NOVEL NEXT Chapter 958 Misplaced Sympathy
Yet, out of habit, she instinctively sided with Lucas, seeing him as the weaker one who always needed protecting. In her eyes, Logan's actions were nothing more than jealousy and cruelty toward his best friend.
And because Logan was her son, she believed it was her duty to "set him straight," while her misplaced sympathy painted Lucas as the victim.
Because of their righteousness and pity, Lucas easily took advantage of the situation, painting himself as the weaker one. He used his status as an orphan like a weapon, earning sympathy and affection from Logan's family until, little by little, Logan was pushed into the shadows.
By constantly acting pitiful and reminding them that he no longer had a family, Lucas softened their hearts to the point that they even allowed him to call Logan's parents "Mother" and "Father" instead of "Auntie" and "Uncle."
This alone was already like him trying to replace Logan as their son, turning the true heir of the family into an outsider. Yet no one noticed.
They simply thought it natural to give more love and attention to Lucas, who seemed so pitiful, while overlooking Logan, their real son. And whenever Logan struggled, they would remind him that he was already fortunate enough to have a complete family, a roof over his head, and food to eat, unlike Lucas, who had none of it.
In the end, Lucas had managed to completely sway the entire family to his side. Even Logan, for a time, believed it himself; that was why he kept giving in to Lucas, convincing himself he should treat his "brother" better, since they were best friends.
It was only much later, when Logan finally stepped away from his family and observed everything as a bystander, that the truth became clear.
Only then did he understand why Hera had urged him to move out and live in the dormitory prepared for artists. There, he not only gained privacy but also a place he could truly call his own.
Because his family and home were no longer his, they had long since been taken over by Lucas. And in the cruelest twist, Logan realized that he was the one being treated like the orphan all along.
But as the ones directly involved, Logan's parents failed to see it that way. To them, they believed they were only showing kindness, never realizing that their so-called kindness was misplaced, that in choosing Lucas, they were wronging their own son and wounding him deeply.
And now, they had gone so far as to stand firmly on Lucas's side without even bothering to hear Logan out. Their first instinct was not to question, not to understand, but to blindly believe in Lucas's innocence while condemning their own son to stand as a pillar of shame.
"Don't worry, Mom, I understand, and I don't blame Logan. He must have only wanted to succeed, so you could be proud of him. Copying my composition and song was wrong, and that's why all this happened, but I can understand him."
"After all, you've been showering me with love and care all this time. He used to be the apple of your eye, but I stole that place the moment I entered your family. He must have felt dissatisfied and, for a moment, lost his way."
"It's just… I never thought he would go this far. If I had known, I would've simply given him the music sheets and written another song instead, so we could have debuted together, different songs, but standing side by side on the same stage, rising together as singer brothers who bring you both pride…"
Lucas's words sounded understanding, sorrowful, even loving. Yet beneath that façade, he was deliberately undermining Logan, planting guilt in his parents' hearts and shifting all the blame onto him.
By pretending to be magnanimous, he not only secured a kinder image for himself but also gained another witness to stand on his side, leaving Logan increasingly isolated.
"Lucas, you really are such a good boy. I feel so ashamed, because I must have failed to raise my son properly."
"Mom, please, it's not your fault. Logan's actions aren't yours to carry," Lucas replied softly, his voice trembling with sorrow. "I know you only ever wanted the best for both of us, and I'll understand if you still choose to protect him."
"After all, he is your real son… and I'm only his best friend. I already feel so grateful that you took me in when I had nothing—no family, no name, nothing to offer. That kindness alone is more than I could ever deserve…"
"Lucas, you're so kind, that's why you've been bullied all this time. But don't worry, Mom will stand by your side and protect you. You will always be our son, even if we don't share blood," Logan's mother said, her voice trembling as a soft sob escaped her lips. She was deeply moved by Lucas's words, especially because he hadn't blamed them for failing to raise Logan properly.
Shame weighed heavily on her heart. Logan was her own son, the one she had loved and pampered growing up, yet what Lucas said made sense to her. Perhaps after they had taken Lucas in, even if he and Logan had been best friends, Logan couldn't accept sharing their love and attention.
With Lucas in the picture, her son must have felt threatened, and instead of adapting, he began to act out. And the more Logan rebelled, the guiltier she and her husband felt toward Lucas.
After all, wasn't it unfair to let the boy they had taken in suffer mistreatment under their roof? That would mean they hadn't saved him at all; they had only brought him in to let him be wronged, which in her eyes was morally unforgivable.
But because of this misplaced kindness, they were unknowingly being played for fools, taken advantage of while their own son was the one suffering mistreatment at their hands. Without realizing it, a rift between them and Logan had long since formed, and it only grew wider with each passing day.
Yet, in their eyes, Logan's behavior was nothing more than a rebellious phase. After all, what teenager hasn't gone through one?
And so, they dismissed the real issue, blind to the deeper wound festering within their family. Meanwhile, Lucas made sure to pour fuel onto the fire, carefully feeding their misunderstandings and ensuring the divide between them and Logan grew larger and larger.
"Thank you, Mom. You're always so good to me," Lucas cooed sweetly, his voice filled with warmth.
Logan's mother couldn't help but smile brightly. After all, what parent wouldn't be touched by a son showing such affection? To parents, no matter how much their children grow, they are still little boys at heart, so Lucas's cuteness only made him more endearing in their eyes.
But Logan, having long felt the rift between himself and his parents, could no longer act that way. Instead, he grew quieter, gloomier with each passing day.
His parents, weighed down by the stress of work and daily struggles, began to feel weary of his silence. Coming home to a son who seemed sullen and distant, especially when compared to Lucas—who knew exactly how to smile sweetly and say the right words—made them naturally lean toward the latter.
This only deepened Logan's sense of isolation. Every time he stepped into the house, he saw his parents and Logan laughing and living as though they were the real family, while he stood on the outside looking in.
Without even realizing it, his mental state had been deteriorating for a long time, and he had already slipped quietly into depression.
If not for Hera pulling him out of that house, Logan might have kept sinking down that path, and once Lucas grew stronger and more famous, he would have easily trampled over Logan, just as in the original novel.
"No, don't thank me. This is only what a mother should do. You don't need to stress yourself; leave everything to your manager. I'll call that brat Logan and scold him properly, so he stops going further down this wrong road," Logan's mother said with a righteous tone.
With a satisfied smile, she ended the call, while her husband sat beside her on the couch, holding a folded newspaper in his hand.
"Honey… don't you think it was too much to say all that about our own son?" Logan's father finally asked, breaking the silence. He glanced at her with concern, but his wife only shot him a look of clear disapproval, as if he were the one being foolish.
"What do you know? We've raised Lucas for so long, and Logan, our own son, is already going down the wrong path. And you think disciplining him is wrong?" Logan's mother scoffed, rolling her eyes before continuing.
"If you're so capable, then why don't you discipline him yourself? Otherwise, his entire career will be over before it even begins. Do you think I enjoy seeing Logan behave like this?"