Chapter 027

Miguel's Point of View

"What happened?" I asked Cheska when I found her sitting by the sea.

"It's hot here; you haven't put on sunscreen yet," I told her.

She didn't respond, so I tried again.

"You can confide in me about your anger, even though you're older than me. If not as a brother, then as someone you barely know," I urged her.

"The tough part about being Dad's son is he expects the impossible. If I can't deliver, he'll replace me. I was young, and I could tell Dad didn't like me. There was no love, no matter what I did. It's not my fault I was born sick. No matter what medicine I take, the pain remains," she said bitterly.

"I've shown Dad my school achievements, but that's not what he wants. I struggle to speak in front of people due to mild autism I've had since age one. I've undergone therapies my entire life. Progress has been slow. Mom always told me not to pressure myself, but how can I improve and make Dad proud?" she continued, tears welling up.

"Everything I do to