All Chapters of Dad and Brother’s Regret After Mom Left: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

A flash of panic crossed Dad's face. His instinct was to push her away, to explain things to Mom.But Mom just watched them both, her expression perfectly still."Congratulations."No feeling in it at all."All the more reason for me to go.""You—"Dad started forward, but Vanessa caught his arm."Ethan, the doctor said I can't have any stress. Please don't fight with her."Dad took a long breath. When he looked back at Mom, his eyes had gone cold again."Miranda, if you had even half of Vanessa's sense, I wouldn't treat you like this.""If you want to leave, then get out.""But Sandra stays."Mom's eyes went red. She bit down hard, not letting herself cry."Ethan Carter, don't push me.""I'll push you all I want. What are you going to do about it?"He grabbed her by the collar and hauled her up out of the hospital bed. She weighed nothing, hanging in his grip like she might fall apart."I'm telling you, Miranda. You're my woman for life. You belong to me. You're not leaving this marri

Vanessa stood in the doorway with two large men.She tilted her head, voice light and innocent."Sis. Where are you off to so early?""Looking to die?""That'd be letting you off too easy."She waved a hand. The two men shoved inside and grabbed Mom.Mom didn't fight. She only glanced once in my direction, then shook her head to tell me not to come out.I bit down on my hand, eyes burning.Vanessa laughed aloud.She got close to Mom's ear, voice soft enough for just the two of them."Little secret for you. Remember your foster father? The one who disappeared? I had him sold to an illegal coal mine. He's probably been dead for years."Mom went rigid, staring at her like she'd been struck by lightning.Vanessa ticked off her fingers like she was counting trophies."Oh, and your foster mother's car accident? That was me too. She had the nerve to come make trouble for me."Mom's teeth were grinding. Her whole body was shaking."Vanessa Bennett, you're pure evil. You won't get away with thi

Dad turned and kicked Vanessa across the floor. She cried out and something spread red beneath her on the filthy ground.He barely noticed. He dragged her to the side of the bed."I brought the person who did this to you. Whatever you want to do to her, go ahead."Vanessa was sobbing, saying she was sorry, over and over. But it didn't reach Mom. Her spirit seemed to have already scattered.Until Dad told someone to bring me in. I ran crying to her side, and only then did one tear slip down her face."Sandra, don't come close. Mom is dirty."I paused, then gently wiped what I could from her and cried even harder.[System alert: death countdown. Five minutes.]My heart dropped into ice.I could see it, her face going grey in real time, her eyes slowly closing."Mom! Don't—"She felt my panic but couldn't comfort me anymore. She just moved her lips, barely audible."Sandra. Remember what Mom told you."Dad was unraveling beside me, talking to himself."You're not going to die. You're not.

Dad carried Mom into the back seat. I followed behind, crying so hard I couldn't make a sound. Vanessa hung her head, dragged by bodyguards like a dead thing.The car pulled slowly out of the alley, carrying the only person who had ever loved me.Outside, the sun was warm, but the world felt frozen solid.I didn't find out until later that the date was October 25th, the last sunny day of late autumn.Mom's funeral was held three days later. It was quiet and hardly anyone came, just me, Dad, and a few of her classmates. She had arrived in this world alone and left the same way.After what happened in the alley, Vanessa had been hospitalized with a threatened miscarriage and was still there on strict bed rest. Mom's biological mother was at the hospital with her, fussing over Vanessa around the clock.Before the burial, Dad made one last call to Mom's mother."Your daughter is gone. Aren't you going to see her off?"Her voice shrieked through the phone."She died in such disgrace and you

Dad walked out. Vanessa's parents erupted in curses behind him.His own parents had never liked the Bennetts. They called the housekeeper over and had them thrown out.Dad wanted everyone who'd hurt Mom to pay for it. That was his revenge. But it was only the beginning.He had made a vow in front of her grave. Every person who had hurt her would answer for it, every single one.And so the years passed.I grew up and took over the Carter Group. But Dad was never the same man again.In the year after Mom died, his hair went half white. His body broke down faster than anyone could explain, and no medication helped. The doctors said it was grief. There was no cure.He stopped being able to sleep, and when he finally did, he always dreamed of her. In the dream, she wore that pale blue dress from when they first met, standing under the pear blossom trees, smiling with her whole face.He would cry himself awake and lie in the dark, repeating the same words to the ceiling."Miranda. I was wron