The Son They Stole

The hospital room fell silent.

Nolan Brooks stared at me in a daze. "Dad? What's wrong?"

Looking at his face, filled with concern, I spoke slowly and deliberately. "Don't call me Dad."

His face turned even paler.

My wife, Julianna Brooks, assumed I hadn't fully regained consciousness and hurried to check on me. "Landon, are you feeling unwell? Look at him. He's our son."

I brushed her hand away, my cold gaze settling on Nolan. "I'm telling you again. Starting today, I'm cutting all ties with Nolan. He's no longer my son."

My mother, Gemma Brooks, came rushing into the room with her cane. She nearly tripped over the threshold when she heard my words.

"Landon, have you lost your mind? Nolan gave up a kidney to save your life! He nearly died doing it, and this is the first thing you say when you wake up? Have you no conscience? Are you even human?"

I leaned against the headboard without offering an explanation.

Julianna supported my mother, tears streaming down her face. "Mom, please don't get upset. Landon just had surgery. The anesthesia might not have worn off completely."

"What kind of anesthesia turns a man into a monster?" My mother raised her hand and slapped me across the face.

I'd just undergone a transplant, and my body was already extremely weak. The slap made my vision go black. The heart monitor immediately began blaring urgent alarms.

Medical staff hurried into the room.

Ignoring his own surgical wound, Nolan rushed to my bedside and grabbed my hand. "Grandma, please don't blame Dad. He must be in a lot of pain and feeling upset. As long as he's alive, I don't care how he treats me."

His words brought tears to everyone's eyes.

The young nurse, however, looked at me with undisguised contempt.

"Mr. Brooks, your son hasn't even recovered from his own surgery. He refused to return to his room because he wanted to stay here until you woke up. No matter how angry you are, you can't hurt him like this."

I pulled my hand away. "This has nothing to do with you."

The nurse froze for a moment before leaving with a cold expression.

Even my attending physician couldn't help intervening. "Mr. Brooks, not everyone in this world would be willing to lose a kidney for their father."

Nolan's eyes were red as he struggled to straighten up. "Dad, did I do something wrong? If you don't think I'm worthy of being the Brooks family heir, I can give up my shares. Just tell me what I did wrong, and I'll change."

I didn't answer him. "Where's Robert Ashley?"

My wife stared at me in confusion. "Why are you looking for the lawyer?"

"Tell him to come here. I'm revoking the equity gift I promised Nolan and canceling all inheritance arrangements I've made for him."

The moment I finished speaking, the relatives in the room erupted into an uproar.

My mother pointed at me, her fingers trembling with rage. "So that's what this is about! You can't bear to give up your shares!

"Nolan nearly destroyed his own body to save your life, and instead of thinking about how to compensate him, you're afraid he'll take a piece of your fortune! Landon, have you no shame?"

Nolan hurried to support her. "Grandma, please don't blame Dad. He just had surgery. Maybe he hasn't recovered yet."

Even now, he was still making excuses for me.

Everyone looked at Nolan with growing sympathy, while their eyes held nothing but contempt for me.

Nolan turned back toward me. Tears gathered in his eyes, but he stubbornly refused to let them fall.

"Dad, I can give up everything. The company, the shares, the house. I don't want any of it. I just want to know why."