Chapter 5: The Brother Behind the Betrayal
The name on the document felt impossible.
Daniel Hayes.
My brother.
My best friend.
The person who sat beside my hospital bed when I couldn't even lift my own body without help.
The person who told me every morning, "You’re going to get through this.""
The person who promised me I wasn't alone.
And now his fingerprints were connected to the thing that nearly destroyed my life.
For several seconds, I couldn't hear anything.
Not the whispers.
Not the cameras clicking.
Not the voices of people asking questions.
All I could hear was my own heartbeat.
Detective Harris watched my face carefully.
"You know this person?""
I looked at the paper again.
The evidence didn't change.
The name remained.
Daniel Hayes.
My brother.
"Yes," I finally said.
My voice sounded unfamiliar.
"He's my brother.""
A wave of shock moved through the ballroom.
Even Brooke looked stunned.
Because whatever she had done, whatever secrets she had hidden, nobody expected this.
Chad stared at me.
"Your brother?""
I didn't answer.
Because my mind was somewhere else.
Six months earlier.
The hospital room.
The smell of antiseptic.
The endless sound of machines.
I remembered opening my eyes after surgery and seeing Daniel sitting beside me.
He looked exhausted.
His shirt was wrinkled.
His eyes were red from lack of sleep.
But he smiled when I woke up.
"You scared me, Mike.""
I tried to speak.
My throat was dry.
"What happened?""
He grabbed my hand.
"There was an accident.""
Those words.
That simple sentence.
An accident.
I believed him.
Everyone believed him.
Daniel was the first person to tell me that my life wasn't over.
He helped me learn how to use the wheelchair.
He drove me to therapy.
He brought me food when I was too tired to cook.
When Brooke stopped coming around, Daniel was the one who stayed.
At least, I thought he stayed.
Now every memory felt different.
Every kindness had a question attached to it.
Was it real?
Or was it part of something bigger?
"Mr. Hayes.""
Detective Harris's voice brought me back.
"Where is your brother tonight?""
I looked around the ballroom.
Daniel wasn't there.
My stomach tightened.
"He was invited.""
Eleanor looked at me.
"Was?""
I nodded slowly.
"He was supposed to attend.""
"Did he cancel?""
I reached for my phone.
There were several unread messages.
The last one was from Daniel.
*Sorry, Mike. Something came up. I can't make it tonight.*
At the time, I hadn't thought anything of it.
Now it looked different.
Too convenient.
Detective Harris noticed my expression.
"When did he send that?""
"Two hours ago.""
"After you arrived?""
I nodded.
The detective wrote something down.
Brooke suddenly spoke.
"Wait.""
Everyone turned toward her.
She looked confused.
"You think Daniel did this?""
Detective Harris didn't respond.
Brooke looked at me.
"No.""
For the first time that night, she sounded like she was defending someone other than herself.
"That doesn't make sense.""
I stared at her.
"Why?""
"Because Daniel loved you.""
The irony almost made me laugh.
Brooke saying someone loved me.
After everything.
But maybe that was why her words bothered me.
Because she sounded certain.
And part of me wanted to believe her.
"You knew him," she continued.
"You know what kind of person he is.""
I looked at her.
"Do I?""
She went silent.
That was the hardest part.
When someone betrays you, the pain isn't just losing them.
It's losing the version of them you carried in your mind.
The person you thought existed.
Eleanor stepped closer.
"Michael, we should leave.""
I looked at her.
"Why?""
"Because this conversation is no longer about a public confrontation.""
She glanced around.
"Too many people are here.""
She was right.
The ballroom had become a battlefield.
But I wasn't ready to leave.
Not yet.
Because there was one person I needed answers from.
I looked at Brooke.
"Did you know?""
Her eyes widened.
"Know what?""
"That someone was targeting me.""
"No.""
The answer came quickly.
Almost desperately.
"I swear.""
I studied her.
"Then why did you tell Chad I would never recover?""
