Present Time, Country Georgealand, City St. Stelton
"Big Brother, be ready! We have to leave by four p.m.—only one hour left!" Beatrice's voice echoed through the living room.
I was too focused on my screen, scrolling through the final chapter of a novel on Webnovel. The story had reached its climax, and there was no way I was stopping now.
Without even looking up, I replied hastily, "Okay, you get ready first."
She let out a dramatic sigh. "Big Brother, are you even listening to me?"
"Don't worry, I'll be ready on time," I muttered, eyes still glued to the screen.
Beatrice gave up and left to get ready.
---
About forty-five minutes later, she came back again.
"Brother! It's almost time!"
"Yeah, yeah. I just finished this arc," I said, finally putting my phone down. "Though seriously, that author is evil. Who ends an arc like that and jumps straight into the next one?"
I sighed, shaking my head. "If I ever meet him, I'll give him a piece of my mind."
Five minutes later, I was dressed and standing outside the house, waiting for my cheeky sister. Of course, she wasn't ready yet—but somehow, she'd still scold me for being late.
"Give me five minutes! I'm almost ready!" she shouted from inside.
I looked at my watch.
"Five minutes for girls always means fifteen," I thought. "I don't get why they need so long just to get dressed. Even Mom is faster."
At 4:05 p.m., Beatrice finally appeared. She wore a light blue and navy-blue outfit, with glass earrings that sparkled in the afternoon light. For a moment, she looked like a princess from some fairytale kingdom.
"Big Brother, let's go! We're already late. We still have to pick up your friends," she said—as if I was the reason for the delay.
---
Ten minutes later, we picked up Tommy on the way. He jumped into the front seat beside me.
"William and his wife said they'll meet us at the exhibition ground," Tommy said.
"Got it," I replied, starting the car.
Tommy turned to Beatrice in the back seat. "So, Little Beatrice, how's college life? Anyone giving you trouble? If some idiot's bothering you, just tell me—I'll take care of it."
"Everything's fine," she said cheerfully. "No one dares to cause trouble. The college has strict rules about ragging now. If anyone's caught, they're expelled immediately. Didn't you read the new guidelines, Brother?"
Tommy leaned back and sighed. "If only such rules existed back in our time. Maybe I wouldn't have been bullied by this cheeky guy here." He jerked his thumb at me. "The one sitting proudly like cheeky bastard."
"I can hear you," I said flatly.
Tommy ignored me completely and looked at Beatrice. "Tell me, Little Beatrice, have I said anything wrong?"
She grinned. "Not at all! He bullies me too, you know. The government should make new rules—'No big brother should bully his little sister at home!'"
Their laughter filled the car while I pretended not to care.
The teasing continued all the way until we reached the exhibition ground, where William and his wife were already waiting for us.
---
William stood there in his usual outfit — a crisp white shirt tucked neatly into light brown trousers. His glasses reflected the afternoon sun, giving him that calm, dependable look he always had. Beside him stood his wife — our sister-in-law — Juniper Alexander.
She was gorgeous as always. That kind of beauty that felt effortless, not forced. Her smile was genuine — the kind that could make anyone feel lighter just by looking at her.
She wore a raw silk blouse paired with a tiered maxi skirt in a soft, dusty saffron yellow. The skirt had a deep slit that revealed her tassel-tie gladiator sandals as she moved. The combination suited her perfectly — elegant, yet free-spirited.
William and Juniper were college sweethearts — everyone in our group knew their story. She was the second daughter of the Alexander family, one of the most influential families in the city.
Back then, her decision to marry William caused a huge commotion in her family. Her father had already chosen someone else for her — someone with power, status, and family name. But Juniper chose love instead. She chose William.
Looking at them now, standing side by side, laughing softly together, I couldn't help but think — have they ever imagined what life would've been like if they hadn't fought for each other?
Would Juniper still smile like that every day? Would William still look this peaceful?
Sometimes, I just wonder… how can a father not care about his own daughter's happiness?
Dad once told me, "When you become a father yourself, you'll understand."
He meant that a father has his own concerns — his fears, his ways of protecting his child. Maybe that's true… but still, watching William and Juniper together made me believe — sometimes love is worth defying everything for.
---
As we walked closer, William stepped forward with open arms.
"Hey, bro—" he began, spreading his arms for a hug.
But I walked right past him.
Instead, I stopped in front of Juniper and smiled.
"Sister-in-law! How have you been these days?" I asked warmly, completely ignoring William's existence.
William froze mid-step, arms still hanging awkwardly in the air. His cheerful face twisted into one of pure betrayal.
He glared at me as if I'd just eaten his favorite snack.
"Hey! I'm your brother first, then she's your sister-in-law," he protested.
I turned to him with a mock gasp.
"Oh, brother, is it? You still remember that we're brothers?" I said dramatically. "Look at him, sister-in-law — he ignores our calls for months, and now suddenly he remembers we're brothers!"
Juniper burst out laughing. Her smile bloomed even brighter, though she didn't try to stop us. She just stood there, hands folded, watching our childish argument.
William sighed and rubbed his forehead. "You never change, James."
Before I could reply, Tommy stepped forward, pulling William into a hug.
"Just ignore him," Tommy said with a grin. "It seems Denube City messed up his head a little."
Then he asked, "How have you been, William?"