
The day before my college acceptance letter was supposed to arrive, the police took me away, and I spent five years in prison. During those five years, my wife and daughter never abandoned me—they waited until I was released. I was grateful to them and worked desperately to earn money after returning home. Until one day, I accidentally overheard a conversation between my wife and daughter. My daughter Lena Colon said, “Mom, tell Dad to stop picking me up from school. It’s so embarrassing! When you switched his acceptance letter with Uncle Kyler’s that year, I told you not to pin the blame on him! Now all my classmates are making fun of my dad for being an ex-con!” My wife Norah Colon gently stroked Lena’s head and said seriously, “I promised your Uncle Kyler I would help him succeed. Your father is stubborn—only by keeping him away from us could this secret stay hidden.” So the happy family I was so proud of was built on a carefully woven lie. Norah continued stroking Lena’s head, saying earnestly, “When your grandmother found out the truth and died of anger that year, I felt terrible guilt. So once your Uncle Kyler graduates, I’ll petition the court to restore your father’s reputation. We’ve wronged him too much already. You need to listen to him more—we mother and daughter should spend our lives making it up to him.” Lena frowned and nodded reluctantly. Their voices came through the door crack clearly into my ears, each word stabbing into my heart like a blade. As footsteps approached, I fled the scene in panic, tears I’d held back for so long finally streaming down my face. From age 25 to 30, I spent five years in prison—the best years of my life buried behind bars. I returned home battered and broken, only to face news of my failed college application and my mother’s death. My father believed I had brought shame to the family and handed me a thick rope, telling me to hang myself. Only Norah and Lena encouraged me to look forward. Norah held me tight, her eyes showing no trace of contempt or disgust. “Bryce, there’s nothing in life you can’t overcome. Lena and I will always be by your side.” Lena wiped away my tears: “Dad, don’t cry. Mom and I will protect you!” They were like dawn breaking through darkness, pulling me out of the abyss of despair. I never imagined that all the suffering and humiliation I endured was carefully orchestrated by them for my half-brother Kyler Colon. What I thought was warmth was actually their pity, given to cover up the truth. I turned around and dumped the roasted chicken I’d just bought into the trash. When I got home and pushed open the door, Lena threw herself into my arms: “Dad!” I quickly wiped my face and didn’t embrace her like I usually did when coming home. “Dad, why are your eyes all red? Did someone bully you?” Lena noticed my swollen eyes, her own filled with concern. Norah immediately grew tense, gripping my hand and looking me up and down: “Bryce, why do you look so pale? Are you feeling sick?” I calmly withdrew my hand and replied evenly, “It’s windy outside.” Norah cupped my hands in hers and blew on them gently, warm breath spreading from my fingertips. Her gaze was as tender as always. Was even such genuine concern fake? I suppressed my complicated emotions and forced myself to say calmly, “I’m a bit hungry.” Norah hurried to the kitchen to cook, with Lena following to help. As I turned around, my gaze fell on a dessert box sitting on the wooden chest. Norah always took out a flashlight late at night to look through the contents of that box. I stepped on a chair to take down the box and opened it. Seeing the diary date was from 1978 onward, my heart gradually sank.
That Christmas, I was tortured to skin and bones in prison, while Norah couldn’t wait to pine for Kyler at university. I masochistically flipped through page after page of her passionate confessions to Kyler. “Kyler, your smile is the daily light of my world, warm and radiant.” “Kyler, I can’t live without you. Without you, my world would lose all color, like a night sky without stars.” I had once hinted to her that I envied people who could write love letters. She just told me to read fewer romance novels without even looking up. Back then, I thought she was just shy. I never imagined her straightforward declarations of love were simply things she was unwilling to express to me. There were countless letters addressed to New York, each stamp carefully preserved. At the bottom of the box was a photo of the three of them at the entrance of Columbia University. Kyler wore his graduation gown and looked vibrant. Both Norah and Lena’s gazes were fixed on him. My hand gripped the photo tightly. Because I loved the wrong person, Kyler became a respected doctor while I became a despised ex-convict. After dinner, Norah went to cut fruit for me as usual, and Lena volunteered to prepare my foot bath. Actions that once felt so familiar and touching now only sent chills down my spine. The next day, I went to court to file for divorce. Then I went to the bank to withdraw the savings my mother had left me and the tuition money I’d saved for Lena, and bought a train ticket to Los Angeles departing in two days. ***** On my way home, I ran into Norah and Kyler. They were holding Lena’s hands. Lena was bouncing around, absolutely delighted. Lena had always been quiet around me, rarely this outgoing. Even Norah, who was usually stern-faced, was beaming with joy. From a distance, they looked more like a family than when they were with me. When they saw me, Norah’s face stiffened, and Lena immediately wiped the smile off her face. Kyler remained composed. “Bryce, you’re off work early today? It’s my birthday, and Norah said she wants to take me to her mother’s house to celebrate. Want to join us?” Norah immediately explained, “My mom is home alone today. She specifically asked me to let her personally handle Kyler’s birthday celebration.” Lena tugged at my sleeve and said, “Grandma made lots of delicious food. Dad, I want you to have a good meal.” I couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. Kyler had just been transferred to the military hospital yesterday. Norah and Lena clearly couldn’t wait to see him and were just using me as an excuse. I nodded, and only then did Norah breathe a sigh of relief. She drove out the military truck, and Kyler skillfully picked up Lena and got into the passenger seat first. A flash of loneliness crossed my eyes. Norah had never let me ride in her military vehicle before. She explained that the military had regulations and she couldn’t make exceptions. With my criminal record, I was afraid of gossip that might affect her, so no matter how harsh the weather, I could only ride that rusty bicycle when going out. Now I understood—all her exceptions were reserved for Kyler. Kyler said apologetically, “Bryce, there’s no room left. How about you ride in the truck bed?” Norah looked at me with some difficulty. “Today is Kyler’s birthday…” Before she could finish, I went to the backyard alone to get my bicycle. Norah was stunned, and for a moment, there was reluctance in her eyes. She let go of the steering wheel and was about to speak when Kyler interrupted, “Norah, I’m so hungry. Please drive.” Norah hesitated no more and drove away. By the time I arrived, everyone had already started eating.
