Raymond sat in the car, lost in silence for a long time, overwhelmed by the unexpected revelation.
He remembered the first time he met Ruth, back at Chris Academy. He had gone there because the principal had informed him that Justin hadn’t attended school in quite a while. The family had sent Raymond to handle the matter. When he contacted Justin, his brother complained that the school was full of idiots who only cared about parties and getting into trouble. He didn’t want to study anymore; he wanted to become a singer.
Raymond agreed that Justin could pursue his passion but insisted he still needed to finish school. Justin had agreed easily, but Raymond wasn’t convinced and decided to check in on him personally.
Raymond’s upbringing had been different—rigorous, tailored training with a
