A few years later, Maria and John got married and had two children of their own, a boy and a girl. Michael was thrilled to have siblings, but he immediately learned that they were treated differently than he was.
His stepfather would dote on his younger siblings, bringing them on trips and purchasing them lavish gifts. But when it came to Michael, he was either neglected or reprimanded for trivial things.
Michael tried his best to be cordial towards his step-siblings, but they didn't appear to want anything to do with him. They would often exclude him from their games and ignore him when he sought to talk to them.