Chapter 3

When Xavier was twelve, I got accepted into the finance program at Futura University in Salone City. My new life was full of hope, and I couldn’t wait to start. The only thing that weighed on my mind was Xavier. With a mother like ours, he barely had a steady supply of food, let alone a decent life.

He’d just gotten into middle school, still chubby like a little kid, not yet hitting puberty.

Despite that, he spoke like an adult, trying to comfort me, “Willow, don’t worry about me. Go to Salone City. I can take care of myself and look after Mother too.”

I used the money I’d earned from my summer job to hire a housekeeper to cook for them. Still, I left for Salone City with a heart full of worry.

Undergraduate life was busy and exciting, and for the first time in my eighteen years, I felt like I was truly living. As no one there knew I was an illegitimate child, no one mocked or looked down on me. I also didn’t have to deal with a mother drowning her life away at the gambling table or a father who couldn’t care less about us.

However, less than a month after I left, Mary—my father’s wife—finally found out about us. It wasn’t that my father had been so good at keeping us a secret. It was just that he didn’t care enough about us to make it an issue.

The whole thing blew up because of my mother. Having lost a ton of money gambling, she went to ask my father for help, and when he refused, she went straight to Mary.

Mary lowered herself to go to our apartment, offering my mother 10 thousand dollars to disappear and take Xavier with her.

My mother scoffed at the amount, shouting, “10 thousand dollars? Do you think I’m a beggar? I gave birth to two Norton kids, and the younger one’s even a son! So what if they’re illegitimate? Don’t think I don’t know that the law says even illegitimate kids have inheritance rights! Xavier’s going to inherit everything from the Nortons one day!”

Mary stood up, sneered, and left.

I had no idea what she said to my father, but she offered my mother 50 thousand dollars when she came back, with the condition that she’d take Xavier with her.

My mother, drowning in debt, lit up at the sight of the money. When I found out and tried to stop it, it was too late. Xavier was already living with Mary and my father.

I called my mother, furious. “Xavier’s only twelve, and you sent him to live as an outsider in that house! Think from Mary’s perspective. Why would she treat her husband’s illegitimate son well?”

My mother, now debt-free, sounded smug. “Why wouldn’t she treat him well? He’s your father’s only son, the Nortons’ only male heir. Your brother’s living the good life now, in a big house with servants. Don’t be jealous. You’re a girl. You can’t carry on the family name. Of course, they don’t want you. But once Xavier secures his place in the family, we’ll both benefit. He’ll be rich, and there’s no way he’ll abandon his own sister.”

I was seething. “You need to get Xavier back. I don’t care if we have to eat scraps. He belongs with us!”

Alas, my mother’s deadbeat attitude shone through. “Get him back? To send him where? To you? Let me tell you something: don’t ruin your brother’s future. He’s with your father now, your real father. I’ve raised you two long enough, and now, it’s his turn. Besides, that 50 thousand dollars has already been spent. If you want Xavier back, you can pay for it. Do you have 50 thousand dollars lying around?”

I hung up the phone, fuming.

After calming down, I called my father to find out what was going on and what Mary was planning.

He was annoyed. “It’s all because of that idiot, Gracie. She went to Mary for money, and that was how she found out about you two. This whole situation has been driving me crazy. But if Mary’s being generous by taking Xavier in and forgiving the past, what am I supposed to say? It’s a good chance for Xavier to be officially recognized as my son.”

So that was what my father thought, too. He was actually grateful to Mary for being “generous.”

There was nothing I could do from so far away, so I swallowed my frustration and softened my tone. “Father, if Xavier is living with you now, please keep an eye on him. He’s only twelve and really needs a father figure at this age. You’re successful, and I’m sure he’ll grow up to be just as great under your care.”

The words tasted bitter in my mouth, but after years of knowing my father, I knew how much he loved being praised. His ego was massive, and nothing made him happier than hearing how great he was.

I was too far away to do anything, so I could only hope that my father would at least protect Xavier and not let him get bullied by Mary or Cindy.

I called Xavier every day. At first, he’d chat with me about how strange everything felt in the new house, like how Mary always had a stern look on her face, Cindy didn’t like him, and he was mostly confined to his own room. However, over time, he talked less and less, only saying that he was fine and that the food was good.

Then, one day, Xavier told me quietly over the phone, “Willow, I want to come home. I don’t want to stay here anymore. I can make my own food. I know how to make sandwiches.”

Hearing that broke my heart, and I promised him through tears. “Xavier, give me four years. Once I graduate, I’ll take you back to live with me.”

He went silent for a moment, then whispered, “Okay, Willow. I’ll wait for you.”

A few days later, while I was working, my mother called. “Willow, something’s wrong. Your brother—something’s happened to him.”

My heart pounded, and I froze.

All I could hear was her wailing through the phone, “Why am I so unlucky? I didn’t even get to enjoy my son’s success, and now he’s gone! I raised him for twelve years, and he’s gone!”

It took me ten minutes to understand what she was saying. Xavier had an allergic reaction after eating an almond tart at my father’s house. The reaction was so severe that he didn’t make it.

When Xavier was two, I once fed him a peanut butter sandwich. Not long after, his whole body broke out in rashes, and his face swelled up. I was so scared that I dragged my mother away from her game to take him to the hospital.

The doctor said he had a severe nut allergy. We were lucky we got him there in time, or the swelling in his throat could’ve choked him to death. From then on, nuts were completely banned from Xavier’s diet.

Both my mother and father knew about his allergy. I had also warned Xavier many times, and he’d always been careful. As he got older, though, a little exposure didn’t hurt him much, so I couldn’t imagine how much he’d eaten to trigger such a violent reaction.

The phone slipped from my hand as I braced myself against the table to keep from collapsing. Pain shot through my chest, spreading through my body.

The little brother who used to comfort me during thunderstorms and had promised to wait for me never got to see the day I would bring him home.