Forever Yours - 8. Chapter 8: Will Ramon's dream to be with Marcos be fulfilled or will it all come crushing down?

Marcos had been waiting for Ramon for hours and he was getting impatient. Eduardo had told him to get inside but he couldn’t get in the house. He was feeling like he had the whole world on his shoulders. He was going round and round just waiting for Ramon to turn up so that he could give him something that he had been dying to give him since that afternoon.

After what felt like forever, he saw Ramon coming towards him, smiling at him. Behind that smile was someone that he wanted to confront. Marcos stopped in his tracks and went to Ramon who was coming towards him looking so lost.

"Is this 3.pm?" Marcos asked depressingly.

To say Ramon was shocked would be an understatement. He had never heard a tone like that from Marcos since the time he knew him. The man looked a bit mad and he knew it was his fault. But seeing Marcos, he felt everything that had happened to him hit him like a lightning bolt. He felt pressure in his eyes and he immediately knew that he was gonna breakdown.

"I am sorry Marcos, I..."

He didn't even finish the sentence before Marcos angrily backhanded him, sending him flying to the ground with a thud. Ramon was confused and the pain he felt on his cheek couldn’t even justify that. Tears rolled down his face as he stared back at his boyfriend, panting like a woman in labor.

Marcos saw nothing but a lying cheating bitch as he stared at Ramon, trying to stop himself from hurting the boy he claimed to love. All that nonsense had started the previous day while he was in the office talking with Anthony and Dan. They had such a nice conversation going and he had been looking forward to being with Ramon. At exactly 4.pm, he had received a call from a private number and he could still remember the words as if they had been spoken a few seconds ago.

"Hello," He had answered still laughing from a joke Anthony had pulled.

"Is this Marcos Martinez?" The strange manly voice had asked.

"Yes, this is he."

‘I am so sorry for calling like this and this call might leave you worried.’ He sighed, taking a deep breath. ‘It’s about Ramon, your boyfriend.”

Marcos had been worried after that voice had said that to him. He had suddenly stood up and shouted to the voice if something was wrong with his boyfriend.

"The truth is I don't know how to tell you this." The voice had said softly. "But your boyfriend has been sleeping with numerous men at the hotel. I didn't want to say this but I can't keep quiet anymore."

Just like that, the call had been cut and there had been no record of the number on his phone. His friends had asked him what was wrong and he had told them of the caller and what he had said to him. His friends had denied it.

"Ramon, come on. That boy would never cheat on you even if his life depended on it."

Dan had even sworn on his life that Ramon would never cheat on him but he still hadn't shaken the worry. He had gone to pick up Ramon and he had been quiet and absent-minded. He had tried to forget about it and after that mind-blowing blowjob Ramon had given him, he had forgotten about everything.

Just a few hours back, while he was getting ready to go pick Ramon from his house, he had received a message from WhatsApp and he had checked it, a video. He didn't want to check that video but he had suddenly got curious. Why would a stranger send him a video? He had downloaded it and after it had loaded, played it. The sooner he had started watching it, the sooner he had ended it.

He saw some guy fucking his Ramon furiously and roughly naked on the bed and he had cut it. He had immediately been filled with anger that he rushed out of his office to Ramon's place. He wanted answers for that video. He had quickly reached Ramon's house but hadn't seen him. He couldn't wait anymore so he had gone to the hotel fast enough to find the guy who had been fucking Ramon leaving the hotel.

Marcos had gotten so angry after seeing the man that he had beaten him up in front of the people who were watching them. He had beaten the guy so badly that he was swollen all over.

"Why are you beating me?" The poor guy had pleaded as if he had been innocent. "I didn't do anything to you."

"Why did you sleep with my boyfriend?" Marcos had yelled.

"Who are you talking about?" The guy had said so fearfully.

"The same guy you fucked in this hotel."

"I didn't know he had a boyfriend." The guy had pleaded. "He never said anything to me. I swear." The guy sobbed. "My friends told me of a gay whore that has been servicing them in this hotel so I just came to try my luck and I had fun with him. I thought he didn't have a boyfriend, he is just a gay whore. He has serviced many of my friends and..."

Marcos didn't have the strength to beat the guy anymore so he had let him go and the guy had run away. He had sat on the ground feeling all the anger coming to him. He had gotten up and ran inside the hotel shouting Ramon's name but everyone had told him he had already gone home and now here he was, slapping Ramon.

He had calmed himself down and talked to Eduardo normally but after he saw Ramon coming while it was dark, he just lost it and smacked his face and he fell to the ground.

"You whore!" Marcos shouted in a hoarse voice. "How could you do this to me?"

Ramon's heart felt like it has been broken into a thousand pieces when he heard that word coming from his boyfriend's mouth. He didn't have any words to say. He didn't even understand what was going on. He has come home so that he could tell his boyfriend that he was raped but it looked like things were out of hand.

"How long have you been fucking men in my hotel?" Marcos raored. His voice was cold and sharp, cutting Ramon's flesh. "How long have you been deceiving me? How long have you been using me, you bitch!"

Ramon was still speechless, he felt like his whole world had been crushed after hearing those painful words from Marcos. If this was a joke, it was not funny and he intended to end it.

"What the fuck are you silent for?" Marcos yelled, making Ramon gasp in fear. He couldn’t understand a thing. "Are you silent because I found out the truth? I know that men have been fucking you."

Ramon was getting hurt but he courageously stood up to face Marcos.

"Baby, what are you talking about?" He asked in a small painful voice. "Why are you speaking to me this...?"

"Don't ever call me that you whore." Marcos warned, making Ramon move a bit backward. "I know about your secrets now and you cannot deny it. I know of how you’ve been letting men fuck you at my hotel. How long did you think you could hide it?"

“What’s going on?” Ramon couldn’t recognize his own voice. “What are you talking about Marcos? Please, stop hurting me like this?”

“You’re still denying it?”

Ramon saw Marcos searching his jacket furiously and then brought out his phone which he was busy pressing. Ramon wondered what Marcos was trying to show him.

"Explain this...." Marcos shouted as he handed Ramon the phone. Ramon took the phone cautiously and he looked at the phone at the surprising video that he saw playing.

It was a video of when Ramon had gone into Toby's room the first time and Toby had smiled at him. He had also smiled but it was cut to the time he was having juice in Toby's room and then to the time Toby had seated him on the couch. Then Ramon had touched Toby and Toby had kissed him and moved him to the bed. Toby had stripped and was now fucking him roughly.

Ramon couldn't take it anymore so he cut the video and Marcos snatched the phone from him. The surprising thing was that he seemed conscious while Toby was... He couldn't bring himself to say the word. He couldn't remember anything but he seemed conscious but weak in the video. Why was there no sound? Ramon felt all the pain coming back to him.

"Now what do you have to fucking say?" Marcos yelled with pain and betrayal in his voice.

"That's not true," Ramon begged as tears poured down his face. "I was raped. Believe me, it is..."

"Of course you were raped." Marcos chuckled bitterly, gripping his hair furiously. "What other excuse can you give? I can't believe that I have been so blind and stupid. It was all right in front of me but I was so blinded by your innocent looks. You refused to stop working even when I insisted and all those nights you used to cancel because you were working late."

"Please Marcos, believe me, I...."

"Shut the fuck up," Marcos yelled in his face as a tear fell down his cheek. "I know that you have been fucking with men in my hotel, you whore."

Ramon was getting hurt and he didn't know how to explain to Marcos.

"I swear your business partner raped me."

"Business partner," Marcos shouted. "I don't even know that guy so don't you fucking lie to me. Oh, let me get this straight, you fucked that guy because he was rich. Is that what you do?"

"I swear to you, Toby Dunphy..."

"So you even know his name?" Marcos chuckled with anger.

"He said that he was the guest of your family and they recommended me to him."

"Don't you drag my family into this?" Marcos warned as he extended his finger towards Ramon. “If you wanna see the other side of me, bring them into this nonsense.”

"I swear, I am not lying to you that guy came in as a guest of your family,"

"Stop lying against my family," Marcos shouted and backhanded Ramon so hard that he bit his tongue and tasted his own blood. It hurt and his face was badly bruised.

"Please stop hurting me," Ramon begged as tears run down his face.

"Whores like you deserve what you are getting," Marcos shouted. "You played with my feelings. I loved you." Marcos cried. "You played with my feelings. I should have listened to my mother."

Marcos was deeply hurt. The wound that he was feeling in his heart was deep and it was going to take long to heal. He felt like someone was putting a knife in every part of his body and he was spiritually bleeding. He dropped to the ground holding the sand in his hands and feeling his pain increasing.

"Why did you betray me like this?" He cried. "How could you have done this to me?" He mumbled. "I love you so much."

Ramon slowly got up and had an idea to touch Marcos and get him to listen to his explanation. Everything was just out of place and he couldn't afford to lose Marcos. He was the victim here but Marcos was making him feel as if he was the culprit.

"Listen to me," Ramon said softly as he touched Marcos's back which he later found out was a big mistake as Marcos suddenly turned into an animal. Marcos lost control as soon as Ramon had touched him and he threw him on the ground and began slapping him hard and rough.

The slaps were painful and they were directed all over Ramon's face. Ramon screamed in pain and begged Marcos to stop hurting him but the guy just slapped him some more. He could feel his whole face hurting and he knew that he was going to have bruises and even a black eye.

"So you wanna be a whore." Marcos shouted. "I will show how rich men treat whores." He said as Ramon heard the sound of Marcos's belt.

"No, please." Ramon pleaded loudly.

"Why are you pretending as if you are not enjoying this?" Marcos said as Ramon felt him squeezing his arms tightly. "People are right, this is all you poor people are good for. To be used by rich men like me anytime we want. People like you are worthless and have nothing to do in life." Marcos barked as Ramon tried to release himself from the beast that was trying to devour him.

