Chapter 2

2

Filled with resentment, my soul drifted to where my brother, Finn, was.

He was sitting in a car outside the house, looking at my girlfriend, Leanne, with a face full of grievance.

"Leanne... maybe I should just go to jail. If I suffer, maybe Caleb will be happy. I don't want you guys to be hated by him because of me..."

Seeing him like this, Leanne's heart ached, and she pulled him into her arms.

"Finn, don't talk nonsense! It wasn't intentional. Besides, you're not well. What's wrong with Caleb taking the fall for you?"

Finn started to cry. "Caleb will definitely resent me. What if he tries to run me over for revenge when he gets out?"

Listening to his hypocritical lies, the fire in my soul almost erupted.

He always used these pathetic tactics to slander me, playing the victim to garner sympathy.

Yet, they believed him without a doubt.

Over time, I became the lying, selfish villain in their eyes, and he became the innocent target of my daily bullying.

Sure enough, Leanne exploded in anger. "If he dares to touch you, I'll send him right back to prison! People like him always get what's coming!"

Hearing this, Finn leaned into Leanne contentedly. "You're so good to me, Leanne."

She looked at him with a soft gaze. "Don't worry. I won't let him hurt you."

I watched this with a mix of bitterness and self-ridicule.

This was the woman I had cherished and planned to marry?

How pathetic.

That evening, my parents returned from the station.

The moment she stepped inside, my mother hugged Finn with tears in her eyes.

"Finn, your brother agreed to confess. The police took our statement. You've suffered so much, sweetheart. You don't have to be afraid anymore!"

A flicker of triumph and excitement flashed in Finn's eyes, but he quickly masked it with fake concern.

"Mom, it's all my fault. I'm making Caleb suffer."

"Even if he keeps bullying me like he used to when he gets out, I'll just endure it."

At those words, my parents' smiles turned into rage.

"He bullied you every day? That animal! Doing such things behind our backs!"

"Forcing him into prison was the right choice! I can't believe we raised such a heartless wolf. It's a curse!"

My girlfriend joined in. "I'm breaking up with him as soon as he's behind bars. A man like him can't even compare to a kind soul like Finn."

Their words were like poisoned daggers stabbing my heart.

I had to fight to keep my spirit from collapsing.

The four of them looked like a happy family, a scene that confirmed I had always been the outsider.