My Final Goodbye Broke My Parents

1.

It was the third year since Id severed ties with my parents, and they took me to court. They demanded I pay thirty years of future alimony. They sued me not because they lacked money, but because they wanted to give their adopted son, newly entered into a law firm, a chance to make a name for himself.

They knew my health was poor. Because my right kidney had been personally removed by my father, the hospital director, and given to their adopted son. They knew my reputation was in tatters. Because my mother, the lawyer, had set a trap for me to take the fall for their adopted son and go to prison.

Yet they still did it. Because one had to avoid suspicion, and the other had to repay a debt.

The court ultimately ordered me to immediately pay three hundred thousand dollars. Because that was all the money I had left for a life-saving procedure.

Outside the courthouse, my parents held their chins high and declared: "Son, as long as you are in this world, you will never escape your parents."

I thought they were absolutely right.

So when the system approached me, stating I had late-stage kidney cancer and no money for treatment, asking if I was willing to go to another world, I immediately agreed.

The first time the system appeared, I was desperately trying to save money for a kidney transplant. I hauled bricks on construction sites by day, worked all night on assembly lines, and delivered food on holidays. Though it was tough, the money accumulated quickly. So, I refused to leave. I chose this world, a world with hope, a world I cared about.

But when I finally saved enough money and traveled to another city for the transplant, the police brought me to court instead. Now, the kidney source was gone, and my money was gone too. My loved ones had personally destroyed my hope.

The cold wind outside the courthouse hit me, and I shivered, trembling as I asked the system: "Do your previous words still count? If my body dies, I can go to another world?"

After receiving an affirmative reply, I looked around for an opportunity. Just then, a thermos pressed against my hand.

"Drink some." I didn't respond, trying to walk past. My mother grabbed my wrist. I looked down at her pale fingers. It was strange; the embrace that once filled me with longing now only felt like a foreign object on my skin. Uncomfortable.

"Let go," I said.

She didn't, instead stepping closer.

"I said, let go." I used a little force to pull my hand free. Then I wiped the spot she had touched on her expensive cashmere coat. She froze, as if she couldn't believe I would make such a blunt gesture.

As I was about to leave, laughter drifted from nearby. I looked up to see my father laughing as he embraced my adopted brother, Arthur Stone, guiding him into a car, without a single glance at me. Arthur held the lid of a thermos. I looked down, and sure enough, Arthurs name was engraved on the thermos itself. She was using someone elses possession again, offering cheap concern. I slammed the thermos to the ground.

Actually, when the verdict came down, I wanted to tell them: "I have kidney cancer! That three hundred thousand is my life savings!" I wanted to see if they would show any emotion. But before I could get close, the wind carried their conversation to me.

"...This three hundred thousand is just right. Isn't that the dowry Evelyn wants?"

"Arthur, don't worry, Mom and Dad will definitely help you marry Evelyn properly."

Evelyn. That name stabbed my heart like a knife. My girlfriend of ten years, being married to Arthur with my life-saving money, arranged by my parents. The words that were on the tip of my tongue, along with a metallic taste, were swallowed down fiercely. Now, I was grateful I hadn't confronted them. How ridiculous, what kind of impulse was that?

Staring at the dented thermos, my mother's jawline tightened. "Are you done making a scene? Come home with me. You've been wild for three years, it's time to settle down."

I looked at her. Once, that expression and tone would send a chill down my spine, making me immediately comply. Now, I just found it like a villain's lines in a cheesy TV show. I even gave a soft laugh: "Mom, if you care about me so much, aren't you afraid Arthur will get jealous? Last time you cared about my law exam, he got jealous, sped, and hit someone, and you threw me at the scene to take the blame."

"This time, what do you want me to do?"

Since childhood, she had always favored Arthur countless times, simply because Arthurs parents had died saving her. But I never expected her to send me to prison to take the blame for Arthur.

She avoided my gaze, her lips moving. "Let's not talk about the past You know, his parents had a debt of gratitude to me" "Come home, I'll cook for you myself to make it up."

