Four Parents, Zero Love

Dominic Wexley and I were switched at birth and raised in the wrong families for eighteen years. After the truth came out, my adoptive parents couldn't bear to let him go, while my biological parents felt like they owed him. In the end, Dominic ended up with two sets of parents, while I became a stranger in both homes. My adoptive parents forgot my place at their New Year's Eve dinner. My biological parents' New Year's trip didn't include a ticket for me. I carried the holiday gifts I'd bought for both families and spent the entire New Year's Eve sitting alone in the hallway. The day I was diagnosed with leukemia, I learned I was still $400,000 short of the cost of my transplant. I knelt before all four of my parents and begged them to save me. Instead, they brought out $2.6 million to buy Dominic a retirement insurance policy. My biological mother, Elise Blackwell, tried to reason with me. "Dominic isn't in good health. We have to make sure he'll be taken care of in his old age." My adoptive father, Corbin Montclair, pushed a treatment refusal agreement toward me. "There's no guarantee your illness can be cured. Don't drag both families into this by spending all our money." But Dominic was only twenty-three. He wouldn't be able to collect that money until he turned sixty. I signed it anyway and added a sentence to the last page of the agreement. "From this day forward, we shall have no obligation to one another, in life or in death." I had barely walked out of the notary's office when the hospital called. "I'm sorry. The two test reports were switched. Dominic Wexley is the one who's sick. And out of everyone tested, you're the only match." But I'd already left both family group chats. Then, I called the insurance company. "If the policyholder doesn't live to sixty, can the money paid for the retirement policy be refunded?" Chapter 1 No Place for Me The insurance representative was silent for two seconds. "Sir, a retirement policy doesn't mean you have to live until sixty before you can collect anything. If the insured dies before then, the policy will pay out the death benefit according to the contract." I understood. If Dominic lived, he'd have a retirement payout. If he died, he could still leave a substantial sum to both families. Either way, the $2.6 million wouldn't go to waste, unless it was spent on me. I hung up and returned to the hematology department. The doctor, Griffin Ashford, pushed two reports toward me. "There was a labeling error when the samples were sent out. We went back and verified the genetic information. Your bloodwork is fine. Dominic is the one who actually needs the transplant." In the bottom-right corner of the report, all four parents had failed the compatibility test. Next to my name, it said, "Full Match." "He doesn't have much time. The hospital has already notified both families to come back for another round of testing." Griffin lowered his voice. "They may come looking for you." I pulled up the two newly signed agreements on my phone. The agreements severing our family ties—the ones they'd forced me to sign the day before because they were afraid I'd become a burden. Now, they were concrete proof that I had no further ties to them. A nurse came over to confirm my emergency contact. I changed the name from Elise to Maxwell Sterling. He'd been my college roommate, and he was also a lawyer. The night he found out I was sick, he drove through the night to see me and handed me the money he'd set aside to buy a house. My four parents couldn't even pool together $50,000. A friend I'd known for six years was willing to give me his down payment. I didn't have to die anymore. But I didn't have a family anymore, either. I had barely left the hospital when my adoptive mother, Sylvia Norwood, called. "Come home tonight and pack your things. Dominic isn't doing well and needs peace and quiet. We're giving him your room." The hospital hadn't even told them about the new test results. In their eyes, I was going to die soon. Yet, they were already in a hurry to clear out my room. "Got it." Sylvia paused, then added, "Today is the day Dominic's insurance takes effect. We're having dinner to celebrate. Don't ruin the mood, got it?" They'd bought a retirement policy for a twenty-three-year-old, and they were celebrating it. "Sure. I'll try not to spoil the evening." "And take whatever medicine you haven't finished with you. Dominic can't stand the smell of medicine. It's bad luck." … When I arrived at my adoptive parents' house, the code to the door had already been changed. I rang the doorbell three times. Lillian Montclair, my sister for eighteen years, finally came to open the door. She blocked the entrance. "Where are your shoe covers?" "I've lived here for a long time." "That was back then. Dominic likes things clean now." I put on the shoe covers before she finally stepped aside. There was a cake sitting in the living room. Written across the top were the words, "Wishing Dominic a Lifetime of Happiness." All four parents sat around the dining table, with six