Chapter 6

• Thomas:
• “Why? Just
• why would you hire the girl here after you told me to stay away from her?” I
• asked mum once everyone had left. Her eyes met mine and she raised an eyebrow
• at me, looking me up and down before she walked back inside the living room.
• The woman was still angry with me, I was aware of that. But that gave her no
• right to do what she did right now. The fact that she brought the girl that she
• knew I had feelings for, the girl that I was with and SHE made me break up
• with. Why would she be doing so?
• “Mother…”
• “How did you
• even know that she’s here? Weren’t you the one who said that you would be
• staying at your apartment? So, what brings you here?” Mum asked angrily and I
• raised an eyebrow at her.
• “Last I
• checked this was MY father’s house, whether I was to stay at the apartment or
• here was MY choice. I don’t think I need to ask for permission on where I’ll be
• staying” I answered glaring at mum who raised an eyebrow at me.
• “This may be
• your father’s house, but it is mine as well and since you’re choosing to follow
• the girl; you have nothing in this house or its wealth” mum said and I had to
• fight back snapping at her.
• “The man is
• MY son, and the house is MINE. He would be free to roam his father’s
• belongings, to go where he pleases and to leave whenever he pleases. Should
• that bother you, there you go, there’s the door” dad said from behind me, my
• eyes widened and mum looked at my father, her husband, then at me. Not
• expecting him to hear such a conversation between us “who are you to decide
• what belongs to him and what doesn’t? In case YOU forgot, nothing belongs to
• you, everything is his, his brother’s, and his sisters’. You have NOTHING”
• I looked
• down at my feet avoiding both of them, it was true. Mum had signed an
• agreement, based on dad’s request, that NOTHING belongs to her. Except for the
• wedding ring that was on her finger, everything was father’s whatever she wore,
• whatever she had, jewels, houses, cars. Nothing was hers. Well, that is if
• we’re not including the ten percent investment share he gave her of the company
• when she gave birth to me, having been happy about having his first son. He
• gifted mum with a ten percent share of the company.
• “My son get
• what he wants, he comes and goes as he pleases, and YOU have nothing to say or
• do about this. Am I making myself clear?” Dad asked mum who nodded not saying a
• word. I knew that she was internally curing the day of father’s existence, and
• that this conversation should’ve never taken place at home. Mum was already at
• risk of losing her marriage and I knew that any mistake would cause her hell.
• But I had no other option, nor did I know that dad was coming home or was home
• in the first place.
• “Your son
• was in a relationship with a waitress…”
• “And you’re
• complaining about that? Are you forgetting where YOU came from?” Father said
• and my eyes went wide.
• “Father,
• that is enough” I said stopping father who turned to look at me. His eyes
• widened as he realized that I stopped him, but I shook my head at the man not
• wanting him to cross his line anymore than he already has. What happened
• couldn’t change now, but that gave father no right to insult mum the way he was
• right now. Especially not in front of me.
• “The woman
• is still the mother of your sons, and as her son I cannot allow you to speak
• with her in such a manner nor can I allow you to disrespect her like that” I
• said looking my dad in the eye. He studied my expression and I raised an
• eyebrow at him, waiting for him to respond to me but he nodded and put his hand
• on my shoulder, squeezing it lightly.
• “Alright,
• we’ll have things as you wish. Don’t forget to get yourself ready for work this
• Monday” dad said and I nodded.
• “Work?” Mum
• asked frowning in confusion.
• “Yes, Thomas
• would be taking charge of one of my companies for the next few months, and if
• he proves himself, I’ll be retiring and he’ll be taking my place in the head
• department office” dad said making mum’s eyes widen. She looked at me then at
• father before her eyes met mine.
• “Why don’t I
• know of this?”
• “Do you need
• to know of what I plan to do with my sons? The companies are theirs anyway,
• they were bound to take a seat in them and do their parts there” dad said
• casually, his expression filled with disgust and distrust toward mum. It
• saddened me that they reached this state, according to Lilian’s mum, Aunt
• Cecile, he and mum had a nice relationship. It also saddened me that mum was
• the reason he and Aunt Cecile got a divorce in the first place, the man was
• attracted to mum and left his wife for his secretary.