My eyes turned completely cold as I stared into hers: "Your cooking, I wouldn't dare to eat." "Last time I ate it, I lost my right kidney."

Her body swayed, and she instinctively reached out to pull me. I retreated quickly. The day I got out of prison, I was still in the dark, unaware that my own parents had drugged me and left me at the scene to take the blame. She had specially cooked, saying it was a welcome home meal. I was naive and guilty then, thinking I had finally found warmth from my family. I took the soup she offered, touched, and drank it. When I woke up, I was in the hospital, my abdomen in severe pain. My right kidney was gone.

From the VIP room separated by a wall, their laughter drifted. My father kept reassuring Arthur: "Don't worry about the legality of the kidney source. I already arranged a voluntary donation form." "Outsiders will only be touched, saying I, the director, am selfless, willing to give up my own son's kidney to save my adopted son." I wanted to rush over and confront them, but the pain made me roll off the bed, curling up on the floor. My mother came from the next room, coincidentally seeing me. Her steps only faltered for a second, her gaze complex as she avoided mine.

The woman before me, why was she holding onto me now?

"Alan, at that time Arthur was almost gone"

"Enough!" I was tired of that explanation. Every time they sacrificed me, it was always the same logic: "no choice," "he's more pitiful." I no longer looked at her, only asking the system in my mind: "System, if I go to another world, can I have parents who truly love me?"

Receiving an affirmative answer, I quickly walked towards the road outside the courthouse. My mother stepped forward, grabbing my arm. "Alan! What are you doing now?!" I shook her off forcefully, rushing without hesitation towards an approaching truck.

"Alan!!"

2.

I ran with all my might, closing my eyes and yearning for a new beginning. Amidst the screeching of tires, a force pulled me away. I fell into an embrace, then was firmly pressed to the ground. Opening my eyes, the truck stopped precisely where I had been moments before. I hadn't died.

Frustration simmered in my heart. My mother's arm was wrapped around me, her hands feeling me up and down. "Alan! Are you alright?! Where are you hurt?! Speak to me!" I lay sprawled on the ground, not wanting to say a word. But she suddenly gripped my collar tightly.

"Alan! What were you trying to do?!" Her voice was sharp, a mix of fear and anger. "Threatening your parents with suicide? Do you think that will drive Arthur away and get you what you want?" "I'm telling you, it's impossible!"

I looked at her flushed, agitated face and just felt weary. In her eyes, everything I did was to compete with Arthur. I was too tired to explain and tried to pry her hands off again.

"Let go."

"Look at me!" She held her bleeding elbow in front of my eyes, her voice trembling. "I injured myself like this pulling you back! Don't you feel anything?" "Alan, where is your heart?"

She was resorting to emotional blackmail again. She used to love doing this. Always talking about how hard she worked for money, how difficult it was to struggle among men. I would always soften and obey, swallowing all my grieKamines, silently accepting their favoritism towards Arthur. But now, looking at her bleeding elbow, my heart was a dead calm. I even swatted her hand away with disgust.

"Your blood, you've stained my clothes." She froze, looking at me with a deeply hurt expression. I couldn't help but scoff. What did she have to be hurt about? All these years, when she turned a blind eye to the harm she inflicted on me, where was her heart? Now that I was merely retaliating, why couldn't she bear it?

I pushed her away and got up, patting the collar where she had touched me. "Don't follow me. We have no relationship."

"No relationship?!" She stumbled to her feet. "Alan! I'm your mother!"

I stopped, a faint, bitter smile touching my lips. "Didn't you publicly disown me already? What, do you forget things easily?"

That was at Arthur's kidney transplant recovery banquet. Arthur, a bit drunk, raised his glass to thank me. In his drunken ramblings, he revealed that after the accident, my mother had drugged me and left me at the scene to take the blame. I served five years in prison; a top law graduate from an elite university reduced to a convict. I completely broke down and confronted them. But she, without batting an eye, told everyone that my mental state had deteriorated after prison.

