Chapter 101 The Fall of Brotherhood
DAVID
I stepped out of the tutoring room, Janet trailing behind me, her curious gaze boring into the side of my head. She’d been waiting to pounce with questions ever since she overheard bits of my conversation earlier.
"Spit it out," I said without looking at her.
Her lips quirked into a triumphant smile. "So, Desmond is your friend?"
I stopped mid-step and turned to her. "Correction was my friend. My ex-best friend."
Her eyebrows shot up. "Wow. What happened? I mean, I heard him say he tried to poison you"
"He didn’t try. He did poison me," I cut her off, my tone sharper than I intended.
Janet’s eyes widened, her expression a mix of shock and intrigue. She clasped her hands in front of her, giving me that infamous puppy-dog face she always used to fish for details.
"Don’t even start with that face," I said, pinching the bridge of my nose. "It doesn’t work on me."
She didn’t budge.
"Fine. I’ll tell you if you drop the face," I said, exasperated.
She grinned, slipping her arm through mine as we strolled towards the balcony. The evening breeze brushed against us, carrying with it the faint scent of jasmine from the garden below.
"Desmond and I grew up together," I began, leaning against the balcony railing. "Same neighborhood, same schools. We were inseparable."
Janet’s mouth hung open in disbelief.
"You might want to close that," I teased. "Unless you’re trying to catch flies."
She snapped her mouth shut but continued staring at me. "I can’t believe this. Why can’t I remember him?"
"Because you were a tiny, clueless toddler back then," I said, flicking her forehead lightly.
"Hey!" She laughed, rubbing the spot.
I let out a soft chuckle before my expression turned serious. "Things started changing when Desmond realized I was better than him at... well, everything. Sports, academics, you name it. And to make things worse, the girls" I paused, glancing at her.
Janet’s eyebrows arched. "What about the girls?"
"They cheered for me. Not him. Especially during basketball games." I sighed. "And then there was the cheerleader the one girl he was obsessed with who decided to ask me out."
Janet gasped, nearly spilling her drink. "Wait, wait, wait. Are you saying you turned her down?"
"Of course I did," I said firmly. "How could I date the only girl Desmond cared about? He was my best friend."
She set her glass down, her tone softer now. "But he didn’t see it that way, did he?"
I shook my head. "No. When he found out, he punched me. Hard. Right here." I touched my cheek, the phantom pain still lingering in my memory. "It hurt, but I didn’t fight back. I couldn’t. He was my friend."
Janet frowned. "What happened after that?"
"He stopped talking to me. Completely shut me out. I thought if I convinced the cheerleader to date him, things would go back to normal. So I did."
"You did what?" Janet’s voice rose in disbelief.
"I told her to date him," I repeated. "For me. To save our friendship."
She let out a low whistle. "That’s... unexpected. Did it work?"
I laughed bitterly. "No. Not even close. He still ignored me. And instead of reconciling, he started hanging out with Eden."
"Wait, Eden?" Janet’s eyes narrowed. "Our brother Eden?"
"Yeah," I said, my tone hardening. "They became inseparable. I got kicked off the football team, so I joined another and made sure we crushed them every chance we got."
Janet leaned forward, her curiosity brimming. "And then?"
"After graduation, I got a text from Desmond. He wanted to meet, said he didn’t want us to leave things on bad terms. I was thrilled. I thought he’d finally come to his senses." My voice faltered. "But when I got there, it wasn’t just him. Eden was there. And so were all our old friends."
Janet’s grip tightened on her glass. "What happened?"
"They ambushed me. Desmond handed me a drink, smiling like we were all buddies again. I should’ve known better, but I drank it anyway. A few minutes later, I started coughing. Blood. I couldn’t believe it. I looked at him, asking why, and he just smiled."
Her face paled. "What did he say?"
"He said I deserved it for outshining him, for treating him like a nobody, for being better at everything. He said he was tired of being in my shadow." I clenched my fists. "And Eden... our brother... just stood there. Watching. Smirking."
Janet’s eyes brimmed with tears. "David, I…"
"I ran. Desmond said I’d die soon, but I ran anyway. Emily the cheerleader followed me. She gave me an antidote, said it would neutralize the poison. I didn’t trust her, but I had no choice. I took it."
"What happened next?"
"I made it home. Grandpa rushed me to the hospital, but the antidote had already worked. After that, I vowed never to trust anyone again. I made sure Desmond’s family lost everything. Same with Eden. None of them escaped."
Janet placed a hand on mine. "You did what you had to do. Don’t let the past consume you."
I turned to her, my voice cold. "It’s not about the past, Janet. It’s about justice. Desmond thought he could hurt me and walk away? He’ll pay. And so will Eden."
She nodded solemnly. "They’ll regret what they did to you."
I stared out at the dark horizon, my mind racing. They hadn’t just hurt me they’d tried to destroy me. But I’d risen from the ashes, stronger and more determined than ever.