Semua Bab My Son Jumped Off The Building: Bab 1 - Bab 9

The last time around, the news had made me drop my phone. My legs had gone weak with fear while my mind went completely blank. I was too shaken to think with clarity.By the time I found the livestream, I was already in Asteria. I immediately turned back, but it was still too late.Billy had viciously dragged my name through the mud on camera while Greg and Lori backed up every lie he told. “Dad, don’t blame Mom. I was just too weak to handle the stress. I could never become the perfect son she wanted me to be.”Billy had pulled up his sleeve and revealed wounds made with makeup and fake blood.“I wanted to get perfect grades too. It’s not like I wanted to be beaten, but I’m just not smart enough. I just can’t do it!”The viewers immediately felt a wave of sympathy for him when they saw the bloody wounds.[Oh my God! Whoever did that went way too far.][People who can’t control their emotions shouldn’t be raising children.][Before demanding perfect grades from her son, maybe

I had James drop me off in the underground parking garage. I alighted and carried the bags upstairs to my apartment.When I opened the door, Lori was the first to turn toward me. “Stefani, what took you so long? Billy is about to jump!”I had no patience for her shrill voice, so I slapped her.“Shut your mouth! This is my family. You have no business butting in!”Lori’s eyes widened at my words.I kicked her aside. Then, I picked up the bags and dabbed at the corners of my eyes with a tissue soaked in onion juice. I began my performance.“Billy, please don’t jump! Come down! What have I ever done to deserve these lies? You said you wanted a gaming console, a phone, and a tablet, so I bought them all for you! These are the things you wanted. Look!”I held up the bags in front of him to make sure everyone watching the livestream could see them clearly. “Stay away from me! Get out! I don’t want those things! I don’t need your fake concern!” Billy’s resolve wavered as he stared at

I pulled out the security footage from my house. It clearly showed Lori and Greg coaching Billy on what to say and applying makeup to create his fake injuries.The ward fell silent for a moment before my mother began making excuses on her behalf. “Your sister was only playing a joke on you. Besides, Billy is just a child. He doesn’t know any better. You’re an adult. Why would you hold it against a child? Besides, he’s your son. If it came down to dying for him, that’s what any mother should do.”I scoffed. “Is that so? Is he really my son?”As soon as I said that, silence filled the ward again. My mother froze in place for several long seconds.“What... What do you mean by that? If he’s not yours, then whose is he? You must’ve lost your mind!”Judging by my mother’s reaction, I knew she had been aware of the truth all along.When I heard Billy call Lori “Mom” on the footage, I knew something was wrong. So, I had quietly arranged for DNA tests.Just as I had suspected, Billy was

“You’ve been spoiled your entire life. It’s time you learned to be a little more independent.”After I left, Greg leaned close to Billy and whispered, “Your mom is still furious. Let’s just play along for now. When she is dead, everything she owns will be yours. Then, you can buy the entire bus company if you want.”Hearing that, Billy stopped whining.Although I had agreed to remove the cameras, I never said I would take all of them down. There were still several hidden ones left in the house.Lori had always seemed instinctively hostile toward me. Perhaps it came from the rivalry for attention and resources that often existed between siblings. With our parents constantly favoring her, taking things from me always came easily to her.I had understood the truth long ago. Anything that could be taken from me was merely a burden in disguise. The only things worth keeping were those that could not be stolen.I went to see Lori with several bodyguards in tow. “What do you think you