3: 3

3

I'd taken only a few steps when Myron's voice came from behind me, thick with tears. "Dad, Mom, my brother won't help me!"

"I'm going to die for sure!"

"Dad, Mom, don't blame him. I'm the one who stole his life!"

The moment the words left Myron's mouth, Caspar and Beulah panicked.

Beulah broke down, tears pouring as she clutched Myron and wept.

Caspar strode over and planted himself in my path, blocking the way.

"Lester, you're my son!"

"I'm ordering you right now. Give Myron your kidney!"

There was command in his voice when he said it, and it made me laugh.

"Mr. Henson, I already told you. I'm not your son."

Beth cut in at once. "We already have your blood sample!"

"You're the child our family lost all those years ago!"

She looked at me. "Dad wants you to come home, so come home!"

I smiled. "Miss Henson, you said it yourself. I'm the child you lost."

"And besides, haven't you been telling everyone for years that Myron is the Henson child?"

"Now suddenly you're saying I'm the one?"

I looked at the two of them. "And another thing. You show up, and the first thing out of your mouths is that I hand over a kidney to someone in your family. Does that seem reasonable to you?"

As I said it, I moved to push past Caspar and Beth.

I was already sick of the sight of both of them.

But before I could get clear, Caspar suddenly shouted, "Lester, we brought you into this world!"

"We gave birth to you, so we have the right to command you!"

"I'm telling you, you will give Myron a kidney!"

He said it like there was no room to argue. I gave him one cold look, then shoved him and Beth aside and walked out the door.

Once I was outside, I called my secretary.

"Look into the Henson family's current situation."

"And blacklist all of their business."

My voice was ice as I said it.

I hadn't wanted anything to do with this family in this life.

But they kept coming at me.

Kept demanding I give Myron a kidney.

If that was how it was going to be, there was no chance I'd ever forgive them.

"Yes, boss!"

The secretary answered at once on the other end.

I hung up and was just about to leave when the whole Henson crowd came rushing out of the orphanage.

Caspar shouted at the security guards standing at the gate, "Stop him!"

The words were barely out before the guards closed in and surrounded me.

I stared at what was happening, caught off guard for a moment.

I hadn't expected Caspar would actually dare to corner me right at the orphanage gate.

I waved a hand at a car parked not far off. My bodyguards were inside.

I signaled them to hold, then turned back to face the Hensons.

"What do you people want?"

I looked at them and asked.

"Lester, your father and mother gave birth to you!"

"Your body is ours to decide what happens to it!"

"Now you're coming with us to the hospital!"

Beth stared at me. "The doctor said Myron's body can't hold out much longer!"

"You're coming with us right now!"

"To the hospital, to give Myron that kidney!"

4: 4

4

Beth said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world, and I couldn't do anything but laugh.

I'd known for a long time that these people didn't have a shred of real feeling for me. Even so, standing here now, hearing them just come out and say it, that I was to hand over a kidney for Myron, I decided this whole family was sick.

I looked at them and shook my head. "Mr. Henson, even if you really are my birth parents, you never spent a single day raising me."

"And we've just met, and you already want to march me off to give up a kidney. Do you honestly think that's going to happen?"

The moment the words left my mouth, ice settled over Caspar's and Beulah's faces.

Beth, beside them, threw a bank card at me, one she'd clearly had ready the whole time.

"There's money on that card. Enough to see you through the rest of your life."

"I don't care about anything else. You are giving Myron that kidney."

I shook my head. "Sorry. I don't need it."

"I'm not short of money, and I've got no plans to give up a kidney to save your brother."

With that, I turned to go.

But Beth had no intention of letting me leave.

She grabbed my arm and yanked me back.

Anger threaded through her voice as she stared at me. "Lester, this isn't about whether you're willing."

"You have to give Myron that kidney."

"We've already lined up the best hospital."

"Right now, you're coming with us."

As she said it, she waved a hand at the men behind her.

They moved fast and closed in around me.

"Les, Myron is your brother too."

"You can't just throw family away."

Beulah took my hand, her voice soft and coaxing. "Mommy knows you've had it hard all these years."

"Don't you worry. As long as you're willing to help Myron with this, Mommy will take such good care of you."

There was an urgency in her eyes as she said it.

I only looked at the two of them, cold.

Their eyes on me held nothing but urgency. Not a flicker of care.

I smiled. "Sorry. There's no way I'm going anywhere with you."

I turned to shove past the security men.

But Caspar seized my hand.

His voice went cold as he looked at me. "This isn't about whether you're willing."

"We've already got your blood sample. We've run the paternity test."

"We are your parents."

"We have the right to sign that donation agreement for you."

With that, Caspar clamped down on my hand and started hauling me toward the car.

The bodyguards moved in at the same time, pinning my arms, ready to force me into their car.

"Lester, stop struggling."

"Daddy has plenty of ways to handle this. Come with us now, and we can still bring you back into the Henson family."

"You save Myron, and we won't turn our backs on you."

"But if you refuse, then from here on out we really are done with you."

Beth kept talking beside him.

I listened to them, smiled, and turned my head toward a car parked a short way off.

The bodyguards inside had already been straining at the sight of me being dragged toward Caspar's car, and they came charging over.

In one motion they had Caspar's men pinned to the ground.

"Call the police. They were about to unlawfully detain me."

I said it to my men, then turned to look at the Hensons.

"I hadn't planned on doing anything to the Henson family. But starting now, you can wait for bankruptcy."