At the End of the Tunnel

My brother, Tyler Benson’s voice drifted out from the room.

“It’s good that you see it that way. You’ve been making all sorts of excuses during her last few blood draws. I actually thought you were catching feelings for her.”

Elijah’s voice was filled with pure disgust. “Tyler, you seriously overestimate your sister, and you definitely underestimate me. Every single time I see her crawling toward me like a dog wagging its tail, it makes my stomach churn. The only reason I delayed the blood draws was out of concern that it might affect the upcoming bone marrow transplant.”

Tears streamed down my face as a sharp, agonizing pain ripped through my chest.

Three years of pretending. A thousand days of fabricated affection. All those blood tests I thought he ordered out of care for my well-being were nothing more than quality checks to see if my body was a fitting vessel.

A shiver ran down my spine, and my body instinctively told me to run. However, just as I spun around, the door was pulled open from the inside, and light flooded the hallway.

“Nora? What are you doing here?”

Elijah stepped out. His tall, imposing figure cast a shadow over me, his eyes sharp with intense scrutiny. I dug my fingernails hard into my palms, forcing myself to mimic the confused, dazed expression I always had during my episodes.

“I-I don’t know… My head is spinning so fast. I think I saw those shadows again. They’re pacing around downstairs!”

Elijah stared at me in silence for a few seconds. Finally, recovering his usual gentle demeanor, he guided me back into the room.

“It looks like your condition is worsening. Let’s increase your dosage slightly.”

I stared at the pills he held out to me, a wave of nausea churning in my stomach. I could no longer reconcile the man standing before me with the blood-drenched boy who had rescued me from the black market all those years ago.

With his words still echoing in my ears, I knew I had no choice but to play along for now. Yet, when I opened my eyes again, the familiar ceiling was gone, and my hands and feet were bound tightly to a frame.

“You’re awake.”

I strained to turn my head. Nearby, a monitor displayed a live feed of the villa’s security cameras. One of the camera angles pointed directly at the spot where I had stood eavesdropping the night before.

Elijah’s voice was ice-cold. “It looks like you caught every single word last night.”

My heart sank. I knew there was no point in acting anymore.

“I was never actually sick, was I? Why… Why are you doing this to me?”

Tyler laughed, as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world, though his eyes were bloodshot with rage.

“Why? Even now, you show no remorse! Who was the one who hired thugs to rough Chloe up because she was terrified that Chloe would take away all the family’s affection? And who was the one who spread photos and rumors all over school afterward, claiming she’d do anything for money, nearly driving her to drop out?”

My eyes widened in horror, and I shook my head frantically, desperate to explain. “That’s not true! Please listen to me. I didn’t do any of–”

“Enough!”

Tyler slapped me across the face, and the back of my head slammed hard against the wooden headboard, causing my vision to go dark for a moment.

“Chloe identified you herself, and those thugs confessed to taking your money! The rumors and the trauma you caused her are the exact reason her mental health spiraled and her body broke down! We’re simply making you pay for what you did.”

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.

What I did? I hadn’t done a single thing wrong. Why should I have to forfeit my entire life to pay for her sins?

Elijah’s gaze swept downward toward my stomach, which I was instinctively trying to shield.

“Your umbilical cord blood holds a unique medical value for Chloe’s treatment. That is the only reason you were allowed to get pregnant, but don’t get your hopes up. It will never come to term. After all, a child carrying your genes would only be an eyesore to Chloe.”

I stared at Elijah in utter disbelief. The very eyes I had once lost myself in were now cold and empty.

“Elijah, do you remember what you promised me?”