Lahat ng Kabanata ng Disowned in Prison, I Found New Family: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 9

Dad's temper flared when I pulled away from his hand. "Mike, have you completely lost your mind in prison?" he bellowed. "You don't even recognize your own parents anymore?"It's been five years, and you're still just as stubborn as ever. You'll never be half as likeable as Hugo!"His voice was loud enough to draw the attention of several correctional officers nearby, making the situation even more awkward."Keep your voice down," Mom said, patting his arm and signaling him to calm down. "Don't make things difficult for Hugo."Then, she turned to me and forced a smile. "Mikey, that's just how your father is," she added, her voice suddenly cautious and placating. "Don't take it personally. You haven't contacted us all these years because you really think we wanted to send you to prison, don't you?"You silly boy. You're our son too. If you hadn't rejected our calls and insisted on serving the sentence yourself, we would have found a lawyer and gotten you out." Her eyes redden

At first, taking care of Hugo meant giving up my toys whenever he hit other people because he wanted something, then stepping in to apologize on his behalf.But eventually, he learned how to use his condition to get what he wanted.Whenever he set his sights on something, the worst he'd do was throw things or hit someone. At worst, he'd hurt himself or threaten to jump off a building.And I went from apologizing for him to taking the blame for him, then eventually taking responsibility for his crimes. Compared to keeping Hugo alive, everyone treated my willingness to give in as something they could take for granted. My parents' attention toward me grew less and less until almost all of their time and energy revolved around Hugo.Then came my birthday. I'd earned my first paycheck from a part-time college job and used it to buy a cake. I'd even carefully picked out gifts for Mom and Dad.I lit the candles and waited for them to come home, but they were still nowhere to be see

When I woke up again, the media had already branded me a cold-blooded murderer, and my school had officially expelled me.The day I was expelled happened to be Hugo's birthday.Mom and Dad said Hugo only got to celebrate his birthday once a year, so we couldn't let it pass without celebrating. While they celebrated, I curled up alone in my room, covering my injured ears as I came across the news that I'd been expelled and convicted. I tried to defend myself, but the things people were saying online left me completely hopeless. "Who would believe anything this murderer says? He shoved an eight-months-pregnant teacher, and now he's trying to frame his own brother to clear his name?""A murderer is a murderer."Even the victim's family and eyewitnesses had been paid off by my parents. They all gave the same false testimony, pointing the finger at me.At the moment I felt most hopeless, I came across a post from my parents celebrating Hugo's birthday. In the photo, Dad was peeli

Everyone's eyes turned toward the figure approaching from a distance.The moment I recognized his face, my eyes stung. Memories of what happened five years ago came rushing back. When I first arrived at prison, I met Noel Graham. He was a lawyer who had been framed and forced to take the blame for someone else.His charge was even more absurd than murder. He had been accused of posting bail for a serial killer.The other inmates despised him because of his profession, and the bullying never stopped. They'd knock his food onto the floor, urinate in his water bottle, and even wake him up for no reason just to beat him.There wasn't a day when he didn't have a new bruise or cut on his face.Maybe he'd been broken down too badly. He never fought back, seemingly determined to die.One day, Noel's parents brought him a fresh change of clothes, only for the other inmates to tear everything apart. But he simply sat there numbly and let them do it. He didn't say a word. Seeing how w

"What kind of family is that? They're monsters!" someone in the gallery shouted, and it hit the courtroom like a stone thrown into still water. The room erupted almost instantly. Reporters swarmed my parents, thrusting microphones toward them."Mr. and Mrs. Strasser, are the pieces of evidence presented in court today true?""Why did you treat your two sons so differently? Did you know all along that Hugo's bipolar disorder diagnosis had been falsified?""Now that the truth is out, do you have anything to say to Mike? Do you regret what you did to him?"Mom and Dad stood frozen, unable to answer the barrage of questions.Dad remained silent for a long moment before suddenly slamming his hand against the table and raising it as if he were about to hit Hugo. But when he saw Hugo's red-rimmed eyes, his hand slowly fell back to his side."Mikey, I'm sorry," he choked, struggling to get the words out. "I failed you."Tears streamed down Mom's cheeks as she grabbed the edge of my sh