I turned on my laptop and hurriedly compiled questions for interviews. Then, I contacted a friend who was a lawyer and had him draw up a divorce agreement for me.
…
When I returned to the old settlement, it was in a mess. I set aside my personal matters and started contacting rescue services on behalf of the injured. My heart was heavy when I saw the damage.
For some reason, the earthquake’s aftereffects seemed particularly severe in this area. I looked at the detonators that had been laid around the old settlement to carve out a new path, and a sense of unease rose within me.
That was when someone suddenly kicked me hard from behind. I was caught off guard and fell to the ground, landing on the debris from the earthquake. My face and hands were cut and scratched from the fall.
Hector’s voice rang out behind me. He sounded furious as he snarled, “Are you a stalker or something? I can’t believe you came all the way here to try to catch Benjamin and Jennifer red-handed! What’s wrong with you?”
I didn’t know when this had happened, but he seemed to have forgotten what our mother had looked like after Lisa had forced her to her death. Now, he was nothing more than Jennifer’s lapdog.
If this was what my brother was going to be like, I didn’t want him anymore!
I silently got up and dusted myself off. Then, I approached him, my face devoid of emotion. I slapped him hard.
His head turned to the side from the force. He turned back to stare at me in disbelief, not expecting me to retaliate.
Before he could say or do anything, I said in disgust, “Stop thinking you guys are worth my time and effort. Since you adore Jennifer so much, you can spend the rest of your life being her dog. That slap was for what you did to me. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other.”
I ignored his angry look and turned away to continue interviewing the earthquake victims. In the distance, Benjamin approached with a pale-looking Jennifer in his arms.
A trace of diffidence flashed in his eyes as he said, “I forgot to wish you a happy birthday yesterday, Sammy. I’ll head home once the excavation works here are done, and we can celebrate then.”
