All Chapters of The Monster You Created: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

The comments immediately fired back.[If you feel that bad for him, then you adopt him.][Yeah, try cleaning up his vomit every day and see if you're still smiling.]The argument spiraled out of control.Just then, the first memory finished extracting and lit up the big screen.It was my first day of kindergarten.Right from the start, the teacher called me a genius.I couldn't speak, but I remembered everything after seeing it once. After testing, my IQ came back at 200, twice the average.My mother was over the moon. She hired top tutors and swore she would raise me into someone extraordinary.Ophelia even gave me her favorite doll, saying she was proud to have a genius brother like me.The very next day, I threw up all over it.That was also when everything went wrong.I got hit with a sudden illness. My hands started spasming, and I couldn't even hold a pen anymore.The comments flooded the screen.[What the hell is wrong with him? That doll was their dad's keepsake.

"Your Honor, while I was extracting the memory, my needle hit something unusually hard."Ophelia immediately jumped in."It's probably just…a growth. Thanks for removing it. Just throw it away."She spoke too fast, as if she was trying to cover something up.The judge, seasoned enough to catch it, narrowed his eyes and ordered the mass to be cut open.The moment it split apart, everyone froze.Inside was a tiny chip.Ophelia rushed to explain."I remember now. It's an emotional regulation implant. Gabriel's vomiting has made my life unbearable. I had it implanted so I wouldn't lose control or do anything extreme."The room looked at her with even more sympathy.[I've heard those chips are brutal. The second you feel anger or disgust, they shock you.][You're too kind, Ophelia. Gabriel's clearly doing this on purpose. He doesn't deserve this from you.]Ophelia's expression softened."Whether Gabriel means it or not, I just want to take care of him."My mother held her tigh

The image on the screen was a detailed schematic of a chip, packed with complex wiring.The operator pointed to a tiny line of text and raised her voice."After three years, the chip fully integrates with the host's nervous system. The only way to detect it is with a full-body scan using specialized equipment."The panel immediately pushed back."Running that kind of scan costs hundreds of thousands. How can you be sure…"She cut them off, "I'm staking my life on it."The comments exploded. People started speculating about what connection she had to me, that she would go this far. The pressure kept building until the panel had no choice but to agree.Over an hour later, the results came back.There really was a chip inside me, completely fused with my nervous system. Without a targeted scan, it was impossible to find.The panel member who had first insisted on upholding the verdict stepped forward and apologized."We've never seen anything like this before, so we assumed you

Lauren parted her lips, her voice rough and thin."I just wanted to see you. Seeing that you're doing well now… I can finally stop worrying."I gave a small nod and turned to leave. "If you're not worried anymore, then you should go. I'm doing just fine here."But she grabbed the hem of my pants and refused to let go."Gabriel, I know you're just putting on a front. You look polished on the outside, like you're doing well, but I know you're hurting inside."You're only seven. You left Ophelia and me and ended up all alone out here. People must've looked down on you, laughed at you."Maybe you have everything you need materially, but without family, I know you feel empty inside. If you agree to remove the nausea chip, Ophelia and I can come back to you right away."I almost laughed at how ridiculous it sounded.I used to think Ophelia was just born rotten. As it turned out, Lauren wasn't any better.Like they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.I shot Lauren a col