Chapter 6

"Let's play a game, my dear brother." Those words haunted Julian throughout his childhood. He was the middle child of the family, sandwiched between an older brother and a younger sister. His parents poured all their attention on his sister. They were too busy to take care of him, so they handed him off to Nathan. At the time, Nathan was barely in his teens. He should have been enjoying school with his friends, but instead, he was trapped at home, forced to babysit a toddler. He resented it deeply, but he never dared to take that out on his parents. Instead, he directed his anger at Julian and would beat and yell at him endlessly. "Stop hitting me! If you do it again, I'll tell Mom and Dad!" The young Julian would sob helplessly in an attempt to threaten Nathan with their parents. One day, Nathan returned Julian's threats with a twisted smile. "Let's play a game, my dear brother." Then, he picked up Julian's toy and smashed it against his forehead. Blood gushed down his face, but he just kept smiling. "The game's called 'Who would Mom and Dad believe?' and we'll both go crying to them. We'll see whose side they take!" Then, Nathan dropped the toy and began wailing. "Jules! Stop hitting me, please. Don't hit your big brother like that! It really hurts!" The young Julian had completely frozen in fear. The crimson blood and twisted smile on Nathan's face had left him unable to utter a single word. And of course, their parents believed Nathan's words. They locked Julian in his room and beat him up. After Nathan discovered the power of playing the victim, he would frequently beat up Julian in secret, then injure himself. He would then cry for help and snitch to their parents. It was his favorite game. He stopped it after they grew up, but now, after all these years, Nathan brought the game back. A sharp, blood-curdling scream rang through the entire house. Nathan lay crumpled at the base of the stairs, soaked in a pool of his own blood. Bianca rushed over immediately. The moment she saw him, her face twisted into menacing fury. She turned and glared at Julian. Her eyes held nothing but hatred, but she said nothing. Bianca barked at the maids to help her lift Nathan into the car. They raced him to the hospital without another glance at Julian. Saving Nathan was all that mattered to them now. Soon after, Julian was hit by a flurry of fists from his parents and in-laws. They dragged him like a criminal to the hospital. "Bianca, you said over the phone that Nathan lost too much blood," said Douglas, his voice tight with worry. "If he needs blood, take it from him! He has the same blood type as Nathan!" Douglas gripped Julian's ear and yanked him forward as he walked toward the emergency room. "He's the one who pushed Nathan down the stairs. He should pay for it. Take all of his blood if that's what it takes to save Nathan!" There was more than enough blood in the hospital supply, yet they refused to use it. They insisted on drawing blood from Julian to supply Nathan.