Chapter 2

My younger brother was handsome, with big eyes and a straight nose. Although we both shared the same parents, we looked nothing alike.

He began modeling as a small child and earned real money. Everyone treated him like the center of the universe.

More than once, our parents sighed, "If only Felix had been born first. Then there would never have been any need for Andrew."

Even our names showed the difference.

When my brother was born, my parents combed through baby-name books and even hired a professional naming consultant before settling on Felix Lennox, a name they said promised luck, happiness, and success.

My name was Andrew Lennox. There was no special story behind it. Dad said I was simply the extra child nobody needed.

That was why, during the divorce, my parents each grabbed one of Felix's arms and nearly came to blows over custody.

"Come with Dad, buddy. I'll buy you the newest game system, the best one there is, and take you overseas to see your favorite team play!"

"Don't listen to him. Mommy loves you most. I already bought you that remote-control sports car!"

They argued until the judge, holding my hand, finally asked with visible discomfort, "Which of you is prepared to take custody of your older son?"

Both parents stepped back at once. Mom wailed that she couldn't afford me. Dad claimed his job kept him too busy to raise another child.

Felix was awarded to Dad, whose grin nearly split his face.

Mom, furious at losing, slapped me. "You miserable curse! I should have strangled you and thrown you away when you were born!"

Dad watched with open delight. "Hit him harder! If you kill him, you won't have to support him. Think how much money you'll save!"

All I could do was curl into a tight ball and keep my mouth shut.

If I didn't answer or resist, the beating usually ended sooner.

Life improved after my stepfather arrived. He bought me breakfast, drove me to school, and gave me several sets of new clothes and sneakers. At the very least, my feet stopped cracking and bleeding through winter.

Dad's relatives sneered at that. Grandpa said stepfathers were all schemers pretending to be kind while waiting to steal whatever property Mom owned.

When I defended my stepfather, Grandpa swung his cane at me. "You ungrateful little bastard! That man has been around for five minutes and you've already forgotten your real father. No wonder nobody wanted you!"

Once, my stepfather took me to play basketball. I ran off, collided with a cyclist, and broke my arm. When I woke with a cast, my biological father, who hadn't contacted me in a year, was clutching me and sobbing.

"My poor son! This is all my fault. I failed you!"

I pushed him away. Embarrassment crossed his face, and then he pointed at my stepfather and shouted, "You monster! You abused my son! You think the Lennox family has nobody left to defend him? You're not leaving until you explain yourself!"

The relatives he had brought shouted over one another, demanding answers. I stepped in front of my stepfather.

"I fell by myself. Uncle Rob didn't hurt me."

Dad grabbed me and twisted my body toward the crowd. The reek of liquor and cigarettes on him made me nauseous.

"Look at him! This man has terrified Andrew so badly that the boy is lying for him!"

I wrenched free. "Are you done pretending? How much more footage do you need?"

Dad stiffened and glanced toward the crowd. A man who looked suspiciously like a tabloid reporter was already slipping away.

Felix had recently caught a director's attention. Dad needed to remove every obstacle to his career, including the public impression that he had abandoned one of his sons.

He had planned to use my stepfather as a villain and present himself as a devoted father. He hadn't expected me to refuse the performance.

"Andrew, I've just been busy lately. Of course I still care about you..."

"Really? Then pay my medical bill. Insurance didn't cover two hundred dollars of it."

Dad twisted his fingers and complained about how hard it was to raise Felix alone and how heartless his older son had become. A gold watch flashed on his wrist in the sunlight.

My stepfather, silent until then, stood and slapped the invoice against Dad's chest. His eyes were sharp.

"I paid it. Now all of you get out."

Dad stopped talking immediately.