The Monster He Called Brother My family handed me over to Caleb. He was the city’s rising magnate, ruthless and unforgiving, feared by all. Everyone knew he was back for revenge, for his deceased brother, Elias. And my family was the first name on his hit list. Desperate to appease his fury, my family offered me up like a sacrifice – their least favored daughter, delivered like a package. The day they sent me away, my sister, Victoria, gripped my hand, tears streaming down her face, claiming I was taking the fall for her. My father, meanwhile, sighed and murmured about our family’s debt to him. I said nothing, only smoothed Victoria’s wind-tousled hair. They all thought I was terrified, or consumed by resentment. The truth? I didn’t care. Because they didn’t know that Elias, the brother Caleb respected most, was the one I killed. The car stopped in front of a brightly lit mansion nestled halfway up the mountain. The driver opened the door for me, gesturing with a hand, his eyes filled with pity. I stepped out, carrying an almost empty suitcase. The mansion’s front doors stood open. A man was framed in the doorway. He was tall, dressed in a black silk robe, his figure cloaked in shadow, only the crimson glow of a cigarette flickering between his fingers. It was Caleb. He was back. I walked, step by step, up the path and stopped before him. He didn’t look at me, his gaze sweeping over my head, fixed on the city lights twinkling below. “The [Lena’s Last Name] family sent *this* to me?” His voice was colder than any winter night in the city. I didn’t answer. He finally lowered his eyes. There was no warmth in them, only scrutiny and disgust. “What’s your name?” “Lena.” “Lena.” He chewed on the name, a mocking smile twisting his lips. “What did your family promise you for delivering you to me?” “My mother’s safety and security.” “That’s it?” “That’s it.” He seemed skeptical but didn’t press further. He turned and walked into the mansion, and I followed him. The living room was shockingly large. A massive black and white photograph hung on the central wall. The man in the photo was charismatic and sophisticated, wearing gold-rimmed glasses. It was Elias, the man I’d personally watched walk into death’s embrace. Caleb stopped before the photo, his voice echoing eerily. “Kneel.” I obeyed, dropping to my knees on the cold marble floor. “Do you know why you’re here?” “Yes.” “Tell me.” “To atone for my family’s sins.” “Atonement?” Caleb laughed, a harsh, brutal sound. “Your family killed my brother, and now they send a daughter to atone? You must be dreaming.” He walked over to me, crouched down, and gripped my jaw, forcing me to look up at him. “Where’s your sister, Victoria? As my brother’s fiancée, why isn’t she here?” “Victoria isn’t well.” “Not well?” Caleb’s grip tightened, a sharp pain shooting through my jawbone. “Or is she just scared? Pushing you out, her worthless burden, to be a scapegoat? She really knows how to play her cards right.” My phone chose that inopportune moment to ring. Caleb released me, signaling me to answer. It was Victoria. I put it on speaker. “Lena, are you at the [Caleb’s Last Name] residence? Caleb… he didn’t give you any trouble, did he?” Victoria’s voice was tearful, sounding utterly helpless. Caleb stood nearby, a smirk playing on his face, enjoying the show. “Yes, Victoria, I’m here.” “I’m so sorry, Lena, truly sorry… I’m useless, I couldn’t protect you…” She sobbed on the other end. “You have to take care of yourself, and whatever you do, don’t make Mr. [Caleb’s Last Name] angry.” She kept repeating “I’m sorry,” but each word felt like a reminder. “Victoria, don’t blame yourself.” I spoke, my voice calm. “Didn’t you say it yourself? I’m just dead weight in our family anyway. If my death can bring some peace, it’s a good trade.” The sobbing on the other end abruptly stopped. Caleb’s smile deepened. “Lena! How could you say that!” Victoria’s voice turned sharp. “That’s not what I meant! I was just… I was just so worried about you!” “I know,” I said. “Victoria, you should rest. Our family still needs you.” After I hung up, the living room fell silent. Caleb looked me over again, his gaze now tinged with a hint of curiosity. “From today on, you’ll live there.” He pointed towards a spot on the second floor. “My brother’s room. You are not to leave it, not even a single step.” It was both a punishment and a humiliation.
