All Chapters of A Fake Ransom, a Real Suicide: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The phone’s camera flash went off right in my face. My brother, Elliot Hart, held his phone up, the lens so close to my face that it was practically poking me in the eye."Look, guys. Check out how pale Harry is. This is priceless! He was so scared that he couldn't even talk. He just kept backing away."My sister, Diane Hart, tossed a plastic machete onto the table and wiped tears of laughter from her eyes."Harry, you're such a coward. Couldn't you tell it was a prop? And you really thought I owed $450,000?"I stood frozen. It felt as though someone had stuffed a pile of burning coals into my stomach. The agony was spreading upward through my chest.I opened my mouth to speak, but my throat felt as if it had been scraped raw with sandpaper. I couldn't make a sound.Dad got up from the floor and dusted off his pants. He shot me an annoyed look."Stop with the long face. Elliot's channel is one viral video away from landing sponsorship deals. There's nothing wrong with the family

The bathroom light was harsh and glaring.Leaning against the sink, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My lips had turned purplish blue, and my complexion was ashen, like a dead man.My lungs spasmed in waves. Every breath drained every ounce of my strength.I turned on the faucet, trying to wash away the bitter taste in my mouth with cold water. In the corner of the sink sat the empty herbicide bottle, exactly where I'd left it. I stared at it for a long moment, my mouth twisting into an ugly smile.From the living room came the sound of a cake being cut.Today was Independence Day, and also Dad's birthday. I had booked this country lodge two weeks in advance and spent all my savings on it, just to make them happy."Happy birthday to you…" The cheerful singing drifted through the thin bathroom door."Dad, make a wish!" Elliot's voice rang out."I wish for our Elliot to become a huge internet star, and that Diane finds a wonderful husband someday," Dad said, full of ene

The guest room was so silent that the faint buzz of the overhead light could be heard.The door was wide open. I lay in a pool of blood, my lifeless eyes fixed on the ceiling. The cheerful music drifting in from the living room suddenly felt out of place.Emily was the first to react. She stumbled backward, her high heel slipping in the black blood on the floor."Harry?" For the first time, there was panic in her voice. "Stop messing around. Where did you get this fake blood? Why does it smell so bad?"She didn't dare come closer. Instead, she shouted from several feet away.I didn't answer. Even the faint sound of my breathing was gone.Dad finally snapped to his senses. He strode over, grabbed my collar, and yanked me upright."You little brat! Have you become addicted to playing dead? I'm going to knock some sense into you—"The words got stuck in his throat.My head slumped to one side like a lead ball that lost control. My body was cold and rigid, without the slightest tr

Elliot's phone was still glowing on the floor. A flood of hateful messages and comments was pouring into his account."Murderer!""You're a whole family of parasites. You drove your own brother to his death!""Why didn't one of you drink the poison instead?"Among over a hundred thousand viewers, someone had already screen-recorded the livestream and reposted it across the internet.Public outrage exploded, and the police soon came knocking.Although my death was ruled a suicide and no criminal case was filed, my family was drowned in a tidal wave of public condemnation.The next night, they rushed back to the rented apartment I had been staying in, hoping to escape the reporters camped outside.The door swung open. The tiny apartment felt cold and empty. An old notebook sat on the living room table. Emily walked over and opened it. The very first page was covered in handwritten accounts."October 5. Payday. Rent: $225. Dad's medication: $120. Diane's living expenses: $300.

Elliot didn't make it through that winter.Without money for surgery and unable to afford the imported medication he needed, he slowly wasted away in pain until his body finally gave out.Before he died, he clutched Dad's hand, his face gaunt and filled with terror."Dad… I saw Harry. He was standing beside my bed, smiling at me. Has he come to take me with him?"Horrified, Dad jerked his hand away and stumbled back into a corner, shaking uncontrollably.Just like that, Elliot died amidst fear and hallucinations.That same night, Diane gathered the few hundred dollars they had left at home and disappeared. Elliot hadn't even been dead a week, and she'd already fled.Before leaving, she said, "Dad, if those people come looking for me again, tell them we've cut ties. I'm still young. I can't go down with the rest of you."From that day on, Dad lost his mind. Every day, he pushed a cart through the streets, collecting recyclable scraps. Whenever he saw a young man passing by, he'd