Gone for Good

After the birthday party ended, the whole family returned home cheerfully. However, their laughter and joy abruptly stopped the moment they opened the door and saw me sitting there."Lucas, you're back? Is the project over?" Kendra Clarkson, my wife, clutched Eleanor Baldwin tighter in her arms as she stared at me nervously. I glanced up from the couch. They said daughters would resemble their fathers, and Eleanor did look quite a bit like my younger brother, Cody Baldwin.Mom gave a stiff smile and quickly tried to change the mood. "If the project's over, you should take some time to rest. I'll go prepare your room."She walked into the hallway and peeked around, only to realize Cody already moved into Kendra's room. His old bedroom was turned into a nursery—there was no longer a place for me in this house."Don't bother, I'll stay at the office," I said, picking up the duffel bag at my feet to leave. Dad's face instantly turned dark. "What's with that attitude? You disappeare

The city was still cloaked in that heavy darkness just before dawn as I slipped out of the house without a sound. The cold wind cut like knives, so I pulled my work jacket tighter and started jogging through the park.Sweat rolled down my face, but I did not care—only physical exhaustion seemed to dull the ache in my chest. As the first rays of sunlight stretched across the sky, I took a deep breath and turned back toward home.Just as I reached the edge of the neighborhood, I saw a group of familiar faces walking toward me, laughing and chatting.Mom and Dad were all smiles while Kendra walked arm in arm with Cody. He carried Eleanor in his arms, and they looked every bit like a picture-perfect family.They were all dressed to impress—Cody in a crisp, tailored suit, his hair neatly combed, not a strand out of place.I glanced down at my sweat-stained tank top and could not help but smile bitterly. I quickened my pace, trying to avoid them. However, Kendra spotted me anyway. She

"Ladies and gentlemen," my voice rang out through the microphone, "I'm Lucas Baldwin. As you can see, I'm not this child's father."Gasps and murmurs erupted from the audience below. I caught a glimpse of Mom's and Dad's stunned expressions, Kendra's pale face, and Cody's panicked eyes."Three years ago, I left home to work on a national defense research project," I continued. My tone was calm, though inside, I was anything but. "But when I came back, I discovered my wife had a child with my brother. That little girl is already two years old."The room exploded into chaos.Dad shot to his feet, his face turning crimson as he charged toward the stage, fists clenched and eyes blazing. "You ungrateful bastard!" he roared, trying to climb onto the stage.Just then, a group of men in black suits appeared. They quickly stepped in, forming a solid wall between me and Dad."I'd like to see who dares lay a hand on Professor Baldwin," came the steady voice of George Murray, a senior pr

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay calm while scanning the system for the source of the problem. Right now, I only have one thought in my mind, 'The data matters—I have to save it.'Time felt frozen, and every passing second stretched into what felt like minutes. Finally, I found the error. I quickly jumped into action, carefully tracing each connection and checking every step.What I did not realize was that several of my colleagues also ran back into the lab, and like me, they were already working with full focus. Our fingers moved skillfully across various instruments, each movement affecting everyone's nerves.It was not until we heard the "System Restored" alert that our colleagues erupted in cheers. Everyone hugged each other with expressions of immense relief. "It's done. Fault resolved," I said, letting out a long breath as I prepared to leave.Suddenly, my legs gave out. It felt like my body turned to cotton—numb, weightless, no control. Everything became blurry b