The room was arranged exactly as Elias had kept it – refined, elegant, filled with a scholarly aura. Just like him, seemingly flawless on the surface. I walked to the desk, where an open copy of *Faust* lay. Tucked between the pages was a photograph. It was me. Sixteen years old, in my school uniform, pigtails, a brilliant smile. It was the first time I’d seen Elias. He was the keynote speaker at a school alumni event. Back then, he was every girl’s Prince Charming, gentle, charming, and perfectly composed. I was one of them. I’d had a secret crush on him, for a very long time. Until that day he ripped off all his pretenses. “Do you like it here?” Caleb’s voice suddenly startled me from the doorway. I quickly closed the book, hiding the photograph. He walked up to me, picking up *Faust*. “My brother loved this book.” He traced the cover. “He used to say, a person can make a deal with the devil for their desires.” His finger paused at the corner of the book, as if about to open it. “Lena, what would *you* sell for your desires?” I looked at him, not understanding his words. “Do you know how my brother died?” he asked again. My hand trembled. “A car accident,” he said. “Drunk driving. He left your engagement party, completely wasted, and then crashed into a bridge abutment. Tell me, why would he go to your engagement party? And why would he drink so much?” I stayed silent. “The [Lena’s Last Name] family told everyone my brother was deeply in love with your sister, heartbroken, so he drank his sorrows away,” Caleb’s voice was soft, yet it carried an icy chill. “But I know that’s not it.” He leaned in, his mouth close to my ear. His breath on my earlobe sent a shiver down my spine. “My brother’s death… was because of you.” He suddenly reached out and pulled the photograph from the book. I gasped, startled. He looked at the picture of my younger self, then at me, his eyes growing dark and unreadable. “Why was your picture in my brother’s book?” “I don’t know,” I lowered my gaze. “You don’t know?” He held the corner of the photo, bringing it closer to my face. “But my brother’s diary… it was all about you,” Caleb’s voice was a low murmur, each word like a chip of ice landing on my heart. “He said he’d found his muse, his salvation.” My body began to grow cold. Caleb’s voice held a hint of cruelty. “The day before your engagement, he came to find you, didn’t he?” My lips moved, but no sound came out. “He confessed his feelings to you, but you rejected him,” Caleb pressed on. “That’s why he got drunk at your engagement party, that’s why he died on the way home. Lena, my brother’s death? You’re the real culprit!” “It wasn’t me!” I finally managed, my voice shaking in a way I hadn’t realized. “It wasn’t you?” He flung the photo at my face. The edge of the paper grazed my cheek, leaving a faint sting. “Then tell me, why did they find *this* at the scene of my brother’s accident?” He pulled an evidence bag from his pocket. Inside was an earring. The one I wore on my engagement day. Unique in the world, my own design. I’d lost it in the chaos of that “accident.”
The earring lay silently in the evidence bag, like a quiet eye, peering into all my secrets. My mind went blank. Caleb seemed satisfied with my reaction. He tucked the evidence bag back into his pocket. “What, nothing to say?” He sneered, looking at me. “You were messing around with my brother, and then getting engaged to another man. Lena, you’re quite something.” “It’s not what you think between him and me,” I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. “Then what is it?” He took a step closer. “Was my brother forcing you? Or were you just playing games, enjoying the thrill of two men chasing after you?” His words were like daggers, piercing my heart. “Neither.” “Then what is it? Tell me!” He suddenly exploded, sweeping everything off the desk. Books, pen holder, lamp… crashing to the floor in a chaotic mess. “You think I’ll believe your innocent victim act?” He grabbed my shoulders, his grip so tight I felt my bones might shatter. “Everyone in your family, from inside out, is rotten!” I was in too much pain to speak, letting him vent his fury. Footsteps hurried outside the door. Mr. Davies and the maids rushed over, but seeing the scene inside, they froze, too scared to approach. “Mr. [Caleb’s Last Name]…” Mr. Davies cautiously began. “Get out!” Caleb roared without turning around. They scattered immediately. Only the two of us remained in the room, along with his heavy, ragged breathing. After a long while, he finally released me, shaking his hands in disgust, as if he’d touched something foul. “Clean this mess up.” He tossed the words over his shoulder and left the room. I collapsed to the floor, drained of all strength, looking at the chaotic room, feeling utterly cold. Caleb knew more than I thought. I don’t know how I managed to clean the room. By the time I finished, dawn was breaking. I hadn’t slept all night, yet I felt no tiredness. The next