Purely An Act of Survival

An Act of Survival

(OG!Cale's backstory was heavily inspired by A Stepmother's Fantasy. I love that manhwa so much I couldn't help but write it on my own ff involving Cale.)

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Whether you like it or not, everyone is meant to be born in the world. Cale was also born that way and didn't live doing what he wanted to do, but he had lived normally and was contented with his life. 

But no one knew life's true intention, and some of them are stories broadcast on television and are absurd enough to win lotteries, or wander around as a laughingstock in the community. 

The reality was nothing like these stories.

When his mother died in a car accident, his loving father was devasted. However it didn't take long for his father to remarry another woman. She was kind enough to leave him be, so Cale paid her no more than minimum attention and treated her like any other normal person would. 

One day, his father passed away from an illness. His stepmother followed soon after he did, leaving Cale and her three other children to fend for themselves. Her death hung heavy on Cale's two brothers and sister. Even though her death had nothing to do with Cale, the siblings blamed their older brother Cale as if he was the one who killed their mother. Their insensitivity was so relentless the 14-year old Cale almost began to believe that he was really the one responsible for their mother's death. 

And if anything were to ever change, it always changed for the worse, never better. His relatives only wanted their family's wealth, so he prevented any of them from stepping inside the estate forever. Cale had no one but himself to rely on to take care of the children. 

Of course, the children were indifferent and despised Cale in return. 

Cale wanted to leave, but he couldn't have had the courage to let his children survive on their own. So, he studied hard until he graduated with high honors. It paid off when he was accepted into a prestigious university. Until then, he would wait for the second-eldest, Jude, to turn into an adult and take over the business Cale had been working on for over ten years. 

Of course, it's a bit awkward to call them ‘his children’ since they were practically the same age as any brother and sister. They were Cale's half siblings, but they were his children regardless. Even though they never acknowledged him as their older brother, Cale still raised those three children. Moving out was his number one option though.

It wasn't because he hated living with his children. However, would you still want to live with the kind of children who found your presence a nuisance?

Cale worked hard to get into a prestigious university just so he could have a valid reason to move out and escape the children's cruelty. 

At the age of 24 years old, Cale may finally be able to see the fruit of his labour. It was the second-eldest son, Jude's Marriage day! It's finally that day! 

As soon as he becomes the Henituse Company's new leader, and says his wedding vows towards his soon to-be wife, Cale would be out of the house in no time! 

Ah, it was like yesterday when Jude was almost dying over a high fever and was telling Cale to electrocute the Virgin Mary for picking on him. And the countless tough times he's been through at last have come to an end, Cale felt rewarded for all the troubles he went through. “Let's drink and celebrate tonight!” he says.

.... but it was all an illusion. 

Where did everything go wrong? He couldn't even think straight anymore. Cale felt so dumbfounded for a moment. Cale had never experienced such a case, so he never knew what to say.