LOGIN128. MARLON Maybelline is right, I fall sick after the disturbing thing I discovered about Dad and Janae. I'm so sick that I miss a few days of school, and when Luther says he wants to come and see me, I refuse because of how messy I get when I'm sick. I walk around the house coughing like a sick child from the time of the black plague, and with pieces of toilet paper stuck up my nostrils. "Dad is coming home today," Maybelline tells me with an excited look on her face, but not me. I am as still as a statue on my bed. "Aren't you going to say anything, Marlon? We haven't seen him in weeks," she tells me. "I really don't care, May. He is your dad, not mine," my voice is so deep and tired. When we were younger and I would say mean things like this about Dad, she would burst into tears, but now, she is so used to it that she laughs. "You know, you can't say those kinds of things when you look exactly like Dad. Don't you feel that sometimes it's like fighting your own shadow?"
127. JANAE I've worked for some pretty rich people even before I was an accountant, and there is one thing I have learned. Never accept the gift of the rich. They probably want something twice the price back. "No, I'm good," I take my glass to my lips again. She looks different from the black-wearing method-acting widow. She looks like she could be twenty two, looking for a one night stand here. She chuckles when she notices how carefully I am examining her face. "You know, I feel like we could be friends. Bernice still considers your boy to be one of her best friends in the world," she takes her drink through a straw. "Your kid is no friend to mine," I snarl. "And I have no intention to be your friend," She should be offended, but she laughs and she waves my unfriendliness away. "Are both of you still touchy about the scholarship stuff? Come on, don't be. Let me tell you something," She pulls her stool closer to mine, so that I can almost feel the feet of her body, and smel
126. MARLON What sort of sick game is this? I'm fucking her son and she is doing my Dad? Bile rush up my throat. We are all going to hell for this. Somehow, I am able to stumble out of the house and projectile vomit over the grass. My lungs feel like they are being flooded with acidic water, and the world just keeps spinning around me. Maybelline feet come into vision, as I am wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. "Please, don't tell me that you are sick," she clicks her tongue with a frown on her face. "I'm not sick," I stand up straight again, but God, do I feel like shit. "Come on, let's go home. I don't think that there is anything that we can say to Janae that will get her to come back." She takes the car keys from me. I give one more look at the house, at Janae, who is staring at us, through a window, from behind parted curtains. From the look on her eyes, I know that she knows that I know. Why did she allow him to do that to her? Why did she allow him to ruin her
125. MARLON My dear, sweet darling of a sister, she made oats. I love my sister to death, but May is no chef. The oats are soggy, even the creamy milk can't save this disaster, but she has been serving it to me for days for breakfast, and I can't say anything. The last time I tried to criticize Maybelline's cooking, she threw a dish at me that left a scar on my eyebrow to this day. I was twelve, and I've never tried that again. So, when she comes this morning to tell me that Dad just hired a new chef, some kind of relief washes over me, but at the same time, something feels wrong. "Do you think this is odd?" She pulls out my gamer seat and sits down. "Odd like what? Now you can rest while we get someone else to cook for us." I shrug. "No, Janae, Marlon. She has not been here for weeks," she tells me, and that's when it clicks. That's what has been feeling off. "What's the matter? Did Luther tell you anything?" "Huh? I don't know. I think he said his mum's ill or something," I
124. LUTHER I don't know if I am supposed to be happy or sad that my mother chose to come here. Whatever hit her in Little Rock hit her so hard that she hasn't been out of the house for weeks, and she stays in her room for days at a time. I do my best to help her, but I don't think I am doing much. No matter what I do, the jokes I crack, she has never been happy. Something in Densberry has made her depressed, and even though leaving would kill my spirit, I am willing to leave with her. Yet, against all odds, she has shown up for me. She is wearing her faux fur coat, the one that we used to laugh at so much and refer to as a custom, and with their very hard shades over her eyes. The room is quiet as her heels clink against the ground with each step she takes. She sits on the last available seat and crosses her legs before turning to look at me, "How are you doing, baby?" I immediately rush to her and place my hand on the backrest of her seat. "Miss Wayne, I'm glad that you cam
123. LUTHER My legs are still shaking when I sneak out of my tiny study room and try to walk in a straight line to the restroom. Marlon cleaned himself a few minutes ago and left, and now I have given him enough headstart. Each time I keep saying I will be responsible, I keep doing something reckless with Marlon. I walk into the restroom, and I let out a sigh of relief when I realize that I am alone. Walking into a stall, I proceed to properly clean myself up and return to wash my hand in the communal sink. The tap is still running, I'm still scrubbing, when the door flies open. It's nothing alarming, it's the boys' bathroom, and they are not exactly known to be gentle, but I am taken aback when I see the feminine face. "Jesus, help me," I pray in my soul. Why does Bernice seem to be everywhere I turn? My stomach grips tightly, but I try to remain chill. "Bernice, what are you doing here? Do I have to remind you that I shouldn't be speaking to you? Our friendship is over."
MARLON I had no idea that my father came back into the country last night. I thought I heard Maybelline squeaking when she welcomed him back home, but I thought that it was just a dream. Until I look out of the window and watch the staff greeting him, and a scowl leaves my lips. It's not like I
LUTHER I was just going to teach Marlon a little lesson for treating me so coldly, but what I didn't expect is for that single act to send both of us into the nurse's office. Marlon has suffered a very terrible black eye, and he can't even open it. It's growing bigger and bigger, like a ball.
LUTHER Standing in front of the Hudson mansion, this is the last place I would want to be right now. I adjust the sleeves of my leather jacket before raising my hand to ring the bell. I haven't brought any flowers for Bernice this time around. All the kindness I had for her has been replaced wit
MARLON Luther's phone call has caused something to settle in the pit of my stomach. I somehow knew that something was up with Bernice, but I sure as hell didn't even consider the fact that she would do something as wicked as this. Collins’ entire family has turned on him, even though they are




![Claimed by the alpha. Ruined by your love [MxM]](https://www.goodnovel.com/pcdist/src/assets/images/book/43949cad-default_cover.png)


