Chapter 2She Drained My Brother Dry for Him

The moment Natalie finished speaking, Madeline grabbed my phone and began shouting furiously into it. "Natalie Jett! That's enough from you! Julian's brother just died, and you're still—"

But before Madeline could finish speaking, Natalie hung up.

Hearing the dead dial tone on the other end of the line, she angrily smashed the phone to the ground.

Turning to me, she said, "If you're certain you want to leave in a week, I'll make sure she can never find you again."

…

As promised, Madeline made the arrangements for Micah's funeral. By the time it was finished and I returned home, it was already midnight.

The front door of the house wasn't completely closed, and voices drifted out from inside.

"Nat, will he really be okay? He had a lot of blood drawn from him. I didn't even need that much."

A woman's voice responded, "What's the big deal? He's just a vegetable. I'm just teaching Julian a lesson. Being a mobile blood bank means he has to come whenever he's called.

"I threw whatever blood we didn't use into the trash. After all, it has to be fresh for your health…"

Natalie's casual words stabbed straight through my heart.

Three years ago, Micah got into a car accident and was left comatose. It had been a hit-and-run.

When I had nowhere else to turn, Madeline agreed to arrange the best possible medical care for Micah and promised he would receive treatment until he recovered.

In return, I had to marry Natalie.

Under Madeline's arrangements, Natalie and I got married. Our relationship could be considered stable.

Natalie had not been as resistant to the marriage as I had expected either.

That was until one day, she discovered the deal between Madeline and me.

"So you only married me to pay for treatment for your vegetative brother?" she accused me. "You and my mom conspired to trick me so that Henry could return and inherit the company!"

Henry Jett was her half-brother on her mother's side. He was an illegitimate son.

From that point onward, my relationship with Natalie grew increasingly strained.

She believed that my existence was forcing her to give way to the illegitimate son and preventing her from obtaining her share of the Jett family's assets.

To get back at me, she began cheating on me repeatedly.

Every compromise I made in an attempt to preserve our marriage had ultimately cost me the life of my only remaining family.

Perhaps hearing movement, Natalie's head snapped up.

The moment she saw me, the gentle expression on her face quickly turned to disgust.

"Didn't you go running to my mom to complain? How dare you come back!

"Do you know that Andy nearly passed out from anemia because you were late? You should be grateful that your brother was available!"

Natalie had not noticed the urn containing Micah's ashes in my arms and simply continued hurling accusations at me.

Beside her, Andy smiled at me and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Julian. Nat is only worried about my health. But you really need to come earlier next time. After all, you're my mobile blood bank."

"Why should I give you my blood?" I cut him off before he could finish speaking.

Andy's face went pale, and he looked at Natalie with an aggrieved expression.

Natalie frowned, then said arrogantly, "Don't forget that your useless brother is still counting on the Jett family for his medical bills. Also, you live under my roof and on my money. What right do you have to refuse?"

Her words sent a sharp stab through my heart.

"Micah is dead! You can't threaten me with him anymore. I'm done caring about you, and I'm done being your mobile blood bank."

I hugged the urn tightly against my chest, my tears falling one by one onto it.

Natalie looked somewhat stunned. She stood up and stormed toward me.

"What? Have you finally decided that Micah is a burden? That's why you're cursing him to death now? Aren't you afraid your curse will come true?

"Fine. Let's see whether you're lying."

With that, she called Micah's attending physician, but the doctor immediately denied it.

"Ms. Jett, Micah Larsen is fine. He's still receiving treatment."

My eyes widened in shock. Before I could even react, Natalie's palm struck my face.