Chapter 3

I arrived at the company' s annual charity gala, an event I had founded. The air was buzzing with conversations and the clinking of glasses. My presence caused a ripple of whispers. I was supposed to be a pariah, the disgraced founder on the verge of indictment.

I headed for the balcony, needing air. Just as I reached the door, I heard their voices from the other side. Liam and Sarah.

"Are you sure he'll go through with it?" Sarah asked, her voice low and anxious. "What if he backs out at the press conference tomorrow?"

"Relax," Liam's voice was smooth, confident. "He's broken. Did you see him tonight? He's a ghost. Besides, Mom and Dad have him so twisted up with guilt, he'd jump off a bridge if they asked him to. He's always been weak for them."

"And Mia?"

"She's completely on my side. She thinks he's a failure. It was easy. Kids just want the fun uncle, not the boring dad who's always working."

The world tilted. My hand flew to the wall to steady myself. A wave of dizziness washed over me, so intense I thought I would collapse. The sound in my ears was like rushing water. Weak. Broken. A failure. The words echoed in the sudden, roaring silence of my mind.

I pushed the door open and stepped onto the balcony. They froze, Sarah' s wine glass halfway to her lips. They looked like two criminals caught in the act.

Sarah recovered first, pasting on a concerned smile. "Ethan! There you are. We were just talking about how brave you're being."

Liam smirked, unapologetic. "Just getting my beautiful sister-in-law some fresh air."

Their hypocrisy was so blatant it was almost comical.

"Am I interrupting something?" I asked, my voice dangerously quiet.

"Of course not," Liam said, stepping closer. "We're family. What's mine is yours, right?" He gestured vaguely between himself and Sarah.

Just then, Mia came bounding onto the balcony. "Uncle Liam! They're about to announce the raffle winner!" She ran to him, then stopped short when she saw me, her face falling. She took a step back, moving to stand behind Liam as if for protection. In her haste, she almost called him 'Dad'. The slip was barely audible, but I heard it. And in that moment, she looked at me not with the anger of a rebellious teen, but with the pure, unadulterated revulsion of a stranger.

The look on her face was a physical blow.

Sarah and Liam appeared together a moment later, a perfect picture of a supportive couple.

"Ethan, are you feeling alright?" Sarah asked, her brow furrowed with fake concern. "You look pale."

"I'm fine," I said, my voice flat. "Just enjoying my last party as a free man. I suppose I' m the guest of honor."

My sarcasm was lost on them. Or they chose to ignore it.

A sharp cramp seized my stomach, making me double over. The stress of the past few weeks was manifesting physically. I pressed a hand to my side, trying to breathe through the pain.

"What's wrong?" Sarah asked, her concern still ringing false.

Before I could answer, Liam let out a loud, theatrical cough. "Oh, this air... it's doing a number on my allergies." He started coughing dramatically, his eyes watering.

Instantly, all attention shifted to him.

"Oh, Liam, are you okay?" my mother cried, rushing over with a glass of water.

"Let me get you a chair," my father said, bustling past me.

Sarah put a comforting hand on Liam' s back. "Just breathe, Liam. Deep breaths."

I was left standing alone, clutching my stomach, completely ignored. My pain was an inconvenience. His was a tragedy. In that moment, the full, crushing weight of my place in this family slammed into me. I wasn't just the second choice; I was nothing. I was invisible.

Mia, seeing the commotion around Liam, looked at me with pure venom. "See? You always have to ruin everything. It's always about you."

The words, so unjust, so utterly devoid of reality, were the final straw. A wave of blackness swam at the edge of my vision.

I had to get out. I turned, stumbling, pushing my way through the small crowd that had gathered around my replacement. Each step was a monumental effort. The lights of the gala blurred, the chatter faded into a dull roar.

I made it to the lobby, my body screaming in protest. I hailed a cab, the cramp in my gut so severe I could barely speak the address. I needed a doctor. I needed to get away from them.

I went to the emergency room alone.