Everyone Begged For My Forgiveness

On the fifteenth of every month, Rowan Hawthorn and I would swap homes. Eighteen years ago, a hospital accidentally swapped our embryos during IVF and put them into the wrong mothers. When the truth came out, my biological parents, Frank and Ronnie Hawthorn, wanted to keep Rowan. But his biological parents, Eugene and Rowena Cooper, wanted him back. They decided that he would live with each family for one month. Then, we would switch on the fifteenth of every month. I, on the other hand, became the unwanted burden. Wherever Rowan went, the house would be fully stocked with snacks and drinks. He would receive a thousand dollars as his monthly allowance, and the sunlit room would always be reserved for him. Wherever I stayed, there would only be a little food in the fridge, and I would get a dark storage room as my bedroom. Eighteen years later, I was diagnosed with uremia, and Rowan turned out to be an exact match for me. Eugene and Rowena threw a refusal of treatment form at me. “We raised you, and that’s enough. Ask your biological parents for money. Don’t even think about taking our son’s kidney.” Frank and Ronnie pleaded with me as they said, “We know we’ve failed you. But if you die, so be it. Rowan is our whole life!” Just then, I received a call from the hospital. “Mr. Cooper, we’re sorry, but we mixed up your records again. The one with uremia is actually Rowan Hawthorn.” A sudden sense of clarity washed over me. After that, I sold the old house my grandfather had left me. Then, I got myself a camera and some gear I needed before leaving. From that day on, I became a lone wanderer and traveled wherever the wind took me. Chapter 1 “Sir, we are very sorry to inform you that both you and Rowan Hawthorn have the same rare blood type. Additionally, not only are your names very similar, but your mothers' names are also very similar. “The error occurred when your birth records were originally filed, and we haven’t had the chance to correct it. We would appreciate it if you could please notify your family members about this.” As I put down the phone, my adoptive parents, Eugene and Rowena Cooper, were staring at my medical report with serious expressions. “Um—” Just as I started to speak, Eugene slammed his hand on the table. “What? You want my son to give you a kidney?” My voice caught in my throat. Right then, I had a sudden urge to test how much I actually mattered to them. After all, I had been their son for eighteen years. “I heard from the doctor that donating one kidney won’t shorten a person’s life. They can still stay pretty healthy afterward.” Rowena was so upset that she was wiping away tears. “How selfish can you be? Why should my son risk his health just to save you? “I raised someone else’s son for eighteen years, and now, he wants to take my son’s kidney? What did I do to deserve this?” Her words were like a slap in my face. I held back my resentment and said, “But I’ll die.” Eugene snorted coldly. “Then die. You’re not even my biological son. “Bad apples come from bad trees. If Rowan had kidney failure, he would never have the nerve to ask someone for a kidney like you just did.” Rowena hastily grabbed a pen and paper with [Voluntary Refusal of Organ Donation] written on it. “You’re not getting a kidney from Rowan. If you need money, reach out to your real parents. You’ve been mooching off us for eighteen years. If you had any shame, you’d find a tall building and jump off. “That would at least pay us back for raising you.” Eugene then called his lawyer friend. “This agreement is way too sloppy. What if he finds a loophole? “We’ve raised this sleazebag for eighteen years. Don’t you know what he’s like? If we don’t do this properly, he’ll mooch off of us forever.” My fingernails nearly dug into my palms as I stared at the paper. However, it was understandable. After all, they were only my foster parents. I wondered what my biological parents, Frank and Ronnie Hawthorn, would do. With that thought, I headed to their home. Chapter 2 When I reached home, the door was ajar. I could hear laughter and cheerful voices inside the house. On the fifteenth of every month, Rowan would come home. The household would feel as lively as if it were New Year’s Day. I could already smell the aroma of food from the kitchen as I stood at the doorstep. Meanwhile, I had not even taken a single bite of the leftover spaghetti that Rowena had made the night before. When they saw me enter, they froze for a few seconds. Ronnie was the first to react. She smiled awkwardly and said, “Ronan, what are you doing here? Have you eaten? Let me grab you a plate.” Ronnie placed a paper plate and plastic cutlery next to Rowan’s ceramic plate, which was engraved with his name. Felix Hawthorn, my biological younger brother, quietly slipped the brisket and buffalo wings on the table into the refrigerator. I stayed where I was and said, “Mom, have you seen the test results yet?” Ronnie paused for a moment. She then ignored my question and said, “Let’s just sit