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[FULL STORY] I Found Out My College Friend Was Actually My Abandoned Brother | Readiator
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Jul 6, 2025
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0:00
When I was 18, I had the worst social
0:02
anxiety known to man. I'm talking about
0:04
a level where I couldn't even make eye
0:05
contact with a stranger without wanting
0:07
to burst into tears. And whenever I felt
0:09
like I said the wrong thing, I'd get
0:11
overwhelmingly loud, intrusive thoughts.
0:13
The kind that tell you you're better off
0:14
disappearing, even though you have every
0:16
intention of staying alive. So, starting
0:19
college, that made me feel how I imagine
0:22
a newborn baby would feel if they were,
0:23
say, thrown off a cliff. Even just
0:25
walking around surrounded by dozens of
0:27
unfamiliar faces was enough to send me
0:28
into a harrowing thought spiral.
0:30
Luckily, the first week was the absolute
0:32
worst because after that, I actually
0:34
talked to someone new. Well, kind of. He
0:37
talked at me while I mostly just nodded
0:39
or grunted in response. Yeah, I was the
0:42
weird kid in high school, but he was my
0:44
first real friend in college. So, I soon
0:46
grew an attachment to him. He was kind,
0:48
funny, and I never once felt judged. It
0:51
was like he understood me without me
0:52
having to say much. After our first
0:54
month of this unconventional friendship,
0:56
we started having conversations where we
0:57
both actually spoke. It really felt like
0:59
he just got me. But I should have known
1:01
it was too good to be true because
1:04
somehow we had an eerily similar early
1:06
life. During childhood, we went to the
1:08
exact same restaurants in the same area,
1:10
the same kindergarten, and our
1:11
babysitters even had the same name. It
1:13
was a string of coincidences that was
1:15
too bizarre to ignore. And it was the
1:17
day after this realization that he
1:19
completely ghosted me, blocked me on
1:21
everything. It was a person with social
1:22
anxiety's worst nightmare come true. And
1:24
we were in the same course. So when he
1:26
stopped coming to college, I noticed
1:27
immediately. My mind jumped to the worst
1:30
conclusion. And I honestly thought he
1:31
had well, I thought the worst. So that
1:34
same weekend, I went home. My mom always
1:37
knew the right thing to say, so I
1:38
trusted her enough to open up about
1:40
this. But she looked just as confused as
1:42
me until I showed her a photo of us
1:43
together. Her face went completely
1:45
white. "Don't ever talk to him again,"
1:48
she interrupted. Make new friends or
1:51
don't. Up to you. Just never speak to
1:54
him again. And don't even think about
1:56
telling your father. She then proceeded
1:58
to storm off into her room and I just
2:00
stood there completely in shock. Up
2:02
until that point, my social anxiety had
2:03
convinced me that the entire thing was
2:05
my fault. I assumed that I must have
2:07
been so weird and annoying that he had
2:08
no choice but to drop out. But
2:10
apparently that wasn't the case. I knew
2:11
who to call though. The person I trusted
2:13
more than anyone. The smartest woman I
2:15
knew, the only woman who really knew me,
2:17
my old babysitter. She picked up
2:19
straight away and I asked her if she
2:21
remembered babysitting for anyone else
2:22
before. There was a long pause on the
2:24
other end before she responded with a
2:26
meek. "Um, yes." I smiled and asked if
2:29
she knew a Blake Thompson, the guy from
2:31
my college. "Do you trust me?" she
2:33
asked. "Yes." "Good." She then hung up
2:37
the phone and asked me to meet her at
2:38
the Burger King a block away. And what
2:40
she told me turned my life completely
2:41
upside down. A long time ago, before I
2:43
was even born, my parents had an open
2:45
marriage. Everything was smooth sailing
2:47
until my mom got pregnant. Luckily, the
2:49
dad was her very wealthy boss. So, her
2:51
and my dad, her husband, decided to
2:53
raise the kid. They figured that with
2:55
the child's support, it would be an
2:56
extra source of income. My eyes went
2:59
completely wide, but then she kept
3:00
going. Turns out they raised my half
3:02
brother for 7 years, but then the
3:04
original father refused to keep paying
3:06
child support, so they gave him up for
3:07
adoption. Everything started to make
3:10
sense, but in the worst way possible. I
3:12
promised my babysitter not to tell
3:14
anyone. And right after she finished,
3:16
she didn't say anything else. Just got
3:18
in her car and left me in Burger King to
3:20
process everything. I swear in that
3:22
second, I felt every emotion known to
3:24
man. Anger, betrayal, heartbreak, grief,
3:26
everything. But before I could take
3:28
action, I knew I first had to find
3:30
Blake. I pulled out my phone and opened
3:32
my laptop right there in Burger King. If
3:34
Blake didn't want to be found, I'd have
3:36
to get creative. First stop, the
3:38
university directory. Blake Thompson
3:40
wasn't listed, which was weird because
3:42
I'd definitely seen him on there before.
