Chapter 3

"Mom? What are you doing here? I stood in front of the open door staring at my mother. I wasn't expecting her here, she looked the same as the last time I saw her just slightly older and strands of grey hair were now visible on her hair and more wrinkles were now visible on her face and she looked tired.

"Can I come in?" My mom asked with a tired smile on her face. I was hesitant, what did she want? Why was she here? Her presence here made me feel slightly uneasy but I couldn't let her keep standing there so I stepped back to the side, signaling for her to come in. When she came inside, I shut the door behind me then turned to face her. I watched my mom she was looking around the apartment curiously trying to take everything in.

"Mom?" I called out taking a step towards her I honestly do not know how I should feel about her presence in my apartment especially after not seeing her for six years

She turned around looking at me with a smile on her face "I've missed you so much Jeremy" she said walking towards me and pulling me into a hug I stiffened not expecting her to hug me.

I was contemplating whether or not I should hug her back when I suddenly heard her say, "Son, won't you hug me back?" Hesitant I hugged her back still in shock at the fact that my mom whom I had not seen in a long time was suddenly in front of me hugging me.

The warmth of her touch hit me harder than I expected. Tears began spilling freely down my cheeks before I could stop them.

After a while I pulled away from the hug wiping my tears I didn't want her to know I was crying.

I offered her a seat, fetching a glass of water from the nearby coffee table and giving it to her, which she collected and took a sip from it. I then asked the question that she had not answered when I first asked, "What are you doing here, Mom?" She looked at me and answered softly "I'm here to bring you home Jeremy".

I looked at her my eyes wide in shock. I was supposed to be happy hearing that I was finally allowed to go back home but for some reason that statement made me feel uneasy and asked, "What do you mean, Mom? I thought Dad made it clear that I wasn't allowed back home".

"I know that Jeremy" my mom said brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear"but ever since he kicked you out I have tried to persuade him to let you come back".

I raised a brow in confusion "I don't think that is possible mom and Dad was very much against my sexuality and made it clear that if I refused to marry the Jones family's daughter I wasn't allowed to go back to that house".

My mom chuckled and for some reason, I felt a warmth in my chest it had been so long since I saw her smile or heard her laugh

"I know that son but your father agreed to compromise," my mom said a smile still on her face

"What do you mean Mom? That doesn't sound like Dad at all," I asked my mother the thought of my dad changing his mind sounded impossible to me I felt like there must be more to it and I don't think I was going to like whatever reason he had.

"Your father wanted you to marry Evelyn Jones but you were very much against the idea because you weren't interested in women so your dad chose to kick you out" my mom replied "but then we later found out that the marriage with Evelyn would not have worked out because she was in love with someone else" my mom continued but what she said made me even more confused.

"I still don't understand, Mom. How does Evelyn liking someone else have to do with the fact that Dad doesn't like the fact that I'm gay?" I asked my brows furrowed in confusion.

"You didn't let me finish son" my mom replied "Your father found out that Damien Anderson was also gay so he decided to arrange a marriage alliance with the Anderson family instead since they were one of the top families in the country and the shocking thing was that the Anderson family was the one that proposed the marriage alliance "

Those words left me in shock. I can't believe that my father thought that he could marry me off to a man I knew nothing about just because I refused to marry a woman and the worst part of this was that he made this decision without my consent.

I stood up suddenly and started pacing slowly around the room. "What makes Dad think that he can marry me off to someone after kicking me out for six years?" I asked my voice a bit high "He hadn't even bothered to contact me all this years, but then he just decided to reach out just because he thinks I'll be a useful tool for him to climb up the social ladder and he couldn't even tell me himself he had to send you" I said while running my hand through my hair to calm myself down.

My mother stood up, trying to reach out to me, but I paused slapping her hand away. "Don't even think about touching me," I yelled at her. Hurt flashed across her face which made me feel guilty but the guilt disappeared when the thought that she a part of this and also agreed to this came across my mind.

"You knew about this but didn't stop him, you agreed to this, so don't act all innocent. Six years ago, you didn't even convince my father to let me stay. You asked him once, and he refused, so you just agreed with him."

"I was just nineteen mom I wasn't even done with school yet" I saidy voice a bit hoarse.

"I paid my fees myself and struggled to make ends meet while you stayed in that house pretending nothing happened. I went hungry some nights, Mom. I slept on strangers' couches. Do you know what that felt like?" I asked pain clearly visible in my voice .

"But I later tried to reach out to you but you ignored me , you weren't picking up my calls and you didn't even accept the money I sent you" my mom said and I turned to look at her her eyes were glossy with unshed tears.

"Don't even think about pinning the blame on me mom I was away for six years and yet you only tried to reach out three months ago how did you think I survived all this years years?"

My mom sat back down and covered her face with her palm before breaking into a sob

I stood there staring at her not knowing what to do I felt guilty for being the one to make her cry. I wanted to comfort her so badly but at the same time wanted to scream at her even more.

The thought that she agreed to this made me feel hurt, my chest ached so badly it felt like something was continuously clawing at my heart. Why didn't she try to stop him? She was my mother, she is supposed to be the one protecting me.

I turned planning to walk away because I did not want to be in the same room as she was but her voice stopped me on my tracks "I'm sorry Jeremy, I'm so so sorry " she said her voice coming out like a whisper.

"I-I had to come f-find you I had no choice " she said in broken sobs "you know how your father is he threatened me".