My brother stole my life jacket

The storm hit without warning. My brother, Mark, shoved me overboard and snatched my life vest.

When the rest of my family was rescued, Mom wailed, "Where's Ethan? Where did he go?"

Dad scoffed, "Don't worry about him. He had a life jacket, he'll be fine."

My sister, Jessica, hugged Mark tight. "My sweet little brother, so innocent. I wish Ethan could be more like you."

They stood on the dock, yelling for me to come out, accusing me of hiding.

But I couldn't.

I was already dead, swallowed by the dark depths of the ocean.

The ship had sunk. My parents, Jessica, and Mark, all wearing life vests, bobbed on the surface, waiting for rescue. Their hands clung to each other, a tight circle of fear.

It wasn't until they were pulled aboard a rescue boat and the coast guard started counting heads that they realized I was missing.

A coast guard officer frowned. "You're a family, right? How did you not notice your son was gone?"

Mom rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with annoyance. "Ethan's always been like this. Always off on his own. Remember that time at Disneyland? We were all ready to go, and he was still at home! Why can't he just speak up? He's so introverted and moody, such a drag."

But that time, it was her who forgot. I’d told her I needed to use the restroom, asked them to wait. When I came out, all I saw was the taillights of their car disappearing down the road. I screamed until my throat was raw, blood thick in my nose, but they never stopped. That's when I realized I was disposable, invisible to them.

Now, Jessica sneered, "Little brat. Couldn't even bother to let us know he was okay."

Mark snuggled into her, murmuring reassurances.

Jessica stroked his hair. "You're so good, Mark. So sweet and understanding. I wish Ethan could be half as considerate."

Mark sighed, a practiced pout on his face. "Maybe Ethan just didn't want to see me. He’s never really liked me. But he shouldn't be so selfish. Doesn't he know how worried we were?"

Dad's face hardened. He wrapped an arm around Mark, then turned and bellowed across the water, "Ethan! Where the hell are you? Your brother's worried sick! Get your ass over here!"

Their love for Mark was a constant, painful reminder of their indifference towards me.

We were both adopted. Their biological son, David, had drowned years ago. They were devastated. Jessica cried constantly, begging for a brother.

A few years later, they decided to adopt. That’s how they found me, at the orphanage. I was standing by the gate when I had a sudden, inexplicable urge to turn around. I saw their car speeding towards the intersection and screamed for them to stop. They slammed on the brakes, narrowly avoiding a collision.

Shaking, they thanked me profusely. “You saved our lives! It’s fate! Would you like to be our son? We promise to love you forever.”

Hope blossomed in my chest. I nodded, finally believing I’d found a family.

Those first six months were pure bliss. They showered me with affection. Mom and...