My Brother Became a Vegetable To Save Me Novel by NANCY ROWSE

Neither of us had a perfect family. The traditional dynamic of a husband working and a wife managing the home was what I always yearned for. It was only then that I finally let go of my responsibilities at the company and chose to stay home.

Joseph’s eyes betrayed his panic. He opened his mouth but couldn’t muster a rebuttal.

“You know exactly what she wanted, but out of your greed and selfishness as a man, you took away her chance to chase her dreams” Melissa continued. “So, Joseph, you killed her yourself!”

Her final words struck like a thunderclap, shattering the last of Joseph’s mental stability. He shook his head violently, unable to form a coherent argument. His eyes flashed with madness as he grabbed the few strands of hair left on Melissa’s head and slammed her skull into the wall, a spray blood blooming on impact.

“You killed Cathe. You’ll pay for it!” Joseph’s voice was maniacal as he slammed her head again and again before finally letting go, watching her crumple to the floor.

“I love Cathe. I’ve always loved her. I’m going to find her–yes, I’ll find her,” he muttered to himself as he slowly stumbled forward.

Dressed in a hospital gown, Joseph appeared deranged, and no one dared approach him. To passersby, he looked like a madman. As he descended the stairs, a group of police officers and his assistant rushed past him.

Joseph’s appearance was so twisted and grotesque that no one recognized the once–dashing Mr. Miller. Everyone ignored him.

“Melissa Lee embezzled large sums of money from our company…” The assistant was still explaining to the authorities.

Facing charges of embezzling hundreds of thousands, Melissa would soon be heading to prison to “cool off.” Whether she even survived the severe head trauma Joseph inflicted on her remained uncertain. She had played the puppet master in this relationship, but in the end, she died at the hands of the very man she thought she controlled. A fitting punishment.

Meanwhile, Joseph wandered aimlessly, pulling aside a random girl. “Do you know where the Colorado River is? Can you take me there?”

Frightened by his crazed appearance, the girl nearly screamed before running away.

Joseph pressed on, searching for the Colorado River. He scavenged food from garbage cans when he was hungry and drank from public faucets when thirsty. His hospital gown grew more wrinkled and filthy, and he became more disheveled by the day.

He had never lived like this before.

Even in the orphanage, everything had been orderly. Our mother had taken good care of us, and at the very least, she never let us starve to the point of eating out of trash cans.

And yet, Joseph finally found the Colorado River. The rushing waters exuded a sense of danger, the powerful currents likely carrying my ashes far downstream by now.

Determined, Joseph made his way to the bridge and climbed over the railing, preparing to leap.