1 It’s been three years since my sister Victoria cut me out of her life, blocked my number, and erased me from her world. Today, she donated a single dollar to my LifeFund page and left this comment: “Lung cancer, huh? Let me know when you actually die. I’ll throw a party.” Three years ago, Leo — the charity case she’s sponsored since high school — accused me of stealing his scholarship. Victoria pulled me out of college instantly. “I will always be your safety net, Caleb, but stealing what isn’t yours has consequences!” We fought until she pointed at the door. “Don’t come back until you’ve learned your lesson. I’ll break that stubborn streak if it’s the last thing I do!” After that, she treated Leo like royalty. Every job I found mysteriously vanished, leaving me to survive on scavenging. I stared at her comment until the words blurred into a cruel line. Then I called the cemetery plot seller. “Save me the cheapest one. I’ll send the deposit tomorrow.” Her dollar was just enough to meet the withdrawal minimum. I was finally going to give her what she wanted. “You’d better move fast, son. These plots are in high demand, you know,” the cemetery owner said, his voice a sigh over the phone. He didn’t need to say it outright; no money, no deal. I couldn’t blame him. I’d visited the cemetery half a dozen times over the last year, but the prices were always too steep. Every penny I had went to medication that barely touched the pain. Each visit was a desperate hope that a cheaper plot had opened up, a bargain bin for the dying. Every time the owner asked which one I wanted, I’d mumble the same excuse, my face burning with shame. “I’ll… I’ll bring my family back to look next time.” But this time, my voice was steady. “Don’t worry. I’m buying it for real this time.” After hanging up, the screen reverted to my LifeFund page. Victoria’s message stood out like a gash amidst the kind wishes from strangers. 【Lung cancer, huh? Let me know when you actually die. I’ll throw a party.】 I read it again and again, a part of my mind refusing to believe those words could come from my own sister. But because of her one-dollar donation, my balance hit the ten-thousand-dollar mark exactly—the minimum for withdrawal. A bitter taste filled my mouth. I was about to hit the button when a new notification popped up. A one-cent donation from Leo, her precious charity case. His message followed: 【Come home, Caleb. Just apologize and Victoria will forgive you. You have to stop faking things like this.】 My hand clenched around the phone, knuckles turning white. But after a long, ragged breath, I said nothing. I just requested the withdrawal. Buddy, the stray cat I’d taken in, sensed my distress and began weaving between my ankles, his purr a low rumble. I knelt and stroked his head, then poured the last of his cheap kibble into his bowl. He limped over, his crooked leg a constant reminder of his past, and started eating, glancing back at me every few bites. His hopeful eyes sent a jolt of pain through me, throwing me back to the night Victoria threw me out. Her voice, dripping with disgust, was a shard of ice in my memory. “If you won’t admit you’re wrong, then get out. I don’t want you anymore!” Three years ago, Leo had made a grand show of giving me his university scholarship. An hour later, he was crying to Victoria, telling her I’d bribed a teacher to steal it from him. He gambled his future on the certainty that she would believe him over me. The one teacher who could have cleared my name had just retired and left for a trip around the world, completely unreachable. Leo’s timing was perfect. He won his bet. Victoria didn’t even let me speak. She just called the school and withdrew my enrollment. I shattered. I screamed. I raged. She slapped me, hard. “Caleb, have I ever denied you anything? Why would you need to steal?” Her voice trembled with fury. “Do you have any idea what this scholarship meant to Leo? It was his only way out of poverty!” She demanded I apologize. I refused, my neck stiff with the indignation of the falsely accused. So she threw me out. I sat on the front steps all night, waiting. I thought she was just angry, that any minute the door would open and she’d call me back inside. But morning came, and she never did. As I finally, hopelessly, turned to leave, I saw a man storm out of the house next door, holding a squirming cat by the scruff of its neck. “Meeeooww!” The cat’s shriek was cut short as he was slammed onto the pavement. The man’s face was a mask of disgust—the exact same look Victoria had given me. “Stupidest cat I’ve ever seen. Climbs a tree and manages to break its own leg.” He kicked at the small, limp form. “Get out of here. I’m done with you!” My breath caught. His words echoed Victoria’s. I rushed forward and scooped up the trembling creature. Its leg wasn’t just broken; it felt like it had been deliberately snapped. I looked up to confront the man, but his door was already closed. In that moment, I understood. It didn’t matter if the cat had done anything wrong. It didn’t matter if I had. When someone wants to throw you away, they don’t need a reason. I kept the cat and named him Buddy. For three years, Victoria made my life a living hell. Every time I found a job, she found a way to get me fired. Eventually, I was left with nothing but scavenging. Buddy’s life downgraded with mine. Our apartments got smaller, his food got cheaper. I posted an adoption ad online. The money from LifeFund was for my grave. My illness was a lost cause anyway; I might as well grant my sister’s wish and die. But Buddy deserved a chance. He would live for me. I never expected the call I got two hours later, from a customer service rep at LifeFund. “Is this Caleb? Your fundraising campaign has been flagged for fraudulent