4. Heartbreaking Truth.

As Thomas followed his son to the Patio. He saw how he looked around with nervousness.

"What happened? What do you want to talk about right now?" Thomas asked, looking at Damon.

"Dad, why are you doing this right now?" Damon said, staring at his dad.

Damon's voice was firm and he didn't look pleased with the decision that his dad took for him.

Damon is irritated and annoyed at his Dad. Because he is not sure why his Dad took or made such a decision without him asking even once.

"What did I do?" Thomas asked in a calm tone.

"Dad, What are you talking about in there? Marriage? With Riya? Are you fucking serious?" Damon asked, with wide eyes.

Damon was losing his calm with each second and Thomas wasn't helping him much.

"Yeah... Your marriage with Riya. What's there to be too shocked about this? You know, your mother and I liked Priya a lot." Thomas responded calmly.

"So what if you like her? Don't you think that I should like her too?" Damon questioned.

"You like Riya," Thomas said with a frown, as he stared at his son with a confused look he wasn't sure about what Damon just said.

"Dad... Don't be silly... Yeah, I like Riya. We are best friends." Damon signed.

"So, what's the point of talking about this? You like Riya and you know each other well enough. It's better if you guys get married." Thomas responded.

"Gosh... You are not getting me. I like Riya. Yes... But I have never seen her in a way I can share my life with! Not as my partner... Ever! " Damon said authoritatively.

"What are you talking about? Don't you love her?" Thomas shrugged.

"Come on, Dad... Why would I love Riya? She is just a close friend to me. Just like a best friend but... No, I don't love her just because we are close. We are not meant for each other, " Damon explained and continued.

"We have really different personalities. We are so different that neither one of us can settle down with our personalities."

Thomas just stood there looking at his son with his unbelievable expression. He is not sure why his Son is talking like that when he is sure that Damon gave mixed signals to Riya... Not only Riya but everyone loves Riya.

But now... He says that he doesn't love Riya.

"Damon, I think you should relax a bit and think about what you are talking about right now," Thomas suggested.

"No, Dad. There's nothing to think about right now. You aren't trying to understand me. I don't love Riya." Damon shouted.

Before Damon said anything else, Thomas furiously walked towards Damon and slapped him across his face, making Damon stumble back a bit.

"Dad!" Damon exclaimed, as he used his hand to rub the point his father slapped.

"Shut up!" Thomas said authoritatively, pointing his finger at Damon.

Damon's world just stopped for a second as his Dad slapped him furiously. It was all too sudden that he forgot the world around him existed.

"What do you think of yourself huh?" Thomas growled at his son.

"Dad…" Damon trilled off.

"You better don't call me that right now... If you don't want to get married to Riya." Thomas said, looking away from him.

"Dad, are you serious? I don't want to marry her. I have never seen Riya as my partner." Damon responded calmly, seeing his father's angry face.

"Will you just shut your mouth? Or do you want me to give you another slap, at least to reset your brain?" Thomas roared, as he turned to Damon, raising his hand.

Thomas walked towards Damon quickly looking around. Seeing none, he held Damon's collar and stared deadly into his eyes.

"Listen to me, Damon. I don't care if you see Riya as your partner or not. I don't care if you love her… or not! But, I want you to marry her… no matter what," Thomas said with his chest out.

"Do you get that into your head?" Thomas questioned with a sly smile, putting his finger toward Damon's head.

"How will I marry her when I have no feelings towards her?" Damon responded, tilting his head with a furrowed brow.

Damon was so stunned by his Dad's words. Damon always wanted to marry a girl of his choice but he never thought that his Dad would stop him from doing so. The girl he loves is Kylie and not Riya.

For the last five years, he dreamed of marrying Kylie. Not Riya. And now, Everything just turned upside down. He wanted to tell his Dad about Kylie and their relationship tonight but his Dad gave him the biggest surprise ever, the surprise he never expected.

"You will marry her, and that's the final," Thomas yelled at him.

"No, Dad. I won't. I will never marry Riya when I don't love her. Because it's us... Who is gonna suffer in the future." Damon maintained his calmness, as he tried to let his father reason the way he did.

"You won't suffer. Because this decision is the best decision ever I am taking for you. Riya loves you. You will get feelings towards her eventually." Thomas assured him.

"How, Dad? How will I get feelings towards her when I don't really want her to be that person who I want to share my life with?" Damon said with a raised brow.

"Look, I and your mom got married because our parents want us to marry. We didn't love each other before... But then, we eventually have you and your brother. " Mr. Thomas said, patting his shoulder.

Damon couldn't process what his father just said.

"Eventually had me and my brother? What does that mean? You still don't... Love... Mom?” He asked with narrowed eyes.

Tears were slowly rolling around in Damon's eyes. His heart was beating so fastly. His breathing got heavy and he clenched his fist.

Damon knew very well that his father doesn't love his mother... He saw how they both used to fight with each other always when they were kids... As Damon and his brother grew up, the fights got less.

Damon remembered when his mother told him how much she loves his Dad and how much his Dad loves his mother. But, he didn't know... She was... Lying.

"You don't love... Mom?" Damon asked, in a calm voice, blinking the tears in his eyes away as he looked at his father with a frown and he continued.

"Tell me, do you ever love mom?”

Damon's voice increased a bit this time as he suddenly held his Dad's shirt collar and looked straight into his eyes.

This is the second time he ever looked into Thomas's eyes so deadly. He never thought this day would come but it did...

The first time he ever held his Dad collar is because of Kylie's father... And now, Today again, he had to do it because of his mother.

"Tell me... You don't!" Damon voiced, maintaining eye contact with his father.

"I don't!" Thomas yelled, and pushed Damon away from him, making him stumble back a few steps.

Damon was just shocked, standing there as a tear rolled down from his eye, shaking from what he just heard from his father.

"You got your answer. I don't love her. But, still... We are living together. Life goes on. Yours will go on too."

"So, you better be ready to marry Riya," Thomas said authoritatively, as he took a step back.