Right. Just like what Charlie told me before we broke up. Clarisse didn’t mind him being gay at all—no wonder she was too verbally upfront toward him.Bravery.Easy to go with.And very supportive. I gave her all the credit for being that person.How I wish my dad also had this way of thinking about us. Perhaps I could have been the happiest son alive, as I won’t hesitate to choose Charlie over Clarisse to marry.But that’s not what matters to me at the moment. Charlie’s response is. He must lie or not drag me into this mess; otherwise, his sister will be hurt.“Yeah, I had a boyfriend,” Charlie confessed, his voice calm, and I sensed that he was not bluffing. “We are supposed to meet here tonight, but I can’t just throw my sister and brother-in-law away just because of him.”I rested my back against the chair and secretly looked Charlie in the eyes, signaling him not to go further with the details. He’s playing fire with fire. Whatever he was thinking, I’m not buying it.“Right, bro
"Me?" I defensively debated against her nonsense claim. "Since when did I do that? Your brother talks rubbish when I asked him about his whereabouts as you requested. So I cursed at him." "Yeah, that's right, Mrs. de Guzman." Mr. Allen supported my statement. Perhaps it was his way of making it up to me for his mistake earlier. "I heard him mutter 'idiot' a while ago. He must be referring to your brother, Christoph.""Charlie." Clarrise and I corrected Mr. Allen in unison. "How many times do I have to tell you his name is Charlie, you idiot," I growled at him. Clarisse smiled, making me a little confused. "Just bear with him for the time being, babe. Charlie has been like that since we were kids. Arrogant and cold sometimes, but he's a good person with a good heart." "Perhaps he just wants some attention from you, boss." Mr. Allen seconded. "Exactly my point. My brother isn't just like that to anyone. Not even to me, his sister. So, if he likes or keeps nagging you, it mea
“I want to surprise Charlie about this pregnancy, babe. He’s my only brother, and he always yearned to have at least one nephew since it’s just the two of us left in the family.”Clarisse puckered her lips, similar to an eight-year-old kid, just to convince me.What more could I do? She’s already carrying my child, and I can’t convince her to have an abortion. I would never.“Don’t worry, babe, I swear, I’ll do all the work once we get there.” She insisted. “All you have to do is come with me to his place and watch.”“Fine!” I conceded as I didn’t want to argue with her anymore, especially when she’s pretty good at reporting to my devil dad. “But I’ll do all the work. You’re already pregnant and in a crucial stage. Just tell me what to do.”Later that night, right after working hours, Clarisse and I patiently squeezed our bodies inside the car on our way to Charlie’s apartment.She not only brought a towering cake, but also balloons, stickers, flowers, and all. Her happiness and excit
But as I noticed the back portion of those containers, a familiar image was captured in my eyes. I kinda felt its familiarity, but I couldn't remember where and when I had seen such a symbol.The image featured two small trapezoids in black, resembling half-open doors. But then I remembered something. A vivid image of the past suddenly flashed into my head.And it played in slow motion and stopped at Christoph's innocent face. My first and last love. No way. There's no way that old friend of mine was the one who sent me these food containers. I haven't heard any news about him for years.It might be just a coincidence."What about the thing that I asked you?" I added as we went back to my table. "Did you get the answer to my question? What did the mayor say?""Boss, about the thing that you asked..." Mr. Allen hesitated to continue at first, but he ended up getting a cold glance from me.I only asked him about a simple job, which was to ask the mayor about Charlie's freedom to walk in
Caught by surprise, Charlie was left with no other choice as I pushed him away from me. Instead of explaining my side of the story and clearing my name from the situation, I stood still in the corner, oblivious of what to say or do. I panicked. My arms and knees began shaking when the intensity of this undesirable situation we're in started sinking into my helpless brain. Dad caught me in the act, and it scared the deepest part of my bones. How are you going to explain this to him, Dominick? I know Dad better than anyone. He always believes in everything his eyes see. The deafening silence hung in the air. The absence of sound feels like a void, swallowing everything. At this very moment, my heart races, as if the sounds were about to rip my chest open. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Chairman.” Charlie finally spoke up, and his voice was obviously trembling. “The thing you've seen. The truth is... Dominick and I are having a relation…” Damn it! Before Charlie confessed something to Da
Speaking of which, I just remembered that Charlie was scheduled to be arrested tonight. Damn it! I missed the chance to witness it because something unexpected happened. My plan failed as a result. What else could I do?Perhaps that was why he didn’t call or even send me a single message. Maybe the cops arrived a few minutes after I left, and he was dragged and locked up in the precinct."Who could have thought my plan still succeeded after everything that happened, huh? Nicely done, Dom! The bastard would rot in jail for the rest of his life."I was mad at Dad a few seconds ago, but my mood shifted to excitement in seconds while imagining Charlie’s undesirable situation inside the prison, whatever.And I couldn’t help but smile thinking about it. Imagine Charlie sleeping in a small room with four or five old, furious, and tattooed men. Pretty simple. He will become their slave.I don't want to be the villain of their family story, but I'm pretty sure his wife and son must be heartbr