CHAPTER 5 - The Request of Don Raffy

I

When Atty. Garette stood up, he saw his Dad looking at him with such intensity while his soon-to-be stepmom never even dared to glare at him. He took the microphone and started to talk with such an air of a confident man.

"Thank you. Well, what will I say aside from congratulations Dad? Oh, alright, I just wanted to tell you Dad how much I admire you in everything even when choosing a step-mom for me and my sister. Your taste is overwhelmingly similar to mine," then he laughed to make his statement sound like a joke. "It was just a joke Dad but one thing I am sure of, I know you will have a happy life afterward, having a woman as young and as beautiful as that woman beside you." He added as he gestured his hand toward the place of the bride-to-be, smiling, but in his thoughts, it was a smirk actually.

The guests cheered and applauded Atty. Garette. He beamed in his most charismatic smile and bowed his head jokingly.

"Wow, such a great message out there dude." Atty. Hector said smiling wide.

“Sarcasm, or what?” Atty. Garette asked Atty. Hector with a lifted eyebrow, which the latter only answered with a loud laugh.

The engagement party ended and Atty. Garette immediately approached his father and his new fiancee dragging his friends with him.

"Congratulations Dad and soon-to-be Stepmom?" Atty. Garette's smile was from ear to ear as he extended his hand to his father for a handshake.

"Thank you Garette. By the way son, in case you have not met yet, may I introduce to you my fiancee, Dianthe," Mr. Raffy Le Brione introduced his wife-to-be to his only son. His eyes were keenly looking at his son's eyeballs as he made a fake smile toward his new fiancee.

"Nice meeting you Dianthe," Atty. Garette greeted her with such a mysterious smile as he extended his hand to her for a handshake also. His hand floated in the air for a while before his soon-to-be stepmom accepted it for a handshake. Atty. Garette gently squeezed her hand and looked at her with squinting eyes.

"Dad and Dianthe, I would like to introduce to you also my best buddies here. They are also lawyers. This is Atty. Hector; this is Atty. Paolo and this dude is Atty. Greg." Atty. Garette said while pointing his friends one by one to his father after he ended his handshaking with his new stepmom.

His three friends shook his father's friends one at a time and then his stepmom.

"Dad, we will go ahead. My friends here are dying to swim in our man-made waterfalls." Atty. Garette stated while giving Dianthe a mysterious look, that only the two of them could understand.

"It's okay, son. You go ahead and all of you, enjoy and have fun on the ranch while I and my new fiancee will stay here for a while."  Don Raffy said, smiling.

Atty. Greg nodded to Don Raffy Le Brione and then suddenly looked at Atty. Garette, noticing his unfathomable expression.

II

The next day, Mr. Raffy Le Brione, returned to their mansion inside the ranch without his fiancee. He said Dianthe decided to enjoy herself in the swimming pool for a little while.

"Garette, can we talk? Follow me in the library." His Dad said as he rolled his wheelchair ahead to their library room, assisted by his driver.

Atty. Garette and his friends were in the living room that time when Don Raffy Le Brione arrived and requested a talk with his son.

His three friends nodded at him and motioned for him to follow his father.

While walking, following his father, Atty. Garette was thinking about what would be the agenda of their talk. He just shrugged his shoulder and walked fast.

As they got inside their library room, his father motioned for him to sit on the couch inside.

"What is it Dad?" he asked calmly after sitting on the couch. He looked at his father with curiosity in his eyes.

"Garette, you can see that I am already having trouble moving around. I need you here already. We had a lot of business and properties to take care of and I could not count on your sister. Can I count on you this time son?" His father stated with seriousness on his face. 

Atty. Garette was surprised. What is he going to do on this dairy farm and cattle ranch? He is a lawyer and a good lawyer at that goodness! he thought after hearing his father's words.

"I know Garette, this is not your passion or your interest, but at the end of the day, all of these things will be transferred to you and your sister." His father said again.

"How about your soon-to-be wife Dad? Is she not getting anything?" He asked gently so that he would not sound like questioning his father's decision to marry again.

"It depends on you Garette and your sister. If you will not take over our businesses, then I have no other recourse but to appoint my fiancee as the new CEO of all of these businesses, and eventually, of course, she will be entitled to more." His father frankly said while looking at him deeply.

Atty. Garette glared at his father's back. "I am a lawyer Dad, I have no interest or even enough knowledge to run this dairy farm and cattle ranch."

"So, does it mean Garette, you cannot accept my request?" 

Atty. Garette looked at his father again and said, "Give me some time to think and sort things out Dad," he muttered while still looking at his father with an unfathomable expression.

A smile slowly crept through Don Raffy Le Brione's lips when he heard his son's answer. "Alright Garette, at least you are giving me a little hope. I will give you until Monday morning before you leave this house, I want to know your answer." 

Atty. Garette furrowed. "That soon Dad?"

His father nodded and replied with certainty, "Yes! You take it or leave it!"

Surprised, he just looked at his father without any words coming from his mouth. For a certain moment, both of them fell silent.

"And one more thing Garette; never touch my fiancee while I am still alive or until I permit you to do so. Respect her as you respect your mother!"

And Atty. Garette suddenly remembered how he kissed his father's fiancee, two times already.