Chapter 2

Hayden slept soundly. He even dreamed that he had returned home to his foster family, the Caldwells. Life with the Caldwells had been simple, but at least he didn't have to walk on eggshells around them. To some extent, his foster parents had provided for him like he was their own. A series of loud bangs against his bedroom door pulled him from the wonderful dreamscape, and he bolted upright. He rubbed his eyes and reluctantly got out of his bed. When he opened the door, he was greeted by a beautiful but angry face. "It's dinnertime!" Julia snapped. "Morgan called you about half a dozen times, but you just stayed inside your room and refused to come out. What are you throwing a fit for anyway?" Hayden blinked, then frowned. He hadn't heard Morgan calling him at all. He was a light sleeper on account of his neurasthenia, and the slightest sound would affect his slumber. Previously, Morgan tended to blast music in his room, often at the highest volume. Hayden could hear it even though the former had closed his door. Furious as Hayden was, he couldn't bring himself to complain about the noise and had chosen to suffer in silence. As time went on, the lack of sleep wore on his nerves and led to his neurasthenia. If anyone had called out to him, he would have heard. "You should have asked him how he had called me earlier," Hayden said coldly. Julia glowered at him and did not bother with a response before storming off. Too lazy to pick a fight, Hayden just followed her out. Everyone was waiting at the dining table when Hayden arrived. "You've finally decided to join us, haven't you? Who do you think you are to throw a fit? Leave those crude values you were taught at the door and sit down for dinner! Don't you feel bad for making us wait?" Francis thundered, leveling a mutinous look at Hayden. The rest of the family remained quiet as they sat at the dining table, as if they were watching a show. They only shot Hayden a dirty look every once in a while to show their unhappiness at his tardiness. "Do you expect me to feel bad?" Hayden countered, frowning as his heart sank. He stared at Francis, feeling the gap widen between them despite their kinship. Francis had no fatherly love for him, only spite and distance. "It's my fault, Dad. I just wanted to let Hayden sleep a little more. Maybe he would have woken up if I'd knocked a little louder," Morgan said, pressing his lips together as guilt wove across his features. He looked so apologetic that one might think that he had borne the brunt of Francis' anger. Hayden snorted derisively and regarded Morgan with a mocking look. He had heard Morgan's self-pitying words too many times, and only the rest of the Sterling family would fall for them. "What are you snorting at?" Francis barked, his palm slamming against the marble top of the dining table. The thud was loud and crisp, and everyone jolted in their seats. "I was diagnosed with neurasthenia during the last checkup, and I'm sensitive to noise. I would have woken up if he'd called me, which makes me wonder if he really did," Hayden said, casting an icy look at Morgan. "What the hell are you talking about? Neurasthenia? That's because you stay up late reading and gaming! You're just used to late hours!" Francis seethed. "Sure," Hayden said as a self-effacing chuckle escaped him. He did not bother to argue with Francis, for the older man had said the same thing after Hayden's checkup. He didn't care that his son was suffering from neurasthenia at all. "Dad, stop it. Let's eat before the food gets cold," Morgan urged. "Mom, Julia, and Lily are waiting for us to begin." "How considerate of you, Morgan," Charlotte praised lovingly, ruffling Morgan's hair. She looked at him with nothing but affection and pride. Hayden's heart nearly bled as he watched Charlotte dote on Morgan. If this was kinship, he certainly did not feel it. Was this what having a mother felt like? "I'll let you off the hook this time, but only because Morgan had asked. Get yourself a plate of food and eat in the corner. "Think about what you did wrong today while you're at it too. I want to see repentance on your part," Francis ground out icily without sparing Hayden another glance. The rest of the Sterlings were used to Francis' treatment of Hayden and said nothing. It was practically a daily routine for Hayden to be sent to the corner during dinner. More often than not, it was out of punishment for the things that Morgan had framed him for. Other times, it was because Francis was annoyed by his presence, so he picked on every little thing Hayden did. But this time, Hayden did not back down. He did not move while the others picked up their utensils and helped themselves to the lavish spread before them. As he watched them, he felt like he was sticking out like a sore thumb, or more accurately, an outsider. He had no place in this happy family; he was just a thorn in their side. Kinship was bullshit at this point. Francis let out a low, displeased hum. "What are you gawking at? Didn't you hear what I said?" he barked. Everyone else at the table turned to look at Hayden then, and they were shocked to see him still standing in place. Normally, he would have fixed himself a plate and left the table without another word. He had never been one to rebel, so what had brought on this change? "I don't think I did anything wrong. Do let me know if I did," Hayden countered, straight-backed and shoulders squared like he was challenging Francis' authority. Francis roared, "Have you no shame? You peeped at Lily while she was showering and stole her bra, yet you're asking what you did wrong! Did you pick up such depraved behavior from the orphanage and the Caldwells? "This is more than just a petty mistake! You have gone against morals! It's a corruption of one's virtues. You disgust me!" Losing his appetite, he hurled his plate at Hayden. The plate flew across the room in a smooth arc and struck Hayden squarely on the head with a loud thud. At once, the porcelain shattered, and Hayden's head started to bleed. The blood streaked past his face and dripped to the floor, blooming across the plush carpet. A deathly silence filled the dining room at that moment. None of the Sterlings thought that Francis would hurl a saucer at Hayden with enough force to make him bleed. They were even more surprised that Hayden did not dodge the attack. Julia and Lily exchanged a look, realizing that things were getting out of hand. Their gazes were cold as they stared at Hayden, and their faces were devoid of any concern or fear for his safety. Charlotte, on the other hand, had thrown her arms around Morgan to shield his head from the flying pieces of porcelain. Morgan peeked through the gap in her arms at Hayden, the challenge and triumph clear in his eyes. "W-Why didn't you dodge?" Francis demanded incredulously. Hayden said nothing as he tried to breathe through the dizziness that came over him. He had wanted to dodge, but he was too weak to react in time. But it had all worked out in his favor, anyway. He took this as a gambit for an ultimatum. "Mr. Sterling, I'll bring Mr. Hayden to the hospital and see to his wounds," a housekeeper said as she hurried to the table. "There's no need for that, Stephanie," Hayden said softly. She was probably the only person in the Sterling residence who had shown him any kindness. Whenever he missed a meal, she would cook him something and bring it to his room. Francis resumed his usual icy demeanor and snapped, "It looks like a small scrape to me. Wash up in the bathroom if you can manage it. "The carpet you're standing on is real fur and costs me no less than a few thousand dollars. If you get blood on it and it won't wash out, I'll throw you out of this house for good!" Hayden let out a self-deprecating laugh. "I see. So, you want me to clean the carpet and not my wound." He should have known that Francis wouldn't come around even at this crucial moment. Slowly lifting his head, he let out a long sigh and felt the weight lift off his chest. The blood on his face was a jarring, menacing sight as he drawled, "I won't be cleaning the carpet. I'll leave now and never come back."