down and eat first.” I did not give up and continued, “I’ve been diagnosed with uremia.” Frank flew into a rage. “So, what do you want us to do? You think just because you feel like we did you wrong, you can hold that over us?” I was taken aback. “That’s not what I meant. Rowan and I are a match. If he could just give me one kidney...” Ronnie jolted as if she had been shocked, and she snapped. “That’s enough!” Realizing that she had lost her composure, she forced an awkward smile before speaking again. “I’ll do everything I can to get you treatment, okay? Here’s a thousand dollars. Have Eugene and Rowena take you to the hospital. I’m swamped here, so I’ll help you find a donor later.” I looked at Rowan. Ronnie could not leave because she still had to accompany Rowan. She had just shoved that one thousand dollars into my hand like spare change. “Ronan, it’s not that I don’t want to donate it to you. But you know that my dream is to be a boxer. How am I supposed to fight with only one kidney?” Rowan said awkwardly. I held back my tears and pleaded, “We have the same rare blood type. It’s already hard enough to find a match with other people. “Mom, Dad, I could actually die from this!” Ronnie broke down and said, “What of it? Rowan is my son too. Just because you’re sick, it doesn’t mean we have to throw away Rowan’s future! “Rowan is my whole world. Please don’t take him away from me. If it comes down to it, I’ll give you my life instead.” She dropped to her knees and slapped herself so hard that her cheeks became swollen. Rowan rushed over to help her up. He then glared at me with pure hatred in his gaze. “Ronan, if I were the one with this disease, I would never put you, Mom, and Dad through this.” Frank was so furious that he slapped me across the face. “Look at him, and then look at yourself. I have no idea where you learned to be so selfish! “You’re just some other family’s son. We’ve already done more than enough by agreeing to help you find a donor. Don’t push your luck!” I stood there in a daze as I touched my stinging cheek. Both my biological and foster parents said that I was someone else’s son. So, where did I belong exactly? I exited the house still in a daze. Just as I was about to walk out the door, someone shoved me down the steps from behind. My face ended up getting scratched, and I started bleeding. My whole body was covered in bruises, and the pain made me hiss through my teeth. I looked up and saw that it was Felix. “You mangy stray. Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of! Don’t you ever show up at my house again. Rowan’s my only brother!” he yelled fiercely. With that, he slammed the front door shut. Chapter 3 I dragged my aching body along the street. Tears ran down my wounds, and the sting made me quiver all over. I had no home to go back to and no money on me either. Eventually, I found a park and sat there the whole night. At 3 a.m., I received a call from Rowena. “Get home now. We need to talk about your situation.” I felt a glimmer of hope. ‘Could they have changed their minds?’ I thought. If they were willing to help me, I would willingly tell them the truth and donate my kidney to Rowan. If that happened, would I finally receive the love of both families, just like Rowan did? I jogged all the way back home. As soon as I walked in, everyone was present, including Frank and Ronnie. However, there was also a notary. Before I could even speak, Rowena handed me a contract. “We had a lawyer draw this up. Just sign it.” The contract listed several clauses. [I agree that I will not ask for or accept Rowan Hawthorn’s organs for any reason.] [I agree that I will not inherit any property from either family.] [My medical bills will be split as follows: Twenty percent paid by Eugene and Rowena Cooper, and eighty percent paid by Frank and Ronnie Hawthorn.] Frank looked at the contract with a displeased expression. “Why should our family take eighty percent? It should be fifty-fifty.” Eugene slammed his hand on the table and yelled, “He’s your biological son! I’m already doing him a favor by chipping in twenty percent.” “No, he’s not! Rowan is my only son!” Frank replied irritably. They haggled over me like I was garbage. The two of them argued for a while and finally decided to add a clause to the contract. [Should the treatment expenses surpass three hundred thousand dollars, I agree to discontinue all medical care.] Ronnie looked at me guiltily. “I’m sorry, Ronan. If we had the means, we’d sell everything we own. We’d even pawn any valuable things we had to get you treated. “It’s just that Rowan needs a ton of money to study abroad. Felix is also starting high school, which also costs a fortune. I really can’t scrape together any more than that. “If it comes down to it, I’ll sell one of my own kidneys to pay for your treatment.” Rowan rushed over to stop her and shot me an accusing look. “Ronan, that’s wrong. Don’t put Mom and Dad in a difficult position.” Hearing that, I found it so absurd that I almost laughed. I stared straight into his