All Chapters of The Father I Chose: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Less than six months after the divorce, Mom got married again.Her new husband was a divorcee too, and three years younger than she was.On their wedding day, Mom locked me in a storage closet and warned, "If you cause trouble for me, I swear I'll beat you to death!"By evening, the guests had left and the house had finally grown quiet. Only then did I sneak into the kitchen.I was making a cup of instant mac and cheese when I knocked over the electric kettle and boiling water splashed across me. I screamed. A door creaked open across the hall, and a man hurried in. "What happened? Where did it burn you?"He helped me up. He smelled faintly of tobacco and clean laundry, and somehow it wasn't unpleasant. "You're Andrew, right?"I nodded, swallowing as I stared at the bowls of nuts and snacks on his table. He offered me an armful of food, but after hesitating for several seconds, I didn't dare take any."Can you please not tell my mom?""Why not?""I broke the kettle. She'll hit

Chapter 2

My younger brother was handsome, with big eyes and a straight nose. Although we both shared the same parents, we looked nothing alike.He began modeling as a small child and earned real money. Everyone treated him like the center of the universe.More than once, our parents sighed, "If only Felix had been born first. Then there would never have been any need for Andrew."Even our names showed the difference.When my brother was born, my parents combed through baby-name books and even hired a professional naming consultant before settling on Felix Lennox, a name they said promised luck, happiness, and success.My name was Andrew Lennox. There was no special story behind it. Dad said I was simply the extra child nobody needed.That was why, during the divorce, my parents each grabbed one of Felix's arms and nearly came to blows over custody."Come with Dad, buddy. I'll buy you the newest game system, the best one there is, and take you overseas to see your favorite team play!""D

Chapter 3

My stepfather wasn't wealthy. If he had been, he probably wouldn't have married my mother, whose modest savings were one of her few appealing qualities.Mom controlled every dollar in the house. Whenever school fees were due, she would glare at me, pull a few wrinkled bills from a stack, and throw them at my head."School, school, school. Is studying going to kill you? All you know how to do is demand money. Raising a dog would be more worthwhile!""Why should I spend my money on you? Figure it out yourself next time. If you can't pay, quit and go work in a warehouse!"I worried constantly about lunch money and school expenses. Then Madison Clarke found me one day and tossed a handful of bills at my feet. "Want to make a deal?"Madison was a year below me and notorious for fighting. When the school first called her parents, she punched a male teacher in the office and broke his glasses. Her wealthy parents paid a large settlement, and the incident disappeared. After that, everyone

Chapter 4

Felix was class treasurer. Five hundred dollars in student activity money had disappeared from his desk.I demanded that the school review the security cameras, but a teacher said the system had been down for maintenance.Felix's eyes reddened. "It's all right, Andrew. If you admit what you did, I'll repay it for you. But you should stop spending so much time with Madison too. People might think you two are doing something shameful..."The room fell silent. My biological father arrived first, heard the accusation, and kicked me hard in the chest."You worthless brat! It's bad enough that you chase girls. Now you're corrupting your brother too? I'll beat the filth out of you!"Felix backed away in apparent alarm, looking utterly innocent. "What? Did I say something wrong? I only saw Andrew and Madison together behind the gym yesterday...""Don't be afraid, Felix. Your brother was born rotten. His mother refuses to control him, so I'll teach this bastard a lesson myself!"I pushed

Chapter 5

I played the video and watched Dad's face shift from gray to scarlet, like an overinflated balloon about to burst.The boy in the dim recording was Felix. Even in the poor lighting, his intimacy with Madison was unmistakable.Ten minutes later, Madison appeared in the doorway with her usual careless swagger. Dad went wild and grabbed for her collar."You vicious little girl! Do you have no parents? How dare you scheme against my son!"Madison shoved him away. Dad staggered and nearly fell, and an expensive tie clip dropped to the floor, making the scene painfully awkward.Felix threw himself in front of her. "Dad, if you touch her, you might as well beat me to death too. I don't want to live without her!"Dad nearly choked.I couldn't stop myself from laughing.Only then did Dad notice me. His voice softened instantly. "Andrew, can we pretend none of this happened? Your brother can't afford negative publicity right now."I spoke slowly. "And the fact that he framed me for stea