activity. The withdrawal has been suspended.” A roar filled my ears, a white noise that blanked out all thought. “The report was filed by your sister, Victoria.” “Who did you say? Victoria?” “Yes. She provided proof of your relationship and claimed your medical records are fake. The platform is currently investigating. Until we can verify your claim, all donated funds will be frozen.” The world tilted, plunging me into an icy void. “That’s impossible! My records are from a top hospital, they’re real! She… she has a grudge against me. She wants me dead…” “Sir, please calm down,” the rep interrupted, his voice professionally placid. “As I said, we are investigating. If your claim is verified, the funds will be released to you immediately.” I was shaking so badly I could barely hold the phone. Arguing with him was useless. I hung up and dialed Victoria. For the first time in three years, it rang. The moment she picked up, I roared into the phone. “Victoria! Why would you tell LifeFund I’m faking it? Do you have any idea…” “Aren’t you?” she cut in, her tone light, almost amused. “Caleb, I know you. You’re too proud to come crawling back, so you pull a stunt like this to make me fold first.” A pause. “Tell you what. Come home, apologize, and we’ll pretend this whole embarrassing episode never happened.” Her words hit me like a physical blow. My heart didn’t just sink; it plummeted into a black abyss. This is what she thought of me? My hand tightened on the phone, but the words wouldn’t come. In the background, I heard Leo’s voice. “Is that Caleb, Vic? Just let him come home. I forgave him for that stuff three years ago.” Victoria’s voice hardened. “I know you’re a good kid, Leo. But Caleb needs to learn his lesson. He’s my brother, and I refuse to let him grow up with a character flaw like that.” She was talking to Leo, but every word was meant for me. A cold, humorless laugh escaped my lips. “Victoria, I did nothing wrong back then. He framed me. And I’m not faking anything now. Every document is from the hospital.” My voice dropped, low and final. “I will never apologize. I’d rather die than admit to something I didn’t do.” “You—” I hung up before she could finish. She called back. I ignored it. The emotional storm raging inside me sent daggers of pain through my lungs. Each breath was a fresh torment. A moment later, a text message arrived from her. 【Caleb, I am so disappointed in you.】 That night, sleep was a stranger. It felt like a thousand needles were embedded in my lungs, each inhale and exhale a fresh wave of agony. The prescription painkillers had run out days ago. I just curled up, hugging Buddy, and endured it. When dawn finally broke, my phone rang again. It was LifeFund. “Mr. Caleb, the platform requires you to undergo a new set of medical examinations and submit a report with today’s date.” My voice was a lifeless rasp. “And if I don’t?” “For disputed campaigns, failure to cooperate will result in a full refund of all donations to the original donors.” “Then refund it. Thanks for your trouble.” I ended the call. I didn’t have the money for more tests. If I couldn’t get that ten thousand dollars, so be it. Buddy nudged his head against my chest. I managed a weak smile. “You hungry? I’ll go find some bottles to sell. Get you some food, okay?” He just purred, tilting his head, blissfully unaware. I splashed some water on my face and grabbed my burlap sack. My cheap apartment was on the outskirts of town, where I had to compete with retirees for every scrap of cardboard and plastic. So, I headed downtown, toward the upscale shopping centers. The rich people there drank expensive bottled water, and the cans were worth more. If I was polite and asked to take their trash, they usually just handed me the recyclables. Two hours later, my sack was half full. As I was about to head to the next mall, a sharp voice cut through the air behind me. “Caleb? What are you doing here?” I turned. Victoria stood there, her face a mask of shock. Beside her, Leo was juggling five or six luxury shopping bags. My brow furrowed. I turned to walk away. But Victoria crossed the distance in three long strides and grabbed my wrist. “You’re scavenging for trash?!” Her face darkened, her eyes sweeping over me from head to toe. They lingered on my faded, threadbare jeans, and a flicker of something unreadable crossed her features. Leo sauntered over. “Wow, Caleb. A little on the nose, don’t you think? Scavenging? Did you know we’d be shopping here today? Is this part of the act?” Victoria’s expression grew fouler. She started dragging me away. “You are coming with me.” “Let go of me!” I struggled, but her grip was like iron. She pulled me into a quiet corner and shoved me against the wall. “Look at you! What is wrong with you? All you had to do was say you were sorry, and you choose this?” “What else was I supposed to do?” I shot back, my face a blank mask as I met her furious gaze. “You made sure every job I got disappeared. If I don’t do this, how do I eat?” “You could have come home!” she snapped. “You knew all you had to do was apologize! Was it really that hard?” “You’re just embarrassed, aren’t you?” I said, my voice dripping with scorn. She opened her mouth to retort, but Leo cut in. “Caleb… you kind of smell. Can’t you smell it yourself?” He wrinkled his nose. “You should really pay more attention to your hygiene. You’re still family, after all. Think of Victoria’s reputation.” I turned my gaze on him, meeting his taunting eyes. The needles in my lungs started stabbing again. “You’re the family now, Leo. Not me.” With that, I turned and walked away. Victoria’s voice followed me, low and dangerous. “Caleb, you refuse to admit you’re wrong? Fine. Don’t you dare regret this.” I pretended not to hear, quickening my