All Chapters of Mom and Dad, Your Apology Came Too Late: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

My father left the stunned group of interns behind and hurried after me."The psychiatric hospital said you vanished after being admitted in critical condition. Julian, where have you been all these years?"They said you stabbed yourself through the abdomen. Why would you do something like that to yourself?"His eyes were red as he reached out to grab my arm, but the uneven, distorted texture beneath his fingers made him recoil as if he'd been shocked.As I listened, not a single ripple stirred inside me.I quickened my pace, unwilling to have anything to do with him."This is a public place. If you don't want people wondering what a lunatic like me has to do with the world-renowned Dr. Hill, then stop following me."My voice was calm, as though I were speaking to a stranger.Perhaps he was too used to being admired and respected. My indifference caught him completely off guard."Julian, are you still blaming us..."When I was little, I had been my father's shadow. If I couldn't see hi

Chapter 2

My roommate wouldn't let it go, so for the first time, I told someone my story.The Hill family had once been known for its two prodigies—my twin brother, Samson Hill, and me.But when we were ten, he was killed during a kidnapping.From that day on, I fell into severe depression.I locked myself away in my room. I was terrified of going outside and terrified of being around people. The only thing I could do was paint.My paintings became the only place where I dared to reveal even a fraction of my feelings.After losing one son, my parents couldn't bear the thought of losing another.They made a drastic decision. Despite their promising careers and groundbreaking work in medicine, they left the field and devoted themselves to psychology instead.To protect my fragile state, our home became unnaturally quiet.My parents hovered around me as if I were a dying animal, terrified that the slightest misstep might upset me.Then one day, everything changed.While accompanying me to a treatme

Chapter 3

After Samuel "exposed" me, my mother became convinced that I didn't have depression at all.From that day on, she used the cruelest methods she could think of to force me to admit I was perfectly normal.She ignored my struggles and panic, and dragged me out of my room."Stop pretending! Sam told me he's seen you sneaking out plenty of times. Walk home by yourself."She shoved me into the middle of a crowded intersection.Every accidental brush from a stranger sent me spiraling into terror.Car horns blared around me.A driver slammed on his brakes just feet away."Are you trying to get yourself killed? If you want to die, do it somewhere else!"His face was red with rage.I felt like a tiny boat sinking beneath a stormy sea, completely alone and beyond rescue.After that, my depression worsened beyond anything it had been before.Night after night, I lay awake under the covers, drawing nonstop.Even when my fingers split open and bled, I couldn't stop.Then the opportunity that change

Chapter 4

As I was being escorted out of the gallery, an enraged fan grabbed me by the collar."I loved your work, and all this time, you were nothing but a thief and a fraud!"More furious spectators gathered near the entrance and knocked me to the ground.The crowd closed in around me.The crush of bodies made it impossible to breathe.Terror seized me.Curled up on the pavement, I couldn't force out a single word.Then, amid the chaos, a stiletto heel came down hard on my right hand.The sharp heel pierced straight through my wrist.I screamed as my body convulsed.Blood and tears blurred together.My right hand would never paint again.But when I dragged myself home, my injured arm hanging uselessly at my side, my parents were celebrating Samuel's victory.There were balloons, cake, and champagne.The picture-perfect happiness of it all hurt more than the injury.My mother glanced at me, disgust flashing across her face."Today's a special day for Sam. Did you even look at yourself before co

Chapter 5

While we were talking, the hospital staff opened the door to the room."Julian, enough of this. Your mother's next door. Come with me and see her."My father held out a hand.My roommate immediately grabbed my arm, anxiety written all over his face.I patted his hand reassuringly.Since there was no avoiding it, I might as well face them.The moment my mother saw me, her pupils visibly trembled.But when she spoke, her voice was exactly as cold as it had been all those years ago."Now that you're back, make a public apology. Admit that you stole the painting, and start treating your brother properly from now on."The interns standing nearby looked at me with open curiosity, as though they were watching a spectacle unfold.I couldn't help shaking my head and laughing softly."In this world, victims don't apologize to the people who robbed them."I was an adult now.Long gone was the frightened child they could control at will.The only reason I'd come was because I wanted to know whethe