Chapter 6

The tutor, Ms. Meredith Price, seemed warm and patient, but during lessons she kept finding excuses to touch me.At first she brushed my hand while correcting assignments. Then she began touching my face and ears.Gradually, she leaned too close whenever I looked away and made suggestive jokes that left me deeply uncomfortable.I knew how hard my stepfather worked for the money, and I didn't want to create another problem for him. For the sake of my education, I endured Ms. Price again and again.But she grew bolder. One afternoon, when nobody else was home, she patted her thigh and smiled as she told me to come closer.I refused. She threatened me. Panicking, I struck her arm with a drinking glass. When my stepfather returned, Ms. Price dissolved into tears and complained:"I'm sorry, but I can't teach this boy. I criticized his poor work, and he attacked me!"Mom ordered me to apologize. When I refused, she pointed at me and screamed, "Andrew, I've indulged you long enough! Ap

Chapter 7

When Ms. Price returned, she barely bothered pretending. Within minutes, she was running her hand along my arm and staring at me with open interest.Swallowing my disgust, I snatched the utility knife from the desk and slashed toward her. She screamed as the blade cut the back of her hand.Her face twisted and she lunged at me. My stepfather burst from the next room, seized a mop handle, and struck her repeatedly."You predator! You touched my son! You touched my son!"When my stepfather said he had recorded everything and would report her to the police and licensing authorities, Ms. Price panicked. She dropped to her knees, sobbing and begging."Please don't report me. My husband will destroy me if he finds out!"I'll pay you seventy-five thousand dollars. If that isn't enough, I'll pay more. Please let me go. I don't want to go to prison!"Mom immediately urged us to accept the money. My stepfather turned on her too, pointing at her face. "Patricia, if you agree to that, I'll

Chapter 8

At the next practice exam, security was so strict that no answer key could be purchased. Afterward, the school held a combined awards assembly for the junior and senior classes. Dad arrived in sunglasses, bragging to everyone, "How did you know Felix Lennox is my son? Oh, it's nothing. First in his grade. Hardly worth mentioning."My stepfather attended too. Dad deliberately raised his voice. "Sharing a biological father means nothing. Some people are born stupid. Even excellent genes can't save them."Everyone knew Felix and I were brothers, and whispers spread. I patted my stepfather's arm and told him not to worry.The auditorium erupted twice. The first time was when I was announced as the top-ranked student. My stepfather went onstage glowing with pride, and the applause was thunderous. Parents surrounded him afterward, asking how he had raised me.The second eruption came when Felix's name was called. Dad shot toward the stage with his back straight, only for the principal to

Chapter 9

After graduation, I found a well-paid job. Later, I joined several older classmates in a startup and gradually built a company of my own.I bought my stepfather a luxury car and moved him from his small house into a beautiful estate. He couldn't resist posting a photograph online, and within a single night, every relative in existence came rushing toward us.Mom summoned me to dinner. A roomful of aunts, uncles, and cousins watched me hungrily and called me by increasingly affectionate nicknames."Look at our Andy! I held you when you were little and bought you candy. You remember that, don't you?""Exactly! Andrew is successful now, so the whole family should benefit. Give your cousin a management position. Family doesn't stand on ceremony!""We heard how well you treat your stepfather. A mansion and everything! But even if he were your biological father, he'd still be an outsider compared with your real relatives. Don't forget where you came from, Andrew."They talked over one

Chapter 10

After I began working, my biological father tried to contact me several times.Felix took the statewide entrance exam and claimed he had been admitted to a prestigious university. He even produced an acceptance letter. Gregory threw an enormous celebration and gave him seventy-five hundred dollars for a vacation.But when the semester began, Felix refused to go. Gregory dragged him to campus, where an administrator checked the records and said, "I'm sorry, but nobody named Felix Lennox was admitted here."Gregory was stunned. He kicked and struck Felix, demanding the truth. Felix dropped to his knees and admitted buying a fake acceptance letter online. His actual exam score was 157.That was 157 points across six subjects, not even enough for the least selective community program.Gregory forced him to repeat the year and hired expensive tutors. Every one of them quit within a week, even when he doubled their pay.Felix drifted through another year and scored 124, even lower than

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