After I sat down, Norah handed me a plate of beef burritos. “Bryce, I specially saved your favorite beef burritos for you. Go ahead and eat.” I pushed the plate away and said coldly, “I’m allergic to beef.” Norah and Lena loved beef, so I’d always buy them beef burritos after work. But if they’d paid any attention, they would’ve noticed that in all these years of Christmas dinners, I’d never taken a single bite of beef. Norah laughed awkwardly. “That’s my fault. I have a bad memory.” Bad memory? Yet she remembered that Kyler didn’t like onions and even picked them all out for him. Norah’s mother Ruby glared at me with disgust. “So picky. You’re an ex-con acting like you’re somebody special. You should be grateful that Norah still wants you! “You walk in here with that sour face—what do any of us owe you? Disgusting!” In Ruby’s eyes, I was a tainted man, nowhere near as good as Kyler with his respectable career that could bring honor to their family. In the past, when Ruby would go on her endless rants, Norah and Lena would defend me. Now Norah was completely absorbed in listening to Kyler, her eyes full of adoration. Lena gazed at him with worship, praising him until his expression grew smug with satisfaction. At that moment, I desperately wanted to escape this suffocating place. I put down my utensils and said calmly, “Then I’ll divorce her.” “How dare you talk back!” Ruby angrily threw hot soup at me. The liquid ran down my forehead, stinging my skin. Kyler cried out, and only then did Norah and Lena turn their attention to me. Norah glanced at me, her brow furrowing slightly. She carefully examined Kyler from head to toe, terrified that a single drop might have splashed on him. “Kyler, did you get burned?” Lena immediately rushed over, pulling out a pristine handkerchief from her pocket. “Uncle Kyler, you love being clean—we can’t let you get dirty.” Kyler smiled smugly at me and said gently, “Thank you, Norah, Lena. I’m fine.” I stood there, the burning pain on my body nothing compared to the ache in my heart. I went to the bathroom without a word. Ruby continued her disdainful mockery: “He didn’t even lose a layer of skin—what’s with the dramatic reaction?” I’d just turned on the faucet when Kyler walked in. He put his hands on his hips, looking confrontational. “Bryce, stop pretending! Ever since we were kids, no matter what I took from you, you always acted like you didn’t care. Now you’re watching your own wife and daughter care about me with all their hearts—don’t you think you’re pathetic? “Switching the acceptance letters and sending you to prison was nothing. All I have to do is say a few words, and they’ll do anything for me—even your dead mother had to suffer!” My whole body trembled uncontrollably. Kyler laughed. “Five years after you were arrested, your mother found out about Norah and me. Norah had to lock her in an abandoned bathroom, and she starved to death not long after. Oh, and it was your daughter who personally locked the door.” My chest heaved violently as I staggered backward in disbelief. Though I’d learned from Norah that day that my mother’s death was connected to her, I never imagined that she and Lena had done it themselves. For Kyler’s sake, they’d actually killed my family. Kyler was pleased with my reaction and continued, “The night your mother died, your wife and daughter threw me a graduation party at a restaurant!” I was shaking with rage and raised my hand. As if he’d expected it, he shouted and grabbed me, making me fall against him. The next second, Lena rushed in and bit my arm, making me break out in a cold sweat, though I couldn’t bring myself to fight back. In the end, she bit off a piece of my flesh. Lena spread her arms wide, her small body protecting Kyler. “Bad Daddy, don’t bully Uncle Kyler!” Norah shoved me away forcefully and pulled Kyler into her arms with concern. Kyler immediately put on a pitiful expression. “Norah, I was trying to help Bryce clean the stains off his clothes. The moment he saw the watch you bought me, he tried to snatch it away, and when he couldn’t, he called me a homewrecker who seduced you.” Norah’s face darkened as she scolded angrily, “Bryce, you’ve gone too far. If you keep spouting nonsense, I’ll send you back to prison!” Clutching my bloody arm, I laughed coldly. “Of course you would—that’s how I ended up in prison the first time!” A flash of panic crossed Norah’s eyes, but she still shouted back defiantly, “You committed a crime—you deserved it!” Ruby snapped, “You’ve done so many criminal things, do you think you’re still innocent?” I struggled to get up, and only then did Norah