To My Pretender [BL]

[6] - The Birth of the Pretender

This vile, pitiful pretender was diagnosed with a great sickness when he entered his second year of senior high. However, it wasn't that noticeable. 

He continued going to school. He continued hanging out with his friends. He continued doing his exams just fine. However, the relationship between the pretender and his mother was never the same again after the discovery of his illness.

This pretender went by the name of Wu Jie.

Their father had cheated on their mother many times. He had even invited the woman on multiple occasions to their house while their mother was away on trips.

When their mother caught their father, the two brothers simply heard a cacophony of ugly cries. Fearful, despairing cries rose shrilly from the living room, sounds which he heard every night, indeed, beyond their bedroom door at midnight.

The voice of their mother was so horrible from spite and rage that it was almost a croak; but Wu Jie too, recognised the infuriated voice of their father. He was kicking her, banging her head against the steps—that's clear, that can be told from the sounds, from the cries and the thuds. Then, their mother would retaliate. Plates smashing, yelling, crying, and most of all, the disappointment in their voices when they knew it wouldn't be right to separate when they had children already this old.

Wu Jie knew his brother hated being in this family.

A cheating and lying father.

A dictatorial and ignorant mother.

A useless and naïve younger brother.

Wu Jie didn't exist at all in their mother's eyes. While she placed all her attention on his older brother, she had completely forgotten the other human that lived in their house was existing too. 

Nothing Wu Jie did ever impressed their mother, and she had never found the need to praise him for anything. The only time she would speak to him for more than a few sentences was when he caused trouble outside of their house. Yet, he didn't mind it. It was obvious that favoritism inevitably existed: it would've been useless to complain about such things because it wasn't bothering Wu Jie at all.

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One year later, his older brother committed suicide.

Wu Jie was sixteen years old. It was at that point that their parents finally divorced, and their mother won custody over him. After the death of his older brother, their mother started growing paranoid, and Wu Jie filled in the void that their older brother left. 

Their mother ensured Wu Jie never had any negative thoughts. She ensured there were no sharp tools in his room or anything that could do him harm. She even made sure his pencils were blunt.

Every time he appeared tired, she would take him to the doctor or take pills to relieve pain. Every time he wasn't smiling, she would keep checking up on him. Every time he didn't come out of his room for more than an hour, she would force her way in to ensure he wasn't doing anything behind her back. At one point, she had even installed cameras inside his bedroom and around the house.

Yet, this was not the point when his role as the pretender started. In fact, it had started way earlier on—possibly before he even reached junior high school. 

Now, the smile that he offered to the world had become the ugliest, vilest, cruelest crime a human being could commit.

The reason he was so isolated and lonely, wasn't because other people were the problem, but himself.

He was the problem.