3:44
I tried social media searches. Nothing.
3:47
It was like he'd completely vanished.
3:49
Then it hit me. What if Blake Thompson
3:52
wasn't even his real name? What if that
3:54
was just the name he used at school? I
3:56
thought back to our conversations,
3:57
trying to remember if he'd ever
3:58
mentioned anything about being adopted
4:00
or having a different last name. Wait,
4:02
there was something. Blake had mentioned
4:04
once that his adoptive parents moved
4:06
around a lot. He'd gone to three
4:07
different high schools. The last one was
4:09
somewhere upstate. I remembered Milbrook
4:11
High. I found the Milbrook High website
4:13
and started digging through their online
4:15
yearbooks. It took almost an hour, but
4:17
finally in the junior class section of a
4:18
yearbook from 2 years ago, I found him.
4:20
Except the caption under his photo
4:22
didn't say Blake Thompson. It said James
4:24
Walker. James Walker. My half brother
4:26
had been living under a fake name. I sat
4:28
there in that Burger King booth staring
4:30
at his yearbook photo until some
4:31
employee asked if I was okay. I wasn't,
4:33
not even close. But I mumbled something
4:35
about being fine and ordered another
4:36
coffee just to justify taking up space.
4:39
I needed a game plan. Blake or James,
4:42
whatever his name actually was, clearly
4:44
knew who I was when he approached me.
4:46
This wasn't some cosmic coincidence. He
4:48
deliberately sought me out, befriended
4:50
me, then ghosted when things got too
4:52
real. The question was why. I started
4:54
digging deeper. Social media was a dead
4:57
end for his current accounts, but I
4:58
discovered he hadn't actually deleted
5:00
everything. The Milbrook yearbook had
5:02
listings for clubs and activities. James
5:04
Walker had been on the debate team and
5:06
the school newspaper. There was a group
5:08
photo of the newspaper staff, and I
5:10
zoomed in as much as my crappy phone
5:11
would allow. In the corner was a girl
5:13
with her arm around Blake Tur James,
5:15
both of them making goofy faces at the
5:17
camera. The caption listed her as Zoe
5:19
Hernandez, editor-inchief. I quickly
5:21
searched for her on Instagram and hit
5:22
pay dirt. Not only was her account
5:24
public, but she had several photos with
5:26
Blake, Chame from their high school
5:28
days. In her most recent posts, she
5:31
mentioned attending Bridgewwater
5:32
Community College about 40 minutes from
5:34
my university. I shot her a DM right
5:36
there in Burger King. Kept it casual.
5:37
Just said I was an old friend of James
5:39
trying to reconnect. Had lost his
5:40
contact info after he changed numbers. I
5:42
didn't expect a quick response, but my
5:44
phone pinged less than 5 minutes later.
5:47
James doesn't really keep in touch with
5:48
people from Milbrook, she wrote. I only
5:50
hear from him like once a month now. My
5:53
heart raced. She was still in contact
5:55
with him. I typed back quickly, trying
5:57
to sound normal and not like a desperate
5:59
stalker. Yeah, he's always been kind of
6:01
private. We actually met up at college
6:03
recently, but I lost his new number. Any
6:05
chance you could help me out? She didn't
6:07
respond for almost an hour. I ordered a
6:09
burger and fries while I waited, barely
6:10
tasting anything. Finally, my phone lit
6:13
up again. Sorry, but James is pretty
6:16
specific about who gets his contact info
6:17
these days. Had some family drama. Who
6:20
did you say you were again? I stared at
6:22
her message, trying to decide how much
6:24
to reveal. The truth seemed too
6:26
complicated for a DM. I went with, "We
6:28
knew each other from Antonio's pizza
6:30
growing up. It's really important I talk
6:32
to him." Family stuff. No response.
6:35
After that, I finished my cold fries and
6:37
headed back to my parents house. My mind
6:39
spinning with what to do next. I felt
6:41
like I was in some bizarre TV drama,
6:43
except there was no script telling me
6:45
what my next move should be. When I got
6:46
home, the house was empty. My parents
6:48
had left a note saying they were at
6:50
dinner with friends and wouldn't be back
6:51
until late. Good. I needed time to think
6:54
without their lies hanging in the air
6:55
between us. I flopped onto my bed and
6:57
stared at the ceiling. The same ceiling
7:00
I'd stared at for 18 years, never
7:01
knowing I had a brother who'd once lived
7:03
in this very house. Had this been his
7:05
room? Had he stared at this same
7:07
ceiling, thinking his own thoughts
7:09
before my parents erased him from our
7:10
lives. My phone buzzed. Unknown number.