Her face fell.
Because that wasn't an accusation.
It was a fact.
She looked away.
"I was angry.""
"Angry enough to let someone believe I was disposable?""
She closed her eyes.
"I didn't know what would happen.""
That sentence bothered me.
Not because it proved everything.
Because it revealed something worse.
She didn't deny knowing.
She only denied knowing the outcome.
I stepped closer.
"Brooke.""
She looked at me.
"Did you ever love me?""
The question changed the room.
Nobody expected it.
Not even her.
Her mouth opened slightly.
For a moment, the confident woman disappeared.
And I saw the person I used to know.
"I...""
She looked down.
"I loved the life we had.""
That answer hurt more than any insult.
Because it was honest.
And honesty sometimes cuts deeper than lies.
I nodded slowly.
"Thank you.""
Her eyes filled.
"For what?""
"For finally telling the truth.""
Before she could respond, my phone rang.
Everyone looked at me.
The screen showed one name.
Daniel.
My entire body froze.
After everything.
After the evidence.
After the questions.
My brother was calling.
I answered.
"Daniel.""
For a few seconds, there was only silence.
Then his voice came through.
"Mike.""
He sounded tired.
Not angry.
Not afraid.
Tired.
"Where are you?"" I asked.
Another silence.
Longer this time.
"I know they found out.""
The room seemed to shrink.
My grip tightened around the phone.
"What did you do?""
Daniel exhaled.
"I didn't want it to happen like this.""
The words made my blood run cold.
"Like what?""
"Like you finding out from strangers.""
I closed my eyes.
"Daniel.""
"I was going to tell you.""
"When?""
Another pause.
"After I fixed it.""
My heart sank.
"Fixed what?""
Nobody spoke.
Everyone was listening.
Then Daniel said something that changed everything.
"The accident wasn't supposed to leave you alive.""
A gasp moved through the ballroom.
My hand went cold.
I couldn't speak.
Daniel continued.
"Mike, listen to me. I never wanted you to suffer.""
My voice came out quietly.
"Then what did you want?""
Silence.
Then:
"I wanted your company.""
The words felt like a physical blow.
My brother.
The person I trusted most.
The person who held my hand while I learned how to walk again.
Had wanted everything I built.
"Why?"" I whispered.
His voice cracked.
"Because Dad was right.""
I frowned.
"What?""
"All these years, he said you would always be the favorite. The one who got everything.""
My chest tightened.
Daniel continued.
"You got the company. The respect. The success.""
I shook my head.
"Daniel...""
"I spent my whole life standing behind you.""
His voice became bitter.
"And then your accident happened.""
The silence after those words was unbearable.
Because I finally understood.
The accident wasn't about hatred.
It was about envy.
A slow, poisonous kind of envy that had been growing for years.
"Daniel.""
My voice trembled.
"Did Brooke know?""
Another silence.
Too long.
Then he answered.
"No.""
I looked toward Brooke.
She stared back.
"She didn't know?""
"No.""
"Then why was she involved?""
Daniel laughed quietly.
A broken sound.
"Because Brooke was easy.""
Everyone heard that.
Brooke's face changed.
"What?""
Daniel continued.
"She already believed you were worthless without your success.""
The words destroyed her.
Because they were cruel.
But they were also true.
I closed my eyes.
"Where are you?""
No answer.
"Daniel.""
"I have to go.""
"Don't.""
But the call ended.
I stood there holding the phone.
My brother was gone.
Again.
Detective Harris immediately stepped forward.
"We need to locate him.""
Eleanor looked at me.
"Michael.""
I didn't respond.
Because my mind was stuck on one thing.
Daniel had admitted he wanted my company.
But he had said something else.
Something I couldn't ignore.
He said:
*The accident wasn't supposed to leave you alive.*
Which meant one terrifying question remained.
May you like
If Daniel was behind the crash...
who was the person who stopped him from making sure I died?
