Chapter 2

2

"A divorce? Calvin, why don't you look in a mirror before you talk?"

I turned around and strode out of the apartment.

Behind me came Fiona's shrill, vicious shrieks.

"Without me, who the hell would want a piece of trash like you?"

"You're broke, broken-bodied, and you have a sick daughter who drains every penny like a black hole!"

With a heavy slam, I shut the metal security door that had sucked the life out of me for a decade.

The deafening noise sealed away all their toxicity.

I pulled out my cracked phone and dialed a number I hadn't dared to call in five years.

"Russ, it's me."

"I want to come back to R&D. Even if I have to start as an entry-level tech, I'll take it."

Years ago, in order to make fast cash for Nina's medical bills, I resigned from my beloved R&D position.

I resorted to delivery gigs, rideshare driving, heavy labor, and even shady blood donations.

Now, I wanted my dignity back.

Half an hour later, Russell Cole stared at me in pure shock.

"Calvin, what did you do to yourself?"

He shoved a thick envelope of cash into my hands.

"Take this. It's three grand. Get yourself settled first."

"Your spot in the engineering department was always kept open. Everyone knows what you went through. You can start anytime."

My hands trembled as I gripped the money.

I didn't say thanks.

I simply gave him a firm, resolute nod.

I rented a cheap, dingy motel room on the outskirts of town.

Despite the pungent smell of mildew, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief.

I washed down dry, cheap bread with tap water for dinner.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed.

The caller ID displayed "Mason Summers."

My freeloader brother-in-law, who had just bought two condos with my family's life savings.

I answered the call.

A sickeningly fake chuckle came through the speaker.

"Hey, Calvin! Don't be so petty, man."

"We're family, right? Look, I just sent you thirty bucks on CashApp so you can grab a decent burger."

"You know I just bought those places and cash is tight, so don't look down on my gesture."

Thirty bucks.

That was what he offered to wipe out ten years of my grueling sacrifice.

That was what he used to brush off the loss of my father's life.

Before I could speak, Nina's shrill voice echoed in the background.

"Uncle Mason! Why are you giving him money?"

"That loser is just trying to scam you! Keep it and buy yourself some good cigars!"

Fiona's voice followed immediately after.

"She's right, Mason. You're way too soft-hearted."

"An ungrateful scumbag like him deserves to drop dead on the street. Don't waste your breath on him!"

Mason let out a theatrical sigh, his tone dripping with mock helplessness.

"Well, Calvin, you hear that? It's not that I don't want to help."

"You've just disappointed everyone in this house too deeply."

He hung up.

A few moments later, Fiona updated her social media feed.

It was a video.

The backdrop was a brand-new luxury condo with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the river.

A lavish spread of expensive seafood, king crab, and fine wine covered the table.

Fiona raised a crystal wine glass, her face flushed with pride.

"Celebrating Mason's new properties! The Summers family has finally made it to the top!"

Nina clung to Mason's leg, beaming brighter than a sunflower.

"This is my home now! Without that stinky, sweaty dad around, even the air smells sweet!"

At the end of the video, Mason flashed a peace sign at the camera, his eyes full of smug mockery.

"Hey Calvin, this lobster is amazing. Too bad you'll never taste it while chewing on stale bread."

I set the phone down.

I took another bite of the cold, hard bread in my hand.

A sharp, metallic taste of blood spread across my tongue.

My mind drifted back to three months ago.

Inside that dimly lit, unlicensed underground clinic.

My father had been lying on a stained, filthy operating table.

Just to scrape together a hundred thousand dollars for Nina's so-called "miracle treatment," the old man had sold one of his kidneys.

Before he took his final breath, his withered hand clamped tightly onto my sleeve.

His eyes were filled with sorrow and desperate pleading.

"Calvin... the money... save Nina..."

"Don't let the child... suffer..."

That very day, Fiona took the blood-stained hundred thousand dollars and smiled at me.

"Your dad went peacefully. We should be happy for him."

It turned out that even back then, she was already calculating the down payment for those riverfront condos.

I swallowed the last bite of bread, forcing the blood in my mouth down my throat.

Calvin Hayes, you spent ten years of your life on them.

What a goddamn waste.