place settings. At my usual spot, there was nothing but a box of leftover food. Sylvia waved me over. "What are you standing there for? Come eat." Last New Year's Eve, they had their family dinner while I sat out in the hallway. This time, at least they saved me some leftovers. Perhaps I should even be grateful they'd shown me some last-minute kindness and treated me a little better, thinking I was about to die. Dominic sat between all four parents, four gold charms hanging around his neck. They were all blessings for a long life. He smiled at me. "Don't get the wrong idea, Lachlan. Our parents insisted on buying them." Corbin immediately chimed in, "It's just for good luck, unlike some people who were born unlucky and spend their whole lives blaming everyone else for it." I left my key on the cabinet by the door. "I'll leave as soon as I've packed my things. You won't have to change the door code again. I won't be coming back." My biological father, Rafael Wexley, scoffed. "Here we go again. Lachlan, who has time to put up with this every day?" I ignored him and pushed open my bedroom door. A family photo of the six of them sat on the table. I had been cut out of it. Once, that would have hurt. Now, it was exactly what I wanted. Chapter 2 What Was Owed I tossed the photograph into the trash and looked around the room that had once been mine but had now become Dominic's walk-in closet. My bed and desk were gone. His vacation photos covered the walls. One of them had been taken at Claremont Bay on New Year's Eve this year. My biological parents had watched the fireworks with him. He was wearing the black overcoat I'd saved up to buy. It had originally been kept in this room. I'd searched everywhere for it. Sylvia insisted I'd remembered wrong and told me not to blame everything on Dominic. Now, in the photograph, the letter "M" I'd sewn by hand inside the collar was perfectly clear. Dominic followed me inside. "Lachlan, I can give it back if you like it that much. I've already worn it, though. You won't mind, will you?" "I don't want it." He pursed his lips. "Are you still blaming me? Being switched at birth wasn't my fault. I never asked them to favor me." Every time he said that, all four of our parents would feel sorry for him. As if being the one everyone favored somehow made him the victim. I crouched down and rummaged through the trash bag. My diploma, family records, and the wooden box my grandmother had left me were all still there. The only thing missing was my bankbook. It held the $110,000 I'd earned and saved from working part-time since I was sixteen. Two months ago, Corbin had said he'd keep it for me. "Where's my bankbook?" Something flickered in Dominic's eyes. Sylvia stood in the doorway. "We've used the money for now. Dominic's insurance had to be paid in full, and it happened to be exactly $110,000 short." I stared at her. "You wouldn't spend your money to pay for my treatment, but you took mine to secure Dominic's future?" Sylvia's expression darkened. "What do you mean, your money? We gave you a roof and fed you for eighteen years. Didn't any of that cost money? Besides, what good would $110,000 do for a condition like yours?" Elise came over too. "Lachlan, don't get hung up on this. Dominic's insurance policy has beneficiaries. If anything happens to him in the future, the money will stay within the family." I realized what was going on. The money I'd saved to keep myself alive had been used to buy Dominic an insurance policy. If Dominic lived, he got the money. If Dominic died, they got it. Either way, there was never anything left for me. I turned on my phone's voice recorder. "The $110,000 in that bankbook is money I earned myself. My lawyer will be contacting you tomorrow." Corbin kicked the trash bag aside. "You're going to sue us? We raised you for eighteen years, and this is what we get? An ungrateful son? Let's settle it once and for all, then." I looked up at him. "I'll pay back every cent I owe you. And you'll return every cent you took from me." Dominic's eyes reddened as he grabbed Corbin's arm. "Don't be angry Dad. Lachlan is sick, and he's having a hard time right now. I'll give him the $110,000 out of my allowance." It sounded generous, but he didn't even ask for my bank details. Lillian walked in carrying a cake. "Dominic, why do you even bother? He won't be around for much longer, and now he wants to drag both families down with him." When she was twelve, she'd broken her leg, and I'd carried her two blocks to the hospital. After her surgery, she clung to me and cried, "Don't go, Lachlan. I'm scared." Now, she couldn't wait for me to die. I picked up my grandmother's wooden box. "Move." Lillian blocked the doorway. "There's another agreement tomorrow. Sign it, and we'll forget about the bankbook." Corbin spoke as though he were completely justified. "That way, when you die, we won't have all sorts of random people coming after us for your debts." "Fine." I held the wooden box tighter. "Then, I'll see you at the notary's office tomorrow." Dominic chased me out into the hall