"Hold still, I am going to pay you handsomely after I fuck you. People like you enjoy having dicks up your asses because you have no purpose in life other than to deceive men like me." Marcos yelled and spat on Ramon's face. Ramon's brain just froze when he heard what Marcos had just said to him.

He couldn't believe that the same man he loved so much told him that he was worthless and he had no purpose in life. He could hear Marcos tearing the fabric of his soft jean and he felt as the wind blew in his pants.

"I am going to teach you a lesson that will make you never deceive any man in your life again," Marcos yelled as he ripped his trouser further. "I thought you were different but I was wrong. People like you don't have value."

Ramon was just looking at the angry face of his boyfriend tearing his clothes together with his heart. He did nothing because the words were painful that his brain froze. He was neither screaming nor moving as Marcos ripped off his shirt. He was trying to come to terms with what he was hearing. He was even trying to figure out if it was his boyfriend who was talking or just a copy of his boyfriend.

As Marcos ripped his shirt, Ramon felt his sharp nails tear a part of his skin and he screamed in pain. He began shouting again and Marcos got off him and sat a distance from him crying. Ramon slowly got up and winced in pain after what Marcos had done to him.

"What's going on here?" He heard Eduardo's voice.

Marcos was about to slap him again when Eduardo intervened and saved him. He got Marcos and threw him away.

"Get out of here." Eduardo shouted at Marcos.

Marcos entered his car and drove off furiously. Ramon was just sitting on the sand without doing anything.

He was crying so hard that his body ached when he moved. Marcos' words had hurt so much than the slaps that he had received. He buried his head in his father's chest and broke down and cried so much. He could feel Eduardo sobbing and he knew that he was crying too. His whole heart was in pain and the more he cried, the more the pain increased. He cried for so long until he felt Eduardo picking him up and taking him into the house.

His trouser was half ripped, his shirt was ripped and Marcos had cut his tummy with his nails and there was blood coming out slowly. He knew that it would leave a scar. His whole face was in pain and his heart was the most hurt. Eduardo and his father's faces were also wet. This was the first time he had seen them like that and he cried even more.

"Marcos called me a whore," He cried. "He called me... a whore." He cried more. "I was only a victim but he made me feel as if I caused everything." He wailed. "I never did anything like that, I was raped. Believe me, I was raped."

Eduardo felt like someone had pinched his heart with some hot needles. His eyes widened at the same time he got engulfed in the most painful thing he’d ever felt. Tears rolled down his eyes and he stared at his father who looked like he was about to have a heart attack.

"Maybe I need to see him again," Ramon said as he rubbed his tears fiercely. "I need to explain things to him. He will understand, right father? Marcos loves me a lot, right?"

Ramon's father was staring at him without saying a word. There were tears in his eyes and he could see the pain in them. His father had been so strong for as long as he had known him but this was making him cry and it just broke Ramon's heart even more.

"Father, please don't cry," Ramon begged. "You are breaking my heart. Everything’s gonna be alright!"

"What can a father do?" His father responded with grief in his heart. "How did this even happen?"

"I was drugged, father." Ramon cried as he buried his face in his father's chest. "He tricked me but that doesn’t matter. My boyfriend is mad at me. Help me talk to him and make him understand."

Ramon quickly got up and was ready to go to Marcos's but his brother grabbed him and held him tightly.

"It's okay," His brother sobbed in pain. "Your brother is here."

"Please," Ramon begged. "I need to see him. I need to explain things to him. Let me go, please!"

Ramon's heart was beating so fast he could hear his blood passing through his ears. He was struggling to get away from Eduardo. All he wanted was to go and see his boyfriend and get him to listen. He struggled and he could feel himself getting dizzy. Then he felt like everything was spinning and then everything went blur and he passed out.

"He passed out," Eduardo said softly as a tear run down his face.

Eduardo refused to accept that his brother was raped. He was so devastated, he had no words to say. He felt like someone had hurt him to a point where he couldn't recover. His little brother, the one person he loved and protected from the world got raped. Seeing him passed out in his arms was breaking his heart. He had never seen his brother cry like the way he did then. His poor father was also in tears.

"Look at him," His father said trying to hide his tears. "I can't believe that my son could be hurt this way. Why would anyone want to hurt him? Why would someone do this to an innocent boy?" His father sobbed.

"I don't know, father," Eduardo said suddenly feeling angry. "But I want the bastard who did this to him to pay. I swear to God, I don’t care if I rot behind bars but he’ll pay."

"We have to report it to the police." His father suggested. "But I think your brother needs to rest now."

Eduardo nodded and he carefully picked his brother up, leaving his father in the living room. He slowly took him to his room and laid him on the bed. He looked at his brother and he was a mess. He had bruises on his face and his clothes were torn by Marcos, the nerve of that guy. No matter what happened, Eduardo would never believe that his brother would do what Marcos accused him of.

Eduardo decided to change his brother's clothes into something a bit comfortable. All those things were just making him madder. Had he not been surprised at what he found Marcos calling his brother, he would have beaten him for hitting his brother.

Eduardo slowly removed his brother's shirt and he could see some nail cuts on his tummy and it made him mad. He removed his trouser and turned but what he saw brought tears to him. His brother's white boxer had lots of blood on the butt side and it was heartbreaking to see. He had seen his brother naked many times so he carefully slipped the boxer off so that he could at least clean his bruised face and body.

He planned to sleep in Ramon's room so that he could keep him safe. This was the worst he had seen his brother hurt. If he gets his hands on that man who raped his brother, he swore to kill him without hesitation.

***

Marcos quickly pulled off the road and got out of the car. He was so hurt and angry that he wanted to go back to Ramon and vent his anger out on him. The most painful thing was he was still in love with Ramon and that love was making his heart bleed. He hated Ramon for what he had done to him and he would hurt him if he saw him again.

Marcos began shouting on the road as tears ran down his face. He shouted some more thinking that his anger and pain would go away but it just increased and he sat on the dirty ground and cried. Memories of his time with Ramon started haunting him, memories that brought nothing but sorrow and pain. He had loved Ramon a lot and he never thought that Ramon would betray him and hurt him the way he had done.

The more he thought about it the more the pain increased up to a point where the pain turned into hatred. After almost an hour of crying, he slowly entered the car still crying, and drove quickly home. He honked the car at the gate badly that he drove like crazy inside the compound. He got out of the car and sat down on the ground drowning in his sorrows. Tears just came out on their own and he didn't need to do anything or rub them. He needed those tears to come out, maybe only then could the pain stop.

"Hey dude, I heard your car but why are you...?" Dan trailed off when he saw the state his friend was in.

"Are you okay?" Dan asked as he ran to him.

Marcos didn't say anything but just hugged his friend tightly. He was so mad that he couldn't bring himself to saying anything.

"Hey, dude, what's wrong?" Dan asked with concern. "You are breaking my heart dude, talk to me."

But Marcos just hugged his friend as tight as he could. He was sobbing as he had never sobbed before. He just wanted to remain in his friend's embrace. He laid his head on Dan's chest and completely broke down. Dan was soothing him and he was glad his friend was there for him even after treating him so badly.

After what seemed like hours of sobbing which were merely minutes, Dan got him up and took him inside. He was walking like he had no energy in his body. He just wanted to die and let the pain go away.

"What's happening to you?" Madison bemused.

Marcos didn't have the strength to answer any of the questions. He was too sorrowful to open his mouth and tell them that his boyfriend was a whore.

"What's happening to my baby?" His mother rushed and held him.

"Please tell us what's wrong, son." His father said gently. "We are getting worried."

Marcos was still silent and had no words to say. Dan sat him on the couch and held him. His whole family was worried and he didn't know how to break it to them. He didn't even know how to tell his mother that she had been right all along.

"He betrayed me," He said softly, his voice quiet. Too quiet he didn't know whether his family heard him.

"Who has betrayed you?" His mother asked as she rubbed his back to calm him. "Tell me who did this to you so that I can teach him a lesson."

Marcos' pain turned to a headache and he felt like someone was pounding on him.

"Ramon has betrayed me," He cried softly. "He fucking cheated on me." He said as he suddenly felt a swing of anger rushing through him. "I fucking gave him everything and he was going around fucking with men in my hotel." He shouted.

"Wait, son." His mother let go of him and laughed, shaking her head. She couldn’t believe it. "I am sure there is a mix-up somewhere. The Ramon I know cannot do that. He is a good boy. This is the same boy that has done a lot to prove his love to all of us. It’s impossible!"

"Yeah," Barry agreed with an equal shock on his face. "That boy loves you a lot."

"No, he doesn't love me," Marcos yelled. He failed to understand where he got the energy to yell. "That boy betrayed me, Dan knows about this." Marcos looked at Dan with his blood-red eyes. "Dan you know this. Tell them and make them understand."

Dan’s mouth opened and he got nervous when everyone stared at him. He didn’t even know what to say to them.

"Dude, I don't know. It was just a call. We can't confirm that from a call."

"It isn't just a call. Someone sent me a video this afternoon and it was the truth." Marcos cried. "If you still don't believe me, I can show you the video."

"No, son," His father said abruptly. "We don't need to see anything. I can see from your state that you are telling the truth."

"I believe you son," His mother said as she rubbed his tears. "But I will not believe it is the truth until I speak to Ramon tomorrow."

"Are you trying to say that I am lying?" Marcos asked in a chiding tone.

"No, son, but Ramon is a very good boy and he wouldn't do that."

Marcos had no idea what that statement meant but it was like his mother was defending Ramon, hurting him in the process. Wasn't his word enough for his mother to believe?

"How could he do this to me?" Marcos cried. "It hurts so much, mom. I feel like my heart has been killed. I trusted him a lot and he took me for granted. He has killed me."