pace. That day, I couldn’t sell the cans and bottles I’d collected. The owner of the scrapyard just sighed. “Some big shot by the name of Victoria put the word out. Said no one in the entire city is to buy scrap from you. Don’t blame me, kid. We gotta make a living, and we can’t afford to cross someone like her.” I didn’t argue. I just nodded, shouldered the heavy sack, and started the long walk home. That was also the day Buddy left me. A kind girl drove two hours to come and get him, not caring that he had a bad leg. He had a new owner, a new home. It should have been a happy moment. But as I handed Buddy over to her, something inside me broke, and tears started streaming down my face. The girl panicked. “Oh! Are you… are you sad to see him go? I promise, I’ll take such good care of him!” I wanted to tell her it wasn’t that. I was dying. Buddy had to go with someone else to have a chance at a real life. But the words were lodged in my throat. “You look really pale,” she said, her voice filled with concern. “Do you need to see a doctor?” I shook my head. I didn’t need a doctor. The only place I was headed was hell. Grief, bitterness, heartbreak… an unspeakable wave of emotion washed over me. Buddy started meowing from her arms, and the sound made the ache in my chest unbearable. I had to turn my back. “Just go. Please, go quickly.” The girl’s voice was solemn. “I promise. I will take the best care of him.” Then, she and Buddy were gone. I collapsed onto the sofa, feeling as if my soul had been ripped out. A few hours later, my phone rang. It was the girl. Her voice was choked with sobs. “I’m so, so sorry. Buddy ran into the road… he was hit by a car. He’s gone.” The world went silent. My heart stopped beating for a few seconds, leaving me suspended in a terrifying emptiness. “The driver paid me two thousand dollars in damages… I felt I had to tell you. I can transfer the money to you…” When I came back to myself, I was coughing up blood. The call had ended. A two-thousand-dollar transfer notification appeared, followed by a picture. Buddy was a mangled, bloody mess, a broken heap on the asphalt. My vision tunneled. This wasn’t an accident. The force, the damage… he was run over. Deliberately. Ignoring the blood dripping from my chin, I zoomed in on the photo with a trembling hand. The car… That was Leo’s car. I knew it instantly. It was the one Victoria had bought him for his birthday. The girl was sending a flood of apologies, one message after another. I didn't read a single one. I rose slowly to my feet, my movements stiff and robotic. I walked into the kitchen, my face a blank mask, and took the largest knife from the block. Then, I walked out the door and headed straight for Victoria’s house. I burst in to find her and Leo sitting at the dinner table. Without a word, I raised the knife and lunged at Leo. He screamed and scrambled away. A hand clamped down on my wrist, and Victoria’s face, contorted with rage, was inches from mine. “Are you insane?” I shoved my phone in her face, showing her the picture. My voice was a low growl. “Your precious little brother ran over my cat. He didn’t just hit him, he crushed him. It was deliberate!” “I’m done letting things go,” I snarled. “For this, I can’t forgive him!” Leo stammered, his face pale. “I… I didn’t mean to. I paid for it! I’m sorry, Caleb…” “Is ‘sorry’ going to bring him back?” I shrieked, my voice cracking. “Leo, haven’t you made my life miserable enough for the past three years? Why couldn’t you just leave a poor, defenseless cat alone? Are you even human?” My rage was a raw, physical thing, and all I wanted was to plunge the knife into his heart. Victoria’s brow was a tight knot. “It’s just a cat, Caleb. Do you have to be so dramatic?” Her words were a bucket of ice water. “Leo paid you and he apologized. That’s more than you’ve ever done,” she continued, her voice cold. “It’s been three years, and you still haven’t given us an explanation for what you did!” “I told you I didn’t steal his goddamn scholarship! Are you deaf?” The dam of my composure finally burst, three years of repressed anguish pouring out. “I am your brother! Your flesh and blood! Why won’t you ever believe me?” My voice rose to a hysterical pitch. “What will it take? Do I have to die right here, right now, to make you happy?” Victoria stared at me, her eyes filled not with sympathy, but with profound disappointment. “You’re being completely irrational.” Leo suddenly stepped forward. “Caleb, I’m sorry, I really am. What can I do to make you forgive me…” CRACK. My fist connected with his jaw before he could finish. He stumbled back, stunned. Victoria’s eyes went from disappointed to glacial. “I see three years on your own has taught you nothing.” And then, she swung, repaying the punch on Leo’s behalf. My head snapped to the side, a loud ringing filling my ears. She looked down at her hand, a flicker of regret in her eyes. “You made me do that.” The slap didn’t just sting my cheek; it shattered whatever fragile connection was left between us. Before, I might have hated her. Now, there was nothing. I swallowed the coppery taste of blood rising in my throat. “You can celebrate now,” I said, my voice thick with a chilling calm. I wiped my mouth and turned to leave. “Celebrate what? What are you talking about?” She reached for me again, but this time, I spun around and hurled my phone at her feet. “Stay away from me!” She froze, a look of genuine confusion on her face as she watched me walk away. This time, she didn’t follow. I walked out of her gilded prison, went straight to the nearest overpass, and began to climb. Staring down at the river of headlights below, a strange sense of peace settled over me. I was going to be free.
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