Chapter 3

Searching for me all these years? How is that possible?

I couldn't believe my ears.

Jackson didn't notice my shock and kept chatting.

"Yeah! I have a big brother, but I’ve never met him."

"Dad says he was the sweetest baby. But over ten years ago, Dad's ex-wife took him and ran away."

"Dad has spent so much money looking for him, but we just can't find him."

My head spun. There were too many contradictions.

Why did my dad say my mom ran away with me?

Back then, it was my dad who left the divorce papers and disappeared.

My mom had spent the last twelve years drinking herself to death because of his abandonment.

Who was lying?

Seeing that I wasn't responding, Jackson dragged me to another room down the hall. He pointed at a beautifully decorated bedroom.

"This is the room Dad kept for my brother! He said when my brother comes back, he'll have his own place."

"Dad said my brother's favorite color is orange, so the whole room is orange!"

"I even helped pick out the curtains! Pretty cool, right?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat and stepped inside.

On the desk, there was a slightly faded, framed photograph. It was a picture of my father, looking much younger, holding me as a toddler on a sunny lawn.

Suddenly, a warm, gentle voice came from the doorway.

"That's my husband's son from his first marriage. He was such a beautiful boy, wasn't he?"

"Sigh, it's a heartbreaking story."

"No matter how much money Phillips wired to his ex-wife, she refused to let him see the boy even once."

"Just last month, Phillips wired another two million dollars to her for the boy's college fund."

"We don't know how he is doing now. Phillips hasn't slept a peaceful night in over ten years."

I turned toward the voice. A kind-faced, elegant woman was standing there.

This was Clara, my father's new wife.

My mind reeled. Two million dollars? Last month?

If my dad had been sending millions of dollars, why was my mom forcing me to work three jobs? Why did I only have fifty dollars a month for food?

I remembered when I had a high fever in high school, and we 'couldn't afford' antibiotics, so I had to sweat it out, shivering in bed for a week.

Why did my mother lie to me all these years?

I wanted to scream the truth right there—to tell them that I was that lost son.

But I had to keep my head. I had to find out what really happened.

Why did my mother make my life a living hell?

I didn't reveal my identity. I made an excuse and quickly left the mansion.

I requested a week off from my college classes and took the bus straight back to our dingy apartment.

The moment I opened the door, the stench of cheap liquor and stale smoke hit my face. My mom was slumped on the couch, surrounded by empty bottles.

Seeing me home early, she didn't hesitate to hurl a beer bottle right at my head.

"Why the hell are you home?! Aren't you supposed to be washing dishes at the diner?!"

"Are you trying to starve us next month?!"

"If you don't bring home your check, I'll kick you out! This is all because of your laziness!"

"You remember this: my life is ruined because of you!"

"You owe me for the rest of your miserable life!"

Normally, I would have quietly cleaned up the broken glass and apologized.

But not today. I walked right up to her, staring straight into her bloodshot eyes.

"Mom, my meal card ran out of money today."

"Starting next month, can I please keep just ten more dollars of my paycheck for food?"

She froze, then exploded in a fury.

"Keep ten dollars?! Do you think we’re made of money?!"

"We are broke because of you!"

"It's your fault your dad left us!"

"If not for you, I'd be living in luxury right now!"

"You want ten dollars? In your dreams! Ten dollars is a whole bottle of gin!"

"Next month, your allowance is cut to forty!"

"If you can't afford food, go eat the free bread at the shelter! I know your school has free food!"

Looking at her twisted, hateful face, the final string of my patience snapped.

She always claimed I was 'disabled' and 'broken,' but my school physicals always showed I was perfectly healthy. She just wanted me to feel worthless.