day, Victoria came. She wore a white dress, delicate makeup, looking fragile and beautiful. She carried a thermos. The moment she entered, she grabbed my hand, her eyes red-rimmed. “Lena, I made you some soup. You… were you okay yesterday?” She looked at me worriedly, her eyes subtly scanning my cheek. There was a faint red mark there, left by the photo. “I’m fine, Victoria,” I pulled my hand back. “Where’s Mr. [Caleb’s Last Name]?” she asked. “In his study.” “Then I…” She hesitated. “I’ll go say hello to him. Lena, don’t blame him. He just loved his brother too much.” With that, she adopted her understanding facade and walked towards the study. I didn’t follow. I sat on the living room sofa, clearly hearing snippets of their conversation from the study. “Mr. [Caleb’s Last Name], I’m so sorry… it’s all my fault. If I had stopped Elias that day, he wouldn’t have been hurt…” Victoria began to sob. “Please don’t blame Lena, she didn’t mean it, she’s always been so…” She didn’t finish her sentence, but the implication was clear. She always found a way, with just a few words, to completely clear herself and simultaneously dump a bucket of dirt on me. A while later, the study door opened. Victoria emerged, tears still clinging to her lashes. Caleb followed behind her, his face grim. “Lena, I’ve spoken with Mr. [Caleb’s Last Name], and he won’t make things difficult for you,” Victoria walked up to me. “But you have to be obedient. Don’t make him angry again, okay?” Caleb didn’t refute her, only watched me coldly. “Victoria,” he suddenly spoke. “You’ll prepare my brother’s memorial service.” Victoria paused, then nodded. “Yes, Mr. [Caleb’s Last Name], I’ll handle it.” “Good.” Caleb looked at me. “As for you, Lena.” My heart jumped. “You will kneel before my brother’s altar and bow in penance,” he said, word by word. “You’ll keep bowing until every single guest is satisfied.”
Elias’s memorial service was set for three days later. “Lena, wear this black dress to the memorial, okay?” Victoria handed me a dress. “I specially picked it out for you. The fabric is very comfortable, so your knees won’t hurt too much from kneeling.” She smiled, gentle and considerate, but her words were vicious, like a poisoned dagger. “Thank you, Victoria,” I took the dress. “Don’t mention it, we’re sisters, after all.” She linked her arm through mine affectionately. “Oh, and Mom and Dad told me to tell you to behave well at the memorial. Don’t embarrass the family again.” “I know.” “Good.” She patted my hand, satisfied. “Lena, don’t blame us, and don’t blame Caleb. We’re all doing this for your own good.” On the day of the memorial, all the prominent figures in the city arrived. The [Caleb’s Last Name] family held immense power, and Elias’s death was a major event. I wore the black gown Victoria had prepared for me, my hair neatly tied back, my face utterly devoid of color. The funeral hall was solemn and dignified. In the center stood Elias’s black and white portrait. He still had that gentle, refined look, a slight smile on his lips, gazing with pity at everyone who came to mourn him. Caleb stood by the portrait, dressed in a black suit, his expression stark. Victoria, playing the grieving fiancée, stood on his other side, accepting condolences, crying her eyes out, looking utterly heartbroken. When it was my turn, the entire hall fell silent. All eyes focused on me, filled with curiosity, contempt, and schadenfreude. I walked to the altar, not looking at anyone, and knelt directly. Then, I lowered my head and brought it down hard on the cold floor. “Thud.” A muffled sound, distinct in the silent hall. “Lena [Lena’s Last Name], the sinner of her family, begs forgiveness for Elias [Caleb’s Last Name].” My voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough for everyone present to hear. “Thud.” “For Elias, I repent his misguided love for Victoria.” Victoria’s body stiffened. “Thud.” “For Elias, I repent his misplaced trust in my family.” My family members’ faces darkened. “Thud.” “And for Elias…” I kept bowing, again and again. My forehead quickly became red and swollen, and trickles of blood began to appear. The blood ran down my cheek, dripping onto the floor, forming a small, eerie flower. I didn’t stop. I felt no pain, only one thought in my mind. Bow. Keep bowing. I looked up, through the blurry red haze, at Elias’s portrait. He was still smiling. So hypocritical, so sickening. “And for Elias… his untimely death brings me immense satisfaction.” I spoke each word clearly, distinctly. “Thud.” This time, the sound was louder than before. As if all the hatred in my heart was being slammed into that cold floor. Gasps rippled through the crowd. Victoria’s sobbing stopped. A hand suddenly clamped onto my hair, yanking me up from the ground. A tearing pain shot through my scalp. Caleb’s face was inches from mine, his eyes burning with a rage that threatened to incinerate me. “You’re asking for death.” He spat the words through clenched teeth.
