take Sierra with you!"

Aunt Sarah, ever the gentle and virtuous peacemaker, didn't bother arguing with him. She simply stood up with a smile. Sierra, meanwhile, shot me a playful wink from behind her dad's back before following her mother into the kitchen.

There was honestly no denying that girls change completely as they grow up.

When we were little kids, Sierra and I used to run wild around the neighborhood all day, both of us covered in dirt with trails of snot hanging from our noses. In the blink of an eye, we were both eighteen.

I was strictly average-looking, but Sierra had blossomed into an incredibly beautiful, elegant girl who turned heads wherever she went.

Even I couldn't help but marvel at the transformation.

Despite how much had changed, our bond hadn't suffered in the slightest. We were still as close as ever.

"So, Zach, the National Entrance Exam is right around the corner," Uncle Marcus started, leaning back on the couch and looking at me with what looked like concern. "How are you feeling? Got any confidence?"

I secretly rolled my eyes.

I knew exactly where this conversation was heading. He didn't care about my exam prep; he just wanted a perfect opportunity to brag about Sierra's incredible academic achievements in front of my dad.

I didn't want to engage with him, but he was my elder and my father was sitting right next to him. I couldn't just ignore him and be outright rude. But before I could even formulate a polite, vague answer, my father cut in.

"What confidence could he possibly have?" my dad sighed, shaking his head. "This kid doesn't take his studies seriously at all. He spends all day daydreaming about who knows what. If he can manage to get into some local community college or trade school, I'll already be thanking the heavens!"

I pressed my lips together in a tight line.

I knew my terrible academic track record over the past couple of years had left my father completely hopeless.

Although I possessed Chloe's incredible intellectual talents now, I didn't have any actual test scores to prove it yet. If I suddenly blurted out that I was going to get into an elite, top-tier university, I'm pretty sure neither my dad nor my uncle—nor anyone else in this room—would believe a single word.

"A community college? No, no, that won't do," Uncle Marcus said, shaking his head with a generous wave of his hand. "What's the point of wasting money on some low-tier trade school? How about this: once Zach finishes his exams, I'll pull a few strings with my industry connections and find him a decent job. It'll definitely pay better than keeping him in some worthless classroom!"

"Stop talking nonsense," Aunt Sarah's voice scolded as she poked her head out of the kitchen. "Zach is still young, and this is the time in his life when he should be focused on his education. How can you just send him out to work like that? Besides, what kind of job are you planning to arrange? Are you trying to make him do hard labor under you?"

She genuinely cared about my future, and she wasn't about to let my uncle dictate it.

"What does a woman know about the real world?" Uncle Marcus shot back disdainfully. "Zach is already eighteen. How is that young? When I was his age, I was already making a living in the city!"

"Either way, I'm not letting you put him to work," Aunt Sarah insisted thoughtfully. "Sierra is also taking the National Entrance Exam this year. Why don't we have Sierra tutor Zach a bit after school? With her help, maybe he can actually pull his grades up and get into a decent State University!"

I stayed quiet, not offering any opinion. I knew Aunt Sarah was doing this out of pure love for me.

"Actually, that's not a bad idea," Uncle Marcus agreed immediately, his chest swelling with pride the moment his daughter was mentioned. "Even though Sierra goes to Bellevue High, her grades are absolutely stellar. I have zero objections to letting her tutor him!"

Having a genius daughter was his absolute favorite thing to brag about.

"But wouldn't that interfere with Sierra's own study schedule?" my dad asked hesitantly. He was clearly tempted by the offer, but he didn't want to be a burden.

"Enough. Nobody say another word. I don't agree to this."

My mother's voice cut through the living room, completely blunt and leaving no room for argument.