Brother, This April Fools’ Day Is the Last One Chapter 04

Brother, This April Fools’ Day Is the Last One Chapter 04

I don’t know how long passed before I heard the front door open.

Everything inside me had gone quiet. It felt like the nightmares couldn’t reach me anymore.

The world had gone soft around the edges, almost gentle. Then I saw who came through the door, and every part of me seized.

Why him? Even then, my body remembered what he’d done. The fear was still there, wired deep into me.

Arthur came through the front door carrying an armful of bags, one hand steadying my father.

My father greeted him the way he always had, as if I’d never said a word about what he’d done.

Of course he did. In their minds, everything that happened was my fault.

My mother came in behind him, carrying flowers and gifts.

She was smiling as she came in. “Arthur, you really didn’t have to fly back just for Chloe’s birthday. You really shouldn’t have gone to all this trouble.”

Arthur smiled and shook his head. “You might not think so, but if I didn’t come, Chloe would make a scene. She might decide to accuse me of God knows what else.”

“The last time almost cost me my career. Honestly, I’m still shaken up over it.”

He said it like he truly meant it, like I was the one who’d hurt him. He wore the perfect expression of a man who’d been wronged.

Listening to him, you’d have thought the whole thing had been some scheme of mine and he was the one left picking up the pieces. My parents shifted uncomfortably, looking like they were the ones who owed him an apology.

I watched it all and something halfway between a laugh and a scream rose in my chest. They never trusted their own daughter, but this man, this man they believed without question.

“Chloe was young and sheltered, we share some of the blame for that. Growing up in Oakville, she never learned any better,” my father said.

“It won’t happen again. You have my word.” Arthur nodded.

“I heard Chloe’s doing well at school. Has she found a boyfriend yet?”

My mom shook her head. “With her looks? I’d be amazed if any boy gave her a second glance. If it comes down to it, her father and I will just have to support her.”

She said it like she was being generous. My whole life, they’d picked me apart piece by piece, my face, my body, my hair. Nothing was ever good enough for them.

I grew up believing I was ugly. It wasn’t until college that someone told me different.

For the first time, I thought maybe they’d been wrong about me.

“Are the kids not home?”

Arthur walked into my room like it belonged to him. He sat down on my bed without asking.

His gaze moved over everything in the room. Then he turned to my parents.

“Trust me, she’s got someone. You might want to watch that closely, you don’t want her ending up knocked up.”

He lied about me as easily as breathing.

Oliver and Lily came back while he was still talking about my supposed boyfriend.

The oven repair guy was just behind them. “Mom, Dad, the repair guy’s here.”

“You should take him to look at it. Weren’t you making roast turkey for Chloe tonight?”

Oliver called out to them, loud and deliberate. Mom waved the repairman toward the kitchen.

“This oven’s been broken for a while now. But my daughter wants roast turkey for her birthday.”

“It’s a good oven, big enough for a full turkey. I figured it was worth fixing.” She reached down and flipped the child lock open.

Something heavy thudded inside. My body, stiff and severely charred, tumbled out of the oven and hit the floor with a sickening thud. The scream that followed didn’t sound human.