Victoria rushed forward, grabbing his arm. “Mr. [Caleb’s Last Name], please don’t be angry, Lena… she must be overwhelmed with grief, she’s not making sense.” “Get off me.” Caleb flung her hand away with such force that Victoria stumbled back a few steps. Caleb didn’t even look at her, dragging me out of the hall. My knees scraped against the floor, then I was hauled along, the rough carpet tearing at the skin beneath my dress. He shoved me into a car and sped off towards the mountain mansion. He dragged me straight to the second floor, kicking Elias’s room door open. I was thrown hard onto the floor, the back of my head hitting the ground. My vision instantly swam with black spots. “Are you proud of yourself?” He loomed over me, his chest heaving violently, his eyes filled with a surging, bloody rage. “My brother is dead. Do you feel finally free?” I braced myself on my arms, trying to sit up, but he stomped his foot on my hand. A sound like bone shattering. I gasped in pain, cold sweat instantly breaking out on my forehead. “Speak!” he roared, pressing down harder with his foot. “Yes.” I looked up, meeting his murderous gaze, and managed a twisted smile. “I’m happy. I prayed for his death every day.” His pupils constricted sharply. “Say that again.” “I said, Elias’s death brings me immense satisfaction!” “You’re asking for death!” He roared like a wild beast pushed too far, grabbing my collar and hauling me off the ground, then slamming me onto Elias’s soft bed. The world spun. His body pressed down on mine, radiating scorching fury. His hands closed around my throat, tightening, tightening, but he stopped himself at the last second. “Do you hate him that much?” His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper. “Hate him enough to humiliate him at his own memorial?” “Yes.” “Why?” I closed my eyes, not wanting to answer. “Because he loved you, and you didn’t love him? Because he harassed you, so you wanted him dead?” He pinched my chin, forcing my eyes open. “Lena, what is your heart made of? Stone?” “How could you… be so cruel…” His voice was strained, actually carrying a hint of a sob. I opened my eyes and looked at him. That face was so similar to Elias’s. Elias had once pressed down on me like this, whispering the most vicious words in the gentlest tone into my ear. “Lena, the more you resist, the more excited I get.” “You’re thinking of Caleb, but your body is beneath mine. Isn’t that thrilling?” “What do you think Caleb’s face would look like if I took a picture of you right now and sent it to him?” Yes, Caleb. The one I loved was Caleb.
