Half a Lifetime Wandering Through Storm and Tide

Summary

On the night Toby was rushed to the ICU, I begged Bennett for a loan. He stayed glued to his trading screens, dismissing my brother as [a bottomless pit] and telling me to ask my relatives instead.

In the hall, I heard him call Paige. [I just wired the three hundred thousand dollars to your account,] he said, explaining it was a [playground fund] for her finance thesis. His tone was achingly tender. My phone lit up with Paige’s post: [Huge thanks to my favorite mentor!] alongside a stock chart marked with a heart.

I pressed a hand to my stomach, where a seven-week life grew. When Bennett emerged, he coldly asked what he got out of supporting my [freeloading family]. I said nothing, simply signing the divorce papers I’d carried. Then, I drove to the clinic. He was right. From now on, I would live for myself.