Fifteen years ago, Bryan was an orphan. His mother engaged in a profession no one wished to mention. He was the outcome of an unfortunate “occupational accident,” and his mother’s job had been less successful since birth.
From childhood, he was mocked, despised, and ridiculed because he didn’t know his father was somebody. In moments of bullying, he had no one to help or protect him; he was isolated, grew to detest life, and fled home to live on the streets. When he left, his mother did not even search for him. It took her a whole week to realize he was gone. From that day, mother and son ceased to communicate.
A fifteen-year-old child on the streets, selling lottery tickets and newspapers, doing manual labor, collecting scrap to earn a living – life’s harsh lessons came aplenty. Once, in a fierce competition for customers, he was ruthlessly beaten. Cornered, he had no choice but to retaliate. It was a rare moment when he dared to stand up for himself, but a subsequent accident landed him in jail, his youth behind prison bars.
Leveraging their numerical superiority, that group demanded him pay protection money. Making money was tough, but whatever little he earned was ruthlessly taken away. This infuriated him, but the pinnacle of his rage was when they belittled the people who gave birth to him. In a fit of outrage, he ended up killing one of them.
Looking at the lifeless body lying on the ground, he was terrified, for this was the first time he had taken another person’s life. But from that moment on, the timid boy within him began to fade away, replaced by a man of courage and resolution, daring to take any action. He lived not for anyone else but himself until he met the one for whom he was willing to sacrifice everything.
Society may condemn him for his cruelty, and he, too, feels he was wrong. But all endurance in the world has its limits. Once that boundary is breached, the worst is bound to come.
Prison life was unbearably harsh – older prisoners bullied the newer ones, the stronger swallowing the weak. One afternoon, while in the exercise yard, he was brutally beaten by a group of inmates. No one dared intervene; they thought he would surely die, but death refused him.
Andrew was the one who saved him, and from that point forward, they formed a symbiotic bond, aiding each other in becoming brothers. For the first time in his life, he felt the warm protection and care of another. Time passed and became more precious to him than ever before. He resolved to remain loyal to this brother for life, but things did not go as planned.
Bryan could not sleep. He silently smoked a cigarette, a habit he had long abandoned because Mary disliked the smell. But now, these cigarettes were helping to dispel some of his heavy thoughts. He took a deep drag and exhaled lightly, the smoke wafting around him. From his vantage point on the balcony of a high-rise apartment, he suddenly became aware of an unsettling imbalance that he’d ignored for so long. He had always assumed that his life would forever be entwined with his brother’s, but now, on the brink of severing that bond, he felt intensely lonely and lost.
In truth, he was neither vicious nor cruel nor conniving. However, his loveless and neglected childhood made him more guarded, cautious, and selfish. He had learned to think of his interests before those of others.
Andrew had once saved him, sheltered him. But now, this brother had betrayed him for personal gain and hurt the woman he loved. One could hardly blame him for his callous response. The tenacity or loyalty of a person has its limits-if oppressed, anyone would eventually resist. His only regret was his past trust in a cold-blooded person like Andrew.
Picking up his phone, he silently deleted the pictures of them together and the number of Andrew known only to him. Then, he removed the SIM card, deliberately dropping it on the road-a face of devastation and determination, as he could not afford to hesitate anymore. Today’s events had left him profoundly disappointed, and his trust seemed beyond repair.
In the morning, Bryan awoke. He stared at Mary, deep in sleep for a long time before grinning, seeming to have let go of his anger towards her. He changed his clothes, waited for her to get ready, and then went to the publishing house together.
Bryan informed Andrew of an important meeting at the publishing house. From now on, he would directly participate and manage all business activities of the publishing house with no less authority than Andrew. Although Andrew understood the reasons behind Bryan’s decision, he was distraught.
Andrew feared his illicit dealings would be exposed if Bryan were directly involved. But now, Andrew doesn’t have control over Bryan, so he reluctantly agrees, knowing he must be more careful.
As Bryan prepared to leave, Andrew suddenly spoke.
“I never thought you could be so heartless. I’ve always treated you well, but you’ve truly disappointed me.”
Bryan gave a bitter smile, coldly replying.
“Those words should come from me. You promised me many beautiful things to my face but secretly did wrong behind my back. I don’t understand why you’ve become like this. Perhaps hatred has blinded you.”
Andrew stared at Bryan, his voice heavy.
“I’ve remained the same, but you’ve changed.”
Ignoring Andrew’s words, Bryan left the stifling room. From now on, they will not be on the same side-everyone has their path to walk and life to control.
The greatest challenge for Bryan now was to cleanse his past of its unpleasantness so it would not become a weakness others could exploit. How could he achieve true happiness with the one he loved?
He knew that Andrew was a challenging person to deal with. Was his decision the right one?