eyes and asked him, “Rowan, if you were in my shoes, would you sign this agreement?” Rowan paused for a moment before he puffed out his chest and said, “Of course! I know how hard Mom and Dad have it. If I got sick, I’d find a building to jump off the first chance I got. I’d never be a burden to them.” His words touched Rowena and Ronnie. They rushed over to hug him with teary eyes. Eugene looked at him with a pained expression. When he turned to me, his expression was filled with loathing again. “Now that’s my son. He’s not like you, who’s trying to drag everyone down with you to save yourself.” I turned to them and asked, “In that case, let me rephrase my question. If Rowan were the one who got sick today, would you let me give him my kidney?” Almost instantly, Frank blurted out, “Of course not! At the end of the day, you’re both my sons. What kind of father would sacrifice one son to save the other? “Just because you’re a piece of trash, doesn’t mean everyone is. Any decent person would be ashamed to say something that vile.” Hearing this, I nodded with a sense of relief. “Fine. I hope you all remember what you just said. “I’ll sign it, but I’m adding one more clause to the contract. “From this day forth, if anything happens to any of you, do not come looking for me.” Chapter 4 Eugene sneered when he heard my words. “What could possibly happen to us that we’d need you? Rowan inherited my genes. He’s perfectly healthy!” Rowena chimed in with a sarcastic tone, “He’s probably cursing us. I bet he wishes that we’ll get sick and drop dead just like him. What a two-faced snake!” Rowan picked up a pen and added the clause to the contract. “It’s fine. Let’s just add it. Didn’t Mom and Dad say they would treat us fairly? “I just hope that from now on, if you ever need anything, you come to me instead of bothering Mom and Dad. They’re not responsible for your medical bills.” Then, he handed the contract to me. I did not read another word of the densely written clauses. I could only see two words, [Give up.] I smiled bitterly as I signed my name before everyone’s intense gaze. After the notary recorded the video, I heard everyone breathe a sigh of relief. Ronnie, who had remained silent the whole time, walked up to me and gently said, “Don’t worry, Ronan. I’ll always be here for you. “It’s getting late. Get some rest first. I’ll take you to the hospital tomorrow.” After that, she pushed me into the storage room. An hour later, she cautiously asked at the door, “Ronan, are you asleep?” I did not respond. Soon, I heard Eugene’s voice. “He’s asleep. Let’s pack up quickly. Rowan already got into college anyway. At worst, we’ll just move to another city and start over. “Don’t be too upset about it. It’s just his bad luck. Our children are still young. We’re not going to let one person drag this whole family down to the grave.” Sitting on the hard metal bed frame, I listened to the rustling sounds outside the door as they gradually faded away. I heard the front door close, and then, the house went dead quiet. After that, I walked into the living room. The house had been almost emptied out. On the coffee table sat a single envelope. Inside it was a small amount of cash and a note. [You’re both my sons, but I can’t give up on Rowan because of you. Please don’t blame me for it.] I laughed in exasperation. When I wiped my face, I realized that it was already covered in tears. I went back to my room and pulled out an old metal box. It contained the property deed for a house in my grandfather’s hometown. He had left it to me before he died. He was an old country man in his eighties who could not read. To make sure that no one could take the deed away, he went out of his way to have a will written and notarized. He was the last person in this world who loved me. A place was only home when there was someone there who loved me. After he left, I was completely alone. All my life, I had been living under someone else’s roof. Since I had no home, I decided to make the world my home. I sold my grandfather’s old house for a little over a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Then, I bought an action camera and some gear. Hitting the road, I headed further west. I started a social media channel and called it “18, Alone, and Roaming Free.” My first video went mildly viral and earned me my first big payout. There were plenty of skeptics, but even more people showed their support. Over the span of six months, I completed a wide loop through the backcountry of the West. Whenever I passed through small towns, the locals would welcome me with the warmest hospitality. They would offer me home-cooked meals and clean, comfortable beds. These were things I had never experienced in my own so-called homes. I thought that I would drift through life like a tumbleweed and wander forever with no place to call my own. Unexpectedly, Rowena called me one day. She sounded out of breath on the other end of the line. After a long pause, she inhaled deeply and said, “Rowan’s the one with uremia, not you.”