7:14
The text just said, "This is James." Zoe
7:16
says, "You're looking for me. What do
7:18
you want?" My fingers trembled as I
7:20
typed back. I know everything about us
7:23
being half brothers, about what our
7:24
parents did. Three dots appeared,
7:27
disappeared, peered again. Finally, meet
7:30
me tomorrow, 2 p.m. The coffee shop
7:33
behind the science building, come alone.
7:35
I barely slept that night. My parents
7:37
came home late, and I pretended to be
7:39
asleep when my mom checked on me. The
7:41
next morning, I made up some excuse
7:42
about needing to get back to campus
7:44
early for a study group. My mom seemed
7:46
relieved I wasn't asking more questions
7:47
about Blake. The drive back to campus
7:50
took forever. I kept rehearsing what I'd
7:52
say to Blake or James when I saw him.
7:54
Should I apologize? But for what? None
7:57
of this was my fault. I was as much a
7:59
victim of my parents lies as he was.
8:01
Maybe more so since he'd at least known
8:02
the truth. I got to the coffee shop at
8:04
1:30, ordered the strongest thing on the
8:06
menu, and grabbed a table in the back
8:07
corner. Every time the door opened, my
8:09
heart jumped into my throat. At exactly
8:11
2, he walked in. He looked different
8:13
somehow. His hair was shorter and he
8:15
wasn't wearing his usual college hoodie
8:16
and jeans, but a button-up shirt and
8:18
khakis like he'd come from somewhere
8:19
professional. He spotted me immediately
8:21
and walked over, not smiling. "Tommy,"
8:25
he said, sitting down across from me. It
8:27
felt weird hearing him say my name now,
8:29
knowing everything I knew. "James," I
8:32
replied, testing out his real name. He
8:33
flinched slightly. "So, you really did
8:36
your homework." "Wasn't hard. Why'd you
8:38
ghost me? And why'd you approach me in
8:40
the first place if you were just going
8:40
to disappear?" he sighed, rubbing his
8:43
face with both hands. It's complicated.
8:46
I didn't plan on becoming your friend. I
8:47
just wanted to see you up close to
8:49
understand. Understand what? Why they
8:52
kept you and not me? The bluntness of
8:55
his statement hit me like a truck. I had
8:57
no answer. There was nothing I could say
8:58
that wouldn't sound hollow or defensive.
9:01
James continued, "I found out I was
9:03
adopted when I was 12. My adoptive
9:05
parents are good people. They told me
9:07
everything they knew, which wasn't much,
9:09
just that my biological parents were a
9:10
married couple who couldn't afford to
9:12
keep me. When I turned 18, I got access
9:14
to my adoption records, learned my
9:16
biological mother's name. Found her on
9:18
Facebook, he laughed bitterly. That's
9:21
when I saw the photos of her perfect
9:22
little family with you. I didn't know
9:24
you existed until last weekend, I said
9:26
weekly. Yeah, I figured that out pretty
9:29
quick when we started talking. You
9:30
weren't faking your reaction to all
9:31
those coincidences we had. He made air
9:34
quotes around coincidences.
9:36
Is that why you approached me? To mess
9:38
with me? He shook his head. Originally,
9:41
yeah. I transferred to your college
9:43
specifically to find you. I had this
9:45
whole plan to befriend you, then reveal
9:47
everything dramatically, make you feel
9:48
as messed up as I did when I found out.
9:51
So, what changed? You did. Or rather,
9:53
getting to know you did. James looked
9:56
down at the table. I had all these
9:58
preconceptions about you. I thought
10:00
you'd be this entitled, spoiled golden
10:02
child, the kid they chose to keep. But
10:04
you weren't anything like that. You were
10:06
this nervous wreck with crippling
10:08
anxiety. You seemed, I don't know,
10:11
damaged in your own way. As I spent time
10:13
with you, I started feeling protective
10:15
rather than resentful. It felt wrong to
10:16
deliberately hurt someone who was
10:17
already struggling. So, you just
10:20
disappeared instead. I panicked. When
10:23
you started connecting the dots about
10:24
our childhoods, I realized I couldn't go
10:26
through with my plan. But I also
10:28
couldn't keep pretending, so I ran. We
10:30
sat in silence for a moment. I had a
10:32
million questions, but didn't know where
10:33
to start. Finally, I asked, "What was it
10:36
like living with them?" His face
10:38
darkened. "You really want to know?" I
10:40
nodded. "Your dad, our dad, was never
10:43
around much. Always working or working.
10:45
Your mom was inconsistent. Sometimes
10:47
super attentive, sometimes completely
10:49
checked out." When Richard, my
10:50
biological father, stopped paying child
10:52
support, they couldn't handle it.
