Chapter 12: The Truth Behind Everything

I was shocked.

Charlee was even more stunned.

She grabbed the hem of Zachary’s trousers and asked, "Why? You let Erik call you Dad for so many years. Everyone knows you love him the most. You even let me move into your villa so he could see me often. What made you change your mind? Tell me!"

"Erik is not my son, but my older brother’s," Zachary said.

"I could have treated him as my own, but his existence has affected my marriage."

"I’ve thought about it carefully. Stephanie is the most important person to me."

"So I will no longer be his father. I will become his uncle."

"After all, I am his uncle. Whether as an uncle or a father, I will still treat him well."

I was too shocked to say a word.

Zachary held my hand tightly and looked into my eyes.

"Since childhood, I wanted to become an astronomer," he said.

"My brother, Kyle, was supposed to inherit the family business."

"But things didn’t go as planned…"

Charlee had fallen in love with Zachary and pursued him for years.

At that time, he was focused on physics and had no interest in relationships.

To provoke him, Charlee threatened to date his brother.

Zachary didn’t take her seriously.

He believed his brother would never fall for her.

But he was wrong.

Kyle fell deeply in love with Charlee.

After she became pregnant and gave birth to Erik, Kyle even proposed to her.

That was when Charlee revealed the truth.

She had never loved Kyle.

From beginning to end, the only person she loved was Zachary.

She had dated Kyle and given birth to his child only to provoke Zachary.

Kyle couldn’t accept the truth.

In despair, he overdosed on sleeping pills and died.

"For the past eight years, I have blamed myself," Zachary said softly.

"I wanted to take responsibility for my brother’s death."

Tears filled his eyes.

It was the first time I had ever seen him cry.

He had always been strong, calm, and composed.

He worked tirelessly and rarely allowed himself to rest.

Now I finally understood why.

He had given up his dream of becoming an astronomer and taken over the family business.

We were more alike than I had realized.

We were both burdened by guilt.

We had both sacrificed our dreams.

"From the moment I first saw you, I knew we were the same," Zachary said.

"We both carry pain and regret."

"I love you because you are strong, and you never give up."

He kept his promise.

He removed all the negative posts about me from the internet.

He publicly clarified everything and issued a sincere apology.

Gradually, public opinion shifted.

People began to understand the truth.

They learned about my past and the sacrifices I had made.

They realized I had studied autism and contributed research papers in the field.

Although my life had been difficult, I had always tried my best.

Charlee, on the other hand, lost everything.

The truth about her past was exposed.

Her reputation collapsed, and her account was banned.

Time passed quickly.

A year later, on Frank’s death anniversary, I returned to my hometown.

I went to the cemetery to visit him.

"I’m now studying for a PhD," I said softly.

"I may become an expert in autism research."

"Mom and Dad are doing well. They are healthy."

"I miss you, Frank. If there is another life, can you still be my brother?"

My tears fell onto the white rose petals.

Zachary stood beside me and gently held my hand.

This time, I didn’t pull away.

It wasn’t entirely because of love.

It was because we shared the same pain.

We had both given up our dreams and faced reality.

But we were still moving forward.

"Look," he said softly, "the sunset."

The sky was filled with golden light as the sun slowly disappeared beyond the horizon.

We stood there quietly, watching the beautiful scene.

When I turned my head, I saw tears on Zachary’s face.

"I don’t know how to describe something so beautiful," he said.

"All I can say is… I love you."

I was deeply moved.

It was only later that I learned about his condition.

He had suffered from Asperger’s syndrome as a child.

Even as an adult, he struggled to express his emotions.

But that was alright.

We would both learn to live better lives.

Under the bright sun and in the quiet night.