It all started, not with that speech, but when I was seven years old, and fell into a frozen lake. The icy water instantly swallowed me, and primal survival instincts made me struggle desperately. Just as my consciousness faded, a figure jumped in without hesitation. He wasn’t much older, maybe ten or so, with a stern expression, but his eyes were incredibly resolute. He dragged me back from the brink of death. Afterward, I blacked out. When I woke up, I only knew that a son from the [Caleb’s Last Name] family had saved me. So, when I first saw Elias at sixteen, I mistook him. I mistook him for the boy who had pulled me from the icy water. The boy who had carried me a long way, the one with an old scar on his wrist. I mistook him for Elias. At first, my existence didn’t register with him. He was a golden boy, with countless admirers. Even with Victoria, his fiancée, he was cool and distant. Naturally, he paid no attention to me, the unfavored daughter of the [Lena’s Last Name] family. Until he discovered I had “changed my mind.” I don’t know when Elias found out. Perhaps it was the way I looked at Caleb, or perhaps he secretly read my diary. That day, he called me to a secluded corner, still wearing that gentle smile. “Lena, you like Caleb?” “But what can I do? Some things, even if I don’t want them, he doesn’t get to touch.” “You, too.” In that moment, I felt like I’d fallen into an ice cave. I suddenly remembered hearing that whenever Caleb was punished by their father, Elias would be the first to plead for him. But the result was always a harsher punishment. Elias wasn’t helping him. He was savoring it, enjoying it. He enjoyed the thrill of having Caleb firmly under his thumb, the pleasure of playing the perfect older brother. From that day on, his gentle mask completely shattered in front of me. Elias began to bring up Caleb’s name frequently in front of me. He would “accidentally” mention that Caleb had gotten into another fight with some heir from a rival family and almost had his hand crippled. He would “worriedly” tell me that Caleb had lost a lot of money street racing, and that Elias had paid off all his debts. He would “painfully” describe how Caleb defied their elders, refusing to change his ways. Each time, he played the role of a doting older brother, burdened by his younger sibling’s troubles. I started to worry for Caleb, to be anxious for him. I used all my savings to anonymously pay off those so-called “gambling debts.” I pulled countless strings to secure him an exchange program opportunity abroad, hoping to get him away from this turbulent place. But the day he left, Elias smiled and said to me, “Lena, you see? Thanks to my persuasion, he’s finally willing to improve himself.” He was like a venomous snake, flicking its tongue, reveling in the pleasure of toying with its prey. Tormenting me became his greatest joy. At family dinners, he would gently pick food for me in front of everyone, while discreetly rubbing his foot against my calf under the table. When Victoria wasn’t around, he would corner me in the hallway, his lips close to my ear, describing his desires for me in the most vulgar language. He said, “The more you like Caleb, the more excited I get.” He said, “Seeing you so worried for him, it makes me want to defile you.” My engagement was the last way out I found for myself. I thought that if I married, Elias would find it boring and leave me alone. I was too naive.
“Why?” Caleb’s voice dragged me back to reality. His hand was still clamped on my jaw, his eyes a network of red veins. My gaze slid from his face to the old scar on his wrist. That was the only truth I remembered. “Caleb,” I said, my voice soft but steady. “You don’t understand your brother at all.” “He was a monster.” The air went dead silent. Time paused for a moment. Then, he laughed. There was no warmth in that laugh. “Lena, to escape blame, you’d even insult a dead man?” I pushed him away, furious. “I’m not insulting him!” “You think he loved you? No. You weren’t his brother; you were his toy.” “You think he loved *me*? No, to him, tormenting me was more interesting than loving me.” I didn’t get to say more. A knock sounded at the door. Mr. Davies’s respectful voice came from outside: “Mr. [Caleb’s Last Name], the [Lena’s Last Name] family has sent a surveillance video.” “Bring it in.” Mr. Davies pushed the door open, holding a tablet, his head down, not daring to look at the scene inside. Caleb took the tablet. The screen lit up, showing the entrance to the [Lena’s Last Name] family mansion. A black Bentley was parked by the side of the road. The door opened, and Elias pulled me into the passenger seat. The car started and sped away. The timestamp in the bottom right corner showed the night he died. The video ended there, abruptly. This was the “pledge of loyalty” from my family. With this video, they were telling me, and telling Caleb, that Elias’s death had nothing to do with them. It was me, Lena, who, on the night of my engagement, ran off with my sister’s fiancé. Everything I had said before instantly became a joke. Caleb slowly turned around. The rage, the confusion on his face, all vanished, replaced by a suppressed calm. “You were there when my brother died,” he stated. “How did my brother die?” “Or… ” He paused, his voice tinged with rage, “did *you* kill him?” My heart sank to the bottom, cold and chilling. I was held captive in Elias’s room. Meals arrived three times a day, delivered by a maid to the door. Other than that, I saw no one. The windows were boarded shut, the door locked from the outside. This became my prison.
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