Chapter 4

Asher backhanded me hard.

"You bastard. I seriously underestimated you. That old man treats you like a king, and you're still living there even after Mom got kicked out."

"I want to know exactly what you did to pull this off."

He pulled out a pocket knife, waving it inches from my face.

When they saw he had a real knife, the other girls got nervous and stepped in.

Maya was Asher's delinquent girlfriend.

Those other girls might have been troublemakers, but they weren't about to get mixed up with weapons.

Maya stepped in to break it up.

"Asher, knock it off with the knife. He's still your brother."

"This piece of trash? He's not my brother."

He spat right in my face.

But he did put the knife away, at least.

They beat me until I couldn't stand, then finally let me go.

I limped to a taxi and headed back to the mansion.

Only Ms. Evans was home, and she looked horrified when she saw me.

"You left this morning perfectly fine. What happened to you?"

I was covered in bruises. She cleaned me up gently.

That evening, Mr. Waylon showed up after being gone for a while—with Mom, all dressed up like nothing had happened.

They'd gotten back together.

When Mr. Waylon saw me, he asked what happened.

Mom, standing next to him, snapped:

"Always getting into trouble. Never learning. Not like your brother, who knows how to behave."

He had his goons beat me up this afternoon, and now he's walking around our house like he owns the place.

"Mom, why don't you ask who did this to me?"

I shot back, angry.

"Who else? You must have been messing with the wrong people..."

"Leo, what happened?"

Mom kept badmouthing me, but Mr. Waylon cut her off.

I pointed at Asher.

"He had a bunch of guys jump me right outside school."

"Are you crazy? What kind of lies are you telling?"

Asher acted all innocent, trying to turn it around on me.

I told Mr. Waylon and the police there might be security cameras near the school entrance and the warehouse.

The police checked the footage and found Asher's group on camera.

They didn't catch the actual beating, but it was enough to show what happened.

Mr. Waylon looked shocked. He couldn't believe someone would hire people to kidnap and beat their own brother.

"This is sick. This isn't just some prank."

"How does that prove Asher did it? Leo, you're unbelievable! I know I haven't been around much lately, but you don't have to frame your brother like this!"

Mom tried to turn it around, blaming me instead.

"Asher, do you know these people?"

Asher denied it, saying he was just passing by and had nothing to do with it.

"Mom, you have to believe me."

Asher, looking even more upset, suddenly slapped me.

I didn't see it coming.

After hitting me, he collapsed into fake sobs.

The whole time, he played the victim while I was the one who'd been beaten.

"Look what you did! You made your brother pass out! You're so cruel—I don't know why I ever had a monster like you!"

She helped Asher to his room and even called the family doctor.

I was hurt and bleeding, and she didn't even say a word to me.