and pressed a bank card into my hand. "There's a thousand dollars on it. Buy yourself something good to eat." He was wearing a brand-new watch. The receipt was sitting right there on the table. It cost $188,000. I slipped the card back into his pocket. "Keep it. You'll have plenty of medical expenses to worry about later." His face went pale. "What do you mean?" The elevator doors slowly closed. I looked at him. "I hope you live a long life." Inside the apartment, Corbin shouted, "Bring your medical records tomorrow! The agreement needs to make it clear that your illness has nothing to do with either of our families!" Chapter 3 Nothing to Do with Each Other I already had my agreement printed when both families arrived at the notary's office the next day. Likewise, Corbin had hired a lawyer. Rafael even found an acquaintance to record the meeting. According to him, he was worried that someone might make up stories online and accuse them of refusing to save me after I died. The agreement was eight pages long, but it came down to three things. Firstly, I was voluntarily giving up treatment. I would be responsible for all future medical expenses and debts myself. And after my death, no one could pursue either family for anything in my name. When I remained silent, Sylvia sighed. "Lachlan, we don't want things to be this way either. But a transplant isn't guaranteed to work. Who can afford to pour hundreds of thousands into it, only to lose both the money and the person in the end." Elise immediately chimed in, "It's harsh, but she's not wrong. We can't bankrupt both families for one person." I looked up. "The doctor already confirmed that the full course of treatment for leukemia will only cost $400,000." Rafael frowned. "Why are you still talking about money? Dominic's insurance is already in effect. If we cancel it, we'll only get back a tenth of the premiums. That's his retirement savings. Stop eyeing it." The money could secure Dominic's retirement thirty-seven years from now. Yet, $400,000 wasn't worth spending to save me now. The lawyer turned to the final page. "Mr. Montclair, once you sign this, neither family will be responsible for your medical expenses anymore. Are you sure?" Corbin tapped the table. "You agreed yesterday. Don't change your mind now." Dominic sat between all four parents, wearing the $188,000 watch on his wrist. When he noticed me looking, he tugged his sleeve over it. "Lachlan, why don't I give you my allowance? It isn't much, but it can cover part of your hospital stay." Sylvia immediately took hold of his arm. "Keep your money and focus on taking care of yourself. We'll handle his situation." Dominic's eyes reddened. "But Lachlan is family too." Rafael patted him on the shoulder. "You're just too kind." I was the one who was dying. Yet, everyone in the room was comforting him. I picked up the pen and added three more clauses to the agreement. First, from the date of signing, the two families and I would have no further contact with one another. Second, neither side would have any further obligations to support, care for, or provide financial assistance to the other. And third, from that point forward, regardless of which side fell ill, went into debt, or needed a bone marrow transplant, an organ transplant, or any other medical assistance, neither party could demand help from the other on the grounds of family ties. Corbin laughed when he finished reading. "Who are you trying to scare with this? The four of us are in perfect health. Do you really think we'll ever need anything from you?" Lillian leaned against the door, scrolling through her phone. "Bone marrow, organs… You're acting like you're so special." Sylvia, however, looked displeased. "You and Dominic are brothers. If something really happens to him someday, could you honestly stand by and let him die?" I looked at Dominic. "What if I were the only one who could save him?" Dominic froze. Elise spoke first. "Of course you'd have to save him. When someone's life is on the line, if you still hold a grudge over something that happened in the past, you'd be no better than a beast." So refusing to save someone who was dying made me a beast. Yet, when I was the one dying, they told me not to drag both families down with me. "Fine. I'll remember that." I signed my name. All four parents signed one after another. Dominic also signed as a witness. … When the recording was over, Elise handed me a bank card. "There's $30,000 on it. Make it last." Corbin added, "Don't spend it all on treatment. When you die, you'd still need money for the funeral." I pushed the card back. "Give it to Dominic. He's still thirty-seven years away from sixty. He needs the money more than I do." I handed the notarized agreement to Maxwell, picked up the wooden box, and left. Just then, Sylvia called after me. "Take pictures of your ID, bank cards, and hospital paperwork and send them to us. Dominic's life insurance beneficiary designation needs to be updated." She avoided my eyes. "You don't have many days left anyway. Better to take care of some things while