All the people in the house were just staring at him and some of them were already in tears and some were sobbing. He didn't want to see his family in that state and Ramon was the one to be blamed. Not only had he hurt Marcos but his family as well. If he saw him, God help Marcos he would hurt Ramon for causing so much pain in the family.

Marcos drowned in his loss and his pain. No one else could feel the pain that he was feeling but they were hurt bad. Marcos broke down and cried a lot. No one was consoling him because they knew that the only way he would be able to feel any better is if he cried it out. It was such a painful state to watch and all of them got emotional seeing him broken down like that.

"Dan, please take him to his room and take care of him," Barry said with the pain of seeing his brother like that.

"Ramon?" Olivia sighed. "I am sure that there is a problem somewhere,"

"Face it, mom," Madison snapped. "Your son is hurt and you are concerned about Ramon? What has that boy done to you that you chose him over your son?"

Marcos' mother had not come to terms that Ramon would ever do that to Marcos. Marcos didn't care what she thought about what he had told her but he knew that Ramon was a devil in disguise and had used him to get what he wanted. But he was going to move on and he promised himself. All the love he felt in his heart was gonna be erased and he was going to do anything to forget Ramon and his betrayal.

Dan slowly opened the door while holding him and he laid him on the bed. Dan slowly removed all his clothes and put him in pajamas like a little child. He put him under the covers and was about to leave before Marcos grabbed his hand.

"Can I ask you for something?" He asked softly.

"Anything," Dan nodded.

"Can you sleep here with me?" Marcos asked softly. "I just need you to be my side."

"I don't know." Dan sighed. "Maybe you need to be..."

"Please," Marcos begged. “I can’t be alone. I need a friend, please!”

Dan nodded and he got into the covers with Marcos. Marcos needed to be with his friend. He didn't want him to leave him alone. He at least made him feel a little better. Maybe if he had chosen Dan, he wouldn't have been hurt so much.

"Thank you so much."

By the time he felt himself getting sleepy, Dan was massaging his head and it made some pain go away and he drifted off to sleep.

***

Ramon slowly opened his eyes to feel the warm embrace of his brother's arms. He was holding him so tightly that he felt warm and wanted to stay like that forever. He didn't know how he got into bed and he was wearing different, clean clothes. His face was hurting and so was his heart but he didn't move. He just wished for the pain to go away for good so that he could live his life better.

He was still hopeful that he was gonna get the chance to talk to Marcos and straighten things up with him and their relationship would go back to the way it was.

He slowly moved and Eduardo opened his eyes and was now staring at him. He didn't say anything but the eyes were telling him something, Eduardo was still hurt. Ramon had no idea what to say to his brother. He couldn't even put up his daily morning smile.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Eduardo asked in a hoarse voice. "You passed out yesterday."

Ramon just put up a fake smile which was accompanied by a tear. He quickly rubbed it and got up but he was welcomed by a sharp pain in his ass. It wasn't as painful as the day before. He didn't want to alarm his brother so he tried to walk properly but the pain got worse that his eyes watered.

Ramon slowly got out of the room and found his father in the living room lost in thought. He wondered why his family had been dragged into all this. If he could take the pain his father felt, he would inflict it on himself. He just stood there staring at his father which brought tears to him. If only his mother had been around, she would have been the strength of everyone. Even the person who made the whole house brighten up was also affected.

"Hey, son," His father said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Come here. Let me prepare breakfast for you." His father said trying to hide the tear that was about to fall.

Ramon painfully went and sat on the chair. He sat on the chair and waited for breakfast which he was sure he was not going to have.

‘You whore!’ Marcos's voice rang in his head. "You whore!"

It felt like those words had been spoken to him just then. They were still fresh and they were still sharp too. He couldn't stay like that, he needed to speak to Marcos so that he could beg him and get him to understand. He took a glance at the clock and it was 8.am and he couldn't wait. He had to speak to his boyfriend and get him to hear his side of the story.

Ramon glanced in the kitchen at his busy father and he slowly got up and began moving towards the door even though his ass was sore. He slowly opened the door and got out. He raised his face and saw a car coming towards their house. It was one of the cars at Marcos' house. Seeing the car warmed him up and he smiled. Maybe Marcos had realized his mistake and came to apologize.

Ramon started heading towards the car, forgetting his pain. He felt relieved that Marcos had come for him. The car stopped and he saw that it was not him. It was Dan and Marcos' mother. She was coming towards him giving him a smile that warmed his heart. He wanted to give her a hug. Maybe she understood his pain, being a woman and all.

"Hey Ramon," She chuckled as she came near

"Mother," He said softly.

She looked behind as if there was someone behind her before she chuckled again.

"Are you talking to me?" She asked, still with a smile. "I have no relationship with you. Just look at me," She slowly turned around with grace and poise in her designer's clothes and bag. "Do I look like we are related? Or do I look like your wretched deceased mother?"

That painful sentence was sharp enough to hurt him.

"My mother is dead but please don't insult her." He begged. "I am ready to be insulted but don't involve my mother."

"Then don't call me a mother." She said softly as if she had suddenly turned into an angel. "I have people that are qualified to call me mother for instance," She paused and held Dan on his shoulder. "Dan here is qualified."

Ramon was confused and that sullen look on his face couldn’t help things.

"Sorry for this but I like to boast about my victory to my rival, in this case, our rival." She laughed

"I don't understand," He said softly. "What do you mean by that?"

"How do I put this?" She said as she looked in the sky as if she was thinking about something. "Ever heard of a saying keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer?"

"I have heard of that before but what has that got to do with what is happening between me and Marcos?" He asked curiously.

"It has everything to do with what is happening." Dan laughed as if he was teasing him.

"I like to stare in the face of my enemies when I defeat them." Marcos' mother laughed. Ramon was still confused. He had no idea where all this was going.

"I don't understand anything. You are speaking in riddles and it is just confusing me. I just want you to help me to speak to Marcos and..."

"And what?" Dan shouted. "Beg him to take you back? Nothing like that is ever going to happen. You have been defeated and you just have to accept it."

"What do you mean by defeat?" He asked with a confused voice and face.

"Do you think whatever happened to you was an accident?" Marcos' mother asked with a look that said it all.

"We were the ones that did it." Dan laughed. "Did you think that we accepted defeat and let you reap where you did not sow?"

"It was all part of our plan." Marcos's mother laughed with evil in her voice.

The pain crushed Ramon, leaving him incapable of everything. He was broken, in and out. His tears couldn’t roll down and the screams couldn’t escape past his quivering lips. He was in so much pain that his complexion ashened.

"What?" His voice sounded different, full of pain.

"You heard it right." Marcos's mother said as she came closer. "Normally I would have left you without confessing but this war was just too great to be left silent. After all, my son resents you so much."

Ramon was finding it hard to breathe. His whole body was weeping. He had been battered and it was because of those two people. How could they have done this to him? His whole skin was being ripped from his body and he could feel it. His heart was being squeezed out of his chest. He could feel his heart aching for real that he touched his chest and struggled to breathe.

"Oh, mother," Dan squeaked. "Look at him. I think he's about to die."

"No, he shouldn't die." Olivia teased. "I haven't even narrated my great plan to him. Anyway, here is how we planned it all." Marcos's mother said softly as she leaned in front of him.

"Six months ago, my son threatened to leave me, his mother. My son has never disobeyed me and for the first time he did and it was because of you." She yelled furious in his face. "I knew that I would lose my son if I didn't do anything to stop him from leaving the house. So thanks to my brain, I was able to think of a plan there and then." She got up and started moving around him.

Her movements just made things worse as Ramon could feel his short breaths becoming shorter and painful. His chest felt like something huge had been dropped on it.

"So I thought of what to do. I knew that I would lose my son unless I pretended to like you so I told him I would accept you." She added. "But of course it wouldn't have been possible without my two actors. I promised my son that I would apologize to you, which I did." She spat irritably. "I have never been so embarrassed in my life like the way I was embarrassed that day I apologized at the hotel." She sighed irritably. "Me Olivia Martinez, a well-known rich and classy lady apologized to a boy who is nothing. A low life like you who cannot even measure up to a dog." She shouted.

Ramon was probably hearing the worst words anyone had ever told him. Olivia was telling him that a dog was better than him.

"I was so humiliated but it was all for my son." She continued. "I might have apologized but there was never a day when I didn't wish I could strangle your neck and end your life. But of course, I had to play it cool, show you that I loved and cared. For six months, we planned everything carefully. But we had to earn Marcos' trust and so we lay low for as long as we could. I did my best to show that I loved you so much." She chuckled and Ramon could swear that he heard the devil's voice in her. "Am I a great actress or what? I think I deserve an award for this."

Ramon had no strength left anymore. His whole world had been crushed and he felt foolish for being fooled all these months.

"I endured the humiliation, the embarrassment, and the torture of hugging and touching...." She made one of those irritating voices. "....You. I feel like puking right now when I remember that these hands touched your disgusting body." She shouted roughly after a chuckle. "After making sure that both you and Marcos trusted us, we decided it was time to hit things up between you two and you would be the one to break his heart."

This woman was evil. How could she do that to her son who showed her nothing but love? And to Ramon who gave her the respect of a mother. She had pretended for six months. They had all deceived them.

"And that was when Toby Dunphy stepped in." She laughed. "By the way, that's not his real name. We hired him to pose as a business man but he's just a goon. He came to the hotel and mentioned your name and you fell for it. We planned to spike your drink so that he could do away with you. There was another man in the room who was recording you and that was the guy we used to call Marcos to inform him that you have been cheating on him."

Ramon was there gasping for air while the crazy evil woman narrated the story of what she had to him. He wanted to shout at her so that she could shut that fucking cunt she was using to talk to him but he couldn't find his voice due to the pain he was feeling.

