His Exclusive Favor

I drifted in and out of consciousness for a long time, only waking up when a parched throat forced me to.

Desperate for water, I struggled out of bed, stumbling along the walls as I left my room.

In the kitchen, I overheard my dad, speaking in hushed tones over the phone.

“Hey, honey, I’ll be back soon. Could you pick up our son for me?”

My heart froze. In that instant, everything clicked into place.

My dad, the one I thought loved me the most, had another family – a wife, a child.

So that’s why he always took my sister’s side. He was afraid the truth would get out, and it would ruin things for him.

I was nothing but a convenient sacrifice, a means to keep his two worlds in balance.

The realization hit me like a slap.

The man I believed cared about me never truly did.

Ha! What a perfect calculation.

I had always believed that my dad loved me the most, but the truth was, he never really loved me at all.

All along, I was nothing but a pathetic fool, abandoned by love.

He turned and spotted me, his face going pale. “How much did you hear?” he demanded, trying to sound authoritative but failing.

“Dad... I’m dying,” I cried out, hoping that maybe, just maybe, he’d wake up to the reality and care for me in my last moments.

But he merely frowned, frustrated. “Anna, stop making a scene. Can’t you just be reasonable for once?”

My last shred of hope shattered into a thousand pieces.

At that moment, my mom walked in, her mask finally slipping as she snapped, “All these years, and you’re still around? Always pretending to be at death’s door just to get attention.”

My sister clapped mockingly, sneering, “Finally, good riddance! Maybe now I won’t be embarrassed every time someone asks about you.”

The three people I called family turned on me, united in their disdain.

Fury surged through me, nearly making me cough up blood again.

Stumbling, I turned on my heel and staggered out of the house.

I left that hellhole behind without a shred of regret.

I wasn’t looking back.