Branded a Liar
My little brother, Rylan, wanted to go to the park. However, Dad told me to keep an eye on him and make sure he didn't wander off.
So, Rylan said he wanted to play hide-and-seek at home with me, and I agreed. Unfortunately, I couldn't find him after he hid. I searched everywhere for him.
I looked through all three floors of the house and even searched the yard. At the time, I just thought that Rylan had found an incredible hiding spot.
It wasn't until that evening that our neighbor brought him home with the police.
Only then did I realize that Rylan had slipped out of the house while I'd been counting with my eyes covered.
Terrified that Dad would find out he'd snuck off to play, Rylan threw his arms around Dad's leg and burst into tears. "Dad, Caleb threw me out of the house!"
Dad flew into a rage and slapped me across the face. "How could you be so cruel? Your brother is only five years old! You told me he was playing hide-and-seek with you. You rotten liar!"
But Dad... I was only seven.
I tried to explain, but Dad never believed another word I said.
From that day on, I ranked lower than even the chauffeur in our house. Every day, I was fed spoiled leftovers and forced to sleep in the doghouse.
When I was 12, a bad woman kidnapped me and made me call Dad for ransom money. All I got in return was his furious voice yelling over the phone.
"You rotten liar! You really will say anything for money, even something like this. If they won't let you live without it, then go ahead and die."
The woman was so furious that she kicked me off the unfinished balcony of an abandoned building.
I hit the ground, and my body was splattered beyond recognition. Before I even had a chance to feel the pain, I found myself drifting upward.
Dad… I hadn't been lying.