Death of an Ungrateful Son

My brother killed a police officer in a drunk driving accident, yet my entire family forced me to take the fall for him.

My mother said, Your brother's health is fragile. What's the big deal if you spend a few years in prison for him? Don't be so selfish.

My father added, How did I raise such an ungrateful wolf? If you hadn't left your car unlocked, would your brother have even taken it?

My fianc even threatened me, "If you don't help Finn, I'm breaking up with you! He's always been delicate, and he's terrified right now. Do you even have a heart?"

I didn't want to accept it, but they pushed me to the edge with threats of their own deaths.

In the end, to repay the debt of my upbringing, I took my own life in a staged act of guilt.

...

As I floated beside my mother, I finally realized I was dead.

Currently, a detective was staring sternly at my parents. "I'll ask you one more time. It was your eldest son, Caleb, who drove drunk and fled after the fatal collision, correct?"

My father nodded immediately. "His mother and I can testify! He was the one driving that night. For a guy like him, doing something like this is perfectly normal."

Fearing the detective wouldn't believe them, my mother chimed in, "Yes, yes! It was definitely him. That boy has been a liar since he was a child. He always bullied his brother. He's just a bad seed!"

With a few sentences, they helped the police close the case.

Watching this, I felt an indescribable bitterness.

The images before my death flashed through my mind.

My brother, Finn, stole my car while intoxicated.

When a traffic cop tried to stop him, he did the unthinkableDhe accelerated and ran the officer over, killing him on the spot.

When my parents found out, their first reaction wasn't to scold him. Instead, they called to order me to go to prison in his place.

How could I agree?

If I did, my life would be over!

Why should I suffer for his crime?

But the moment I refused, the parents who had been speaking nicely to me a second ago turned vicious.

My mother screamed, "Your brother is sick! Why can't you help him? It's just a few years. Why are you so heartless?"

My father yelled, "I regret raising you! If you had locked your car properly, Finn wouldn't be in this mess!"

Leanne, my fianc, called to threaten me too. "If you don't save Finn, we're over! He's so weak and he's crying. Where is your compassion?"

To force my hand, my parents even threatened to jump off a building, leaving me to live with the guilt of their blood on my hands.

But what they didn't realize was that Finn's crime wasn't just a simple prison sentence.

He had intentionally run over a cop. With a fatality involved, he was looking at life behind bars or worse.

To settle the score of my existence with them, I ended my own life.

I'm dead now. They should finally be satisfied.

Filled with resentment, my soul drifted to where my brother, Finn, was.

He was sitting in a car outside the house, looking at my girlfriend, Leanne, with a face full of grievance.

"Leanne... maybe I should just go to jail. If I suffer, maybe Caleb will be happy. I don't want you guys to be hated by him because of me..."

Seeing him like this, Leanne's heart ached, and she pulled him into her arms.

"Finn, don't talk nonsense! It wasn't intentional. Besides, you're not well. What's wrong with Caleb taking the fall for you?"

Finn started to cry. "Caleb will definitely resent me. What if he tries to run me over for revenge when he gets out?"

Listening to his hypocritical lies, the fire in my soul almost erupted.

He always used these pathetic tactics to slander me, playing the victim to garner sympathy.

Yet, they believed him without a doubt.

Over time, I became the lying, selfish villain in their eyes, and he became the innocent target of my daily bullying.

Sure enough, Leanne exploded in anger. "If he dares to touch you, I'll send him right back to prison! People like him always get what's coming!"

Hearing this, Finn leaned into Leanne contentedly. "You're so good to me, Leanne."

She looked at him with a soft gaze. "Don't worry. I won't let him hurt you."

I watched this with a mix of bitterness and self-ridicule.

This was the woman I had cherished and planned to marry?

How pathetic.

That evening, my parents returned from the station.

The moment she stepped inside, my mother hugged Finn with tears in her eyes.

"Finn, your brother agreed to confess. The police took our statement. You've suffered so much, sweetheart. You don't have to be afraid anymore!"

A flicker of triumph and excitement flashed in Finn's eyes, but he quickly masked it with fake concern.

"Mom, it's all my fault. I'm making Caleb suffer."

"Even if he keeps bullying me like he used to when he gets out, I'll just endure it."

At those words, my parents' smiles turned into rage.

"He bullied you every day? That animal! Doing such things behind our backs!"

"Forcing him into prison was the right choice! I can't believe we raised such a heartless wolf. It's a curse!"

My girlfriend joined in. "I'm breaking up with him as soon as he's behind bars. A man like him can't even compare to a kind soul like Finn."

Their words were like poisoned daggers stabbing my heart.

I had to fight to keep my spirit from collapsing.

The four of them looked like a happy family, a scene that confirmed I had always been the outsider.

That night, the first thing the family did was erase all traces of my existence.

They claimed that keeping my belongings would bring them bad luck.

My father posted on social media, publicly cutting ties with me, calling me a criminal and a murderer.

My girlfriend even moved into our family home, claiming she wanted to atone for my sins by taking care of my brother.

As I watched them, my heart turned to ice.

This was the family I had given my life for?

In their eyes, what was I even worth?

A profound sense of powerlessness washed over me.

Everything in this house had been paid for with my hard work and the money I had scraped together.

Now, not only was Finn the legal owner, but I wasn't even considered fit to enter the home I was still paying the mortgage on.

Suddenly, a phone ringtone broke the silence of the room.

Leanne pulled out her phone and saw the caller ID. It was my best friend from college, Donovan.

He had always disliked Leanne, saying she wasn't worth my devotion.

I hadn't listened then.

Now, I only felt regret.

Leanne frowned but answered anyway. "Are you crazy, Donovan? Why are you calling me?"

The second she finished, Donovan's voice roared from the other end.

"Leanne, Finn is a monster! You guys killed Caleb for that piece of trash! Do you even know? He ended his own life!"

The deafening sound made Leanne's head spin.

Before she could speak, my mother snatched the phone away.

"Who are you calling a monster? What kind of game is Caleb playing now? Is he never going to stop?"

"He lies every single day just to get our attention! Tell him for me, stop using these disgusting tricks. He makes me sick!"

Donovan let out a cold, angry laugh.

"Fine, fine. He's disgusting. He's a liar. You people don't deserve to be his family. I hope you never regret this!"

At that moment, Finn seized the opportunity. With a face that looked like he was about to cry, he shouted into the phone.

"Donovan, I know Caleb told you to bully me. It's okay if you hurt me. It's all my fault for making him unhappy! But please don't curse my parents. Don't be mean to Leanne. I'll do whatever you want..."

At those words, my parents and Leanne's eyes turned red with sympathy.

My mother pulled him into a hug, crying about what a good, sensible boy he was.

My father grabbed the phone and barked, "Tell that wolf Caleb to stay in his cell and rot. Maybe it'll turn his black heart white. I don't have a son like that!"

Donovan gave a mocking laugh.

It seemed he finally understood the tragedy of my life in this house.

After a few seconds of silence, he spoke with a chilling tone.

"Just you wait!"

"I will find the truth and make sure you animals get the punishment you deserve!"

"I will clear Caleb's name!"