Chapter 2

When I reached home, the door was ajar.

I could hear laughter and cheerful voices inside the house.

On the fifteenth of every month, Rowan would come home. The household would feel as lively as if it were New Year’s Day.

I could already smell the aroma of food from the kitchen as I stood at the doorstep.

Meanwhile, I had not even taken a single bite of the leftover spaghetti that Rowena had made the night before.

When they saw me enter, they froze for a few seconds.

Ronnie was the first to react.

She smiled awkwardly and said, “Ronan, what are you doing here? Have you eaten? Let me grab you a plate.”

Ronnie placed a paper plate and plastic cutlery next to Rowan’s ceramic plate, which was engraved with his name.

Felix Hawthorn, my biological younger brother, quietly slipped the brisket and buffalo wings on the table into the refrigerator.

I stayed where I was and said, “Mom, have you seen the test results yet?”

Ronnie paused for a moment. She then ignored my question and said, “Let’s just sit down and eat first.”

I did not give up and continued, “I’ve been diagnosed with uremia.”

Frank flew into a rage.

“So, what do you want us to do? You think just because you feel like we did you wrong, you can hold that over us?”

I was taken aback.

“That’s not what I meant. Rowan and I are a match. If he could just give me one kidney...”

Ronnie jolted as if she had been shocked, and she snapped. “That’s enough!”

Realizing that she had lost her composure, she forced an awkward smile before speaking again.

“I’ll do everything I can to get you treatment, okay? Here’s a thousand dollars. Have Eugene and Rowena take you to the hospital. I’m swamped here, so I’ll help you find a donor later.”

I looked at Rowan.

Ronnie could not leave because she still had to accompany Rowan.

She had just shoved that one thousand dollars into my hand like spare change.

“Ronan, it’s not that I don’t want to donate it to you. But you know that my dream is to be a boxer. How am I supposed to fight with only one kidney?” Rowan said awkwardly.

I held back my tears and pleaded, “We have the same rare blood type. It’s already hard enough to find a match with other people.

“Mom, Dad, I could actually die from this!”

Ronnie broke down and said, “What of it? Rowan is my son too. Just because you’re sick, it doesn’t mean we have to throw away Rowan’s future!

“Rowan is my whole world. Please don’t take him away from me. If it comes down to it, I’ll give you my life instead.”

She dropped to her knees and slapped herself so hard that her cheeks became swollen.

Rowan rushed over to help her up.

He then glared at me with pure hatred in his gaze.

“Ronan, if I were the one with this disease, I would never put you, Mom, and Dad through this.”

Frank was so furious that he slapped me across the face.

“Look at him, and then look at yourself. I have no idea where you learned to be so selfish!

“You’re just some other family’s son. We’ve already done more than enough by agreeing to help you find a donor. Don’t push your luck!”

I stood there in a daze as I touched my stinging cheek.

Both my biological and foster parents said that I was someone else’s son.

So, where did I belong exactly?

I exited the house still in a daze.

Just as I was about to walk out the door, someone shoved me down the steps from behind.

My face ended up getting scratched, and I started bleeding. My whole body was covered in bruises, and the pain made me hiss through my teeth.

I looked up and saw that it was Felix.

“You mangy stray. Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of! Don’t you ever show up at my house again. Rowan’s my only brother!” he yelled fiercely.

With that, he slammed the front door shut.