All Chapters of Their Rejection and My Goodbye: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

Six months into my grim bone cancer diagnosis, the doctor urged me to get hospitalized before it was too late.Broke and out of options, I dialed Morgan Kramer one final time.What answered me was her 100th rejection. Despairing, I gripped the diagnosis papers and shuffled alone to the crematorium."Hi, I'd like to reserve a cremation slot ahead of time," I said to the clerk.He froze. "You're dealing with something heavy? Where is your family?"I dropped my gaze, words failing me as the weight of isolation pressed down.Kindly, he guided me to a chair in the waiting area and picked up the phone to call my parents.Half an hour later, the roar of tires on gravel shattered the silence.Lifting my head, I spotted my parents and adopted brother.I instinctively tried to hide, but they zeroed in on me like hawks.My dad, Vernon Kramer, exploded through the door, his hand flying out in a blur. "You're pulling a fake-death stunt now, just to steal the spotlight from Derek?"It hit

Chapter 2

Staring at the grand yet alienating house, I hesitated on where to begin packing.My possessions weren't overwhelming; they were scarce, ghosts of what once was.Whatever caught Derek's eye became his by default. I wasn't allowed to even lay a finger on them.I lingered in the cavernous living room. Cruelly, not a single item there belonged to me.They had forced me to give up my bedroom to Derek, and my study place too.Even the storage room, my final refuge, fell when he whined about needing space for orphanage relics he couldn't part with.I balked, but he weaponized pity. "Mom, Dad, I've been tossed aside my whole life. Not like Samuel, who's got the silver spoon. If he says no, don't push him."That sealed it. Suddenly, I was the villain.They huffed, "Samuel, we've spoiled you rotten. Can't you share it with Derek? So stingy over a junk room!"Confused and hurt, I pushed back. "But that's the last spot left. Where do I sleep?"Vernon kicked me in the butt. "Talking smac

Chapter 3

Mid-pack, agony lanced through me like a hot poker, buckling my knees.Teeth gritted, I collapsed onto the couch, fishing for painkillers from my pocket.Olivia Kramer burst in, her face thunderous. Her intensity spiked my anxiety.She hurled her bag at my chest, amplifying the bone-deep throb. Eyeing the pills, she sneered, "What are you popping this time?"Hope sparked. Maybe she'd believe I was sick.I extended the bottle, but she swatted it flying. "Your con game is weak. No one is buying the act."Pain surging, I lunged for the scattered pills, but her boot scattered them further. "Deaf much? Fake pills won't dupe me."I looked up at her, mute fury boiling.The pills she called fake were something I could only afford by scrimping and saving. It was my lifeline on sleepless nights, when the pain was too much to bear.Without them, I might have been driven to the edge, unable to endure the agony any longer.Annoyed by my defiance, she slapped me across the face. "Know your

Chapter 4

Post-escape from home, my dwindling cash secured a dingy apartment.Not fancy, it was much better than the damp basement, and I was free of constant barbs.Right after I settled, Vernon's call buzzed. "Where the hell did you vanish to? Olivia says you bolted. Looks like you don't know your limitations. Get home now. Derek's cake awaits!"I laughed weakly, "No need. I'm done."I hung up, and his predictable tirade was spared.I stared blankly at the ceiling, imagining their party. Derek's cake must be expensive, a modest slice eclipsing my net worth. His exclusivity bred entitlement.He scored extravagance for minor wins. Since he appeared in the house, I had never eaten cakes again.Last month, I splurged on a budget crumb from a corner shop for my fading self-celebration.Derek spied it, erupted in tears, and ratted to our parents."It's my birthday, and this flavor's not your jam anyway," I explained.Vernon snatched my cake, hurled it to the ground, and pulverized it under

