"So, your parents treat you like shit?" Aiden said, "how?"
The two sat in the class eating food from Aiden's lunch box which was made by Yuki.
Harlan became quiet when he was asked this, what was he supposed to say? That his parents took his blood to save their other son? What if Aiden thought that he was selfish and ungrateful, what if Aiden thought that he was a cruel person who couldn't even donate his blood to his brother's life.
Harlan felt a lump in his throat and he wasn't able to answer that, "just forget that, tell me about your family; do you have siblings?"
Aiden smiled and said, "Yes, I do. I am not that close to my parents; they are both idiots, but I love my sister; she is the light of my life. She is nine years older than me and has practically raised me more than my parents."
Harlan smiled as Aiden continued, "you can say that I love my sister more than my parents."
Harlan licked his lips and asked, "so... if your sister fell sick and needed blood, would you donate it to her?"
"In a heartbeat, I will do everything I can to cure her, even if it means donating my organs; after all she is precious to me. Besides, how can anyone turn their backs on a person who has always been there for you, especially if that person is family?"
Harlan sighed as he kept the spoon down and leaned back on the chair. He once again stared out of the window. Aiden saw that he noticed the change in his mood and said, "What happened? You look down."
Harlan offered him a smile and said, "It's nothing."
"Aren't you going to eat more?"
"Nah, I am okay."
"Are you sure?"
Harlan just gave him a reassuring smile and said, "Yeah, I am."
Aiden sighed, but then he looked at Harlan's phone and saw his wallpaper. "Who is she?"
Harlan looked at his wallpaper and smiled. "That's my grandmother."
Aiden stared at the photo and said, "Wow, she is cute, and that's a pretty ring that she is wearing."
"It was given to her by my grandfather. This ring is quite old."
"Oh, that's why it seems so big on her finger; it must be expensive, but she is cute."
"Yeah, she is, the ring is worth some thousand dollars or something."
"Ooh."
~~
"Harlan, why don't you come and sit with us?" his mother asked.
Harlan rolled his eyes and, without saying a word, walked out of the house. His father got up and yelled, "Come back here brat."
Harlan turned around and faced his father, Harlan was taller than his father, and he was proud of his height. He smirked as he said, "Or what? Huh or what? Are you going to hit me? Try me, because I have learned to hit back."
"You son of a bitch!"
"Yeah, your wife is really a bitch." His father got so angry that he grabbed the nearest dish and hurled it at Harlan who dodged it.
"Dad, please calm down." Zane got up, "If he does not want to come then it's fine."
Harlan just huffed and walked out of the house; his mood was spoiled for that day.
"You look like you are in a bad mood, what happened?" Aiden asked.
Harlan looked at him before saying, "You wouldn't understand."
"I will. What happened?"
"It's just my parents. They are just awful."
"Why did they beat you?"
"No, they didn't," Harlan replied, feeling a little frustrated because he couldn't tell Aiden about the things in his life.
Aiden told him a little about his life including how his father was cheated out of his money by his business partner and how his father turned to gambling and alcoholism. Because of that, he started to abuse his children and neglect them, and that was when his sister stepped up as his caregiver.
While Harlan's parents were awful and neglected him, they never beat him like how Aiden described his father beating him, Harlan just felt like he was being too much.
"Forget it." Harlan said as he took out his supplements to drink, and that was when Aiden saw his expensive watch which made him say, "New watch? And what are you drinking?"
"Yeah... my grandfather gave it to me and this is just a supplement. Since I skip food sometimes, my parents give this to me so that I don't get 'sick' "
Because if he got sick then it is not good for his brother as his blood might contain some disease too.
Aiden blinked as he looked at Harlan. It was hard for him to believe that Harlan's parents treated him awfully while taking care of his health, whereas his father and mother couldn't care less if he starved to death.
Guess people don't really value good things in their lives.
"I see."
~~
That day when Aiden came back home, he saw the door opened, he quickly rushed inside only to see his dad lying on the ground pathetically begging the people before him to let go of him.
"I will pay, I swear I will your money back." Aiden clenched his fists, he glanced at the side and saw his mother crying, at the corner he didn't feel bad for his parents at all, he was just worried about his sister he just hoped that she was not there in the house.
"Look who do we have here." Suddenly a man grabbed the back of his neck and pushed him inside Aiden stumbled in and nearly fell to the ground.
He his heart skipped a beat as he felt scared, he looked around and fortunately Yuki was not there, his father smiled at him, "Aiden you are back."
Aiden just rolled his eyes and suddenly the leader of the group grabbed his head and said, "so this your son huh?!" Aiden looked at the man before him he was named Leo, "yah, your father has taken so much of my money, tell him to pay it back or we are coming for you."
"He is a young man; he should already be working."
Leo smirked and said, "yah, if he is not able to pay back then you can work for us till the debt is paid."
"I heard that he has a sister as well, yeah where is she, you know she can pay back the money much faster than any of you can, since she has a very good body."
Leo licked his lips as he said, "Sure, she sure can be a good slut."
Aiden saw red after he heard that, he spoke, "don't you dare to talk about my sister like that! Or else, I won't forgive you! I will pay back your money! Each and every penny! Stay away from my sister.
Or you can just take these two hags and kill them and sell their organs, I am sure you can earn some money as well."
"What are you saying you bastard!" Aiden's father punched him but the latter wasn't fazed.
"Whatever, we don't care as long as we get the money it's upto you, from where you bring it."
The loan sharks went away after that, and only Aiden was left with his parents, as soon as the loan sharks were gone his father attacked him from behind by kicking, "how dare you say that to him! You don't care if your father dies or what!" his father landed punches after punches on him before Aiden snapped and punched him hard enough, "yes! I hope you die! I hope you drop dead!
Why was I ever born to you!" His father fell on the floor and there he saw an iron connected to the switch board he turned on the switch as he glared at his son.
"I was the one who brought you into this world!"
"It was Yuki who raised me! Otherwise, you would just have left me to starve, she pays for my school as well! She works so hard to bring food on the table and then there is you! leech! You do nothing but make our lives hell! You went to her previous job and made a fuss.
You fight with the neighbours; you also went to the place of my work and had me fired! Just how much more are you going to make us miserable!" He then looked at his mother, "and you are no better! Just die with him already!"
His father was shaking with rage as he grabbed the iron and lunged at Aiden, "you fucker!"
"Argh!"