"I'm gay."

Lucas's smile faded upon seeing his family's shocked reaction to his announcement. He had thought that they would at least be happy that he no longer had to hide his true self from them.

The whole room was engulfed by a heavy silence as Lucas carefully looked at his parents, searching for their reaction at the sudden announcement.

"Mother, Father, are you okay?"

Lucas was about to take a step towards his parents when he was stopped by his sister.

"What do you think you're doing? Stay where you are."

She pushed him to the side, shielding their parents, who were still shocked by the sudden announcement.

"But-"

"Enough!"

Everyone's attention snapped to his brother, who was sitting at the corner of the room, holding a champagne glass.

"What do you think you're doing, huh?"

Lucas looked at his brother, fear evident in his eyes.

"Do you think what you are doing is right? Confessing in front of our relatives? Putting shame on our parents?"

Before Lucas could even answer, his oldest brother grabbed him by the collar and slapped him hard across the face.

PAHHHH

Lucas stumbled to the ground, cradling his swollen cheeks as he looked at his brother with tears welling up in his eyes.

His heart broke as he saw the anger and the disappointment etched on his family's faces and slowly lowered his head in shame, unable to look them in the eyes for the rest of the night.

"Where did you put your brain?!"

His brother's hand was about to strike on his face once again when his father intervened.

"Raven, enough."

As sincere as his father's voice was to his brother, Lucas could feel the anger simmering through his words. He kept his head down as his father bid farewell to the remaining relatives and escorted them out.

The night remained tense in silence as the last guest bid farewell to his parents while glaring at Lucas. The younger man could only look at his relative under his lashes before turning away.

The front door closed with a soft slam followed by the silence shattered by the sound of glass breaking and his father's rage.

"What have you done?!"

Lucas flinched at how loud his father's voice was and tried to look at his father, his lips trembling in fear.

"Didn't I raise you well enough for you to do this to me?"

"I'm sorry, please forgive me. I didn't know what I was doing."

Lucas apologized to his father and asked for his forgiveness. However, the younger man also knew that asking forgiveness wouldn't help him in this situation.

"You have put me to shame! In front of our relatives! What got into your head and made you do this, huh? Have I not done enough for you?"

He tried to stop himself from crying, however, tears streamed down his face.

"Please, Father, just hear me out, please."

Lucas dropped to his knees and lowered his head to the floor, his hands together underneath his head as he trembled and begged for his father's forgiveness.

"You are so selfish! You put me to shame for your own gains!"

Seth seethed in anger. His heart might also have been broken, however, his pride soared beyond reason, making it hard for him to any longer see his youngest as the child he once lovingly raised.

"No! I didn't raise you to be stupid. I know for a fact that if you ever had considered the shame you'd bring upon your mother and me, you would never have done this."

"F-Father, p-please. I-I am deeply s-sorry."

Lucas was balling his eyes out. He looked to see his father's face still pleading for forgiveness, however, his words of plea fell on deaf ears.

"No, I will not accept your apologies. Pack your bags and get out of my fucking house. You are no longer my son."

Without a word, his brother yanked him up from the ground before opening the door, pulling Lucas out of the house and throwing him onto the streets.

"Father, please I beg you! I am sorry."

He tried one last time to plead for another chance, but the old man had made up his mind and kicked his youngest son out onto the cold streets.

"I didn't mean to. Please, Father."

The young man tried to plead for forgiveness, trying to knock hard on the metal door of their house.

"Raven! Trixie! Mother! Please!"

A cold breeze swept through the ground on that New Year's Eve. Lucas took a deep breath, shivering due to the biting cold that surrounded him. The pavement was covered in snow and the sky was pitch black.

"P-Please! Open the door! Let me in! Let me explain."

Lucas's voice slowly grew weaker as his throat dried up from screaming.

He once had a promising future after graduation. As the sole heir to the family business, his future seemed bright. But now, here he was in the cold, shivering and had no family to call home.

He wrapped the only jacket he had managed to grab from his closet as he looked one last time at the place he once called home, the home where this family had raised him with love and care.

He turned away, faced ahead and began to walk down the snow-covered pavements. The flickering streetlights were his only source of light through the dark maze he had created for himself.

It was supposed to be a "Happy" New Year, just like any other year in the Huang household. Everyone had been having fun, playing different sorts of games and celebrating.

Red envelopes were being passed around, as per traditions, and the newlyweds were being teased–or pressured– to have children already and start a family.

It was supposed to be the "Happy" New Year when the Huang family would congratulate their youngest son, Lucas Huang, for graduating with the highest honors at his university.

The honors that the young man had worked tirelessly for, pushing through years and years of pressure and hidden anxieties. Finally, Lucas had made his parents proud.

It was supposed to be that day–the day for him to be truly happy and celebrate with his loved ones. But instead, the day had become the worst New Year he had ever hoped for.

And it was all because of him.