Chapter 5

Derek leaned in, dripping sarcasm. "Dad summoned you for the cake. Why didn't you show up? Here, personal delivery."His eyes glinted maliciously."I'll pass. You can go." I waved it off, trying to close the door.He held it open with his hand. In my weakened state, I couldn't fight him.Giving up, I went back inside and picked up the pasta I'd just made to fill my stomach.Before I could take a bite, Derek knocked the bowl over. "What's this junk? I brought you a piece of cake. Eat that instead."He grinned, clearly up to something.I glared at him. If I weren't so weak, I'd have tackled him and beaten him senseless.He didn't know I'd hidden my phone behind a kettle, recording everything.My anger fueled his excitement, and he smashed the cake into my face. "I brought you cake, and you're not eating it, eh?"Instead of fighting back, I wiped the frosting off with a tissue. "You came here just to mess with me, didn't you?"His grin widened. "Yup. What are you gonna do about

Chapter 6

I went to my best and only friend, Simone Kendall.Simone lost his parents young and grew up with his grandma. She loved him, and though they weren't rich, he had it better than me.Before Derek came into my life, I had it good and helped Simone when I could.When kids at school bullied him for being poor, I stood up for him. When he almost dropped out because he couldn't afford tuition, I gave him nearly all my allowance to keep him in school.Over time, we became inseparable.I never expected anything from him, but Simone was the type to repay kindness. When my life fell apart, he always had my back and tried to help.When he opened the door and saw my sorry state, he pulled me inside. "What happened, man? Did Derek mess with you again? He knows you're sick and running out of time. Why won't he leave you alone?"I sighed, trying to play it off. "It's fine. I don't have much time left. Let him do what he wants."Simone patted my shoulder, upset. "You're too soft on him. You ne

Chapter 7

Back in my room, I sent the video to my parents and Olivia.They didn't take it seriously at first.Vernon frowned. "What is Samuel up to now? He left home, and now he's sending us messages?"Olivia scoffed, "He didn't come back for cake, and now that Derek is being sweet and brought it to him, he's trying to suck up to us. His tricks are so obvious."But as the video played, they went silent and exchanged stunned looks.Olivia faltered. "I'll call my friend to check if this video's been edited. Derek can't possibly say those things."Morgan nodded. "Yeah, no way Derek would do this."Vernon, with his years as a forensic pathologist at the police station, stayed quiet. He could tell the video was real, but he clung to a shred of hope.While Olivia called her friend, Vernon sent the video to the tech team to verify it. Both got the same answer: the video was unedited and authentic.Morgan's eyes widened. "So, Samuel's illness is real?"Vernon's face fell. "Is it real? You're t

Chapter 8

Vernon's eyes blazed with anger.Morgan and Olivia rushed over, confronting Derek. "You said you were bringing Samuel cake. You even had your dad pull strings to find his address."Derek blinked. "Yeah, I brought him the cake."Thinking they were just worried about him, he slapped his forehead. "I waited for Samuel to eat the cake, so I got held up. My bad for not calling to let you know."Vernon slapped him across the face. "You're still lying? If it weren't for you, Samuel might still have a chance."Derek, shaken by Vernon's rage, tried to stay calm. "What are you talking about, Dad? Is this about something Samuel said? Some misunderstanding?"He pouted, putting on his pitiful act. "I know he hates me, but I didn't think he'd frame me like this."His tears started, but Vernon shoved the video in his face.Derek stepped back, nervous. "It's not what it looks like, I swear."His voice trailed off as guilt took his words.Morgan grabbed his collar. "We treated you like our ow

Chapter 9

Simone didn't give them a warm welcome. "What do you want with him?"Vernon and Morgan stepped forward, desperate. "We're here to bring Samuel home."Simone scoffed, "Home? He didn't have one. Or a family. If he did, this place was it."Morgan bent forward, pleading. "We were wrong. Can you tell Samuel not to hold it against us?"Simone rolled his eyes. "Too late for that. You want to talk to him? Try the afterlife."Morgan couldn't believe it. "That's not a joke to make."Simone slammed the table, furious. "You're worried now? Where were you before? He's gone, and showing up now won't change that!"He pushed them toward the door. "I don't want to see you. Get out of my house!"Vernon, struggling to stay calm, grabbed Simone's arm. "Please, have some pity on us. Even if he's gone, let us see his body."Maybe it was his forensic instincts, but Vernon wouldn't accept my death without seeing proof.It was ironic. Who would fake their deaths just to spite their parents?Simone,

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