For the Family

Liam

I stood silently in the corner of the room, watching my sister as she transformed from the radiant bride of mere hours ago into her more familiar self. Her wedding dress was carefully folded and set aside, replaced by a comfortable blouse and jeans. Her hair, once elegantly styled, now cascaded freely over her shoulders.

Our father entered the room, his eyes lighting up at the sight of his daughter. He approached her with a warm smile, embracing her tightly.

"I'm really going to miss you," he murmured.

She returned the hug, her voice soft. "Me too, Dad. But I'll come visit."

They separated, and his gaze shifted to me. "Aren't you going to say goodbye to your sister?"

I met his eyes briefly before looking away, the weight of guilt pressing heavily on my chest. I wanted to speak, to offer words of farewell, but my throat tightened, rendering me silent, especially after what happened with Ronan.

Chloe approached me, looking concerned. "Liam? Are you alright?"

I forced a smile, nodding slightly. "Take care. I'll visit during the weekend," I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper.

She gave me a gentle hug, and I felt a pang of guilt. Then, she pulled away and turned to leave, but before she left, our father stepped forward and gently grabbed her by the shoulders.

"You know why you're going there, right?" he asked, his voice low but firm, eyes locking with hers.

Chloe swallowed hard and nodded, her composure cracking for just a second.

"You know why you're getting married to him. You know what’s expected of you. Do your job right so that this alliance won't falter." His voice didn’t falter. It never did.

I saw her lips tremble before she gave another nod. She didn’t speak. She just walked out the door, the soft click echoing louder than it should’ve.

And just like that, she was gone.

***

Now, in the car, I sat next to my father, both of us wrapped in silence as he drove. The guilt that I was feeling in my soul was gnarling me. But why did I like this guilt so much? This forbidden thought?

"You’ve been awfully quiet," my father finally said, breaking the stillness. "You haven’t told me much about that colleague of ours who confessed to you."

"He's straight," I replied, my voice barely audible. "The letter was meant for someone else in the team."

He shook his head, his gaze returning to the road ahead. "I'm sorry that happened is."

I sighed, leaning back in my seat, shutting my eyes suddenly remembering how my father found out about my sexuality. I had always known my business-minded father was strict.

But then I came out to him, after he caught me kissing my then-high school boyfriend during our supposed lesson in my room.

"Dad, I'm gay." I confessed afterwards.

It wasn’t supposed to be that hard to take in. It wasn’t supposed to be this huge thing. But it was.

His face paled, his eyes narrowed, and in that moment, I could feel the cold air between us. My father didn’t say anything at first. He just stood there—frozen.

And then the words came. Harsh, cold, final. "You– what? You’re what? This is a fucking joke, right? At least, tell me it's just you being curious?”

I tried to explain, tried to tell him that this wasn’t a phase, that this was me. But I couldn’t. The words got caught in my throat.

"I don’t care if you’re my son. You’ve embarrassed me. You’ve disgraced this family. I won’t have a weak, filthy man in my bloodline. You’re not part of this family anymore."

I don’t think I’ve ever been slapped with a reality so cruel. His anger was like a slap to my chest, knocking the breath out of me.

Yes, sure, my father, Mr. Torres, is a famous and wealthy business tycoon in the States, and for him, this is more embarrassing than having three divorced wives and two baby mamas, with whom he cut ties except for our mom.

"Dad..." I whispered.

“Don't call me that,” he roared, and that was it. He turned his back to me, the door slammed behind him. He couldn't accept that his son was gay, especially given our family's standing in the business world.

But then the best sister in the world, the one whom I had betrayed, Chloe stepped in. She hadn't known about my sexuality until that moment, but her love for me was rock-solid. She confronted our father, challenging his beliefs, reminding him of the bond we shared as a family. Her words were fierce, her determination strong.

"He's your son," she had said. "You raised him. You love him. This doesn't change that."

Through her relentless efforts, he softened his heart. Over time, he began to see me again—not as a disappointment, but as his son.

As soon as we arrived home, I headed straight to my room, the door closing behind me with a click.

I collapsed onto my bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to process the events of the day. The memory of Ronan's touch, his lips, the forbidden moments we shared—they haunted me. My body reacted involuntarily, a mix of desire and guilt washing over me.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Liam?" I whispered to myself, frustration evident in my voice. I clenched my fists, trying to suppress the emotions threatening to consume me.

Ever since the mafia heir, Ronan entered our lives as Chloe's fiancé, I was captivated. It was love at first sight, an immediate connection that I couldn't explain. But it was wrong. He was my sister's husband now. I shouldn't feel this way.

Desperate to clear my mind, I decided to take a shower, hoping the water would wash away the chaos inside me.

In the bathroom, I leaned against the tiled wall, letting the droplets mask the tears that had begun to fall.

"Why can't I control this?" I murmured, my voice barely audible over the sound of the water. The guilt, the longing, the confusion—it was all too much.

I closed my eyes, trying to focus on something else but instead more images of Ronan invaded my thoughts, his smile, his touch, the way he looked at me.

I took a deep breath, attempting to steady my racing heart. "You have to let this go," I told myself. "For Chloe. For your family. For yourself."

But deep down, I knew it wouldn't be that simple. The feelings I had for Ronan weren't something I could just turn off. They were a part of me now, a secret I had to carry.