The child thought things would get better. That was what grown-ups always said, anyway. If he behaved. If he stayed quiet. If he didn't get in the way.
Then his father brought a new woman home.
She smiled too much, the kind of smile that never reached her eyes. And she didn't come alone. There was a boy with her—Julius. He was bigger than Arian, louder too, and he walked around the house as if he owned it from the very first day.
Arian tried to be good about it. He really did. He stayed out of the way, kept his toys, or whatever remained of them, in his room, and spoke only when spoken to. But it didn't matter. He did not know if he preferred being scolded and loathed over being completely ignored.
One day, during dinner, his father said Julius would be the heir.
He didn't know exactly what an heir was, only that it sounded important. Important enough that everyone smiled at Julius.
