All Chapters of Behind the White Walls: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Zack, are you throwing one of your tantrums again? It's super late, and you're still not back. Are you trying to give us all a heart attack on purpose?"My sister Janet Lloyd's voice was full of blame as it crackled through the phone.After five long years, the Lloyds finally decided I could leave the hospital.Since it was Walter Lloyd's birthday today, he said he would give me a chance to make things right.Then my dad, Nevin Lloyd, grabbed the phone."I get it, you're mad at us for locking you up, but you were always picking on Walter. We did it for your own good, you know!"Janet chimed in, "Exactly, and look, we're letting you out, aren't we? What more do you want?"They went on and on, lecturing me for a solid half-hour before they finally got around to asking where I was."Where are you right now? We'll send a car. Just stay put this time, okay? No more trouble!"I swallowed, my voice a raspy whisper."The mental hospital."Yeah, that's right.I was there the whole

Chapter 2

I got back to Lloyd's place at the stroke of twelve.Still, my phone was as quiet as a graveyard.The Lloyd house was all lit up, laughter and music spilling out into the night.I did not ask them why.If the maid had not opened the door, I might have just stayed out there forever."You look a mess! And your clothes are filthy."Janet did not pull any punches when she saw me.My mom, Harriet Yates, looked at me, her eyes wide with a mix of shock and disbelief."Zack, what happened to you? You're skin and bones!"I could not help but wonder how I went from a sturdy, well-fed heir to someone who looked like he barely tipped the scales at eighty pounds in just five short years.Dad's eyes were filled with a pang of sorrow as he quickly told the servant to whip up something for me to eat."We were going to come get you, but Walter wasn't feeling well, so we-" he trailed off.I got it. That was their way of saying sorry without actually saying it.They could ignore me, put me d

Chapter 3

Then the bombshell dropped: I was not Lloyd's real son.Walter was.My real parents? That remained a mystery.In one fell swoop, I plummeted from paradise to purgatory.The family I knew for almost twenty years? They locked me away in a loony bin scarier than any jail."I don't want the family to worry. Whatever you did to me, I'm over it," he said."If you promise not to upset Mom and Dad anymore, I'll start treating you like a real brother!"Walter's smile was all sweetness and light, the picture of a good son and a forgiving soul.Anyone watching would have to admit he was the perfect heir to the Lloyd family fortune.All around, people looked at him with admiration, and even Dad gave a nod of approval."Absolutely, if you turn over a new leaf, you'll always be the Lloyd family's golden boy!"Janet's face was all twisted up in a frown."I'm letting this slide because of Walter. Aren't you going to thank him? Mess with him again, and you'll have me to answer to!"Five ye

Chapter 4

"Like what?" I shot back.Janet, the Lloyd's princess, always got her way. She'd got that thing for bikes, loved the rush, I guessed.I thought back to her accident, how I used to chew her out for taking those risks, always telling her to be careful.Every time I tried to warn Janet, she gave me that look like I was the most annoying person on the planet."Seriously? You're a big guy, and you're fussier than me? What do you even know about it? Riding bikes is all about the rush! You're not my brother, and even Walter doesn't bug me about it, so why do you?"I knew she was fed up with my lectures, but I could not help myself. Every time she was about to take off, I would repeat my warnings, driven by worry.However, all my nagging, all my care, just evaporated over those five years without a single sign that she heard my cries for help.Janet's face turned stormy in an instant."You're not scared I'll speed and crash?"I shook my head."I don't get it. Isn't the whole point of

Chapter 5

"Janet, take it easy!" Walter cut her off just in time.I did not get why she was so mad. What was wrong with wearing second-hand clothes?During those five years in the asylum, I wore worse clothes than the dead, even.Wasn't it their doing, all the things I went through there?There they went again, putting on that pitying face for me. What did they mean?Walter looked like he was in trouble, his eyes brimming with tears."Sorry, I was just trying to help."Janet, who was calm until now, lost it and pointed right at me."Why are you even here? You're the problem! Every time Walter's upset, it's because of you!"Everyone was fussing over Walter, then they turned on me with their harsh words.It was like a replay of the same old drama from five years back.Back then, I never understood what I did wrong, why I was always the one getting blamed.However, I got it.It was not about right or wrong.It was just that I was not the one they cared about.…Liliana was there to

