“Even if you intend to leave, I’m not letting you. After all, our family dotes on me the most. Oliver, if you don’t witness my success, my victory would be hollow.”

I had experienced his two-faced nature all these years.

Whenever my parents were not around, he would always mock me like a bug he could squish to death.

Sometimes, I could not help but think, if back then, I did not get lost when I went out with Ruth and Camila, would my life have turned out differently?

Luther moved back into his bedroom, which was the most well decorated room in the house.

My small room was completely stuffed with random items.

My parents threw me a thin blanket.

“Luther said his life has been tough these past two years. He’s been having nightmares. You should sleep in front of his bedroom door to keep an eye on him.

“If it weren’t for you, he wouldn’t have suffered at all. This is how you’ll make it up to him.”

The sky had turned dark. I looked at the air mattress before Luther’s room. It was a huge contrast from the big, warm bed in his bedroom.

However, it was still far better than the cold basement.

It was going to be an eventful night.

Camila showed up.

She heard that Luther had returned, so she did not waste another second. She immediately flew back from overseas.

“Luther!”

She tearfully ran toward Luther. She hugged him tightly, just like how she hugged me in the past.

Camila’s voice trembled. She held Luther gingerly like a cherished treasure.

“Luther, you’re finally back. I thought you’d deserted me.

“Other than Nate, you’re the only family I have left in this world.

“Luther, let’s get married. I don’t want you to leave me again!”

Luther hugged Camila tightly and kissed her ferociously.

“I’m sorry, Camila. I made you worry.

“But Oliver never hurt me. He’s not like that.

“What happened two years ago must’ve been an accident. He didn’t mean it! Camila, forgive him. You love him, so you should marry him. I don’t deserve you…”

Camila interrupted him. She looked at me coldly and said without any hesitation, “He doesn’t deserve me. I was blind in the past.

“If it wasn’t for the sake of punishing him to avenge you and Nate, I wouldn’t have even laid my eyes on him. I’m utterly disgusted.”

I numbly watched them acting intimately. I was tired.

If they truly loved each other, they should be together.

It no longer had anything to do with me.

Camila and I were once neighbors.

Because my parents were busy with work, Ruth and Camila would bring me to the nearby park to play.

However, they were only children. They were no match against the human traffickers.

When I was one, I was kidnapped.

They only found me when I was eighteen.

By then, they had already adopted Luther to replace me.

They claimed that both families had suffered a lot because of my disappearance.

“Oliver, don’t blame us. When you were kidnapped, we were overwhelmed with sadness. Hence, we adopted Luther.

“From now on, both of you are my sons. Camila also said that she wants to marry you. Will you get engaged to her?”

I had nothing to complain about that arrangement.

Even though Luther always tried to trip me up, I did not pay much attention to him.

It was still a huge improvement over the horrific rural life that I had been experiencing.

However, I did not expect the performance from two years ago to ruin my peaceful life.

During that performance, Camila’s younger brother, Nate Reid, fell down almost ten feet from the stage.

There was a metal rod at the bottom of the stage. It pierced through Nate’s spine, and Nate became vegetative afterward.

Camila could not accept it, so she frantically pressed for the venue to look into the matter.

However, the findings were absurd.

They claimed that I had bribed a staff member and plotted that incident.

Luther immediately accused me. “Oliver, I was supposed to stand in Nate’s position… However, I felt that Nate’s original position wasn’t ideal, so I switched places with him so he could have a chance to shine.

“Oliver, is it because you wanted to harm me, but you accidentally harmed Nate instead? How could you do that to me?

“Camila, Oliver’s insane…”

Because of Luther’s immediate accusations, everyone believed him.

Ruth broke my fingers, and Camila forced me to disfigure my own face with a knife.

My parents immediately sent me to a mental asylum.

“You’re too vicious. You don’t deserve everything that we gave you.”

Those two years were the most horrific, hopeless years in my life. I would never forget it.

No, I did not want to go back to that life!

I suppressed my fear and tried to sound calm.

“I never caused that accident. That time, the staff member mentioned that someone from the Anderson family had bribed him. Why would that person be me and not Luther?

“If it was truly me, why couldn’t they provide evidence of the transaction? There isn’t any solid proof!

“Luther said that I wanted to harm him and Nate, but he was the one who arranged the position for us when we took photos after the performance! How would I be certain of everyone’s specific spots?”

I remembered clearly how Luther had hinted at me to stand at the spot Nate was standing at. He claimed that it was the best spot for the photo.

However, I did not want to take Nate’s spotlight, so I turned him down.

Who was the true culprit?

Even though they had no evidence, why would they nail me on the cross after a few crocodile tears from Luther?

I did not expect them to come to their senses. I just wanted them to calm down and realize that they had misunderstood me. I wanted them to let me leave.

However, just like the past, it was dead silent. Everyone was staring coldly at me with hostile eyes.

“Enough, you’re the one who always bullied Luther. How would he be capable of harming someone else?

“We thought you’ve learned to be better. But it’s obvious that you’re still the same!”

They looked disappointed. They did not notice the guilt flashing in Luther’s eyes.

It was not my fault at all! The culprit was just next to me, but I had to take the blame!

Why?

“No, it really isn’t me…”

I still wanted to explain myself, but I suddenly recalled the night when I was sent to the mental asylum two years ago. My voice went hoarse after I tried to explain myself, but no one believed me.

I could not help but laugh helplessly as I broke down.

“Camila, Mom, Dad, please don’t force him anymore. Oliver’s going crazy. Let him rest.”

My parents no longer looked at me, and Camila looked away in disgust.

Only Ruth had complicated emotions in her eyes. Even though she looked disappointed, she also seemed guilty.

However, I really wanted to leave this family.

I looked at Ruth with pleading eyes.

“Ruth, we grew up together. You knew that I was very close to Nate.

“Why would I harm him? It doesn’t serve any purpose to me!”

Ruth remained quiet for a while. Then, she let out a long sigh under my expectant gaze.

“Oliver, you’ll be the only son of the Anderson family if Luther’s gone.

“Isn’t that why you’d want to hurt him?”

Camila’s voice was icy.

“Even though you’re no longer locked up in the mental asylum, you still haven’t redeemed yourself.

“From tomorrow onwards, you have to take care of Nate personally at the hospital. If he doesn’t regain consciousness, you’ll have to take care of him forever. If he dies, you can die with him too.”