All Chapters of My Cousin Stopped Acting Crazy: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

My cousin, Bobby Foote, had been pretending to be mentally impaired and freeloading at my house for five years.Five years ago, he was in a minor car accident. After he was discharged from the hospital, he claimed the trauma had left him mentally impaired.As his father had once saved my dad’s life, my parents paid for everything Bobby needed and let him live with us. They treated him better than they treated their own son.He had scared off both of my ex-girlfriends.He would bang on the guest bedroom door in the middle of the night and slip dead worms into their purses. Then, he would turn around and cry to my parents, claiming that I thought he was disgusting.My parents always gave me the same answer.“Your uncle saved your father’s life. Bobby has had a hard enough time. Just cut him some slack.”For five years, that debt of gratitude had been a weight I could never shake off. It was not as though I had never suspected that Bobby was faking it.I had even secretly filmed

After dinner, Mom politely asked Lara to stay the night. She said that we had plenty of room and she could leave in the morning.I was about to object, worried that Bobby might try something during the night.Lara agreed before I could say anything.“Sure, Mrs. Pride. It’ll also give me a chance to observe Bobby a little more, so I can give the specialist a better idea of his condition.”She paused, then added, “I’ll take the downstairs guest room. I can leave the door unlocked too. That way, if Bobby has any trouble during the night, I’ll be able to hear him.”Mom immediately agreed. She once again praised Lara for being so thoughtful and considerate.Bobby looked up and shot Lara a glance. I recognized the calculating look in his eyes immediately.Back in my room, I did not question her right away. I first went to the window and checked the placement of the cameras.Then, I dragged a chair over and set it beside the door next to the guest room.“I’m staying here tonight. Lea

The moment she finished speaking, the doorbell rang.The chime cut through the room like a gunshot. Everyone fell silent.I took a deep breath and went to answer it.As the door opened, sunlight streamed in and lit the edges of her hair with a faint golden halo.Cecelia Gomez stood on the doorstep.She was my second ex-girlfriend. Five years ago, Bobby had harassed her while hiding behind his act, until she finally moved away just to get away from him.She held a thick document in one hand and calmly surveyed the crowded room.Then, her gaze settled on Bobby, who was hiding behind the others.She spoke in a clear, steady voice.“I can prove it. Bobby was never mentally impaired—not even five years ago.”The room fell completely silent. You could practically hear everyone breathing.Bobby peeked out from behind Mom, but the moment he recognized Cecelia, all the color drained from his face. His lips trembled, and he could not get a word out.Aunt Clara was the first to recove

Officially, the reason was that everyone could witness the specialist’s evaluation for themselves and finally have some peace of mind.In reality, I wanted the whole family there when Bobby’s five-year con finally came crashing down.Even while I was making the calls, a few relatives could not resist taking jabs at me.They said I was making a mountain out of a molehill and tearing the family apart over nothing.I did not argue and simply said, “We’ll find out next Wednesday whether it’s me who’s overreacting or someone else.”After I hung up, I stood by the window and looked outside.Bobby was crouched in the yard playing on his phone. His fingers were flying across the screen. He did not look confused or helpless.When he sensed that I was watching him, he looked up sharply and immediately slipped back into that vacant expression.I sneered and held his gaze.I thought, ‘Go ahead. Keep pretending. You have three days left.’Next Wednesday, everything would become clear.La

The room erupted with angry comments the moment he said that.The relatives who had been defending him just minutes earlier now looked at him with open disgust.“What kind of person does something like that?”“Using his father’s sacrifice as an excuse to scam his uncle and aunt! That’s despicable!” Aunt Clara, clearly embarrassed, reached down and tried to pull Bobby to his feet.“That’s enough! Apologize to your aunt and uncle.”“Why should I apologize?”Bobby yanked his arm away.“I didn’t say anything wrong! Their family owes mine!”I watched him carry on, but strangely enough, I felt completely calm.When he finally admitted he had been faking it all these years, five years of resentment seemed to lose its hold on me.I walked over and looked down at him.“Then, let’s settle exactly what’s owed. Over the past five years, between what you spent living here, the money you conned out of my parents, and the things you stole and sold, you took a total of $780,000. “You h