notice my bleeding wound. She instinctively moved to help me up, but Kyler immediately cried out, “Norah, I’m in so much pain!” Without hesitation, Norah took Lena and helped Kyler to the car. Their retreating figures hit me like a sledgehammer, shattering the last trace of tenderness I felt for them. I made my way to the clinic in a disheveled state. As I passed by a private room, I heard cheerful laughter. Through the crack in the door, I saw Norah and Lena nervously hovering around Kyler. After spotting me at the doorway, he gave me a cold sneer. “Norah, I’m really fine. You two should go back and check on Bryce—he needs you more than I do,” he said. Norah dismissed this carelessly: “Don’t worry about it. He’s always been tough. Just lost a little blood—nothing serious.” Lena nodded in agreement: “Yeah, Dad, I just want to stay with you. I don’t want to go back to Bryce. Every time he touches me with those calloused hands, it makes me sick.” I thought I was past feeling hurt by these two women. But witnessing my own biological daughter call another man “Dad” still sent a dull ache through my heart. The day Lena was born, Norah had complications and hemorrhaged badly. I waited anxiously outside the operating room. In the end, I even forced my way into the OR just to make sure both Norah and Lena were safe. Whether it was caring for Norah during her recovery or feeding newborn Lena, I handled every step personally. As a father, I had nothing to feel guilty about. Kyler smiled and said gently, “Then stay.” Lena blushed and covered her eyes. Norah’s face flushed too. She and Kyler quickly embraced, making the hospital bed creak and groan. I covered my ears and rushed out to get the medicine. After returning home and bandaging the wound on my arm, I went to the courthouse to file for divorce. Then I left a complaint letter on Norah’s supervisor’s desk. Norah and Lena didn’t come home until noon the next day. Norah gave Lena a meaningful look, and Lena immediately ran over to massage my shoulders. “Dad, on our way to drop off Uncle Kyler, we ran into Grandpa, so we had to stay at the hospital with him all night. That’s why we’re just getting back now,” she said. I couldn’t help but smile bitterly. My father had just come by last week asking for money before heading back to his hometown, and wouldn’t return until the day after tomorrow. Norah and Lena worked together so seamlessly—I wondered how many lies they’d collaborated on to deceive me. I didn’t bother exposing them and simply pulled out the divorce papers. “This is last month’s electric bill. Just sign here.” Relieved that I wasn’t pressing the issue, Norah signed without even looking at the divorce agreement. She hugged me, her tone softening: “What I said at lunch today was hurtful—I’m sorry. I apologize for Lena too. Yesterday was Kyler’s birthday, so I gave him a watch, just as a gift between family members. There’s absolutely nothing else to it.” The hickeys on Norah’s neck disgusted me. Just as I was about to push away her arms wrapped around my waist, I suddenly felt feverish all over. “Bryce, why are you so hot?” Norah gasped, pressing her palm to my forehead. “You have a fever.” Hearing me cough, Lena immediately ran to get water. Norah hurriedly threw on her jacket: “I’ll go to the clinic for medicine.” Just then, chaotic shouting suddenly erupted from outside: “Fire! Help put out the fire!” Norah’s face instantly changed, and she bolted out the door in her slippers. Lena also dropped the water glass and ran after her. They were racing toward Kyler’s dormitory, even though the fire was clearly a whole street away from there. I suddenly found it somewhat amusing. No matter how well they usually acted, they’d always reveal their true priorities when someone they really cared about was involved. But that was fine—they didn’t need to make excuses to leave anymore. I rummaged through the house to find what little medicine we had left, took it, and went to sleep. The next day, I left a handwritten letter, picked up my luggage, and boarded the train to Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Norah was just getting out of Kyler’s bed. She slapped her forehead in frustration. Remembering that I still had a fever, she hurried out to buy my favorite canned chickpeas. Unexpectedly, she ran into her supervisor Owen Hess at the street corner. Owen threw the complaint letter in Norah’s face and angrily scolded: “How could you let Mr. Colon suffer such injustice? My people have already investigated everything. What do you have to say in your defense?”
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