Chapter 3

3

That night, the first thing the family did was erase all traces of my existence.

They claimed that keeping my belongings would bring them bad luck.

My father posted on social media, publicly cutting ties with me, calling me a criminal and a murderer.

My girlfriend even moved into our family home, claiming she wanted to atone for my sins by taking care of my brother.

As I watched them, my heart turned to ice.

This was the family I had given my life for?

In their eyes, what was I even worth?

A profound sense of powerlessness washed over me.

Everything in this house had been paid for with my hard work and the money I had scraped together.

Now, not only was Finn the legal owner, but I wasn't even considered fit to enter the home I was still paying the mortgage on.

Suddenly, a phone ringtone broke the silence of the room.

Leanne pulled out her phone and saw the caller ID. It was my best friend from college, Donovan.

He had always disliked Leanne, saying she wasn't worth my devotion.

I hadn't listened then.

Now, I only felt regret.

Leanne frowned but answered anyway. "Are you crazy, Donovan? Why are you calling me?"

The second she finished, Donovan's voice roared from the other end.

"Leanne, Finn is a monster! You guys killed Caleb for that piece of trash! Do you even know? He ended his own life!"

The deafening sound made Leanne's head spin.

Before she could speak, my mother snatched the phone away.

"Who are you calling a monster? What kind of game is Caleb playing now? Is he never going to stop?"

"He lies every single day just to get our attention! Tell him for me, stop using these disgusting tricks. He makes me sick!"

Donovan let out a cold, angry laugh.

"Fine, fine. He's disgusting. He's a liar. You people don't deserve to be his family. I hope you never regret this!"

At that moment, Finn seized the opportunity. With a face that looked like he was about to cry, he shouted into the phone.

"Donovan, I know Caleb told you to bully me. It's okay if you hurt me. It's all my fault for making him unhappy! But please don't curse my parents. Don't be mean to Leanne. I'll do whatever you want..."