The plane crashed. Mark, my captain and my brother, sacrificed himself to save me. To repay that debt, I spent seven years taking care of his wife, Sarah, and their son, Leo. Standing by Mark’s grave on Memorial Day, Sarah dropped a bombshell: she was aborting the baby she was carrying. My baby. I felt a pang of loss, started to say something… But then seven-year-old Leo lunged, scissors flashing, and stabbed me hard, right below the belt. His eyes burned with hate. "Mommy is mine! You can't trick her into having another baby!" "Don't think just because you look like him, you can be my dad! You killed him!" "Why wasn't it you who died that day?!" Blood bloomed on my pants. The pain was sharp, bringing cold sweat to my brow. Seeing the kid I'd raised with all my heart hate me this much… I sighed. It was over. The seven years were up. Time for me to leave. … Nobody stopped Leo as he made a move to shove me. I barely lifted a hand to block him, and he stumbled back against Mark’s headstone, bursting into tears. Ignoring the throbbing pain in my groin, my first instinct was to comfort him. Leo screamed, venom in his voice, "Murderer! You killed my dad! Get away from me!" Sarah’s face hardened. "What are you doing, fighting with a child? It’s just a little blood, how much can it hurt!" she snapped. "Are you going to bully him right in front of his father’s grave?" My mother-in-law slapped me across the face. "You caused my son-in-law's death, and now you want to hurt his only child right here? Why didn't your parents just get rid of you before you were born!" My heart clenched. My arm froze mid-air. My mother-in-law scooped Leo up protectively. A handful of candy spilled from his pocket. He had cavities; I never let him have sugar. Leo’s eyes darted nervously, then hardened with defiance. He grabbed the candy and threw it in my face. "Life-stealer! Who are you to tell me what to do? I'll eat candy if I want!" "You stole my dad's life! Are you trying to let the baby in Mom's belly steal mine too? Get out of our house!" His hateful glare felt like a physical blow. Before I could say anything, Sarah and her mother rushed Leo off to the hospital, leaving me there. Nobody noticed my pants slowly soaking through with blood. Gritting my teeth against the pain, I straightened the flowers and offerings Leo had knocked over at the grave. I placed my hand on the cool stone. Before Mark died, he’d begged me to look after Sarah and Leo until Leo started elementary school. Sarah, mindful of Leo’s age, had agreed to marry me legally. A year after the wedding, the co-pilot, Ryan Vance, sent Sarah an audio clip from the crash – edited, doctored – implying I’d somehow deliberately survived instead of Mark. It wasn't solid proof, the editing was obvious if you listened closely. But after that, Sarah grew colder, treating me like I wasn't even there. I stopped hoping for anything more. I just tried my best to be the father figure Mark would have been. But now, the child I’d poured my life into saw me as a monster. School started in three days. My time was up. I had to leave. I drove myself to the ER. As I walked in, I ran right into them – Sarah, her mother, and Leo. And Ryan Vance. Leo was clinging to Ryan’s neck, looking at me with a smug, challenging expression. I tried to hide my humiliation, my body trembling slightly. Sarah must have thought I was angry. She sneered, "Remember your place, Jake. You’re just his brother’s substitute. Don't act like you own anything." Her mother rolled her eyes. "Freeloader. Living off my daughter for years. Her private life is none of your business!" Ryan smirked, gave me a pointed look, then turned away, putting his arm around Sarah and leading her and a quiet Leo off. My face felt bloodless. I bent over, the pain below intensifying, but it was nothing compared to the ache in my chest. It was almost dark when I got back home from the hospital, bandaged up. I opened the door and froze. Leo had thrown all my belongings out of the bedroom. He stood there, one hand on his hip, the other clutching the little cockatiel I’d given him for his birthday. He watched me with a cruel glint in his eyes, his small hand slowly tightening. A sharp, final chirp. The bird’s head snapped. 2 I stared, rooted to the spot. I couldn’t believe this was the same kid who’d cried in my arms all night when that bird had been sick once. Seeing my shock, Leo’s face twisted into a vicious grin. "You tried to steal my mom. Your baby will end up just like this." Then he threw the dead bird at me. It hit me right where I was injured. Pain shot through me, making me tremble, but I clenched my jaw. "Leo, you can't just kill things!" Even as I was leaving, I didn’t want him to grow up wrong. Leo stuck out his tongue, making a face. "You're teaching me? I learned it all from you!" My heart seized. I could barely breathe. Sarah came out of the bedroom at the noise, her eyes landing on me with distaste. "It's just a bird. It's dead, so what? This is partly your fault anyway, giving him the bird in the first place!" "Leo's upset. You sleep in the guest room from now on." It was just another excuse to push me further away. For seven years, she’d been cold, distant. Except in bed, where she still treated me like a stand-in for Mark, a life-sized doll bearing his face. I opened my mouth, looked down at the small feathered body on the floor, and said nothing. I slowly, painfully made my way to the guest room. Seeing my silence, Sarah frowned, grabbing my arm roughly. "Don't you dare throw a tantrum in this house!" I met her disgusted