The Family's Secret: A Love Consumed

a car crash. Our parents and my adopted brother,

a debt of blood

sixteen-hour days. I lived in a tiny, damp room, ate the c

lake house. It was the symbol of the life I had destro

ficing my health and my yo

world stopped. My parents were there, alive, holding champagne glasses. And si

his birthday. Then I

casually. "We've punished him for five years.

"No. We agreed on seven

al report in my hand. Their cruel game was

pte

s voice, flat and official, told Honora that her fam

. Her brother, Aloysi

Jesse Kennedy, the bro

cant look in his eyes. She walked straight up to him and slapp

hissed, her voice tremblin

illed their parents and the imposter son they had loved more than their own. She blamed him for

a debt to pay. A deb

ur days. He was a janitor at night, a dishwasher during the lunch rush, and a construction worker on weeke

illed with happy memories, or so he thought. It was the symbol of the life he had destroyed

nt to Honora' s account. He had enough. He could fin

s chest. As he walked up the familiar gravel path, he hea

arge living room window

smiling, holding champagne glasses. And sitting between them,

ally a mask of cold fury when she looke

ried into the room. As everyone began to

casual, almost an afterthought. "We' ve punished him for

s smile

agreed on ten years. That will teach him not to ever s

in his trembling hand. The words blurred through his tears. He s

the glass, to the family that w

ull. He fumbled in his pocket for the small bottle of cheap painkillers, his hands shaking so badly he could barely get

eyes, which had been warm just moments before, were n

ou doing her

toward him and slapped him again, just a

r face here? After eve

to defend himself. The truth was a phys

ground. Rain had started to fall, cold and miserable. "Yo

in his hand that proved their entire charade was for nothing. But

false narrative he had believed for so long. "You killed our fa

. It wasn't about a car accident. It was never about the business. It was punishment.

s eyes shut, his breath catching in his throat. He was going to die here, kneelin

r a second. A hint of something-was it

th you?" she aske

rang. She glanced at the screen,

voice all warmth and affection.

hout a second glance, leaving

he retched, a thick, coppery taste filling his mouth. He loo

psed com

She turned back, her f

. You even managed

grip like steel, and dragged his limp body back to the

dropping him onto the sharp

m his lips, as the lights of the lake house