I Picked Up the Trash Others Threw Away - Chapter 32.2

Chapter 32.2

Even within the same family, the parents’ affection isn’t always distributed fairly.

Even if they try not to show any indifference or neglect, the difference in interest is painfully clear to the one on the receiving end.

All attention and expectation were reserved for Trish’s older brother from the moment he was born.

He was the heir to the Malekiah family, who grew more capable as time passed.

It wasn’t just the family; when the young heir made his early debut in the social world, many ladies who had noticed him asked for marriage proposals under the guise of a partner invitation. Even the royal family called him.

“The day he was personally invited by His Majesty was my birthday. But my parents were more concerned about my brother going to the palace than celebrating the birthday of their second child.”

Trish thought that when he woke up, his parents and brother would come to him with presents and wish him a happy birthday.

But when he woke up early in the morning, expecting to see his family, there was no one there. His family had gone to the royal palace at dawn and returned only late at night.

The servants tried to cheer him up with delicious food and presents they had prepared, but Trish couldn’t hide his disappointment.

He wasn’t a priority for the people he loved the most.

Belatedly realizing that they had forgotten about his birthday party, the Count and Countess presented Trish with a gorgeously crafted sword sheath the next day, but Trish never used it.

The box with the sword sheath he hadn’t opened since receiving it was still hidden somewhere in the house. It was pushed into a corner where even the servants couldn’t find it, so it was probably covered in dust.

That must have been when Trish’s personality began to twist.

No matter how hard he tried and tried to show results, his ability was not as good as his brother’s.

And so, to get his parents’ attention, he began acting out.

He started causing trouble on purpose and refusing to do anything he didn’t want to do. He didn’t try to do it in the first place.

He started drinking and meeting up with random women.

The more he did so, the more the Count and Countess sighed and frowned, and the more they focused on their eldest son.

As he grew older, the family’s ties became more and more strained.

There was no one to welcome Trish back to the mansion when he returned after staying out for three days. His parents, suffering from headaches, had gone on a vacation to the villa without saying anything.

As they clearly expressed they no longer cared about their second son, Trish completely closed the door to his heart.

“I haven’t really had a conversation with them since then. When you first met my parents, Audrey, that was the most we had spoken in months.”

I nodded and listened to Trish in silence.

There were probably more stories he couldn’t say.

Minor conflicts, misunderstandings, and apathy would have accumulated, causing the bubble to burst.

I suddenly wondered. Perhaps Trish’s desire for love while meeting random women was to fill the hole in affection and attention he had not received from his parents when he was a child.

Often referred to as emotional neglect.

Even if they acted like it wasn’t a big deal, people who suffered from emotional neglect in their childhood often tried to make up for what they never received after they grew up.

“What about the mansion’s servants, or your brother? Did anyone try to help? There must have been someone who cared about you.”

“At that time, their sympathy didn’t feel pleasant. And as I grew up and acted more like a ruffian, their gazes eventually became more and more like my parents’. And my brother…”

Trish paused. His grip on the paddles seemed to tighten.

I waited for him to continue, but after a long silence, he just let out a sigh of resignation instead of an answer.

“They’re all the same. Me too, I guess.”

Maybe he wasn’t ready to talk about what happened with his brother yet.

I held back the urge to push him, suppressing my curiosity, and gently patted him on the shoulder instead.

“Even if other people haven’t been on your side, I understand you.”

“Yeah. You said before you would support me even if it was my fault.”

“It wasn’t empty words. I know what that feels like.”

I denied Trish’s wrongful behavior once again.

Seeing Trish sincerely talking about the past with a bitter expression on his face… I was finally able to empathize with him.