"He was such a great actor and I give him my hand for that." Both Olivia and Dan laughed. "A goon pretended to be such a nice guy and you fell for it. Maybe you trusted us more than we thought." She said inflicting more pain on him. "The drug you were given was just to make you unaware of your environment. In your mind, you were unconscious but the truth was that you were just so weak. We made him rape you while a guy in the room recorded it. They edited it as soon as possible and sent it to Marcos." She said with a sigh of irritation. "And it worked judging from the bruises on your face."

She began laughing while Dan knelt and came to his ear.

"By the way," Dan whispered. "We chose a guy who had the biggest cock we could find so that he could inflict pain. He was straight but he sure violated your ass after he had recorded you."

Ramon just wanted to die right there. These people confirmed to him that he had been brutally raped. He could feel it from the pain that was in his ass every time he moved. He was so in pain that every breath was torture.

"So you see Ramon," Dan said wryly. "You may have won the battle but you have lost the war."

Ramon was still struggling to breathe but he took one deep breath in and exhaled loudly. He was able to breathe again but the pain was too much. He needed to ask questions. He raised his wet face and saw them turning to leave.

"Why...why....why did you do this to me?" He stuttered as more tears flowed. "I love your son and he was happy with me. How could you hurt him like this? Even if you wanted to separate us, why did you have to violate me like this?"

Marcos' mother laughed like an evil witch from a Disney movie.

"Love," She laughed wildly. "I don't care whether he was in love but what I do know is that I cannot allow my son to fall in love with a nobody." She chuckled. "That's right, you are a nobody and you will be a nobody for as long as you live." She sighed irritably. "And as for hurting my son, he will never know that because in his mind, you are the one who had hurt him."

"He will forget about you in a flush," Dan said wryly. "...and he will fall in love with the one person that will be there for him, me."

Both Marcos' mother and Dan laughed making Ramon's pain maximize.

"I will never let you get away with it." He cried. "I will tell Marcos the truth and we will prove that our love is deep."

"Go ahead," Marcos' mother shrugged. "You are free to do so but let me warn you, I don't want to see you two feet in my house or else..."

"What's going on here?" Ramon heard Eduardo's voice.

Dan and Olivia went back to the car and they sped off. Eduardo was now holding Ramon who was crying heavily. The pain was just too much. He didn't deserve this. He deserved to be happy and he decided to explain things to Marcos. He quickly got up and run inside the house rubbing his tears. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him not minding the pain that he felt. He quickly went to his room and searched his wallet for money and left the room.

"They said something to him," He heard Eduardo telling their father.

Ramon ran past them and he was out of the house. He was only a few meters from the house and he could hear Eduardo shouting for him.

"Hey, where are you going?"

Ramon did not answer. He had a goal and that was to make things right between Marcos and him. He ran toward the road and was lucky enough to see a rickshaw pass by. He stopped it and entered, rubbing his face. He had too much crying and now it was about making things right with his boyfriend. He could see his brother coming but it was too late as the rickshaw had left. He looked behind and saw his brother looking everywhere.

While on the road, all he hoped for was to be given a chance to explain to Marcos. He needed to be confident while he spoke to Marcos. Hopefully, their love would be able to overcome all these fucking obstacles. He needed to let Marcos know that his mother and his friend had been the cause of it.

The rickshaw was not fast but after two hours and a half of being on the road, he arrived at the large gate. He paid the driver and he ran to the gate and knocked hard. He continued knocking until the security guard opened the gate. Without taking any time, he ran into the compound despite the guard shouting for him.

"We have specific orders not to let you in." The guard said softly to him.

Ramon didn't need to hear any bullshit so he continued going until the two guards he found at the door blocked him.

"Get out of my way," He shouted angrily.

"We are sorry, sir." One of them spoke. "But we are only following orders."

Ramon knew that these guys were only following orders so he did what anyone in his shoes would have done, he began shouting for Marcos. He couldn't just leave without speaking to him.

"Marcos!" He shouted at the top of his voice. "Come out, it's Ramon, your boyfriend. Please come out."

He continued shouting for some time and the guards were trying to kick him out of the compound. He heard the door creaking and he wanted to see if it was his boyfriend.

"Let him go." He heard Marcos' father order the guards and they did as they were instructed.

Ramon ran to Marcos's father who was looking somehow angry at him.

"I am so sorry sir for making all this noise." He apologized. "I just need to speak to Marcos so that I can tell him the truth."

"Ramon," Marcos' father said calmly. "I don't think that's a good idea. Please, just go home. Marcos is in not the mood to speak to you. He’s really hurt by whatever happened."

"Please, sir," He pleaded, putting his hands together. "I need to speak to him."

"Go home," His father said calmly as he showed some form of irritation. "I don't think now is the right time..."

"No, I think this is the right time to make things clear." Ramon heard Marcos's voice.

He saw Marcos coming out of the house followed by his mother and the rest of the members. He was looking like he had not slept for weeks. His face looked like a soldier in war and his eyes were blood-red. Ramon ran to Marcos and wrapped his arms around him.

That hug felt like heaven to Marcos. He wanted to touch Ramon and tell him how much he loved him but the pain got in the way. He ripped Ramon off him and threw him down with a great force that it somehow hurt him to see Ramon like that.

"Don't touch me," Marcos yelled, pointing his finger angrily at Ramon. "Don't you ever touch me or you will regret it."

"I know you are angry at me," Ramon said as he got up not minding the pain. "But we can solve this. Listen to me, please!"

"What are you doing here?" Madison snapped at Ramon.

"Madison," Olivia yelled at Madison and Ramon didn't know why.

"But mom, are you going to watch this,"

"Shut up or I will slap you." She warned.

Ramon knew that the woman was pretending and he had to expose her.

"Get out of here before I do something to you," Marcos yelled angrily. "Leave me alone."

Marcos turned back to go back inside the house after the pain came back to him.

"Please, I was raped and all this was planned to break us up," Ramon yelled as Marcos turned to face him.

"Well, that isn't what it looked like," Marcos said softly. "Don't fucking lie to me because I know you were only using me." Marcos snapped as he held his hand to slap Ramon.

"I swear to you that I was raped," He begged. "One of your family members did this."

"What?" Marcos growled. "You have been cheating on me and you have the nerves to accuse my family of it? You are so shameful." He yelled. "Get out of here and never come back."

"Please, believe me, I am telling the truth," Ramon begged as he tried to touch the furious Marcos who was ready to rip him apart.

"Get out of here," Marcos pushed him. "Stop dragging my family into your mess. Just accept that you messed up."

"Why would I lie to you?" Ramon pleaded. "All this was done by your mother and she had..."

Before he finished his sentence, Marcos smacked him hard in the face and it felt like someone had burned his face. He screamed in pain just as blood started coming out his nose and his mouth. He couldn’t believe the pain he felt.

"What?" Olivia snapped. "Me? How could I do that to you, Ramon?" She said softly. "I loved you like a son. In fact, I didn't even believe what my son said. Why would you accuse me of such a thing?"

"How dare you?" Marcos roared. "How dare you accuse my mother, you whore?" He hissed. "She showed you nothing but unconditional love. I knew that it was hard to accept you but she still did and now that you have the guts to accuse her of such a hideous thing? I will not just sit and watch you do this."

"I am telling you the truth," Ramon cried as his face vibrated in pain. "Your mother and..."

"Shut up!" Marcos gave him another hot slap which landed him on the ground and he hit his forehead on the concrete. He felt blood running down his face and he quickly rubbed it. He got up and his face was close to the man who had nothing but pure hatred for him. Ramon felt so angry that he never knew he could feel that angry.

"Please just go," Barry said to him softly. "It's better if you go so that everyone can have some peace."

"Yeah," Marcos' father said to him. "Barry is right. It will be good if you can go." He said softly.

Oliva sobbed, shaking her head and pretending to be hurt.

"To be honest I still can't believe you said that about me," Olivia said softly. "But listen to me young man, I think my son is right and he made the right choice by dumping you. I was thinking of reconciling you with my son but right now I feel nothing but hatred towards you." She warned. "I will personally make sure that I throw you out of here myself. Maybe it's my fault, I should have persisted with the way I viewed you. I loved you so much that I am hurting right now." She sobbed.

Ramon didn’t care what she said. His eyes were only on the man that claimed to love him so much.

"Did you hear that?" Marcos grunted. "The same woman you are accusing was still thinking about you even though her son was hurt."

"But Marcos...."

"Now listen closely," Marcos said softly but his voice was cold. "From now on, you and I share no relationship. I don't love you anymore and maybe I should have followed what my mother was telling me. I shouldn't have chosen a whore over my family. After what you’ve done, I can’t even bear to look into your ugly face. You’re nothing but a shameless slut, a whore!"

Ramon felt like something had possessed and he immediately connected his hand with Marcos, slapping him so hard across the face. He had never felt that kind of anger before. Burning rage hissed through his body like deathly poison, screeching a demanded relsae in the form of unwanted violence. Even Marcos himself was surprised.

"How dare you slap my brother?" Madison screamed at Ramon. "Who do you think you are?"

"I may not be someone to you but I am not a whore."

"It's settled," Marcos said as he touched his hurting cheek. "I don't love you so get the fuck out of here."

"He’ll not gpo. I know what he needs and I am going to give it to him," Olivia said with a smile as she turned to go inside the house.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Ramon cried as he knelt before Marcos' feet. "I am telling you the truth. I would do anything to hurt you intentionally, I swear."

Seeing someone Marcos loved suffer was making him feel bad but that tingling feeling in his brain made everything a mess. He knew the reason why Ramon loved him was because of power and to be recognized and also for money. But Marcos' heart was telling him something different and his brain was telling him something else. He needed to show Ramon that he still had the bad side.