gaze and forced a bitter smile. Sarah faltered, her grip loosening slightly. "Ungrateful," she muttered, before quickly retreating to her room. Late that night, a knock on the guest room door. Leo stood there, an innocent smile on his face. "Dad, I’m sorry I lost my temper today. I poured you some milk myself. Drink up." In the dim light, for a hazy second, it felt like the old days, when he’d relied on me completely. Before I knew it, I'd drunk most of the milk. Leo’s smile vanished, replaced by a nasty smirk. "Idiot. Calling you 'Dad' makes me sick." "The scissors didn't finish the job, so I put a massive dose of sterilizing drugs in there. Let's see you try to have kids now!" He laughed wildly and ran off. The glass slipped from my hand, shattering on the floor like my heart. Soon, sharp, twisting pains started low in my belly. Agony doubled me over. I couldn't even stand. I cried out for help. After what felt like forever, Sarah appeared, annoyed. "What kind of stunt are you pulling now?" With my last bit of strength, I choked out, "Help me." As I lost consciousness, I saw Leo peeking from behind the doorframe, giggling. I woke up to harsh fluorescent lights. Sarah’s face showed a flicker of guilt, quickly suppressed. "You shouldn't have provoked Leo. Then maybe you wouldn't have ended up… sterile." She paused, touching her belly, her expression turning cold again. "I can keep this baby. Consider it compensation." "But I have to think about Leo first. So… after the baby's born, we get a divorce. You take the kid and get as far away from here as possible." I remembered Ryan’s smug look that day. Tears welled up, blurring my vision. My voice felt stiff. "If you want a divorce, you don't need excuses. I'll give you one." "I hope you and Ryan will be very happy." "As for the baby… don't have it. I don't want my child born without a mother who wants them." The words were barely out before tears spilled, hot and shameful, down my cheeks. Sarah stared at me, her expression unreadable for a moment. Then she slapped me, hard. "You think crying with that face – Mark's face – will make me feel sorry for you? Dream on!" "Don't have the baby? Do you really believe that yourself?" Her face was livid. She pulled a box of condoms from her purse and threw it at me. "If you hadn't poked holes in all of these, would I even be pregnant?!" "Try pulling any more tricks with that face, and I'll ruin it!" "Now wait until it's born, take your little bastard, and get out!" She stormed out, slamming the door. The hospital room felt vast and empty. My cheek burned. A cold draft seemed to blow through the room, chilling me to the bone. 3 Once I was stable enough, I went back home, feeling numb. I opened the door to find Sarah and Ryan heading out, Sarah flushed, Ryan looking pleased. Ryan whistled softly at me. When Sarah wasn't looking, he deliberately pulled his shirt collar down, showing off fresh hickeys, then glanced pointedly at my lower body. As he passed me, he whispered: "You're useless now. Be smart and disappear. Sarah will be mine eventually." "Pretty soon, I'll be the one living here." He shoved me hard as he walked by, knocking me off balance. I stumbled, catching myself on the wall as he put his arm around Sarah's waist and they left. Sarah hadn’t even looked at me. I staggered into the living room. I needed to wait for Sarah, talk about the baby, try to reason with her. Leo glared at me, pure hatred in his eyes. Then, seeming to get an idea, he ran into the bathroom. I heard the shower running, on and on. It was dark when Sarah came back, alone. I started to speak. Just then, Leo emerged from the bathroom, soaking wet, shivering violently, his skin flushed red. He'd had a terrible fever when he was three; I'd stayed up with him for a week straight. A sick feeling hit my stomach. "Leo, we need to get you to the hospital!" I rushed towards him. But Leo stumbled past me, throwing himself into Sarah’s arms, sobbing dramatically. "Mommy, he was mad at me! He pushed my head under the water in the tub! I'm sorry, Mommy, I really know I was wrong, I won't do it again..." Sarah hugged him tight, her eyes, when they met mine, filled with pure fury. She grabbed the nearest vase and hurled it at me. "He almost died last time he had a fever! Are you trying to kill him?!" I froze, staring at Leo. "Leo," I pleaded, "tell the truth. Was it really me?" Leo avoided my eyes, burying his face in Sarah's shoulder, sobbing and gagging. "I want my daddy..." he wailed. Hearing that, reflexively, I moved closer. Leo flinched violently away. "He tried to drown me! Mommy, I'm scared..." Sarah shoved me back forcefully. "Get away from him! You don't deserve to be near him!" Moments later, Ryan arrived, clearly called by Sarah. Leo immediately scrambled into his arms, crying "Daddy!" over and over, clinging to him like a lifeline. Ryan gave me a look of triumph before rushing Leo out the door with Sarah. I collapsed onto the living room floor, staring into space until the sun came up. In the morning, I got a text. "Got Leo. Come alone if you want him back alive." Attached was a picture of Leo, tear-streaked and terrified. He was Mark’s only son. He’d called me Dad for seven years. Even though I was leaving, I couldn’t let him be kidnapped. I drove to the address – an abandoned warehouse district. As soon as I stepped inside the designated building, I saw Leo huddled on the floor, looking dirty and scared. I ran towards him. Suddenly, a heavy kick slammed into my back, sending me sprawling. