Chapter 4

"Mom, Dad."

Only then did Frank and Catherine notice Duncan. They both stopped in their tracks.

Catherine looked awkward, unsure how much of their conversation he'd overheard.

"I'm joining a program through school," Duncan said, keeping his head down as if he hadn't heard anything. "I'll be moving out in a few days and staying away for six months."

"Go ahead," Catherine said with a sigh of relief. "Let us know if you need anything."

Duncan nodded and returned to his room. Over the years, he'd never been able to reach his parents when he needed them, so he'd long since stopped taking their polite assurances seriously.

When he handed his request for a leave of absence to Ronald, his steps felt lighter. He'd finally be able to leave home in five days.

But when he returned from school that afternoon, he found his belongings scattered across his room.

Lucas stood there with a stack of cash in his hand.

"Duncan," he began, a smug grin on his face. "Where did you get all this money?"

Duncan's heart lurched.

"Give it back."

Lucas refused. Instead, he hopped down from the chair and kicked the suitcase Duncan had set aside.

"What are you packing for? Where do you think you're going?"

Seizing the opportunity, Duncan lunged forward and snatched the money from Lucas' hand. He felt a little relief as he reclaimed it, but in the next instant, Lucas flashed him a triumphant grin and punched himself in the face.

"How could you steal money, Duncan?" he cried. "And now you're attacking me because I called you out on it?"

Lucas' expression changed so abruptly that Duncan froze for a moment before turning around.

Brianna rushed over and shoved him aside, immediately checking the injury on Lucas' face.

"Are you okay, Lucas?"

Duncan stumbled into the corner of the table. Pain shot through his lower back, but what hurt even more was the icy look in Brianna's eyes.

"How could you be so cruel? Don't you know Lucas has a heart condition?"

"It's okay, Brianna." Lucas' voice softened as he leaned against her. "Duncan grew up in Crooksbury, so I suppose he's picked up a few bad habits. I don't blame him for pushing me. He just wasn't raised the right way…"

Duncan stared at the smug look on Lucas' face. A metallic taste filled his mouth.

"I didn't do it!" he shouted. "That money was mine! You—"

Lucas suddenly started coughing, putting on a miserable expression as he leaned against Brianna.

"Brianna, my chest hurts," he gasped. "Am I going to die? It's my fault for not teaching him better. Please don't tell Mom and Dad."

Brianna's eyes, once warm whenever she looked at Duncan, had turned cold as ice. Yet her voice remained gentle as she spoke to Lucas.

"This isn't your fault. He's the one who's chosen to ruin his own life!"

Her words pierced Duncan like a knife, and all the strength drained from him.

Brianna helped Lucas out of the room without sparing Duncan another glance.

Fighting through the pain, Duncan bent down and picked up the bills scattered during the struggle one by one. As he stared at the banknotes, he kept trying to reassure himself, but the ache in his chest wouldn't go away.

…

When Frank returned, he punched Duncan without even asking what had happened. The money Duncan had painstakingly gathered scattered across the floor once more.

"How did I end up with such an ungrateful son? First you steal, then you attack your own brother! Get back to Crooksbury!"

On that cold night, Frank threw his own son out into the cold.

"Dad, I didn't steal anything," he tried to explain with his head lowered. "I earned that money from my part-time job. It's the fee for registering for the program. Please, give it back to me…"

It was his only chance to change his future.

Frank glared at him. "Duncan, the biggest mistake I ever made was bringing you back into this house. You're no son of mine!"