"Because you have hurt me and because I hate you so much," Marcos yelled while his sister nodded in agreement.

Dan stood there saying or doing nothing. To the sight of Ramon, Dan was looking sympathetic as if he hadn't done anything. This made Ramon angry but he needed to plead with Marcos so that they could live together happily.

"But you used to love me, right?" Ramon cried heavily still kneeling. "For the sake of our love, please believe me."

Marcos was hurting inside but he still loved Ramon a lot. He just couldn't afford to be used by someone that he loved. He tried to tell Ramon that he loved him. He wanted to hug him and kiss him a lot but the images of Ramon being fucked were making him go bonkers. He could still see the image of Ramon being fucked hard on the bed. Ramon didn't even allow Marcos to fuck him that hard.

Marcos took a breath in his mind before he responded to Ramon's question. This was an answer that would change absolutely everything and hurt the boy he loved.

"I am so sorry," Marcos said with courage and confidence. "I think I might have mistaken lust for love. I should have accepted who I am. I shouldn't have hurt the people that I love and the only...."

Before Marcos could finish the sentence, Olivia came out with noise.

"I am here with what he wants."

Ramon looked and she had a big handbag and he had no idea what a load of evil could have been in it. And why the hell did she say what Ramon wanted was in that bag. All Ramon wanted was his Marcos and he would be out of there in a jiffy.

"Olivia, what's in that bag?" Marcos's father asked as he went near her.

"I have been defending this boy who has hurt my son and I will not allow him to hurt my son again." She answered with a hoarse voice, dry, cunning, and purely evil. "I will give the boy what he wants so that he can leave my son the fuck alone." She shouted angrily.

She put her smooth hands with red painted nails only to come out with loads of money in her hand. She threw the money at him. As the money landed on him, it brought insults, pain, and tears. He accepted that he was poor but he didn't need to be treated like some dog or a whore as Marcos called. He looked down and cried out in anguish. It was like someone had just killed him.

Another load came and many more until Olivia came and emptied the whole bag on his head. He was kneeling in a heap of money. Money that would solve his problems and give him the life he wanted. But he loved Marcos a lot and no amount of money was gonna change that.

"I hope that money is enough for you to stop causing my son more pain," Olivia barked.

Ramon looked up and the woman was looking angry and was ready to hurt him if he did anything funny. But what could she do because his face was already bruised by Marcos.

"I now know that what you wanted from my son was money." She added. "He doesn't want to see you so pick up that money and leave this place." She growled as she threw the bag to him. "You have probably not seen such an amount of money and you never will so take it and leave my son in peace. He needs to have some peace."

"I am so sorry but my love for Marcos cannot be bought by money."

"Perhaps you need more," Marcos mumbled. “Didn’t you make more by fucking all the guests at the hotel? I don't love you," Marcos yelled. "I should have followed my mother's wish. I should have chosen my mother's choice and someone who loved me." Marcos said softly but Ramon could hear that his voice sounded more of pain and torture. "A man whom I have always known for so long and whom I knew was crazy in love with me."

Marcos turned and was now facing Dan who looked like he was surprised by all that was going on but in reality was in all of this with Marcos' mother and sister.

"I hope that you can forgive me and I hope that you still love me and will accept my love."

Dan was beyond shocked.

"Marcos, I don't know..."

Before Dan could finish his sentence, Marcos locked his lips with Dan's and Ramon's heart melted together with that kiss. The way Marcos was slowly kissing Dan, making him moan and those moans were making Ramon feel like he had been stabbed right in the heart. He wanted to look away but his face was glued to what was happening. He didn't know if it was a dream or reality but what he knew was that his heart was slowly dying.

Marcos broke the kiss, traced Dan's lips, smiled, and then looked at Ramon which broke his heart. Ramon stood there and Marcos was sure that the boy looked small and broken. Bet that was going to show him that Marcos is the guy who wouldn't want to be messed with.

"I hope that answers your question," Marcos said softly with those words breaking his heart. "I don't love you any more. It was just lust and I now realized who truly loves me and I hope you respect that." Marcos' words were flaming hot arrows and they were burning Ramon's flesh. "I just can't love a whore. Just like those men who use you as a whore, I lusted for you and it might have taken months but you are still a whore. I guess people are right, there is no relationship between the rich and the poor. We are from two different worlds."

It was a heartbreaking statement coming from Marcos and it took everything that Ramon was sure he felt. The tears just stopped and his whole heart changed the direction of the beat. His body ached but what surprised Ramon the most was the energy he felt all of a sudden. He fearlessly rubbed his face and looked at Marcos with courage. He couldn't believe that Marcos just said that.

"Your days of being famous are over," Madison said after a laugh. "You used my brother to be famous but you will go back to the slums where you came from."

"I thought you loved my son but I was wrong," Olivia said to Ramon whose face was glued to only one person, Marcos. "You used him for your gain and you almost stained his name, you whore."

"You became famous as people knew you as his boyfriend." She added. "What will they think now? One thing I know is that you will never be famous and you will never be powerful and influential like us no matter what you do." She snorted. "Even with this money that I have given you, you will always be poor, dirty, and unrecognized. My son might have been hurt but he will still be Marcos Martinez, the famous businessman but you....." She looked at him in disgust."......you will just be the same, Ramon. Maybe a few men whom you served might remember you but you will never be popular. People like you can never value to anything."

"Olivia!" Marcos's father yelled. "That's enough. He might have hurt our son but he is still a human being. Why don’t you pity him as well."

"Never," Olivia shouted. "Are you still gonna defend him over our son?" She hollered. "He has hurt our son for God's sake."

"I know he has hurt our son but that doesn't make him less human." Marcos's father defended.

"I loved him too but he accused me, your wife of something that I wouldn't do." She argued. "Shouldn't you be defending me right now?"

"I know that what he did was wrong but..."

"Enough!" Marcos yelled. "Why are you arguing over someone worthless? I share no relationship with him." He got closer and showed his fist to Ramon. “I share no relationship with you and I don't know who you are. I regret ever knowing you and everything that has happened between us. I just wish I hadn't met you and known you exist. I don't ever want to see you at my hotel because I might just kill you. Why don’t you crawl in a hole somewhere and just die?"

Ramon felt nothing while Marcos insulted him and killed his heart. He was staring in the eyes that had given him hope and life and he was not able to read anything. Of all things that had happened, Marcos had hurt him the most. Even though he spoke a few words, he had hurt him so much. He couldn't believe the man who had popped his cherry, changed because of him, and loved him so much would be able to hurt him like that.

"Congratulations, I hope you will now be happy with Dan. I hope you find the happiness that I never gave you." Ramon said softly.

Marcos hearing those words made him deeply hurt and his heart was broken. He had kissed Dan out of spite and he was sure that his friend didn't say anything. After all, he wanted to help him because he loved him so much. Hearing those words made his heart weep for he knew that Ramon would soon leave. He was the one that wanted him to leave but why was his heart weeping? Once again, his pain got worse and he had to get rid of the boy who made a wound in his heart.

"Just get out and never come back," Marcos yelled.

Ramon had nothing to say so with one final look at the face that had hurt him so much, he turned to leave.

"Don't forget the money." Madison laughed.

Ramon turned to face Madison so that he could put her in her place.

"I don't need any money because I am not money-minded like you." He answered slowly. "I might be poor and wretched but my mother always taught me about self-respect."

"Good!" Olivia said as she went near Ramon. "I welcomed you into this house with so much love but now I am going to throw you out of our compound and our lives for good."

Olivia took Ramon's hand and began dragging him outside. Ramon's face was still glued on the man who had hurt him so much and the pain came back and the tears were now flowing again. He stared at Marcos while they drew further and further away. Everyone else just watched.

Seeing Ramon being driven out of the compound was painful. The way Ramon was staring at Marcos while his mother drove him away was heartbreaking. Marcos felt like Ramon was taking a part of him that had been with him this whole time. A tear fell from his face which he rubbed quickly. He quickly turned and went back inside the house feeling angry.

"I don't want to see you near this gate, the company, the hotel, or my son again." She warned. "If you don't, you will receive more than what you received the last time. Now get away from here."

Ramon was angry, hurt, and felt so stupid. What could be worse than being hurt by your boyfriend? He took his virginity, satisfied him sexually and emotionally and now was regarded as worthless and nothing.

"You don't have to worry ma'am." He said courageously. "We will meet again and this time, I won’t let you step on me. They say karma is a bitch and very soon, you’ll find your match."

"I don't care what you are saying," She said. "Just go away because you have lost the war." She laughed. "How does it feel to be rejected by your boyfriend?" She asked while she laughed softly. "I told you that my son....."

"I have heard you." Ramon yelled. "You have won alright but what you did to me is not right."

"I don't care." She yelled. "What I do care about is that you are out of our lives. Now, get away from here. And never go near my son again or else you will be on your next flight to hell."

Ramon didn't say anything further but he turned and slowly began going away. He heard the gate closing and he knew that she had gone inside. He turned back and took one final look. He was going to make it and he was going to show everyone that he was not who they thought he was. He would have that type of house and even better.

Ramon began walking away from the house and the pain in the ass got worse. But what could be painful than what he got from Marcos, nothing?

He slowly walked from the house while the mind continued reminding him of the incident which had happened at Marcos' house and the painful words which Marcos had uttered. The most painful thing had been the kiss and the insults. The surprising thing was that he could feel the anger building in his heart and it would only be quenched once he made some people pay for raping him.

He walked for at least 30 minutes when he heard Eduardo calling his name from a taxi. He looked and saw a taxi stop. Eduardo and his father came out but Ramon just stared at them. They ran fast to him and they looked worried.

