RIP: A Stain on My Ex's Life

Hadrian and I were classmates in high school. He had excellent grades, while I was always at the bottom of the class. It wasn't because I was stupid, though. I simply had no time to study.My dad, Aaron Sterling, was a drunk. My mom, unable to endure poverty and domestic violence, left us after giving birth to my younger sister, Christine Sterling.From the time I entered middle school, I had to pay my own tuition and buy baby food for Christine. I took on every job I could find and anything that paid me. As long as there was money involved, I did it.Hadrian and I had little to do with each other in and out of school until the night he saw me serving drinks at a private club.That evening, Hadrian was there to negotiate a business deal on behalf of his dad, Enrique Sinclair, who had been called away at the last minute. He had only been a teenager then, and though his face was youthful, it already carried an air of understated authority.When Hadrian spotted me, he froze for a mom

Everything in my life was already ruined, so living or dying made no difference anymore.Just as I was about to lose consciousness, Hadrian flung me out into the hallway."Get out!" he snarled.The office door slammed shut in my face as laughter rippled from the people around me."Hey, isn't this our company's golden boy? Sorry, Scott. Mr. Sinclair just informed me that the lead role is now mine," said Irwin Fielding, a fellow artist from the company, appearing in front of me.I ignored him and started walking away.His voice rang out behind me again. "Stop acting all high and mighty. Do you think things can go back to how they were before? If I were you, I'd be too ashamed to show my face. I'd have killed myself long ago!"More mocking laughter followed.I suddenly turned around and asked, "Irwin, have I ever done you any wrong?"He stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Scott, you've been in this industry long enough. Don't you know some people shouldn't even exist?""What

"Are you that desperate for money, or were you just born this cheap?" Hadrian asked mockingly.Then, he wrapped an arm around Irwin and walked away. He got farther and farther away from me."Don't go, Hadrian…" I pleaded.I jolted awake and saw the familiar ceiling. It was only after a long time passed that I was finally able to separate dream from reality."So it was a dream," I muttered with a bitter laugh, but my mind stayed blank.Just then, my phone screen lit up. I received a message from Hadrian.He said he had thought things through and wanted to see me. He also said he was willing to hear my explanation.Given the situation I was in, those words were the last sliver of hope I could hold on to. Despite my fever and severely weakened condition, I couldn't let this chance slip away. I had to see him.I arrived at the meeting place on time, but Hadrian never showed up."He's just late because he's caught up with something," I told myself.Despite the fact that I was burn

It was the dead of winter, but I had been dead for too long, and my body had already begun to rot. The wounds from before left me disfigured beyond recognition.Hadrian stood at the front, so he took in the full impact of the sight of my battered corpse. Unable to help it, he bent over and vomited.Percy stepped forward with trembling lips, unable to speak.In contrast to their shock, I gazed at my mangled corpse with an unexpected calm. Death, I realized, wasn't so bad. In death, I could no longer feel sorrow or pain. On the contrary, I even found it kind of funny.Hadrian had thought I was disgusting when I was alive. Now that I was dead, he found me even more repulsive. After all, he was retching his guts out.After a long while, Hadrian finally steadied himself. He stood still and locked his eyes on my ruined face. Suddenly, he grabbed my collar and hauled me upright."Get up, Scott. Get up! We're not done talking. Didn't you want to explain yourself? Here's your chance to sa

Hadrian's punches came down hard on Dad again.While crouched in the corner and with his arms shielding his head, Dad started laughing like a maniac even as the blows landed."Haha… Go on and beat me to death… Hahaha…"After some time, Christine arrived with tears streaming as she begged Hadrian to stop.How ridiculous. Dad never cared for her a single day, yet here she was, crying and pleading for him.I raised her myself and played the role of both father and mother. Yet, she never shed a single tear for me."No. He's not leaving until he tells the truth," Hadrian said as he yanked Dad up by the collar relentlessly.Christine clung to his arm and said to Dad, "Just tell him, Dad! You just want money, don't you? I have money. Scott gave me plenty. I'll give it all to you. Just tell him!"Dad grinned, baring his yellowed teeth. "Hadrian, didn't you say I don't deserve to be a father? Then go home and ask your father what those photos were all about."Hadrian froze, not even no