Chapter 6

I laughed at myself, a bitter chuckle.At the beginning, I really thought the Lloyd family had a soft spot for old times' sake when they took me back in.However, all they were after was my kidney, huh?Harriet had this look of guilt washing over her face, and I could not figure out why."Zack, you know you're like a son to me. Just say the word, and no one can make you do anything!" she insisted.Janet could not hold back, her voice rising in protest. "Mom, get it straight: who's your son now? Walter's going to die without that kidney!"Harriet's eyes blazed with a fierce protectiveness, like a wolf ready to defend her young."I know who my real son is, thank you very much!" she snapped back, and Janet was left speechless.Walter looked down, his eyes shadowed, lost in his own world.Nevin opened his mouth to chime in, but one look from Harriet and he clamped it shut.Harriet turned to me, her eyes filled with that desperate hope, as if my saying no would make her rise to my

Chapter 7

Nobody else bothered to visit me, and honestly, I was not surprised.Even Harriet, who always claimed to adore me, was nowhere to be seen all day.It was not until they were wheeling me toward the OR that Harriet came out of nowhere."No, we can't do this surgery! My baby boy!"Harriet was a mess of tears, shooing away any nurse or doctor who tried to get close."Mrs. Lloyd?"I was confused.However, at that name, Harriet lost it."Don't call me Mrs. Lloyd! I'm your mom, your real mom! You're the son I carried for nine months, the one I brought into this world!"Staring into her familiar face, I could see my own reflection in her eyes, looking so much like her.A suspicion started to take shape in my mind."Walter's the one we adopted, you're our flesh and blood. Your dad said you were a bully at school, and it could hurt the family business, so we faked the DNA test!"I'm sorry, I didn't keep you safe, and you've been through so much!"I was wrong! I'm the one to blame!"

Chapter 8

"And what about Zack? Have you been honest with him?"Mom's hand flew across Dad's face with a slap, but he did not even flinch.Every question seemed to scream the same answer.Walter was Dad's secret son."That's it, I want a divorce!"Do you even realize what Zack's been through these last five years? It's all because of Walter!"Walter's the curse! No way we're letting this surgery happen!"Harriet was pounding on the operating room door like it was the only thing standing between her and justice."Stop, just stop everything!"Why should my son go through hell and back, and then give up his kidney to him?"Harriet's cries filled the air, her sanity slipping through her fingers like sand.In a flash, Nevin's hand struck, and Harriet crumpled to the floor, out cold.Janet watched, her mind a blank slate."Dad, is everything Mom said true? Have you lied to all of us?"Liliana, who did not say a word, turned as white as a ghost.She thought back to when she picked up the

Chapter 9

I shook my head."It's okay, I'm doing fine now."I left it at that, not offering forgiveness.Janet was about to say more when her phone rang."Zack, I've got to run, but I'll bring you something from that place you love tonight."I just nodded, letting her go without telling her I saw it was Walter who texted her.…Janet never showed up that evening, but Liliana, who used to avoid me like the plague, did."I've broken off my engagement with Walter!"She looked worn out, her usual poise nowhere to be seen.Holding my hand, Liliana confessed, "Zack, I've realized I love you! I was just too stubborn to admit it before, and didn't want to marry you just because our families wanted it, so I kept you at arm's length!"I messed up, okay? Forgive me, just this once? We can tie the knot anytime you want, if you're up for it."The dream I had as a kid was suddenly within my grasp, but it was not what I wanted anymore."Liliana, I'm over you."I watched her, my face the picture o

Chapter 10

"And about those troubled souls, that was all he was doing. Soon, I'll make sure he's the one in a mental hospital! He'll pay back everything you went through, tenfold!"From now on, you're the only son I have."Can you forgive me, just this once?"Her eyes, brimming with tears, pleaded with me.I stayed silent.To say my heart was not moved would be a lie.However, I did not need her anymore.The damage was done, and it could not be undone."Mom, this is the last time I'll call you 'mom.' Once I'm out of here, I want to go for a walk by myself, okay?"The doctors did not give me a timeline, but I knew my days were numbered.…After my parents split up, Dad handed over most of the company shares to me, leaving just a slice for Janet.Walter, well, Mom had him committed to a mental hospital.Dad confessed that Walter finally saw the error of his ways. His whole act at school was driven by pure envy.Then, he's walking down the same rough road I did."I failed him as a fat

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