"Are you okay?" His father asked with concern.

Ramon nodded as he felt a lump in his throat.

"Oh my God," Eduardo said as if he was scared. "You are bleeding."

Ramon looked and truly, his white skinny trouser had blood stains and they were still fresh. It looked like he had recently been bleeding and the blood went all the way down to his thighs. He could see that both his father and brother were panicking. That blood reminded him of the rape and it made him feel so angry. He never knew that he could be that angry.

"Let's go to the police." His father said in a panicky voice. "We need to report this injustice."

"No father," Ramon said softly. "It's no use. We don't know where the man who raped me is and the people that did this are powerful. I just wanna go home."

His father quickly called the taxi back and they all took a journey home where the pain got worse and the bleeding continued.

***

Marcos entered his room and was already breaking things. Anything that his hand could grab, he threw it on the floor. He just wanted that anger to go. He needed to cool off and forget about the pain Ramon had caused him. He was breaking things in his room not minding how valuable they were. Not all this mattered except for one thing, the photo album of Ramon and him. He needed to destroy all the things that would remind him of Ramon's betrayal.

He went into the cupboard and took out his photo album which had about ten of Ramon's photos. He opened it and removed all of Ramon's photos. The photos were all of Ramon and him and they were really happy. He couldn't still believe that the first time he had fallen in love he got hurt real bad. Marcos took one of Ramon's photos and stared at it for a long.

"Why did you betray me?" He said softly feeling the pain increase. "I loved you so much." He cried. "Why did you do this to me?" He yelled.

Marcos continued yelling throughout the room as he ripped every photo of Ramon. He made sure he ripped them to bits. He ripped all of them to shreds and just sat on the floor and drowned in his sorrows. How could he have been so blind as to fall for a pretty face like Ramon's? Maybe karma was paying him for what he had been in the past.

But it was so painful that he just wanted to leave and forget about Ramon because no matter what he did, Ramon was still in his mind. He cried so much before he heard the door creaking open. He did not even bother to raise his face to the person who came into the room.

A few moments later, he felt a hand on his shoulder and he slowly raised his face to see Dan who was looking at him in pure sympathy. At least he had Dan to support him through the hard times that he was passing through. He knew he had to be strong so he tried to put up a smile but who would buy a smile on someone whose face was filled with so much pain and tears.

"Why are you doing this?" Dan asked as he sat beside him.

"It's just painful." Marcos sobbed. "I never thought I would get hurt like this."

"I never thought that Ramon could do this." Dan sighed sadly. "I always saw him as this faithful person and that you two were meant to be.....but I don't know what to feel right now," Dan said softly. "I will never forgive him for hurting my friend like that. I will be honest with you," Dan sighed nervously. "I got hurt when I was outside. He hurt you and he accused aunt in the process. we all know just how much aunt sacrificed so that she could accept him but from now on, I will treat him just like the trash that he is." Dan chuckled. "I will never forgive him for hurting you."

Marcos couldn't believe that Dan was so concerned about him in that way. He needed someone like Dan in his life. Someone he could depend on and trust. He thanked his lucky stars people like Dan existed.

"I am sorry for kissing."

"It's okay," Dan said softly. "I know you kissed me out of spite and I completely understand. I am even happier that I was able to help."

Marcos didn't say anything further as he felt tears flowing again. He needed to cry so that the anger could go away but it didn't. He cried softly while Dan rubbed his back to comfort him. It sure helped a lot and he found himself getting sleepy after a few hours and he slept while leaning on Dan's shoulder.

He probably had the worst dream ever. In that dream, he relived the entire incident and he could still feel the pain even in that dream but something got changed. In the dream Ramon was sad and he went away while he saw the face of Dan and he was smiling so beautifully. He saw him in a new light and he made his heart warm. He even laughed in the dream but he kept on seeing Ramon over and over again and it kept on hurting. It was like everything he saw reminded him of the boy who had betrayed his love and trust.

Marcos woke up to a warm sensation. He could feel the arms of someone wrapped around him. He suddenly opened his eyes and found that he was lying on the floor with his body covered and his head on a pillow. He saw Dan holding him and it just reminded him of the one person who had hurt him deeply.

If he could reverse everything, he would have made sure that he never met Ramon. Had he known that this was gonna be how their love story ends, he would have fought his feelings. He had been so mad that he didn't even want to listen to Ramon. What could come out of the mouth of a betrayer and a cheater, nothing?

Marcos slowly removed Dan's arms from himself and was ready to get up without waking up Dan. He tried to get up but it was too late, Dan had already woken up.

"I am sorry," Marcos apologized suddenly feeling a very hot headache. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"No, it's okay," Dan said as he slowly woke up. "I wanted to wake up anyway."

Just then, there was a knock on the door and Marcos' mother came inside but she was not looking good and it made Marcos worried. His mother, who had always been a cheerful lady, was now looking like she was having a bad day and it was his entire fault. His job now was to make his mother laugh. No matter how much the pain was, he needed to overcome it and start over again. Someone like Ramon was not worth his tears.

"Hey, son," His mother said but she was sad. "Would you like to have dinner? You kinda didn't have lunch, both of you."

Marcos had no idea how to answer. On one hand, he needed to impress his mother but on the other hand, he didn't have an appetite. He didn't even know that he had slept for that long.

"Aunt, I don't think that Marcos..."

"No, I will come down in a minute." Marcos tried to put on a smile but he knew that he was not fooling anyone.

His mother gave him a smile that he had never seen on her before. It was obvious the woman was hurt and Marcos blamed himself for it. She said she would be waiting for them and she left the room. Marcos went to the bathroom and washed his face to look more presentable at the table. He was feeling weak but he just had to have his dinner with his family.

Marcos quickly freshened up and he went downstairs with Dan. He couldn't understand why Dan had not eaten since morning. Maybe his friend had been hurt for seeing him in that state but he promised to make it up to his family when he got over everything.

He sat at the dining silently but he managed to pull up a fake smile which he was sure was not fooling anyone. He drowned himself in the steak which he barely ate. He planned to be strong but he just couldn't help it. Who would be strong if they just lost their first and only love?

He knew that it wouldn't help to be in a place where everything constantly reminded him of the boy that he loves so much. He needed to forget about everything that had happened between them. This house was a constant reminder of that because Ramon had been everywhere in the house.

"I need to get out of the country." He said softly as he drove the bread knife in the soft steak.

He could see that his statement made everyone at the table slightly uncomfortable but it was what he needed to do for his poor heart to heal. If he needed to have men so that he could forget, then he would willingly do that. But he just couldn't do that anymore because he was no longer a playboy. He didn't have the strength to do that anymore.

"But son, why do you want to go abroad?" His father asked with a sad smile.

"I need to get away from all this," Marcos said with a sad grimace. "I need to get over all this. This place isn't just helping me."

"I understand you, Marcos," Olivia said with a controlled smile. "And I agree with you. What you need is to get away from here. Go somewhere, relax and just forget about it. This house is filled with so many memories of Ramon and it won't help any of us."

Olivia was glad that her son had decided on his own to go abroad to get things off his mind. She was glad things were going her way but the only thing that was left was to get that boy completely out of her son's mind and she knew who could do just that, Dan. But how to get him to go with her son was what she hadn't thought about.

"I agree that you need some time off from all these troubles," His father said with a sad sigh. "But you can't be alone during these times. You should at least go with someone."

Good! James was really making things easier for her, she thought.

"I agree with your father, I would have gladly come with you but your father and I....."

"It's okay, mom," Marcos said softly. "I will go with Dan if it's not too much trouble."

Everything was falling in place for Olivia and her son just made it easier than she had thought. By the time he comes back home, he would have fallen in love with Dan.

"It's a good idea," Madison said quickly. "Dan is your friend and he will be able to help."

Marcos was glad that none of his family members had a problem with him going abroad but he needed to hear what Dan thought about it.

"Will you go with me, Dan?"

"Sure...." Dan stammered. "Anything for you, dude."

Marcos couldn't have liked to go with anyone else but his friend. At least they would get to talk and he wouldn't miss home that much.

"It's good, son," Olivia said softly. "But when do you plan to leave and when should we expect you back?"

"I will leave in a week and I might spend several months there but don't worry, I will be communicating."

The rest of the dinner was all about his journey and he couldn't wait to go away from his home country so that he could think and have some peace of mind. He was so sad that it showed in his smile and his eyes were still red but he was glad none of them said anything.

After dinner, Marcos said goodnight and he went back to the torture room, his room which was filled with so many memories of Ramon and he knew that he would have those memories for as long as he lived and they would remind him of the pain and the betrayal of Ramon. How he wished he would just erase those memories and make new ones but it was a burden he would carry for the rest of his life.

***

Ramon just came out of the shower after having the worst shower of his life. It was painful and every pain reminded him of what Marcos' mother, Dan, and his twin had done to him. He didn't even know women like that existed. At this point he was in, if he was rich enough, he would have made them pay. The most painful thing was that Marcos had hurt him a lot simply because he was poor.

Ramon slowly walked to the small living room and could already see that his father had been crying. He hated seeing him in that state. The man should have been happy after getting that letter indicating that his brother was coming home from abroad but he was getting drawn into the mess that Ramon was in and no son would ever like to see his father in that state.

"Are you alright?" Ramon asked with a forced smile.

"I need to know what really happened at Marcos' place. Did he forgive you? Was he mad?"

Ramon knew that he had to relive every incident that happened at the house and so he began his journey. He courageously narrated the story to his family but broke down again. He managed to finish up the story and he could see his two lovely men sitting on the chairs crying. In no time, he found himself in the arms of Eduardo who held him tightly.

"That woman is evil," Eduardo said angrily. "I can't believe she pretended all these months and she did that to you. and I am so disappointed in Marcos. How could he of all people say that?"

