All Chapters of Call Me a Jinx, Cry When I'm Gone: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

Finn's First-Person POVStrictly speaking, I was the second child in the family. I had an older brother who was lost in a miscarriage at just over five months.A year after losing him, Derek Randall and Alessia Johnson adopted me from an orphanage.Their biological child was gone, and they were told they might never be able to have children again. Dad went crazy with rage.In his mind, I was the reason his son was gone.Although Mom didn't go so far as to call me a jinx out loud, she never gave me a kind look. She was on the same page as Dad, and whenever she saw me, she either shook her head or sighed.From the time I was young, I imagined that when I died, my parents would hold me and cry their hearts out, regretting that they hadn't treated me better. I didn't want much love. Just a little bit would have been enough.But after being their son for 18 years, I realized I was deluding myself.At five years old, I took on all the household chores—laundry, cooking, everything. If

After they finished eating, I came to clear the table. The glazed salmon had been picked clean down to the bones. What they left me was half a serving of mashed potatoes and some vegetables.I ate the leftovers slowly, checking the time between bites. What I'd added to the salmon should take effect soon."My stomach hurts!" Rayne clutched her stomach and screamed, then rushed to the bathroom.Less than a minute after coming out, she grabbed her stomach again and ran back in.Derek pressed himself against the door worriedly. "Ray, are you okay?""My stomach hurts so bad!"I smiled to myself as I continued eating. I'd bought a massive dose of laxatives from the pharmacy. Rayne was greedy and ate too much, so naturally her stomach would pay the price.Of course, Derek blamed me for Rayne's upset stomach. He knocked the plate out of my hands and raised his hand to slap me."You jinx, did you buy rotten fish? If anything happens to Ray, I'll skin you alive!"Before Derek could fini

Alessia's blood pressure had just come down, but it shot right back up in an instant. The murderous look in her eyes made Derek flinch.She jumped in front of me and grabbed my shirt, demanding an answer. "You jinx, you know this tramp too?""Lily is Dad's cousin. She comes over to visit all the time and even stays overnight. Dad, don't you remember her?"Alessia ground her teeth so hard that they nearly cracked. She charged at Derek and slapped him across the face over and over."You bastard! You bring women into our home behind my back? We're getting a divorce!"Derek couldn't afford a divorce. He'd been unemployed for over a year and depended on Alessia to support him. He was afraid of her mainly because he was useless and had been living off her for years.He had big ambitions, but when it came to finding work, nothing was ever good enough for him. Alessia was domineering at home, but she was also a powerhouse at work. She was a top salesperson and consistently held the numbe

The moment I finished speaking, the room fell silent. Alessia had clearly never expected that someone submissive like me who always took whatever came my way could say something like that.She laughed coldly. "Oh really? You think you're too grown up for me to handle now, is that it?"You want to cut ties? Pay me one million dollars for raising you. If you can't come up with it, then you'll work like a dog in that house. You don't get to have a say in anything."You want to lord it over me? Go find yourself a better family and stay the hell away from me."I knew Alessia would pull this move. For as long as I could remember, she and her husband had treated me like an enemy. If I died, she wouldn't be sad for even a second.I deliberately came to Alessia's company to make a scene because I wanted to find someone to lean on. I crouched on the ground crying, tears streaming down my face, and told them about all the injustices I'd suffered over the years.The CEO grew angrier the more

Alessia was sentenced to 20 years for murder. Custody of Rayne went to Derek.He'd been living off his wife for nearly 20 years. He could barely support himself, let alone raise a child.Rayne withdrew from her private elementary school. Living with Derek, she went hungry more often than not. She couldn't afford to go to school anymore.Derek somehow found the address of the place I was renting. The moment I opened the door, he was kneeling there with Rayne."Finn, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have treated you badly. For the sake of all the years we raised you, please let Ray stay with you. I really don't have the ability to take care of her anymore."I glanced down at Rayne. The pudgy kid had turned into a stick figure.Rayne rolled her eyes at me. "Dad said you're my servant. You're supposed to take care of me. Why does he have to kneel and beg you?"This little princess I'd waited on hand and foot since childhood had never once seen me as her brother. I was just her errand