10:54
Literally told me they couldn't afford
10:55
me anymore. Like I was a car payment
10:57
they needed to eliminate from their
10:58
budget. Each word felt like a knife. I'd
11:01
always known my parents were emotionally
11:02
distant, but this was beyond cold. This
11:05
was cruel. The worst part wasn't even
11:06
them giving me up, James continued. It
11:09
was how they just erased me afterward. I
11:10
tried contacting them a few times after
11:12
I turned 18. Your mom blocked my number.
11:14
Your dad told me he'd file a harassment
11:16
claim if I called again. I'm so sorry, I
11:19
whispered. Not your fault. His voice was
11:21
flat. What happened after with your
11:23
adoptive family? James shrugged. They're
11:26
fine. Normal people with normal
11:28
problems. We moved around a lot because
11:30
of my dad's job. They did their best. We
11:33
kept talking for hours. James told me
11:35
about his childhood in bits and pieces.
11:37
Never staying in one place long enough
11:38
to make real friends. Always feeling
11:40
like an outsider. I told him about
11:42
growing up alone in that house with
11:43
parents who were physically present but
11:44
emotionally absent. The coffee shop was
11:46
closing when we finally wrapped up.
11:48
James seemed drained and honestly so was
11:50
I. But something had shifted between us.
11:53
The anger in his eyes had softened. What
11:55
now? I asked as we stood outside in the
11:57
parking lot. I don't know, he admitted.
12:00
I never thought past the reveal the
12:02
truth part of my plan. We should stay in
12:04
touch, I said. I mean, if you want to,
12:06
you're the only brother I've got. He
12:08
gave me a half smile. Yeah, okay, but
12:11
I'm not coming back to classes here.
12:13
I've already withdrawn. Going back to
12:15
Bridgewater to finish my associates
12:16
degree. We exchanged real phone numbers
12:19
this time. As I watched him drive away,
12:21
I felt both lighter and heavier at the
12:22
same time. I had a brother, but I'd also
12:25
lost any illusion that my parents were
12:27
decent people. Over the next few weeks,
12:28
James and I texted regularly. Nothing
12:31
deep, just checking in. He sent memes. I
12:33
complained about professors, normal
12:35
brother stuff, I guess, though I had no
12:37
reference point for what normal brothers
12:38
do. Meanwhile, I avoided going home.
12:41
Made excuses about midterms and study
12:43
groups. My mom called twice, leaving
12:45
cheery voicemails that made my skin
12:47
crawl. How could she sound so normal
12:49
knowing what she'd done? James and I met
12:50
up again in early November at a diner
12:52
halfway between our colleges. This time,
12:54
the conversation flowed easier. We
12:56
swapped stories about our childhoods,
12:58
finding weird parallels in how we'd both
13:00
been shaped by the same parents in
13:01
different ways. "Have you confronted
13:03
them yet?" James asked, poking at his
13:05
pancakes. "No," I admitted. "I've been
13:07
avoiding going home." "You can't avoid
13:10
them forever." "I know," I stirred my
13:12
coffee mindlessly. "I just don't know
13:14
what to say." "Hey, so I found the
13:16
brother you abandoned. What's up with
13:18
that?" James snorted. "I'd pay to see
13:20
their faces." That's when the idea
13:22
started forming. "What if we did it
13:24
together?" He looked up sharply. What?
13:27
Confront them together? Both of us at
13:29
the same time? They wouldn't be able to
13:31
deny anything with both of us standing
13:32
there. James was quiet for a long
13:35
moment. That would destroy them. They
13:38
deserve it, I said, surprising myself
13:39
with the venom in my voice. Yeah, he
13:42
agreed quietly. They do. We spent the
13:44
next hour plotting. Thanksgiving was
13:46
coming up. I told my parents I was
13:48
coming home for the break. It would be
13:50
the perfect opportunity. James would
13:52
show up unexpectedly while we were
13:53
having dinner. maximum dramatic impact.
13:56
The plan gave me something to focus on
13:58
besides my anxiety about classes. For
14:00
once, I felt like I had control over
14:02
something in my life. James seemed
14:04
energized by it, too. Our texts became
14:06
more frequent, more detailed as we
14:08
refined our approach. But as
14:10
Thanksgiving got closer, James became
14:12
increasingly erratic. Sometimes he'd
14:14
send me 20 texts in a row at 3 a.m.
14:16
rambling about everything our parents
14:17
had stolen from him. Other times, he'd
14:20
go silent for days. Are you sure you're
14:21
okay with this plan? I asked during one
14:23
of our phone calls. More than okay, he
14:26
replied, his voice tight. I've been
14:28
waiting for this moment for years.