Ramon's tears flowed together with the pain and the anger that he was feeling. It was like a river taking its load but the load was just too much to be carried. It was spreading throughout his entire body.

"You will be someone someday." He heard his father say softly with pain. "Every successful person came from being nothing and son will make it. No one will be able to step on you."

If there was one person Ramon had been happy was in his life, it was his lovely father. The man who made everything seem fine to him. Though he had been hurt, he at least felt much better after hearing those words from the man he loved and cherished so much.

His father got up from the chair and he slowly moved. The next thing he heard was the both of them holding him making him feel safe in their arms. That night he slept with Eduardo and he was on his chest which was comfortable but the words he had heard from Marcos's family were disturbing him that he found it hard to sleep.

He continued hearing the insults and they were making a fresh wound deep inside of him. If only he could prove to them that they were wrong to judge him and cause him pain. He had saved some money but it was not enough to send him to a university. All he prayed for was a miracle that would rain on him and make him happy again.

After a long and painful trip down memory lane, he finally slept and had the worst dream about what had happened. Even in his dreams, he couldn't have any peace and it was getting to him.

The following day he spent most of his time in his room sad and helpless. He knew it was affecting his father and brother but he just couldn't help being sad. This day no matter how much he tried to smile, he just couldn't do it. He even deleted Marcos' number from his phone including all the messages. It was hard but he needed to do it.

On the third day, things got worse as Ramon could see Marcos in their house kissing, smiling, and making love. Everywhere he looked, he saw Marcos even when he closed his damn eyes. This place had so many memories of Marcos and it didn't help much. On that same day, Mark came and took him for a walk on the beach and for the first time ever, Mark didn't cheer him up. The emotions he was feeling were truly attached to Marcos and they got the best of him.

They walked on the beach for a long time until Mark told him that he had quit the job at the hotel. Ramon couldn't understand his friend but Mark gave him an answer that gave him more sorrows and tears. Mark told him that he couldn't work in a place where his best friend had got hurt and where his best friend was not respected. Ramon hugged Mark and both guys broke down and cried, especially Ramon who became inconsolable.

After hours of talking, Mark and Ramon went back to the house and were surprised to find that there were boxes in the living room together with bags. Ramon couldn't understand what was going on.

"We are leaving for the next town," His father answered with sorrow. "We still have our old place there and we will live there."

"Everything is reminding us of that family," Eduardo answered as he brought Ramon's bag into the living room. "I know that it must be worse for you so we think it will be better to change the environment so that we can forget about what has happened here."

As much as Ramon wanted to deny it, he knew that they were right. He needed to move so that he could forget about all his sorrows. His ass was healing and the pain was not that much but he was sure gonna miss the house that had been his home for as long as he could remember.

"We will constantly be reminded of the pain if we see that family so we will leave. It's for your own good." His father said as he wrapped one of the boxes. "Get ready, the car will be here soon."

Ramon nodded and he gathered everything that he needed. He even took Marcos and his photo album. He needed to burn it but he just couldn't do it. He would keep it as his heart told him to but he would never look at those photos.

Mark helped them with everything they needed and in no time, the car arrived and they loaded in everything that they needed. His family was already inside but he remained outside and took one long look at the house which had been a part of him. He was sure going to miss that house.

Ramon hugged Mark and thanked him for his help and he entered the car. He was being held by his brother and he watched as they got further and further away from the house until it could not be seen. A tear ran down his cheek but he quickly rubbed it. They passed through town and he looked around town as the car drove through town.

They reached the traffic lights which would soon lead them out of town and Ramon made the mistake of looking through the window. He saw Marcos in a big car just next to them and he was looking happy as he spoke with Dan. They both looked splendid in their expensive suits.

He had never experienced grief that bad before. Every memory played like a song in his head, repeating itself for what seemed like forever. He was lost mostly because he felt like he had lost a big part of him.

The traffic lights turned green and the cars started moving. Marcos's car went in the opposite direction and Ramon's went on the route out of town. Ramon watched as Marcos' car disappeared from his sight and it made him mad.

The car was on the road for 8 whole hours and they arrived in the next town at night. It took another hour before they reached a small cabin-like house which Ramon figured would be their home. It wasn't as nice as the house they had left in the capital but it was sure gonna help him a lot. All through the journey, he had decided to forget about the past and move on and it had worked because he no longer felt anything. All he thought about was working hard and providing for his family.

They got out of the car and checked the house. It was clean inside and it had three bedrooms plus a kitchen.

"I had my old friend clean it out." His father said softly.

They got the stuff out of the car and arranged them in the house which took longer and they went to bed very late. Ramon was so tired he didn't even have any time to think about anything. That tiredness sure helped a lot as he didn't feel the pain anymore. All he was thinking about was sleep and he hoped to wake up and forget about everything that had ever happened in his life. He drifted off to sleep the moment he covered himself up.

The next day was just some arranging and it just took a few hours. He tried to bury himself in work and it helped a lot. They finished everything in the afternoon and Ramon volunteered to cook so that he could keep his mind busy. He fixed something scrumptious for his two heroes and they all ate together as it used to be before but Ramon was not lively. Something came to his mind once again and he ate quietly.

For the next four days, he stayed indoors thinking about what had happened to him and how his life had been ruined. In those four days, he decided he needed to think things through and though it was painful, he decided to accept everything that had ever happened and move on. He still loved Marcos and the pain was still there but at least it was not too much.

His wounds had healed and he was able to walk like he used to before. He was able to show a smile but it was not a bright smile. If Mark had been with him, things would have been great. The pain was there but if it had to completely go, Ramon needed to occupy himself with work. On the fifth day, he took a tour of the town and it was beautiful. Eduardo showed him many places and they were magnificent. The town was big and beautiful but not as big as the capital where they had lived. It was now his new home and he would soon get used to living in that town.

The tour helped him a lot and he forgot about the pain. When they came back in the evening, the pain was back and Ramon decided it was time to start work. He had been in that town for only a week and he decided he needed to try his luck in that part of the town.

That evening their father announced that his brother would be coming back to the country the following week. Ramon just prayed that his uncle would help him out. But what if the man was not rich and couldn't help him finish school. It was also the more reason why he needed to work. He broke the news about finding work but everyone was against that idea.

They were afraid that what had happened could be repeated but Ramon had learned his lesson and he would find work in a more secure environment. He begged them and told them the reason why he needed to find work. After a few hours, they allowed him to though he saw that they were not happy. He assured them that he would be safe and they gave him a smile that was not genuine.

The next day, he got up early, took a bath, and left for job hunting. He tried different companies, restaurants, cafes but they couldn't hire him because it was either they didn't need extra workers or he was not qualified. He went back home but he managed to buy a newspaper so that he could check for any job opportunities or companies that would possibly hire him. He checked the newspapers but there was a company that caught his eye, Liama Shoe Company. He had never heard about it and it was in the capital but he just found himself reading an article on it. It was a company which had been founded 6 months back and it had been growing since then. It had recently become one of the largest shoes making companies in Australia and now there was a branch in the country. The owner was not known and there a few companies with a similar name.

Ramon had been so tired after that long day but that was what he needed if he was to get over his pain, tiredness. He slept soundly at night and the next day he tried his luck but nothing worked. This happened for three days until he got tired on the fourth day.

After job hunting the rest of the morning, Ramon was so tired that he sat on the bench in the street. He felt like crying and all the memories came back to him. He had a bad heartache that he needed to get rid of. As he was sitting on that bench alone he took a deep breath and encouraged himself.

"You will make it Ramon Castillo, just have faith. You will survive."

He slowly covered his eyes and felt the wind blowing on his face and it seemed to bring him peace. He felt calm and he was slowly losing the pain. The roads were just nearby and he could hear the cars and people passing. As the pain slowly left him, he knew he needed something more to encourage him, a song. And he knew the song to sing. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes and started singing,

'I won't just survive; oh you will see me thrive,

Can write my story

I’m beyond the archetype

I won’t just comform, no matter how you shake my core

Cause my roots, they run deep’

He felt so much energy fill him and it just encouraged him to sing some more. He wanted to get up so he did. He felt like he was on top of the world as he sang that song whole heartedly. By the time he got to the chorus, his voice was so high that he couldn't control it. He felt so much energy that he couldn’t even hear how great his voice sounded. He continued getting drawn into the music as he heard his voice going miles away,

'Oh, ye of so little faith

don't doubt it, don't doubt it

Victory is my veins

I know it, I know it and I will not negotiate

I'll fight it, I'll fight it. I will transform...

As he got to the part he liked the most, his voice got louder but he couldn’t care. He had never felt like that ever since he had broken up with Marcos. It was like the song gave him so much energy and excitement.

He sang the song gracefully not making even a mistake and his voice sounded clear and beautiful. He sang the song to the end feeling happy but when he finished singing he got surprised when he heard claps and cheers from around him. He quickly opened his eyes to find a small crowd of people cheering and some were taking photos and videos.

His face became blank and he became aware of his own heartbeat. He had just been singing to encourage him but these people thought he was a street singer. How the hell was he going to explain it to them now? But they were cheering.

"That was great." He heard several people say and whistle while others cheered.

"Give us another one." Others shouted. "Please!"

Ramon didn't know what to say at the crowd. They seemed determined and they were expecting him to sing but his face was flat. He remained silent and lost.

"Looks like he's shy," Others shouted. "Let's give him some encouragement." Then just like that, everyone started clapping and cheering and more people came to him. He needed to explain himself before things got out of hand.

"Wait, you are misunderstanding everything." He said softly with a flat face. "I am not a...."

"Please do it again," Some man shouted from behind. "We want to hear you sing."

"But I don't have any instruments." He gave an excuse.

