As I walked down the road, the same men who used to praise me now looked at me with mockery and contempt.

"Look! That's Arthur's grandson, the one who went to university," someone began. "But I heard he can't even give a proper toast. He's not even as good as his cousin, who only went to community college."

Another replied, "Exactly. What's the point of all that education then? He'll get eaten alive out in the real world without social skills."

"Calvin's the sharp one. He'll go a lot further than this bookworm ever will."

Their words stung, each one landing harder than the last. However, what hurt even more was how my own family treated me.

My mom had always cared deeply about appearances. Ever since I embarrassed myself in front of Alice, she had looked at me like I was nothing but a disappointment.

At dinner, Mom slammed her fork down, jabbed a finger at me, and yelled, "We put you through all those years of school, and you can't even say a proper thing in front of people?

"You just had to let Calvin clean up your mess! Do you have any idea how humiliating that was for me?"

Dad felt sorry for me. But with Uncle Gary and Mom bearing down on him, all he could do was tell me to let it go.

I had no way to defend myself and could only swallow my grievances.

At first, I thought it was just a coincidence. But today, when Calvin said those specialized terms, I finally realized that he could hear my thoughts.

…

That night, Grandpa called Calvin and me over. A calculating glint flashed in his eyes as he said, "Tomorrow is my 80th birthday. Your Aunt Sierra and Uncle Roger are coming back from the city.

"They're the ones with real money in this family. Whether they decide to help us get ahead will depend entirely on tomorrow."

Then, he glanced at Calvin, his expression softening with affection. "Calvin, you've made something of yourself. Even Professor Sullivan speaks highly of you. Make sure you do well tomorrow."

But when his gaze shifted to me, his face turned cold.

"Jasper, you haven't been doing great lately, but at least you've got a degree."

Grandpa continued, "Tomorrow, both of you will prepare a speech. Whoever wins your Aunt Sierra over will have done this family a real service."

At that, Calvin shot me a smug look, already certain he had this in the bag.

My aunt, Sierra Meyer, was something of a legend in our small town. She had left home when she was young and supposedly made her fortune in real estate down south. Rumor had it that she was worth billions of dollars now.

But she had always kept her distance from the family. Aside from sending Grandpa money once a year, she rarely came back.

This time, however, she was bringing her entire family back for Grandpa's 80th birthday—something completely out of character.

Aunt Sierra also intended to assess investment opportunities back home. If things went well, she'd offer some support to the younger generation.

No wonder Grandpa wanted Calvin and me to prepare speeches. If we could win her support, we could cut years off our struggle.

There was no doubt Calvin would seize this opportunity.

My lips curled into a smirk. This time, I was going to give him a gift he would never forget.

…

The next day, the birthday celebration got underway. 50 tables were set up in a sprawling outdoor feast, and prominent figures from every nearby town were in attendance.

Aunt Sierra sat at the main table, surrounded by people trying to curry favor.

She looked around at the gathered family and sighed. "Even though our family came from nothing, we're doing well now. But that doesn't mean we can forget our roots.

"It's your grandfather's 80th birthday. So, tell me, can any of you put together a proper poem, or at least say something worth hearing?"

Aunt Sierra might have made her money later in life, but over the years, she had developed a taste for appearing cultured.

She loved being seen that way, and even more, she loved putting us on the spot whenever she got the chance.

When Uncle Gary heard that, an idea came to him.

"Sierra, why even ask? Calvin's the brightest kid around," he said with a smile. "Unlike someone who went to a top university and still can't string a sentence together.

"Jasper, you're a literature major, aren't you? Why don't you go up against Calvin?"

At first, Calvin looked a little rattled. He barely had enough in him to come up with a decent rhyme, after all.

But the moment he heard he'd be competing with me, his eyes lit up.

He rose to his feet and shot me a challenging look. "Jasper, since Aunt Sierra's in the mood, let's make things a little more interesting. You're the top student here, so don't go easy on me, alright?"

I lowered my head, pretending to be deep in thought, while composing a poem in my mind.

Barely a second later, Calvin spoke up, his voice dripping with excitement. "Since Jasper's still thinking, I'll go first and give it a try."

"A life built through work and will, shaped by time and endurance, yet still carrying something of youth in its spirit."

Calvin brimmed with confidence as he delivered the poem I had composed in my mind. The instant he finished, Aunt Sierra's eyes lit up.

"That's beautiful!" she exclaimed. "I had no idea Calvin had such poetic talent!"

Her husband, Roger Cooper, shot me a pointed look before saying, "Not bad. He can come up with a poem on the spot. He's definitely better than those who bury themselves in books."

Uncle Gary basked in the attention, then raised his voice. "Jasper, Calvin's done already. What about you? Got anything yet? I can't believe you went to a top university. Looks like all that studying went down the drain!"

The crowd burst into laughter, and people began pointing at me and whispering.

I put on an embarrassed look and lowered my head. "Aunt Sierra, since everyone likes Calvin so much, I won't ruin the mood."

With that, I grabbed my bag and turned to leave.

Panicked, Calvin rushed over and grabbed my arm. "Jasper, what's that supposed to mean? You can't take losing?

"It's Grandpa's 80th birthday today, and Aunt Sierra finally came back after all this time. Even if you're jealous of me, you can't throw a tantrum like that in front of the elders."

Uncle Gary didn't pick up on Calvin's urgency and instinctively piled on. "Are you really that petty? You lost a little competition, and now, you're storming off?"

Aunt Sierra frowned at me, too.

"Jasper, it's not a big deal. We're having a family meal. Where do you think you're going?"

I chuckled inwardly. Then, I took a deep breath and pretended to give in. "Alright. Since Aunt Sierra and Calvin both say so, I'll stay."

At last, Calvin let out a sigh of relief.

"That's more like it, Jasper. You should learn from me. Stop burying yourself in books."

Right then, Aunt Sierra happily pulled out a thick wad of cash and stuffed it into Calvin's hands. "Take it! That's your reward. If you ever want to work in the city, just let me know!"

Calvin took the money before tilting his chin at me smugly.

But I ignored him, the corner of my lips curling into a cold smile.

…

After a few rounds of drinks, Aunt Sierra was in high spirits.

"Everyone, thank you all for coming to celebrate my father's 80th birthday!" she began. "I wouldn't be where I am today without your support.

"Most importantly, I'm grateful for my husband. All these years, he's taken care of our home and raised our son. He's been my rock!"

Uncle Roger stood beside her, beaming. Their son, Oliver Cooper, even managed a rare smile.

Thunderous applause filled the air at once. Someone even yelled, "What a model couple!"

"Uncle Roger is a lucky man!"

At that moment, Uncle Gary pushed Calvin forward. "Quick! Go toast them! Butter them up and make your Aunt Sierra happy. That way, you'll be set for life!"

Calvin immediately stood up with his glass. Having tasted success earlier, his confidence skyrocketed. He looked at me again, eyes bright with anticipation.

I met his gaze and smiled faintly. A beat later, I recalled every detail of the shocking secret I had uncovered.

As soon as he heard my thoughts, Calvin spoke up loudly.

"Oh, Uncle Roger. Just look at how happy you are. I bet you didn't know that the son you've raised for eight years is actually the child Aunt Sierra had with that driver from years ago!"