• “I will be
• in my office for the night, don’t wait for me in bed”
• I watched as
• dad walked back into his office leaving both me and mum alone in the living
• room by the door “one day, very soon, that stupid office of yours will be my
• shoe closet”
• Mum muttered
• under her breath and I had to fight back laughing, shaking my head at her, I
• wrapped my arms around her before she could process anything “thank you for
• what you did and what you said”
• “You know
• that I’d never let him disrespect you” I whispered to mum, it was true. Her and
• I could get into numerous fights and arguments, but I would never let him hurt
• her feelings or break her heart. The man had done that for years when I was
• younger, I couldn’t fend for mum as I didn’t understand what they were talking
• about or why he was doing so. Then I grew older and I knew that what he was
• doing what wrong toward her, no woman deserved being insulted that way. No
• matter what she did, she was to be respected and appreciated. That wasn’t the
• case with dad who saw every little mistake mum did, forgetting that she ever
• had anything that was good or anything that she ever did for him or the family.
• “Now, why
• didn’t you tell me that he hired you in one of the companies?”
• “Well, if
• you would’ve allowed me to talk rather than separate me from the girl that I
• like, and fight to plot a few schemes then you would’ve found out” I said
• raising an eyebrow at mum who laughed shaking her head at me.
• She frowned
• for a second before her expression turned back to a smile, I frowned in
• confusion but didn’t speak of her sudden change of mood and demeanor. She put a
• hand on my shoulder and attempted to take off my jacket, I hadn’t taken it off
• when I walked inside the house.
• “No love,
• I’m not staying for the night. I’m just coming to get my things, then I’ll be
• leaving” I said taking mum’s hand off my shoulder and softly kissing her
• knuckle.
• “Your
• things?” Mum asked frowning in confusion. Despite having my own apartment, I
• didn’t bother taking my things with me, keeping them here. My apartment was
• just my place when I wanted to be alone or when I wanted to bring a random girl
• home. I had never brought Kiara there, nor did I think of it, having found a
• girl that I really liked. I didn’t want to lose her by bringing her there.
• “Yes, I’m
• moving there, mum. I can no longer stay here” I said making mum’s eyes widen,
• she shook her head at me and I smiled at her “I believe it’s time for me to
• start alone, it won’t mean that I won’t be coming here. But things have to
• change somehow” I said looking at mum who shook her head once more as tears
• filled her eyes.
• “No, you
• can’t leave…”
• “Mum, love,
• I am twenty-five, I can’t keep being treated like a fifteen-year-old kid…”
• “You’re my
• son”
• “Me moving
• out of the house will not change that” I said gently “but I need my time alone”
• “Your time
• alone doesn’t mean that you need to leave…” mum tried reasoning but I shook my
• head at her, she didn’t understand what I was talking about, or maybe she did
• but she was refusing to listen or to accept it and I knew the reason behind
• that, she was both afraid of what father would do when I wasn’t around and her
• losing whatever power she believed she had through me.
• She didn’t
• admit it, but the woman was simply powerful in this house because she knew that
• I would stand in the face of whoever tried crossing the line with her. But what
• she didn’t know or process was that even I had my own limit and she had crossed
• that a long time ago.
• “I will
• leave mum, my decision is final in this one. If you wish to accept me coming as
• a guest in your house for lunch, dinner, or even breakfast at times. Then I’d
• be happy to join, but I can no longer stay here, I’m sorry…”
• *********************
• “You can’t
• be serious?” Daniel said walking inside my room without knocking the door, I
• raised an eyebrow at the kid who barged inside my bedroom in such a manner.
• “Hello to
• you too”
• “Thomas,
• what is this about mum saying that you’re leaving?” Daniel asked looking at me,
• he closed my suit case which I was putting my clothes in and I raised an
• eyebrow at him.
• “I am moving
• to my apartment, not the other side of the globe. What the hell?” I asked
• looking my brother in the eye.
• “Why would
• you leave the house to begin with? Have you lost your mind? This place is your
• home!” Daniel tried reasoning and I smiled.
• “So is my
• apartment. Look Dani, I’m no longer a kid, I can’t keep hiding under mum’s
• skirt or behind father’s money. I need to try and do something for myself and
• that would be impossible if I stay here under mum’s endless rules. Plus, the
• house is a ten minute drive, all you have to do is call me and I’ll pick you up
• or have Igor bring you over whenever you want” I said looking my brother in the
• eye. He looked down at my suit case and nodded, removing his hand from on top
• of it and opening it for me, helping me fix the bag “I won’t be far, nor would
• I neglect you as my brother. But even I need my space at times”
• “I
• understand, everyone’s put you under so much pressure lately, I can’t blame you
• for wanting to leave”
• “Believe me,
• it has nothing to do with that, I’ve handled a lot worse. I just need my time
• alone for a bit” I said looking at my brother who nodded. His eyes met mine and
• I smiled as we fixed the bag together.
• It was
• finally time for a fresh start.