LOGINThe day my parents divorced, the rain wouldn’t stop. Two agreements sat on the table. One meant staying in the old Eastwood District with my gambling-addicted father, Alexander Clark, drowning in debt. The other meant leaving for Silverstrand Coast with my mother, Charlotte Hayes, who was remarrying into wealth. In my last life, my younger brother, Mathias Clark, cried and clung to Mom while I quietly packed my things and chose to stay with Dad. Later, he quit gambling and struck it rich during a redevelopment boom. He poured everything into raising me right. Meanwhile, Mathias was trapped in his stepfather’s house—isolated, controlled, never allowed outside—until depression took his life. But this time, everything changed. Mathias snatched the cigarette from Dad’s hand and hugged him tightly, refusing to let go. "Tyler, I feel bad for Dad. You go enjoy the good life over there. I’ll stay and take care of him for you." Dad froze for a moment, then smiled with relief and patted his shoulder. I said nothing. I simply picked up the train ticket to the coast. What he didn’t know was that… In my last life, the reason Dad was able to quit gambling was because I had a brain tumor. I worked myself to the brink of coughing up blood just to repay his debts. I traded my life… for his redemption.
View MoreMy condition kept getting worse.My vision blurred more and more. I could barely make out people’s faces, so I had to rely on voices to recognize them.Mom cried every day, her eyes turning swollen and puffy. She started turning to religion, chanting prayers in the hospital room. She said she was praying for my blessings, but listening to it only made me restless."Mom, stop," I said. "If there really were gods watching, I wouldn’t be suffering like this."She froze. The prayer book slipped from her hands and fell to the floor. "Tyler…""I want chicken casserole," I cut her off."Okay, okay, I’ll go make it right now." She hurriedly picked up the book and rushed out.I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat it. I just wanted her gone because I needed some quiet.Now, it was just Jonathan and me in the room."Uncle Jonathan," I called."I’m here." He traced words into my palm, letting me know he was there."I don’t want treatment anymore," I said. "Pull the tubes." My body was covere
Mom broke down. She looked at me, let out a sharp scream, and collapsed.The house descended into chaos.Jonathan called an ambulance.Both Mom and Mathias were taken to the hospital.I went too because my nose started bleeding again and wouldn’t stop.The doctors treated me immediately. My nasal cavity was packed with gauze, so I could only breathe through my mouth.In the hospital room, Mom woke up. She sat by my bed, clutching the diagnosis report, sobbing uncontrollably."Why? Why did this happen? You’re still so young…"Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I was wrong… I was really wrong…" She grabbed my hand, tears and mucus smearing across my skin.I looked at her and felt… nothing."Mom, stop crying," I said, my voice muffled. "It’s loud."She instantly covered her mouth, not daring to make a sound, but the tears kept falling.Mathias sat on the bed beside mine. After his wounds were treated, he looked like a tattered rag doll. He stared at me blankly. The hatred was gone
"The doctor said that if there’s no intervention, it could happen at any time…"He didn’t finish the sentence, but I understood. I could die at any moment."That’s good." I smiled faintly. "Sooner than I expected."Jonathan looked at my smile, something bleak flickering in his eyes. "Tyler, you’re only eighteen.""So what if I am? Some people live to eighty and are still just walking corpses. I’ve lived eighteen years. That’s enough."Just then, a commotion erupted downstairs. Mom was crying and shouting."Mom, I don’t want to live anymore! I can’t do this anymore!"Mathias.He was here.I frowned.Jonathan stood up. "Stay here. I’ll go take a look.""I’m coming too." I threw off the blanket."You—""I want to see." I wanted to see what Mathias had become in this life after being crushed by reality.Jonathan didn’t stop me. He helped me up, supporting me as we slowly made our way downstairs.The living room was in chaos.Mathias was kneeling on the floor, covered in inj
"I’m not going to beg him," I said.A sharp slap cracked across my face. My head snapped to the side, my ears ringing.At that moment, a cold voice came from the doorway."Who told you to hit him?"Jonathan stood there, his expression dark enough to send chills down anyone’s spine.Mom panicked instantly. "J-Jonathan… when did you get back?"Jonathan walked in, glanced at my swollen cheek, then at the book on the floor."I’ll give the $50,000," he said suddenly.Mom’s face lit up. "Really? Thank you, Jonathan."I jerked my head up to look at him, but Jonathan didn’t look at her. He was looking at me. There was something in his gaze, something only I could understand."Think of it as buying some peace and quiet." He bent down, picked up the book, brushed off the dust, and placed it back on the table. "Besides, I want to see just how far Mathias can push your father once he gets the money."Sometimes, giving money doesn’t help. It’s sending them further down their path."Mom


















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