Chapter 5

HENRY

Suddenly the door flew open and my half-brother came running in.

"Mom! Mom, you won't believe what happened! The money—" He stopped short, apparently realizing I was standing right there. "Henry, what are you doing out of your room? Where's Camille to get you out of here?! Camille! Camille!" he shouted, giving me a pretty clear picture of how they treated Camille in this house.

"Son, stop! Camille, she... poor Camille was treated unfairly. Let's go get her, son."

"Huh? What are you talking about, Mom? Poor Camille?"

"Son, listen to me for once in your life! Shut your mouth and come with me to get Camille."

"And you, Henry! Are you hungry? I'll have someone make your dinner right away, alright? I hope you'll be very comfortable, dear!"

I felt her approaching. I didn't need to see to sense that heavy, dark energy disturbing the air. I instinctively stepped back.

"Don't touch me! I already told you — if Camille isn't back within the hour, I'm having your things thrown out on the street."

"Watch how you talk to my mother, you cripple!" My half-brother shoved me, but I didn't budge.

"Son! Stop it! You need to treat your brother well! Henry, please forgive your brother!"

"Camille! Go get Camille!"

I heard their hurried footsteps and stood there until I couldn't hear them anymore.

I tried to breathe calmly. I think it had been a long time since I'd felt this much rage.

A knot formed in my throat. Remembering the way my stepmother had screamed at Camille only made me angrier.

"My God, what is wrong with Camille? Why was she putting up with all this for an idiot like me?!"

I paced restlessly, walking back and forth. I banged my knee a few times and knocked some things over, but none of that fazed me. All I could think about was having Camille back.

Some time passed. An hour? I wasn't sure. I just knew my stepmother came in screaming and whimpering. I felt her grab my knees, kneeling at my feet, saying:

"Henry, I couldn't find Camille! Don't blame me — don't send us away! We're your family! Camille, she... Camille wasn't at the police station when we got there. Someone paid her bail and took her before we arrived. It was definitely a lover of hers! That's it! Camille was cheating on you."

I was furious. I kicked that woman without holding back.

"Get out of here, both of you!"

"Ow! Henry, how could you do this to your own mother? It hurts!" She whimpered more, which only fueled my rage.

"Throw these two people out of my house!" I shouted, completely out of control — in truth, I'd already lost control entirely.

"Henry, what are you doing? I'm your brother. You're choosing that tramp over your own family?"

"Shut up!" I shouted and toppled the shelf I'd been leaning against. I don't know what I broke — I only know the crash of shattering glass told me it must have been something fragile.

"Henry! Calm down. We'll... we'll find Camille. Just give us more time, please."

"Why isn't anyone obeying me and removing these people from my house?!" I shouted. No one moved. I realized the servants didn't see me as the real owner of this house. "Fine, nobody's going to do anything, is that it? I'm calling the police, and if the police have to handle this for me, I'm firing everyone! I can't keep people in my house that I can't trust!"

Silence fell. I took out my phone, unlocked it, and said:

"Call 911."

A long beep sounded, followed by a recording.

"You've reached the police. You will be connected shortly."

I waited patiently until someone answered.

"Please send officers to my home. I'm blind, and my house has been invaded by strangers."

The dispatcher asked for some details, and I told her I had all the paperwork proving I was the owner.

Before I could finish the call, I heard the sounds of protest — I think the staff finally realized I wasn't bluffing.

Only when the shouting stopped did I cancel the police visit.

Soon, one of the maids came to ask what I'd like for dinner and whether I needed help with anything.

That infuriated me even more. If they could have helped Camille before, why hadn't they?

"I don't want anything. All of you, leave me alone!"

"Sir, please don't fire us! We never interfered because the lady of the house wouldn't allow it, and we didn't know you were the real owner. Now that we know Camille is the true mistress, everyone here will be happy to serve."

"Be quiet! And leave me alone!"

I shouted, and gradually I heard the footsteps receding until everything was terrifyingly silent.

I was alone. Completely alone.

I ordered a hamburger for delivery but barely ate. I stayed up all night, sitting in the living room, waiting for Camille to come back. But she didn't.

The sound of birds and the movement of the household staff told me morning had come, and Camille still wasn't there.

"Where did Camille go?"

A few of the staff came by, offering me things, but I waved them away. It felt strange having other people try to take care of me when, until now, I'd only ever had Camille. But now, for the first time, she hadn't taken care of me. She hadn't cared about how I was doing.

Could she have left me for someone else?

The moment I thought that, the same maid from the night before appeared and said:

"Sir, there are some people here asking to see you."

"I don't want to see anyone!"

"But sir, they seem to be from some hospital..."

"Camille?! What happened to Camille?" I said, getting to my feet immediately. I didn't want to think it, but had something happened to her?

Had that idiot lived such a miserable life — listening to my garbage, enduring humiliation, devoting herself to an imbecile?

That's not fair!

"Sir, I'll show them in, alright?"

I nodded and waited.

I heard unfamiliar footsteps and immediately asked:

"Where is Camille? What happened to her?"