All Chapters of Too Late to Call Me Family: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

"You shameless disgrace! I threw you out of the house back then to teach you a lesson, not so you could run around half-dressed, currying favor with women! You've brought nothing but shame upon our family!"At that, Mackenzie slapped me. My head snapped to the side, and only then did I see the fury churning in her eyes."You filthy, shameless wretch! We gave you a chance to make something of yourself, but you chose to sink into the gutter! Three hundred dollars? Is that all you're worth?"Excuse me?Hadn't she kicked me out, cut off all my financial support, and severed every means of contacting our family? Hadn't she watched me plead desperately outside the house on a rainy night, only to shut the door in my face and leave me to fall from the heights of privilege into the depths of misery? How dare she stand here, looking down at me as though she had every right to lecture me now?I wanted to retort, but a tearful voice interrupted us."Please, Mackenzie, stop hitting Mason!" Ki

With tears in my eyes, I was just about to tell Mom that I wouldn't marry Everly when I saw Kieran standing behind her. His face, which usually appeared so delicate and harmless, was twisted with hatred and malice.Without warning, he thrust out his hands and shoved Mom down the stairs. The dull thud of her body hitting the ground became the nightmare that haunted me every day and night for the next eight years.Kieran threw himself onto Mom's lifeless body, wailing as though his heart had been shattered. When my sister came rushing over at the sound of the commotion, he screamed at her, "Mackenzie! It was Mason! He was arguing with Mom, and he shoved her!"Mackenzie glanced at Kieran's reddened eyes. Without even giving me a chance to explain, she immediately decided I was guilty. "Mason, you heartless monster! Mom loved you so much, and you actually laid your hands on her over something so trivial!"I sobbed so hard I could barely catch my breath, desperately trying to explai

Every trace of color drained from Mackenzie's face, and her hand shook uncontrollably as she clutched her phone. She stared at Kieran, shock and disbelief churning in her eyes. "The surveillance footage caught you pushing Mom."Kieran's shoulders shook violently. He looked utterly devastated, as though he had just suffered the most terrible injustice imaginable. His voice broke as he choked out, "Mackenzie, you can't seriously believe that! Mom treated me with such kindness. I've always honored and cared for her as if she were my own mother. Why would I ever hurt her? Your assistant must have made a mistake! Mason must have bribed her!"He abruptly lifted his head, his eyes bloodshot. "Mackenzie, have you forgotten? You threw him out of the house back then and told him to reflect on his mistakes, but instead of showing any shame, he went and seduced your assistant!"With those words, he immediately shifted everyone's attention toward me. Kieran began crying even harder, his chest

"Ms. Schaefer, I helped him frame Mr. Schaefer all those years ago because he had someone stalk my daughter."Mackenzie's expression darkened little by little until her face turned livid. She turned toward Kieran abruptly, her voice trembling with suppressed fury as she forced the words through clenched teeth. "Was that you in the surveillance footage?"Kieran was still sprawled on the floor, but the moment he heard her question, he raised his voice and burst into fresh, hysterical sobs. "Mackenzie! It wasn't me! They fabricated everything! Mason must have paid your assistant to make up these lies! Please, you have to believe me! Why would I ever hurt Mom?""Fabricated?" She took a step forward and hurled the written testimony onto the floor in front of him. "How much longer are you going to keep lying?"Kieran's sobs faltered for a moment before he immediately put on another wounded expression. He reached out, trying to tug at the hem of Mackenzie's clothes. "Mackenzie, have you