Chapter 4

I stared at the parrot, still telling me to kill myself, then back at Dominic, who had completely twisted the truth.

"I did no such thing," I said calmly.

"And you're still trying to deny it?"

Dominic stormed over angrily. "Who else in this household would hate themselves this much if not you? Derek is such a kind soul! How could he ever have taught Pippy to swear? I know you must have taught it to swear behind our backs to embarrass Derek on purpose!

"You're completely hopeless, Dexter Richmond! How much more evil and vicious can you get?"

He then picked up a glass from the table and smashed it on the floor next to my feet.

"Apologize to Derek! And then, apologize to the parrot!"

I looked at the broken glass on the floor. "Apologize?"

"Yes, apologize to them now! If not, then consider yourself kicked out of this household for good! We, the Richmonds, will never accept someone as evil as you as part of our family!"

I nodded and said, "Okay. I understand."

I stood and walked toward Pippy.

A hint of smug satisfaction appeared in Derek's eyes. He thought that I would submit, cry, or make a fuss about it.

Instead, I reached out and caught the parrot. It was still screaming at the top of its lungs, "Go kill yourself! Dexter the sewer rat! Go kill yourself!"

"This bird has a potty mouth," I said, looking at Dominic seriously. "Mom said that potty mouths must be punished. And it's telling me to kill myself. It did something wrong."

"What do you think you're doing? Let go of Pippy!" Derek yelled, suddenly realizing something amiss.

"I just want it to be quiet," I said, suddenly using force in my hands.

A loud crack sounded, and the parrot's head was violently twisted to the side, its squawks ceasing immediately.

Then, I tossed the dead bird into Derek's arms.

"No! Pippy!" Derek screamed, bursting into tears as he sank to the floor while cradling Pippy in his arms.

"Dexter! I'm going to kill you!" Dominic yelled, snapping completely.

He rushed up to me and punched me hard in the face until I was abruptly shoved to the side. Blood trickled from the corners of my mouth, and my ears began ringing loudly.

"You're nothing but a monster! You're worse than a fucking animal!"

Dominic grabbed me by my neck and pinned me down on the couch, his eyes completely red. "That was Derek's favorite bird! How dare you kill it! How could you be so cruel and vicious?

"Why don't you just go and die? Go kill yourself! Why the hell did you have to come back to us and torment us like this?"

I was beginning to suffocate. However, I didn't struggle or fight back. I didn't even blink.

Mom and Dad finally snapped back to their senses and rushed up to pull Dominic off me. "Dom! Let go of him! You're going to kill him!"

Dominic was forcefully pulled off of me, but he still panted loudly and yelled in my face, "Let him die! What the hell do we still want to keep a monster like him around for? Get lost! Get out of this place! Get lost from my sight!"

I crawled up from the couch and lightly touched my painful, swollen cheek.

"Get lost…" I muttered softly, echoing him.

"Yes! Get lost! Fuck off! Don't you ever let me see you again!" Dominic yelled.

I looked at him and smiled. It was a genuine, sincere, and relieved smile.

"Okay. I understand."

I then turned and walked toward the balcony. This was the second floor, and right underneath the balcony was the courtyard, paved with hard marble.

"Dex? What are you doing?" Mom suddenly asked in a trembling voice, finally sensing that something was wrong.

I ignored her and walked even more quickly. I pushed open the sliding doors leading to the balcony, and the wind rushed in at once, ruffling my thin clothes.

Derek stopped crying and stared blankly at me. Meanwhile, Dominic's expression shifted from fury to shock and terror.

I climbed onto the railing with unsettling familiarity, as though I had done it before.

"Dexter! Come down at once! Don't do anything stupid!" Dad screamed as he rushed toward me.

I stood on the balcony railing and looked back at him, staring down at the people who made me call them my family.

"Dominic wants me to get lost. I'm a good boy, so I'll do everything he tells me to do."

Then, I spread my arms open and threw myself backward like a kite on a broken string.