14:30
Something in his tone worried me, but I
14:32
pushed the feeling aside. This wasn't
14:34
about me anymore. This was about justice
14:36
for James. The Tuesday before
14:39
Thanksgiving, I drove home with a knot
14:40
in my stomach. My parents greeted me
14:42
with their usual distracted affection.
14:44
Dad patted my shoulder and asked generic
14:46
questions about school before
14:47
disappearing into his home office. Mom
14:49
fussed about my weight and my haircut,
14:51
then got busy preparing for Thursday's
14:53
dinner. I spent Wednesday helping mom
14:55
with Thanksgiving prep, chopping
14:56
vegetables, and trying not to vomit
14:58
every time she casually mentioned how
14:59
nice it was to have the family together.
15:01
The audacity of that phrase coming from
15:03
her mouth made me want to scream.
15:04
Thursday morning, I woke up to a text
15:06
from James.
15:08
Still on for today? Can't wait to see
15:10
their faces. They're going to finally
15:11
pay for what they did. The wording made
15:13
me uneasy. I texted back. Remember,
15:17
we're just confronting them, making them
15:18
acknowledge what happened. He didn't
15:20
respond, which only increased my
15:21
anxiety. By the time our relatives
15:23
started arriving, my mom's sister and
15:24
her husband, my dad's brother, and his
15:26
family, I was a nervous wreck. Not that
15:28
anyone noticed. They were all too busy
15:30
with the usual Thanksgiving chaos.
15:31
Dinner was scheduled for 4 m. James and
15:34
I had agreed he'd show up around 4:30
15:35
when everyone would be seated and
15:37
eating, but 4:30 came and went with no
15:39
sign of him. Then, five flow. I kept
15:41
checking my phone under the table,
15:43
ignoring my aunt's questions about
15:44
meeting any nice girls at college. At
15:46
5:45, I excused myself to the bathroom
15:48
and called James. No answer. I texted,
15:51
"Where are you? Everything okay?" Three
15:54
dots appeared then. Change of plans.
15:56
Meet me at our parents bank now. What?
15:58
What are you doing? They're going to pay
16:00
literally. I know how to access dad's
16:02
safety deposit box. All their emergency
16:04
cash and mom's jewelry is in there. My
16:06
blood ran cold. James, that's theft.
16:09
You'll go to jail. Not if we don't get
16:11
caught. Meet me or don't. I'm doing this
16:13
either way. I rushed back to the dining
16:15
room, made some excuse about a friend
16:17
having an emergency, and practically ran
16:19
to my car. The bank was only 10 minutes
16:21
away, but it felt like hours. When I
16:23
pulled into the parking lot, James' car
16:24
was there. The bank was closed for the
16:26
holiday, but the ATM vestibule was open
16:28
24/7. I found James sitting on the floor
16:31
of the vestibule, his back against the
16:32
wall, head in his hands. "What
16:34
happened?" I asked, crouching beside
16:36
him. "Couldn't do it," he mumbled. got
16:39
here and realized I don't actually have
16:40
access to anything. Just got overwhelmed
16:42
thinking about everything. Relief washed
16:44
over me. Let's get out of here. We can
16:47
figure out another way to confront them.
16:49
We drove separately to a 24-hour diner
16:51
nearby. James looked terrible. Dark
16:53
circles under his eyes, hair a mess. He
16:55
admitted he hadn't slept in days, too
16:57
amped up about confronting our parents.
16:59
"I think I need to step back from this,"
17:01
he said, staring into his coffee mug.
17:03
"It's consuming me. All I think about is
17:05
making them hurt like they hurt me." I
17:08
nodded, relieved. Maybe confronting them
17:10
isn't the answer. Then what is? There
17:13
was genuine desperation in his voice. I
17:15
don't know. Living well, being better
17:17
than them, building our own relationship
17:18
without them in it. James gave a hollow
17:21
laugh. You sound like my therapist. You
17:24
have a therapist? Had stopped going when
17:26
I transferred to your school. Probably
17:28
should go back. He rubbed his face. I'm
17:31
a mess, Tommy. Finding you, planning all
17:34
this, it brought everything back up. We
17:36
talked for hours, refilling our coffee
17:38
mugs until the sympathetic waitress just
17:40
brought us a whole pot. By the time we
17:42
left, it was past midnight. The plan to
17:44
confront our parents was shelved. At
17:46
least for now. I should get back, I said
17:48
in the parking lot. They're probably
17:50
worried. They won't be, James said
17:53
flatly. But yeah, you should go. I'm
17:55
going to drive back to campus, crash in
17:57
my old room. My stuff's still there even
17:58
though I withdrew. Text me when you get
18:00
there. He nodded and we awkwardly hugged
18:03
goodbye. It was our first real hug, I
18:05
realized. Despite everything, it felt
18:07
right. When I got home, the house was
18:09
quiet. Everyone had gone to bed or left.
