love this book #stories #torturous #pretendingtobepoor #fyp #usa

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[00:00:00]My folks, loaded beyond belief, were convinced my brother Danny and I were going to turn into spoiled brats. So, they stuck us with the grunt work, flying the crappiest, longest routes imaginable. Then came the Cambodia gig.

[00:00:09]The whole place erupted in chaos, a straight-up riot. Our return flight, canceled. I panicked and called my parents, begging them to send a private plane. Their response, ice cold. Pilots don't bail when things get tough, Alan.

[00:00:19]You need to handle this. Just get on that plane when it finally leaves, and that's that. Seriously, we were screwed.

[00:00:23]Scrambling, pulling every string we could find, we managed to snag two tickets home. But get this, on the day of the flight, my phone buzzed. Refund confirmed. Our tickets, gone. I was about to call the airline, ready to scream, when Mom and Dad rang. If everyone else can tough it out, why should you be treated special? We canceled those tickets. You're not getting back on anything but that damn company plane. Then bam, they hung up, blocking us from buying any other way out. Eventually, everyone else stuck over there got rescued, but not us.

[00:00:45]Danny got caught in the crossfire, killed in the riots. I barely made it, saved by the skin of my teeth, thanks to the embassy. Numb, I was arranging Danny's funeral when I saw a post from our adopted brother, Kevin. Thank you to the best parents ever, who were worried about me being in danger abroad and sent 10 planes to bring me home. This time, I didn't blow a gasket like I used to. I just calmly hit like, then commented, "Your parents are the best. Hope you all live happily ever after." The funeral home was freezing. I took the tissues the staff handed me. The jarring ringtone of my phone cut through the silence. The screen flashed, Dad. The yelling started the second I answered.

[00:01:14]Alan, what the hell is wrong with you?

[00:01:15]Kevin's freaking out because of your comment. Won't even touch his dinner. I let out a bitter laugh. Just stating the obvious. Kevin is way more like your real son than Danny and I ever were. A beat of silence on the other end. Then Mom's voice, softer. Alan, Kevin's studying in a country with some unrest nearby. We were worried. That's why we sent the planes. As his brother, you should be understanding. Don't always go after Kevin. Go after him? I scoffed.

[00:01:35]Like I have a right to. Dad's voice, rough again. Why are you even explaining this to him? I don't need his permission to bring my son home. Apologize to Kevin, or you and Danny can stay in Cambodia for good. With the riots going on, you might as well just die there.

[00:01:45]That last, cruel wish broke me. Tears welled up. So, they knew people were dying in the riots. They deliberately put me and Danny in the line of fire.

[00:01:52]Since we were kids, it had been this way. The second Kevin felt even a little slighted, we'd be getting yelled at.

[00:01:57]Then they'd use every weapon at their disposal to force us to apologize. In their eyes, Kevin was brilliant and kind, while Danny and I were just toxic and selfish. That's why they worried about us abusing our power in the company. They hid our family ties from the world, stuck us on the toughest routes, and made us start from the bottom. Just before this trip to Cambodia, news broke that the place was about to explode. Mom and Dad knew it was dangerous, but they still forced us to go. Danny and I tried to refuse, but they started with the you're too privileged and act like spoiled millionaires routine. They guilt-tripped us with the whole we brought you into this world speech, and we finally caved.

[00:02:26]When the riot started, they not only refused to help us, but they canceled our flight, blocking us from getting home. Meanwhile, Kevin was studying in Europe, completely safe. But because they were afraid something might happen to him, they sent a fleet of private planes and bodyguards to escort him back. We were their biological sons, and they treated us like garbage. Kevin was just adopted, yet he got all the love and support in the world. Poor Danny, even in his last moments, was trying to make excuses for them. Mom and Dad probably didn't know what was really happening. That's why they wouldn't let us come home. Don't hate them. Just live your life. Thinking about Danny's blown-apart body, a wave of rage crashed over me. Apologize? Over my dead body.

[00:02:57]Never. You got Danny killed. Are you