Part 2The Favorite Twin Stole My Admission Letter

I stared at her for a few agonizing seconds, then turned around and walked away.

She didn't care about my future, and I was done begging for scraps of her love.

I wrote a simple message on a notepad.

[Are you hiring? I am a hard worker and I will do anything.]

I walked into every single store, cafe, and restaurant near the campus. I pointed to my ear, then handed the notepad to the managers.

Every single one of them shook their heads.

By nightfall, the storefronts went dark. I hadn't eaten a single bite of food all day. Blisters had ruptured on my heels, making every step excruciating.

Exhausted, I collapsed on the concrete steps of a closed diner, leaning my head against the cold brick wall.

Suddenly, the warm, savory smell of fresh food wafted over me.

I looked up. It was the woman who ran the breakfast cart down the street. I had shown her my notepad earlier that afternoon.

She pressed two warm breakfast sandwiches into my hands, followed by her glowing phone screen.

It was a text thread with Jasmine.

[My brother, Felix, is deaf. If he comes looking for a job, turn him away immediately.]

[Do not serve him food, do not rent him a room, and do not offer him any help.]

The woman typed a new message for me to read.

"Your sister owns the commercial real estate on this entire block. She sent that warning to every single business owner. We are all just trying to make a living, kid. No one dares to cross her."

"I waited until it was completely dark to sneak you this food. Please, don't let your sister find out."

I nodded slowly.

Terrified of being seen, the woman hurried away.

I took a slow, mechanical bite of the sandwich.

When my sister stole my college admission, I didn't cry. When she ripped out my hearing aid and forced me to wander the streets in silence, I didn't cry.

But right now, reading a few words of kindness from a total stranger, my eyes burned. The tears spilled over, and I couldn't stop them.

Eventually, I curled into a tight ball on the concrete and fell into an exhausted, feverish sleep.

I didn't know how much time had passed when a heavy fist slammed directly into my cheekbone.

I jerked awake. A group of street thugs stood over me, cruel grins twisting their faces. Their mouths were moving, but I couldn't hear a word they were saying.

I scrambled to my feet and tried to run. But my blistered feet betrayed me. Before I made it ten yards, a hand grabbed the back of my collar and violently hurled me to the pavement.

They pinned me down. Fists rained down on my face and stomach, blurring my vision.

Just as I was about to pass out from the pain, they suddenly stopped and backed away.

I dug my nails into my palms, forcing myself to stay conscious. I forced my swollen eyes open.

Jasmine was standing right in front of me.

She was wearing a sleek, tailored black trench coat, looking utterly immaculate and aristocratic. She stared down at me with a faint trace of disgust in her eyes.

A suffocating wave of humiliation washed over me.

I felt like an absolute clown.

Jasmine waved her hand, and the thugs immediately lowered their heads and scurried away into the alley.

I understood instantly. She hired them to beat me.

Jasmine sighed heavily. She pulled a silk handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the dirt and blood off my cheek.

Then, she pushed a new hearing aid into my ear.

"I accidentally broke your old one this morning. I bought you a replacement. It's a top-tier import."

"I didn't know your exact ear mold measurements, so I just used Oliver's. You guys are twins anyway."

The earpiece didn't fit. It was too big, digging painfully into the cartilage of my ear.

But it worked well enough for me to hear her voice.

"Look at yourself. You've been gone for twelve hours and you already look like a stray dog."

"Come home with me, Felix. Tomorrow, you are going to register at the Arts building."

"I will pull some strings and explain your disability to the professors. They won't make things too hard on you."