18:11
There was a note from my mom on the
18:12
counter. Hope your friend is okay.
18:14
Leftovers in the fridge. Love, Mom. The
18:17
casual normaly of it made me furious all
18:19
over again. I wanted to wake her up,
18:21
confront her right then and there. But I
18:23
remember James' face at the bank, how
18:25
close he'd come to doing something he
18:26
couldn't take back. Maybe confrontation
18:29
wasn't the answer for either of us. I
18:31
went to bed, but couldn't sleep. Around
18:33
3:00 a.m., I realized James hadn't
18:35
texted to confirm he'd made it back to
18:36
campus. I sent him a quick you good
18:38
message and tried not to worry. By
18:40
morning, he still hadn't responded. I
18:42
made excuses to stay home while my
18:44
parents went Black Friday shopping. I
18:45
kept calling James, but my calls went
18:47
straight to voicemail. After my 20th
18:49
unanswered text, real panic set in. I
18:52
remembered his state of mind the night
18:53
before. The look in his eyes, the
18:55
desperation. Something wasn't right. I
18:57
drove to campus, breaking every speed
18:59
limit, parked illegally right in front
19:00
of his dorm. The security guard at the
19:02
desk knew me from my visits before and
19:04
waved me through without bothering to
19:05
check ID. James' room was on the third
19:07
floor. I knocked, then pounded, then
19:09
tried the handle. Locked. I was about to
19:11
go find an RA when a sleepy looking guy
19:13
poked his head out of the room next
19:14
door. You looking for Blake? He asked
19:17
using the name everyone on campus knew
19:18
James by. Yeah, have you seen him? Not
19:22
since like Wednesday. He was acting
19:23
weird though, all amped up. Said
19:25
something about going to see his family
19:26
for Thanksgiving. My stomach dropped.
19:29
Did he say anything else about what he
19:31
was planning? The guy shrugged. Nah, he
19:34
was pretty private. Oh, but he did give
19:36
me this envelope yesterday. Said to give
19:38
it to you if you came looking for him.
19:40
He disappeared back into his room,
19:41
returning a moment later with a sealed
19:43
envelope.
19:44
Here, I ripped it open right there in
19:46
the hall. Inside was a key and a note in
19:48
James' messy handwriting. Storage unit
19:50
417. Secure all storage on Route 9. Go
19:52
alone, Jay. The guy was watching me
19:55
curiously. Everything okay, man? I hope
19:58
so, I muttered, already heading for the
20:00
stairs. The storage facility was only a
20:02
15-minute drive from campus. I found
20:04
unit number 417 easily enough. It was in
20:06
the back corner of the property away
20:07
from the main office. The key fit, but I
20:09
hesitated before lifting the rollup
20:11
door. What would I find inside? James
20:14
had been in such a dark place last
20:15
night. I took a deep breath and pulled
20:18
the door up. The unit was small, maybe
20:20
10x10, and it was packed with stuff.
20:22
Furniture, boxes, toys, children's toys.
20:24
I stepped inside confused. There was a
20:26
blue bicycle that looked vaguely
20:28
familiar. A box labeled James Grade 2 in
20:30
what looked like my mother's
20:31
handwriting. With a jolt, I realized
20:33
what I was looking at. These were James'
20:35
things. The belongings my parents had
20:38
supposedly put in storage when they
20:39
erased him from our lives. They hadn't
20:41
gotten rid of anything. They' just
20:43
hidden it all here. I opened one of the
20:45
boxes. Inside were school projects,
20:47
report cards, little league trophies.
20:48
Another box contained clothing, small
20:50
jeans, and t-shirts carefully folded. A
20:52
third had photo albums. I sat
20:54
cross-legged on the concrete floor and
20:55
opened an album. There was James, maybe
20:58
four or five, sitting on our dad's
21:00
shoulders at what looked like a county
21:01
fair. Another showed him opening
21:04
Christmas presents in our living room.
21:05
My mom hugging him on what must have
21:07
been his birthday. A cake with six
21:09
candles in front of them. They had
21:11
looked so happy, so normal. How could
21:13
they have given him up? I was so
21:15
absorbed in the photos, I almost missed
21:17
the folded piece of paper that had been
21:18
placed on top of a box near the door. My
21:21
name was written on the outside. My
21:22
hands shook as I unfolded it. Tommy, if
21:25
you're reading this, I've probably done
21:26
something stupid. I found this storage
21:28
unit last month. Followed mom here one
21:30
day when she came to drop off more of my
21:32
old stuff. Can you believe they kept
21:34
everything, but still threw me away? I
21:36
thought confronting them would help.