Chapter 6

My adoptive father had just come back from the butcher shop.He still smelled of fresh blood and raw meat, and he hadn't even had time to take off his apron.He frowned and stared at my parents.My mother's eyes widened in disbelief."How dare you speak to me like that? And who exactly are you calling your son?"Then she immediately turned her anger on me."Julian, is this really the kind of people you've been associating with all these years? No wonder you've become so rude and uncivilized. You're coming home with us right now."Before I could even react, my adoptive father's eyes narrowed.He rolled up his sleeves and reached into the car, hauling my mother out by the arm.Caught off guard, she stumbled and landed hard on the pavement.My father hurried over to help her up.My adoptive father planted his hands on his hips and opened fire."Did your head get stuck somewhere? You spout nonsense every time you open your mouth."He jabbed a finger toward them."And who the hell are you t

Chapter 7

The crowd around us kept growing, and I had no interest in arguing with my parents any longer.I grabbed my adoptive father's arm and headed home.What I didn't expect was that somehow, they found my address.The look of surprise on my face made my mother smile smugly.She waved a folder in her hand."You thought you could hide from us? If I want to find something, I always find it."Before I could stop her, she walked straight into the house.Her eyes swept across the room, and disgust immediately crept onto her face."This place..." She wrinkled her nose. "It's tiny. And it reeks. Where's that butcher? Not home?"The contempt in her voice made my jaw tighten.I forced myself to stay calm and said, "If you don't have anything important to say, I'd like you to leave.""Your brother knows we've found you. He was crying and begging us to bring you home."She covered her nose with a handkerchief."Actually, don't bother packing. Anything that's been kept in a place like this doesn't belo

Chapter 8

They dragged the old accusation back into the spotlight.The same lie they used years ago—that I stole Samuel's painting and entered it in the competition as my own.[Ungrateful Son Runs Away for Years While His Parents and Brother Still Beg Him to Come Home]They claimed that after I left, Samuel had been so worried about me that the emotional blow had destroyed his creativity, which was why he hadn't produced any notable work in years.Just like before, the comments were filled with hatred.My address was posted online.More and more strangers began showing up outside my house. What started as insults quickly escalated into shattered windows and kicked-in doors.Some even went out of their way to buy meat from my adoptive father's butcher shop, only to spread rumors that he was selling spoiled meat, forcing him to shut down the business.When I saw him sitting on the ground beside his stall, clutching a torn section of the canopy, it felt as though someone had wrapped a hand around

Chapter 9

I locked myself in my room for an entire night.One by one, I gathered every piece of evidence, every record, every truth I had buried deep inside and been too afraid to touch for years.Each keystroke felt like tearing open an old wound.But this time, I wasn't going to give Samuel another chance to twist the truth and hurt my adoptive father or me.At four in the morning, I hit Publish.I released everything at once.Every piece of evidence, document, and proof.There wasn't a single unnecessary explanation.That painting could only have come from me because the person in that painting was my real brother— Samson Hill.The scene I painted was the day we were kidnapped.The kidnappers demanded six million dollars from our parents.But after they got the money, I overheard them talking about eliminating us anyway.My brother and I tried to escape while they were dividing up the ransom.We were caught.In that desperate moment, I shoved him toward the door and told him to run.I wanted

Chapter 10

Meanwhile, my parents sat in the study, reading my statement over and over again.For the first time in years, they truly looked at the painting at the center of it all.My mother's hands trembled violently.Tears streamed down her face."So, Samson chose to do it..."Her voice broke."All this time, I thought Julian was scared and abandoned him."She curled in on herself as sobs shook her body."And his depression... it was real."She pressed both hands over her face."How could I not see it? I'm a doctor. How could I have been so blind and wrong for so many years?"My father's eyes were bloodshot.He slapped himself across the face again and again."How were we so stupid?"His voice cracked."We actually convinced ourselves that giving Julian's paintings and achievements to Samuel was somehow making up for Samson's death."He lowered his head."Julian never did anything wrong."He stood abruptly."Come on. We're bringing Julian home."His shoulders shook."We'll spend the rest of our

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