In that moment, all my suppressed grieKamines and anger erupted. I overturned tables, shouting hoarsely about how she had always favored Arthur since childhood, how she had sacrificed me. Losing face in front of everyone, she pointed at me and coldly said: "Fine! Since you hate me so much, I'll pretend I never gave birth to you!" "From now on, whether you, Alan, live or die, it has nothing to do with us!"

The words of disownment were spoken by her own mouth. I looked at her, now furious, and said, word by word: "Since we're disowned, what right do you have to care whether I live or die?"

3.

With that, I turned and walked away. A long silence followed behind me, then her voice sounded again: "No matter what, you are my only son! You are a Thorne heir!"

"Am I?" I sneered.

Her body trembled, as if she had just realized that the nominal heir of the Thorne family was Arthur. It was she who had personally brought Arthur into her law firm, publicly confirming his identity. And I, the true heir, was merely a disgraced ex-convict.

My laughter grew louder, but tears, without warning, streamed down my face. I, too, once couldn't understand. How did the parents who held me on their laps to teach me letters, who were so proud of me, turn into strangers so fiercely protective of an outsider? After countless sleepless nights, I finally understood: one of them was a fanatic, willing to use the entire family to repay a debt of gratitude. The other was a hypocrite, willing to sacrifice everything to preserve his reputation as a director. Before gratitude and reputation, I would always come last.

She pulled me into the car without a word, her head lowered. "Alan, stop making trouble. Today is Arthur and Evelyn's wedding. Just come with Mom for now." "After Arthur gets married, Mom will have repaid her debt, and then I'll make it up to you properly."

I had heard such words since childhood. "When your brother's competition is over, Mom will take you to the amusement park." "When Arthur gets into college, Mom will definitely make it up to you properly." Every promise was like a bubble, bursting at a touch. I tried to break free, but the kidney cancer flared up. I was too weak from the pain and was dragged into the car.

The car was filled with the smell of blood. Her arm kept bleeding, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead. But she gripped my wrist tightly, afraid I would run again.

"Let go." My voice was calm and even.

But she clutched tighter, her nails almost digging into my flesh. "Alan, you don't need to compete with Arthur haven't you always wanted to be a lawyer? You can join my law firm."

I twitched my lips, forcing a cold, emotionless smile: "What about Arthur? Didn't he already join your law firm?"

Her grip on my hand loosened for a second: "Arthur after all, he's called me 'Mom' for so many years. The law firm will definitely be handed over to him in the future." She paused, then lowered her voice: "You have a criminal record; independent practice is impossible. If you follow Arthur, work as his assistant, you can still use the firm's resources." "Brothers working together, that's how the family business stays stable. You should understand that now."

I leaned against the car window, the kidney cancer pain coming in waves. But clearer than the pain was an absurd nausea. They used my kidney to save Arthur, used my future to cover Arthur's crime. Now, they even wanted to use my life to be Arthur's stepping stone.

Dream on!

I grabbed the handbrake and pulled it up sharply!

"Alan! Are you crazy?!" The wheels locked instantly, and the car spun wildly, tailing out of control! Finally, with a "bang," it slammed into the concrete barrier. Violent tremors shook my entire body; the world spun. I had deliberately not buckled my seatbelt, anticipating death. But the airbags absorbed most of the impact. After the dizziness and pain, my consciousness was still clear. I immediately reached for the car door. Outside was a stream of fast-moving traffic; there was still a chance!

"Alan!!" My mother lunged at me, gripping my arm tightly. "Do you hate me that much?!" Her eyes were red-rimmed, her voice hoarse. "Hate me so much you want to drag me with you to die?!"

I shrugged indifferently, pulling at the corner of my mouth: "Hate? Not worth it. I just want to take a different path. You insisted on following, so the consequences are yours."

Instantly, the color drained from her face. But she still held me tightly, half-dragging, half-pulling me into a taxi. We arrived at the wedding venue.