21:37
Make them sorry, make them hurt like I
21:39
hurt. But seeing you last night made me
21:41
realize they're never going to change.
21:42
They're never going to be sorry enough.
21:44
And I can't keep carrying this. I don't
21:46
blame you. You didn't ask for any of
21:48
this. You were just a baby when they
21:49
made their choice. Thanks for being the
21:51
brother I never got to have, even if it
21:52
was just for a little while. Take care
21:54
of yourself, James. Cold terror gripped
21:57
me. The note read like a goodbye. A
21:59
final goodbye. I fumbled for my phone,
22:02
dialed James again, straight to
22:04
voicemail. I called the campus security
22:06
office, asked if they could check his
22:07
room again, break in if necessary. They
22:10
promised to call me back. I was about to
22:12
leave the storage unit when something
22:13
caught my eye. A small box labeled
22:16
important papers in the corner. I opened
22:18
it and found James' original birth
22:20
certificate, his adoptive parents
22:21
information, legal documents about the
22:23
transfer of custody, and a life
22:26
insurance policy my parents had taken
22:27
out on James when he was born for
22:29
$250,000
22:30
with a suicide exclusion clause that
22:32
expired after 18 years. The policy was
22:35
set to mature when James turned 18,
22:36
which made sense since they'd likely
22:38
never expected to see him again. They
22:40
had created a financial safety net from
22:41
giving up their child. My phone rang,
22:43
startling me. It was campus security. We
22:46
checked the room, the officer said. Your
22:48
friend isn't there, but he paused.
22:51
There's some concerning stuff written on
22:52
the walls. We've called the local police
22:54
to do a wellness check. Do you have any
22:56
idea where he might have gone? I thought
22:58
about the despair in James' eyes last
23:00
night. The finality of his note. I
23:03
might, I said, remembering something
23:05
James had mentioned during one of our
23:06
conversations.
23:08
Try the old fire tower in Blackwood
23:09
Forest. It's about 5 miles west of
23:11
campus. I was already running to my car
23:13
as I hung up. The fire tower had come up
23:15
when we were swapping stories about
23:16
places we went to be alone. James said
23:18
he discovered it shortly after
23:19
transferring to my college. Said the
23:21
height of it made his problems seem
23:22
smaller. I drove like a maniac calling
23:24
911 as I went, telling them to send
23:26
someone to the tower immediately. The
23:27
dispatcher tried to keep me on the line,
23:29
but I hung up as I skiitted into the
23:30
small dirt parking area at the trail
23:32
head. The hike to the tower usually took
23:34
20 minutes. I did it in 10, lungs
23:36
burning, branches whipping my face as I
23:38
ran. When the rusty metal structure came
23:40
into view through the trees, I saw a
23:42
figure sitting at the top platform, legs
23:44
dangling over the edge. James, I
23:46
screamed, still running. James, don't.
23:48
He looked down, surprised to see me. I
23:51
couldn't make out his expression from
23:52
this distance, but his body language was
23:54
eerily calm. Stay there, I yelled,
23:57
reaching the base of the tower. I'm
23:58
coming up. I took the metal stairs two
24:01
at a time, my hands gripping the cold
24:02
railing so tight my knuckles went white.
24:05
Five flights up, the wind whipping
24:06
stronger with each level. When I finally
24:08
reached the top platform, I was gasping
24:10
for breath. James was sitting with his
24:12
back against one of the support posts,
24:13
knees pulled up to his chest. He looked
24:15
exhausted, but surprisingly calm. "How'd
24:17
you find me?" he asked. "Your note?" I
24:20
panted, staying by the stairs at the
24:21
storage unit. He nodded slowly. "You
24:24
weren't supposed to get that until
24:25
later." "Well, I got it now." I took a
24:28
cautious step toward him. "James, please
24:30
come away from the edge. I'm not going
24:33
to jump if that's what you're worried
24:34
about." He sounded almost offended. I
24:37
just come up here to think. Relief
24:39
flooded through me, followed immediately
24:41
by doubt. The note had certainly sounded
24:43
final, and the campus security officer
24:45
had mentioned concerning things written
24:46
on his walls. "The police are on their
24:48
way," I said, taking another step
24:50
closer. "They're worried about you. I'm
24:52
worried about you," James sighed,
24:54
running a hand through his hair. "I
24:56
didn't mean to scare everyone. I just
24:58
needed some space to think." He glanced
25:00
at me. But I guess that's hard to
25:02
believe after my meltdown last night. I
25:04
sat down next to him, careful to keep
25:06
some distance between us and the edge of
25:08
the platform. I found the life insurance
25:10
policy, I said quietly, his jaw
25:13
tightened.
