Everyone was stunned.
He’d jumped off the balcony to prove he was
innocent.
Dad was freaking out.
He slapped me again, screaming, “Are you
happy now? You drove your brother to kill
himself, you inhuman monster!”
I covered my face, full of anger and pain.
“I didn’t! He attacked me first!”
<
Susan stayed calm, patting my shoulder.
“Take it easy. The truth will come out.”
Alex was fine.
He knew there was a flower bed below.
He was just bruised.
Dad was beside himself.
36
“Susan, you have to fly in the best doctors in
the world to fix him!”
Susan looked at Dad, then at Alex on the
ground, and hired the best doctors.
Dad kept cursing me.
“You’re an ungrateful, cursed, evil child! Why
did I ever have you?”
く
The doctors said Alex was fine, just a few
scrapes.
Dad demanded I get on my knees and apologize
to Alex.
I refused.
It wasn’t my fault.
Dad grabbed a vase to smash it over my head.
Susan stopped him.
“Just take care of Alex. Let’s not make a
scene.”
Dad put down the vase but shot me a nasty
look.
I thought that was the end of it.
That night, someone held a knife to my throat
while I slept.
I woke up, terrified.
It was Alex.
He hissed, “Your good life is over, loser.
Susan’s about to go broke, and you’ll be back
on the streets. But before that happens, I’m
gonna make you suffer. I can’t wait till you are
begging me like a dog.”
Then he laughed and left.
Sure enough, Susan’s company started leaking
sensitive information, and her stock prices
plummeted.
Everyone was nervous.
Susan’s company went bankrupt.
<
Susan looked defeated as the house was
seized.
We were homeless.
She said, “I guess this is my fate.”
I tried to cheer her up.
“Don’t give up, Susan. We can rebuild.”
Dad saw the writing on the wall and bailed.
Mom had met an old college crush.
He was a millionaire.
He spoiled Mom and gave her everything she
wanted.
She moved into a mansion and was living the
high life.
<
Susan told me to go to Mom.
“She’s your mother. She won’t abandon you.”
I refused.
