Chapter 4

Three minutes before boarding closed, an airline staff member stopped me at the gate.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but this passport is a fake."

I froze, my mind going blank with a ringing static.

My hands shook as I turned my phone back on. Diane's call came through almost immediately.

"Brad, that thing with Andrew, it was just a misunderstanding. Don't make a scene over something this small.

"Get back here now. You upset Andrew so badly he passed out. He needs a blood transfusion. His blood is extremely rare, and you're one of the few compatible donors they could reach in time"

Dad's voice broke in, nearly shouting into the phone.

"You know your brother's heart is weak and you still went and provoked him. Are you trying to kill him?"

Michael was practically shouting too, the whole call dissolving into chaos.

Then Diane's voice cut through it, low and steady.

"Just wait him out. I already planned for a day like this, so I swapped Brad's passport in advance. He's not going anywhere. He'll have to come back eventually."

My grip on the phone tightened until my knuckles ached.

That wasn't all. Photos of me at my worst started flooding the internet right after.

[Music academy scholarship recipient Brad Remick expelled after stealing his brother's girlfriend, then storms hospital in an attempt to harm his brother.]

Headline after headline shot to the top of the trending list.

A flood of insults, curses, and phone calls came pouring in from every direction.

My voice was wrecked, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't force out a single sound to defend myself.

The fallout was bad enough that I got an apology email from the university abroad.

[We're sorry. We admire your talent, but we need to reconsider your admission for now.]

I stood on the street, watching the crowds pass by, and for the first time in my life I felt truly cornered.

Like a puppet on strings, I let myself be pulled step by step back to the hospital.

The second I walked into the hallway, Dad's hand cracked across my face.

"You're trying to get this whole family killed! If anything happens to Andrew, I will never forgive you!"

When I didn't move, his anger slowly gave way to helpless crying.

"Your brother has a rare blood type, and you're the only match left in the city right now. I'm begging you, as your father."

He dropped to his knees in front of me without warning.

"Brad, I'm on my knees. If you want revenge, take it out on me. Your brother is innocent. Hate me however much you want, just please, save him."

Every drop of blood in me went cold at once.

I stared at this man, the one I remembered as never once bowing his head to anyone in his life.

I closed my eyes, stiffly took the blood donation form, and signed my name.

As the nurses wheeled me off to draw blood, I heard Dad's voice behind me, "Go easy on him. He's been afraid of needles since he was little."

My nose stung, and my eyes went red before I could stop them.

Diane caught up and draped a jacket over my shoulders, then managed only one sentence.

"Brad, I owe you one for this. You've always wanted to marry me, haven't you? Once you're out, let's go register our marriage. Deal?"

I didn't answer.

Afterward, I spent a week in the hospital recovering from blood loss.

In the room right next door, everyone stayed glued to Andrew's side around the clock and completely forgot I existed.

That evening, the university abroad sent word of my final admission.

I stared at the screen for a long time before I finally let out a breath.

Before I threw away Diane's jacket, I took back my confiscated passport and what little cash was left in the lining.

When I left, I wrote a letter of renunciation, saying that I was cutting ties with my family, and sent one last message.

Then I blocked and deleted everyone's contact information and walked out of the city without looking back.

...

It wasn't until the next morning, when Andrew was discharged, that they finally opened the door to the room next to mine.

Dad's voice had gone much gentler.

"Brad, my boy, you've always had a temper on you. Come on, pack up, let's all go home together. Dad cooked your favorite ribs today."

Michael followed right after, clearing his throat.

"Come on, Brad. Andrew's not even holding it against you anymore. You're not really still this petty, are you? Still sulking?"

When no one answered, Diane reached over and flipped on the light.

"Brad, the doctor said your voice should be back to normal soon. When it is, I'll throw you a real celebration, and we can register our marriage that same day. Two happy occasions at once..."

Her voice cut off the instant the light filled the room.

The next second, the messages on their phones and the scene in front of them registered at the same time.

In an instant, every face in the room turned white.