My Stepfather Kept Me Wheelchair-Bound, But My Stepbrother's Secret Ritual Saved Me

The Dark Secret Exposed

David came to a halt, his chest heaving as he stared at the basin of water and Toby’s hands still cradling Lily’s feet. He tried to force a warm, paternal smile, but his eyes were wide with a desperate, underlying panic.

"What is going on out here?" David asked, his voice tight. "Toby, you shouldn't be doing that. You aren't a trained physical therapist. You could cause permanent damage to your sister."

He reached down to pull Lily's feet out of the water, but Toby stood up abruptly, shielding Lily from his father. The young man's jaw was set, his red plaid shirt damp with soapy water. He looked at his father with a mixture of anger and disappointment.

"She isn't damaged, Dad," Toby said, his voice remarkably steady. "Not anymore. Because I stopped giving her the pills you prescribed."

David froze, his face draining of color. "What are you talking about? Those are her doctor-prescribed nerve blockers. She needs them to sleep."

Toby reached into his pocket and pulled out a small plastic vial along with a folded sheet of paper. "I took her daily blue pills to a private lab last week. They aren't nerve blockers, Dad. They are heavy muscle relaxants and chemical sedatives. You’ve been keeping her drugged so she would never pass her physical therapy evaluations."

Lily gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. The pieces of the puzzle suddenly fell into place. Her mother’s massive trust fund was set to transfer to her today, on her twenty-first birthday—unless she was declared medically incapacitated, in which case David would retain permanent control.

"You monster," Lily whispered, tears streaming down her face. "You kept me in this chair for money?"

David’s facade crumbled, replaced by a cold, menacing sneer. He stepped closer, towering over Toby. "You stupid boy. You have no idea what you've done. You think anyone will believe a couple of teenagers over me? Give me those papers, now!"