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ryan, grinning maliciously. He mouthed the words: "You fell for it again." Blood spurted from my mouth. I was such an idiot for still caring about Leo. Never again. Tears streamed down my face, hitting the dusty concrete floor. Sarah burst in, screaming Leo's name, falling to her knees beside him, clutching him tightly. Ryan whispered something to Sarah, gesturing towards me. Sarah’s voice was ice. "He dared to kidnap my son. He doesn't deserve that face anymore." "No! It wasn't me!" I yelled, trying to get up, desperate. Leo clung to Sarah, sobbing, "Mommy, I'm sorry! I won't be jealous anymore! I won't try to make you divorce him! I'll take care of the baby brother or sister! I won't be selfish..." Then he looked straight at me, his big, wet eyes wide. "I did what you told me to. Please don't hit me anymore." Sarah exploded. "Jake! This marriage is OVER!" "I was willing to have this baby, thinking you deserved something for taking care of Leo all these years! That was a gift! And this is how you repay me? Don't push your luck!" "Get him! Beat him! And ruin that face! Make him remember this lesson!" In Sarah's arms, Leo's eyes flew open, met mine for a split second, then squeezed shut again. Sarah’s assistant and a couple of guys who looked like security moved in. Fists rained down on me. My own screams echoed in the vast, empty space. Sarah snapped, "He's too loud! Gag him!" I had no strength left to fight. I lay there like a broken doll. An ambulance siren wailed outside. Sarah swept Leo up and left. Ryan crouched down beside me, casually flipping a switchblade open and closed. "Sarah was supposed to be mine. First your brother, then you show up with his face. Let's see how long you last without it." I tried to crawl away, but rough hands grabbed my legs, dragging me back. The sharp blade bit into my skin, slicing across my face again and again. I closed my eyes, giving in to despair. 4 Sarah's punishment was to leave me there in the warehouse, injured and alone. It wasn't until three days later, after Leo was released from the hospital and presumably "recovered" from his faked trauma, that Sarah’s anger seemed to cool slightly. Someone came, patched me up crudely, and then dragged me back to the house. Sarah was sitting on the sofa, composed. "Have you learned your lesson?" I nodded numbly. She seemed satisfied, taking Ryan’s hand as he sat beside her. "Remember your place. Don't reach for what isn't yours. From now on, Ryan is the man of this house. Once the baby is born, you take it and get lost." My voice was a dry rasp. "Okay." Sarah waved a dismissive hand. "Go make breakfast." Leo was still asleep. Sarah and Ryan didn't bother hiding their affection, cuddling and kissing on the sofa. Even the roar of the kitchen exhaust fan couldn't completely drown out their soft murmurs and sighs. I tuned it out. My heart was already dead. An hour later, breakfast was ready. I no longer had a place at the table. I stood silently to the side. Suddenly, Sarah cried out in pain. Her bowl clattered to the floor as she clutched her stomach, sliding from her chair. Blood trickled down her thigh, a shocking splash of red against her clothes. It burned my eyes. The world blurred. It wasn't until after Sarah was rushed to the hospital and the emergency procedures were over that I fully registered it. My only child. Gone. Sarah woke up later. Her assistant came in, looking hesitant. "The oatmeal you had this morning… it contained a very high dose of abortifacient." He pulled a small plastic bag of white powder from his pocket and looked pointedly at me. "We found this in Jake's room." I stared at him, bewildered. "I can't have children anymore. Why would I harm my own baby?" Sarah’s voice was laced with fury. "Jake, are you still lying? To stop me from divorcing you, you first terrorize Leo, and now you even kill your own child!" "You're not fit to be a father! You're not even fit to be human!" "Take him! Take him to the cliff near where the plane went down! Put him in a coffin and bury him!" "I want him to repent every single day, right where his brother died!" Ryan quickly moved to cover my mouth before I could protest. The freshly scabbed cuts on my face tore open again under the pressure. Blood seeped into my eyes, stinging, blurring my vision. I stared at Sarah, helpless tears streaming down my face. Sarah looked away, disgusted. "Pathetic!" Ryan and the security guards dragged me away. My heart filled with utter despair. I closed my eyes. They forced me into a wooden box – a coffin. They buried me in the earth. Shovelfuls of dirt thudded against the lid, each impact tearing another piece of my soul apart. Cold. Dark. Fear. Suffocation… It closed in on me. I clawed frantically at the wooden planks above me, my nails splintering, the sound harsh and grating in the confined space. The air grew thin. My vision started to tunnel. Consciousness faded. I couldn't even cry anymore. After what felt like an eternity, I heard sounds outside the coffin. Ryan’s resentful voice: "Sarah, he’s a monster. Why are you letting him out?" Sarah’s voice, colder than ice: "His life belongs to his brother. From now on, I want him to live in agony, tormented every night by what he's done. I want him to wish he were dead!" The lid was pried open. I blinked slowly, adjusting to the dim light. The salty tang of sea air hit me. I remembered – this cliff overlooked the ocean. While they were distracted, I summoned every last ounce of strength I had left. I shoved past the guards. And jumped.
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