Chapter 1 - The Birthday That Ended Everything
Fifteen years earlier, Daniel Carter stood outside the front door of his childhood home with rain dripping from his hair.
He was sixteen.
He had just won the biggest swimming championship of his young life.
The gold medal hanging around his neck represented years of early mornings, aching muscles, missed parties, and countless hours in cold water.
He had imagined his family celebrating him.
He had imagined his mother hugging him.
He had imagined his father finally saying that he was proud.
Instead, when Daniel opened the front door, he saw balloons.
A cake.
Music.
A giant birthday banner.
But none of it was for him.
It was for Ethan.
His cousin.
Ethan stood in the center of the living room wearing an expensive athletic jacket.
People surrounded him.
They were laughing.
Patricia Carter stood beside her son, smiling proudly.
Linda was carrying a tray of food.
Richard was opening a bottle of sparkling cider.
Nobody noticed Daniel at first.
Then Linda turned.
Her smile vanished.
Daniel forced himself to smile.
"Mom."
Linda stared at the medal.
"What are you doing here?"
Daniel blinked.
"It's my birthday."
Richard looked over.
His expression immediately hardened.
Ethan laughed.
"Oh, right."
Daniel looked at him.
Ethan shrugged.
"We've been celebrating my birthday all afternoon."
Daniel's voice became quieter.
"I thought we'd celebrate mine too."
Linda sighed.
"Daniel, don't start."
"Start what?"
"Making everything about yourself."
Daniel stared at her.
"I'm not making anything about myself. It's literally my birthday."
Richard walked toward him.
His eyes settled on the medal.
"Give me that."
Daniel instinctively touched it.
"Why?"
"I said give it to me."
Daniel removed the medal slowly.
Richard took it.
He turned it over.
For a brief second, something strange appeared in his eyes.
Fear.
Daniel noticed.
"What?"
Richard's expression immediately changed.
"Nothing."
Ethan laughed.
"What's so special about it?"
Richard said nothing.
Daniel reached for the medal.
"Dad, give it back."
Richard stepped away.
"You think winning one race makes you special?"
Daniel stared at him.
"No."
"That's exactly what you think."
"No, I don't."
Richard's voice grew colder.
"Then stop acting like you're better than us."
He dropped the medal.
Daniel watched it hit the floor.
Then Richard stepped on it.
The gold disk bent.
Daniel's face went completely blank.
"Dad..."
Richard stepped off it.
Linda grabbed Daniel's backpack.
She threw it through the open front door.
"If you hate this family, leave."
Daniel looked at his mother.
Then his father.
Then Ethan.
Nobody stopped her.
Daniel slowly bent down and picked up the damaged medal.
He held it in his palm.
"I understand."
He walked out.
The door slammed behind him.
That was the last time Daniel Carter lived in that house.
But what Daniel didn't know was that after he disappeared into the rain, Richard Carter went upstairs.
He entered his study.
Locked the door.
Opened a drawer.
And pulled out a second medal.
Identical to the one Daniel had just lost.
Except this one had a tiny black mark engraved beneath the ribbon.
Richard stared at it.
May you like
Then he whispered:
"They found him."