25:14
Yeah, that was a fun discovery. Did you
25:16
know about it before you found the
25:18
storage unit? He shook his head. Found
25:20
it about a week ago. That's when I Well,
25:23
that's when things got dark. Really
25:25
dark. We sat in silence for a minute,
25:27
the wind whistling through the metal
25:29
framework of the tower. In the distance,
25:31
I could hear sirens approaching. What
25:33
are you going to do now? I asked. James
25:36
looked out at the forest stretching
25:37
below us. Honestly, I don't know. Go
25:40
back to therapy for starters, he gave a
25:42
hollow laugh. Beyond that, I just know I
25:45
can't keep obsessing over them. It's
25:47
killing me, Tommy. Literally killing me.
25:50
The realization of how close I'd come to
25:51
losing my brother, a brother I'd only
25:53
just found, hit me hard. I reached out
25:55
and put my hand on his shoulder. He
25:57
tensed briefly, then relaxed. Whatever
26:00
you decide, I said. I'm here. We're
26:02
brothers. That doesn't change. For the
26:05
first time that day, James smiled. A
26:07
small, tired smile, but genuine. Yeah,
26:09
he said. I guess we are. We heard people
26:12
calling from below. Police officers and
26:14
paramedics making their way up the
26:15
trail. James sighed, resigned to what
26:18
was coming next. They're going to make
26:20
me go to the hospital, aren't they?
26:22
Probably, I admitted. But I'll be right
26:24
there with you. As we made our way down
26:26
the tower to meet the first responders,
26:28
I realized something had fundamentally
26:30
shifted between us. We'd started this
26:32
journey as strangers with a shared past.
26:34
Now facing an uncertain future, we were
26:36
something else entirely. We were family,
26:39
the real kind. The next few days were
26:41
pretty intense. James spent two nights
26:43
in the psychiatric ward for observation.
26:45
I visited both days bringing him clean
26:47
clothes and his favorite snacks from the
26:48
vending machine. The hospital staff were
26:50
nice enough, but the whole place had
26:52
this weird smell that reminded me of
26:53
elementary school cafeterias. I sat with
26:56
him while a psychiatrist asked a bunch
26:57
of questions about his ideation and
26:59
plan. James was surprisingly honest
27:01
about everything. Finding the storage
27:03
unit, discovering the life insurance
27:04
policy, the spiral he'd been in. The
27:07
doctor prescribed some anti-anxiety meds
27:09
and made him promise to resume therapy
27:10
once he got out. "Sorry for scaring
27:11
you," James said on my second visit. "We
27:14
were sitting in the hospital's sad
27:15
little courtyard, the only place
27:17
patients could get fresh air. "I wasn't
27:19
actually going to do anything. Your note
27:21
seemed pretty final," I pointed out. He
27:24
stared at his hands. I guess part of me
27:27
was thinking about it, but mostly I just
27:28
needed to get away from everyone and
27:30
everything. When they finally discharged
27:32
him, I drove James back to his dorm to
27:34
pack up the rest of his stuff. The walls
27:36
of his room were covered with scribbled
27:37
notes and printed photos, a crazy
27:39
person's investigation board tracking
27:41
our parents' movements and finances. "No
27:43
wonder campus security had freaked out."
27:46
"This is embarrassing," James muttered
27:48
as we took everything down. "I didn't
27:50
know what to say. The whole thing was
27:52
disturbing, but I also got it. If I'd
27:54
been abandoned and then discovered my
27:56
parents had profited from it, I'd
27:57
probably lose my mind a little too.
27:59
James decided to move back in with his
28:01
adoptive parents for a while. They lived
28:03
about 2 hours away and had been freaking
28:04
out since the hospital called them. I
28:06
helped him load his car and promised a
28:08
visit soon. We hugged goodbye in the
28:10
parking lot. An awkward but genuine
28:12
embrace. "What are you going to do about
28:15
them?" he asked before getting in his
28:17
car. Good question. I've been avoiding
28:19
my parents calls and texts since
28:21
Thanksgiving. They'd gone. And that's
28:24
where this incredible, heartbreaking,
28:25
and ultimately hopeful story leaves us.
28:28
Casey found a brother, but at the cost
28:30
of shattering his perception of his
28:32
parents. James, after years of pain and
28:34
a near tragedy, is finally on a path to
28:36
healing with a newfound connection. What
28:38
do you think about Casey's parents? And
28:40
what about James' desperate plan? Let me
28:42
know your thoughts in the comments
28:43
below. If this story resonated with you,
28:46
please give it a like, subscribe for
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more incredible true stories, and hit
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that notification bell so you don't miss
28:51
our next upload. Until then, stay safe
28:54
and remember, sometimes the deepest
28:55
connections are found in the most
28:56
unexpected