you're still alive. It'll save us the trouble after you're gone." Chapter 4 The Truth They Never Expected I never sent them the documents. That evening, both families showed up at the apartment where I was renting. Elise knocked on my door for more than ten minutes. "Lachlan, open up. We'll grab a few things and leave." Standing outside were my biological parents, my adoptive parents, Lillian, and Dominic. All six of them. Anyone who didn't know better might have thought they couldn't bear to leave me. Corbin stepped inside and looked around. "You live in a place like this? This has to be two grand a month, right? You're not going to be here much longer anyway. Why waste money on a place this expensive?" Elise shot him a look before turning to me, her voice softening. "Lachlan, give me your ID. The insurance company needs us to provide proof of our family relationship again." "Why does Dominic's insurance need my ID?" No one answered. Finally, Rafael spoke. "Aren't you about to die? Once you're gone, your estate could become a mess. We should get everything sorted out while we still can. It'll be better for everyone." They didn't just want my bankbook. They wanted to divide up everything I'd leave behind after I died, too. Maxwell came out of the bedroom and propped his phone up on the table. "Go ahead. I'm recording." Corbin's expression changed. "What business is this of yours? You're an outsider. Why are you sticking your nose into our family affairs?" Maxwell gave a cold laugh. "Yesterday, when the six of you pressured him to give up treatment, why didn't you consider him family?" Elise hurried to stop Corbin. "Lachlan, if you cooperate, you'll still get the $30,000. Consider it the last thing we can do for you." The last thing they could do for me. It was barely enough to buy a plot in a cemetery. I took out my ID but didn't hand it over. "Whatever you need to do, let Maxwell see the paperwork first." Lillian was getting impatient. "Do you really have to make such a big deal out of this? You're practically dying. What good are your things going to do you? Better to give them to Dominic than let some outsider get them." "When you were sixteen and had your appendix removed, who took three days off work to stay with you?" She looked away. "Why do you keep bringing up the past? You're my brother. Wasn't taking care of me what you were supposed to do?" "He's your brother, too." I pointed at Dominic. "Why am I always the one who has to do everything I'm supposed to, while he gets everything?" Dominic's eyes immediately turned red. "Lachlan, don't blame Lillian. If you can't bear to give it up, then I don't want it." He said he didn't want it, but he never stepped out from behind our parents. And none of them actually asked him to give anything back. Sylvia pulled him into her arms. "Don't mind him. He's bitter and angry at everyone." Rafael's expression darkened. "You're dying already. Don't make things unpleasant for everyone." I put my ID away. "Then, all of you can leave." Corbin suddenly swept the medicine boxes off the table. "What kind of attitude is that? We came here out of the goodness of our hearts, and you're acting like this?" The fever medicine rolled to Dominic's feet. He bent down to pick it up, and all the color drained from his face. Sylvia immediately caught him. "Are you dizzy again?" "Maybe it's because I haven't been sleeping well lately." Elise hurried them along. "Let's go. We can't let Dominic be around someone who's sick." The six of them crowded around him as they left. Not one of them asked whether I was dizzy or whether I'd taken my medicine. … Ten minutes later, my landlord sent me a message. My adoptive parents had ended my lease for me. They told him I was seriously ill and might die in the apartment, which could make it harder for him to rent it out later. He gave me three days to move out. Furious, Maxwell called Corbin. "He's sick, and you kicked him out. Where is he supposed to go?" Corbin answered as if it were obvious, "There are hospital rooms. We already signed the agreement. Where he lives has nothing to do with us." I took the phone from Maxwell. "That's right. From now on, where you live has nothing to do with me, either." Corbin gave a cold laugh. "We have a son and a daughter. We'll never have to come begging to you." The call was still connected. Then, Dominic's weak voice suddenly came from inside the car. "Dad, I'm so cold." All four parents immediately panicked. Someone told the driver to turn around, while another took off their coat. All this while, a person kept reassuring him. Maxwell looked at me. "Should I hang up?" I was just about to end the call when a doctor's urgent voice came through the phone. "Are all four of Dominic's family members there?" All four answered at once, "We're here." The doctor paused. "There was a mix-up with the labels on the two blood samples we sent for testing. We've confirmed both identities." The car fell completely silent. Elise asked in a trembling voice, "What does that mean?" "Lachlan does not have leukemia. It's Dominic."