After reading the flood of online comments, even the cops started to get suspicious—maybe I really did have a twin brother.
Officer Tannehill turned to Dad. “Sir, when your wife gave birth, was it just one child?”
Dad shot back, “She gave birth to this little bastard and that’s it.
“I’m his father—don’t you think I’d know? I don’t care what trick he pulled or what lies he’s spinning. I know he’s the one who blew up that lab!
“Officer, quit wasting time. Arrest him. Give him the death penalty already!”
Doctor Craddock frowned, clearly holding back. “What kind of father talks like that? He’s your own son. How can you say that about him?”
Dad looked her up and down, sneered, and laughed.
“Oh, I see now. No wonder he slipped out under your nose—you’re probably sleeping with him. You’re in on it. You helped him blow up the lab, didn’t you?”
Doctor Craddock, young and sharp, was so furious she couldn’t even speak.
The hospital director stepped in, voice steady.
“Mr. Warburton, you’re an educator, yet you’re throwing out baseless accusations like that? Where’s your judgment?”
Dad didn’t flinch. “Trash is trash. Doesn’t matter what I say—he’s still garbage.”
Even the cops were starting to side-eye him. That wasn’t the way any decent father would act.
One of them quietly pulled someone aside to look into my mom’s delivery records.
Dad noticed and snapped. “What the hell are you people doing?! What else do you need to check? I’m his father! You think I don’t know how many damn kids my own wife gave birth to?!”
The whole crowd was uneasy now—no one knew what to believe.
But Dad kept running his mouth, trying to rile up Mr. Cothran.
The principal wasn’t buying it. He could tell this wasn’t as simple as it looked. He wanted to wait for the cops to finish their investigation.
So did I.
A few minutes later, a young cop rushed back, looking fired up.
“Forensics just pulled a fingerprint from the blast site—it’s a perfect match for the suspect.”
And just like that, everyone turned on me again.
My stomach dropped. I had no idea how they pulled that off.
The looks I got said it all—like everyone there wanted to see me strung up. Even Doctor Craddock stepped back, disappointment written all over her face.
“No wonder even your own father disowns you. I really thought you were different… but I guess I fell for the act.”
Calix looked smug as hell.
“Dude, better come clean once you’re inside. If you’re lucky, maybe the judge won’t fry you.”
Suddenly, Mr. Cothran’s stare could’ve burned a hole through me.
“Let him off? How about my son?! Who the hell’s gonna bring my son back?!”
Just as everything was about to fall apart, a black Maybach rolled up slow and smooth.
I nearly lost it. “Seriously? Now’s not the time for a grand entrance. I’m about to get torn apart here!”