"With that kind of voice you don't need any instruments." A woman with a beautiful smile said to him and she had a young boy with her. It reminded him of his mother as he stared at the child who was giving a smile.

"Please," The young boy said which made him smile.

"Your voice is beautiful even in acappella." Some people shouted.

Ramon knew he couldn't argue with these people so he just gave in to whatever they were asking. No harm ever came out of singing for the crowd, he thought.

"Okay," He smiled. "But only one song,"

There were cheers all over as soon as he had said that and many people still came to see what was happening. Ramon took a deep breath as he dived into one of his favorite songs, nightingale, by Demi Lovato.

He sang the song smoothly and with all his heart and he could feel the song getting better. As he sang it, he could see that most people had their hands on their chest. He was not working or anything but they made him so happy and emotional. He sang the song to the end, receiving a beautiful ending with so many cheers from the people that showed him, love.

He smiled at them as they cheered and clapped. Some were rubbing their tears as they smiled. He didn't even know that the song could be emotional, thanks to Demi Lovato. He felt loved and they were all like friends to him.

"That was beautiful." A woman who was in front of him said while rubbing her eye.

People were clapping then this woman got out a big handkerchief and she threw a 100 dollar note. Ramon didn't know what was going on but he didn't want the money.

"What are you doing?" He asked seriously. "I don't need this money because I..."

"I know that but I just can't leave without appreciating your talent." She answered with a smile. "I don't know about these guys but I won't let you turn me down."

She smiled and many other people began putting money on the handkerchief and before he knew it, there was a heap. He couldn't believe that he was getting money for that little performance. The people congratulated him and thanked him as they went away. All of them were gone except for the woman who was smiling at him.

"Are you a singer, dear?" She asked.

"No!" Ramon responded softly. "This was the first time singing."

"It's been a long time since I heard that kind of voice." She smiled. "With that kind of voice, you would make it in the music industry."

Ramon wasn't even thinking about music but it was not a bad idea. If he had the money, he would just go into music. Ramon nodded and looked down to see a heap of money on the handkerchief and some was just on the ground.

"Let me help you with that." The woman said.

"No, it's okay." Ramon smiled naturally. "You have helped me out. I will pick it up."

The woman smiled and she left after telling him something he would never forget in his entire life. He couldn't believe a stranger would say something like that to him. Maybe she was different from everyone that he had met before.

"Just remember, everyone has a specific talent. You have a great voice and it is angelic. It could also be the key to your success and it can open many doors. Use it to your advantage."

She left after saying that but it left ringing in Ramon's head and if he had money or if he managed to have more money, he would go into music. He knelt to pick up the money while he thought about the words of the woman. He quickly picked the money not minding how much it was and he was about to put it in his bag when he heard a thud on the ground.

He looked and saw a bundle of 20 dollar notes and it was quite a big bundle that he got confused about. It had fallen on the handkerchief and Ramon wanted to know who had thrown it. He moved his eyes from the ground to the face. As he moved his face up the man, he took note of the whole attire and it was beautiful.

Beautiful brown, shiny shoes, a black tight designer's suit, a black designer's shirt and was handsome. He looked like he was in his mid-forties and his dark hair was gelled to perfection. He was wearing a smile and Ramon couldn't help but put up a controlled smile as he picked up the money in his hands. He slowly got up and realized that two more people were standing further away from them, guards if he was not mistaken. The man was surely a businessman and he would bet on it.

"What's this for?" Ramon asked slowly.

"My name is Sonny Robbins," The man spoke in a deep manly voice. "I was passing by and I saw a crowd of people. I sent one of my guards to check what was going on and he told me that a boy was singing. I am a lover music so I came to check for myself and it was such a wonderful performance. That is what the money is for."

"But sir, I......"

"I will not let you reject that money." Mr. Robbins laughed. "Your voice is so perfect. I haven't heard such a voice in a long time. I think you might be just what I need in my company."

"What?" Ramon said as his heart missed a beat. He couldn't believe what he was hearing from this man he had just met.

"I own an entertainment industry and I am also a producer." The man laughed. "For a long time now, I have been searching for a young person with a voice like yours. I want my industry to rise and also my other companies need someone just like you."

"I don't understand sir," Ramon said politely.

"Let's just say I am offering you a life-changing job."Mr. Robbins smiled brilliantly. "You are my missing piece and you will be able to make a lot of money, so you shouldn’t worry about that."

Ramon felt like someone had just awakened his emotions and tears built in his eyes. His mouth shook and he pointed at himself.

"Are you offering me a job?" Ramon's tears came out.

"Yes," Mr. Robbins said optimistically. "But only if you are interested."

Ramon gasped as a different pain took him by storm.

"Of course, sir," Ramon said, feeling adrenaline rushing through him. "I need a job so badly."

"Okay," Mr. Robbins said with a chuckle. Ramon could see Mr. Robbins searching the pockets for something but Ramon was not ready to receive another bundle of money. Mr. Robbins brought out a card.

"This is my business card," Mr. Robbins said cheerfully. "It has every detail you need. Come to my office tomorrow morning and we’ll discuss everything."

Ramon took the card and he was too excited to check. He pushed it into his bag and almost jumped at the joy he felt. He didn't care which music company it was but he was surely going to make a lot of money to get his family out of poverty. They both said their goodbyes and Mr. Robbins left with a smile.

Ramon was so happy that he decided to go home immediately. As soon as the man was out of sight, he quickly packed the money and went to the nearby taxi. All the way home, he was happy that he couldn't even wait to reach home. He completely forgot about all his troubles. He reached home in just 30 minutes and he almost forgot to pay the driver.

Ramon ran inside the house sounding all happy.

"Father," He called. "Father, please come."

This incident reminded him of the time he had gotten a job at Martinez hotel and came home happily. It was like history was repeating itself but this time he was going to make sure he stayed happy and strong.

"Yes," He said as he came in quickly. "What has made my son this happy?"

"I am also wondering what has made my brother so happy." Eduardo said as he came into the living room.

"I have gotten a job." He yelled happily. "Well not yet but I know I will get it."

Ramon saw his father quiet and he knew that he was also thinking about what had happened in the past.

"Which job is that?" Eduardo gushed.

"Mr. Robbins has offered me a job at his company." He chuckled. "I am going to earn a lot of money now."

"Who is Mr. Robbins?" His father asked sounding worried.

"Wait," Ramon gushed. "I have his business card."

Ramon had been so happy that he had forgotten to check the details on the business card. What a happy guy, right?

Ramon quickly took out the business card from the bag and when his eye met with it, he froze. He couldn't believe what he was reading. He closed his eyes and rubbed them but it was the same words. He couldn't believe that one of the richest and known music and entertainment industies had just offered him a job, Liberty RLC music and entertainment group.

He was motionless and he felt himself breathing fast. Before he knew it, Eduardo got the card from him and he could hear him gasping.

"Oh my God," Eduardo gasped.

"What is it?" Their father asked with concern.

"Father, it's....its Liberty RLC music and entertainment industry, the second-largest entertainment industry in the world," Eduardo exclaimed. "Do you know what this means? It means that my brother may become one of those famous musicians. This will make all his dreams come true."

"I... I can't believe it." Ramon gasped. "I can't believe that I was offered a job by one of the producers and directors of RLC."

Ramon just yelled out in excitement as more energy crept through him. He was just too excited that he even gave his father and brother a hug.

"How did this happen?" Eduardo asked excitedly.

Ramon made them sit down before he narrated the whole story to them. He entertained them and he laughed at times but he smoothly told them about how he had sung to encourage him only to find people clapping and how they had given him money after begging him to sing. All that had happened to him he narrated up to the very end. He was just so excited but he wished he would impress them so that they would give him the job.

"So where is the money?"

Ramon got the money from the bag and counted it all together. He couldn't believe he had made 5400 dollars in just a few minutes of singing. He was so excited that he gave the money to his father to buy anything that was lacking in the house and anything else that was needed. The excitement was burgeoning and everyone present could feel it. That evening Eduardo and he cooked dinner and for the first time since that heartbreaking incident, they ate dinner as a happy family.

Ramon went to bed early so that he could leave early. He had to go to the company address which was on the card. He knew that company had branches all over the world and also in the country but he had no idea that he would be a part of it.

The next morning he took a very quick warm shower, dressed in his best clothes, and was on his way to the company address. He took a cab from his home into town and took another one from town and he later found himself standing in front of a large, tall building which seemed to call to him.

He took out his phone and called Mr. Robbins who came outside in a moment and they both headed inside the large building. It was beautiful inside and everyone was busy. It had pictures of some of the most popular musicians including some of his favorites. He never thought he would be in such a place. Had anyone told him that he would come there, he wouldn't have believed them but he was truly there.

Mr. Robbins personally showed him around. He introduced him to everyone, showed him the studio and they all welcomed him and called him an upcoming artist. He was happy to hear that from them and it warmed his heart. He just couldn't wait to start his music career. OMG, it was a dream come true and he was going to live it to the end. He even met Mr. Robbins' assistant, Tom Gutierrez. He was a smart and handsome man and seemed rich too.

After Mr. Robbins had told him everything that he wanted to know, it was time to start.

"You have known everything that you wanted to know." Mr. Robbins gushed. "I hope you are ready to start because we are ready when you are."

"I am ready." He felt adrenaline making him weak and hot at the same time.

"So when can you start." Mr. Robbins asked.

"Today, if that's not too much trouble."

"No," Mr. Robbins chuckled nervously. "Today is the best day. We need to taste your voice and then you will sign the contract later."

There was even a contract, he thought. Yeehaw! What could be better than signing a contract with one of the leading entertainment industries in the world? This was a dream and he was gonna live it to the fullest.

Mr. Robbins took him to a studio where he met the crew to be in charge of everything. They were quite many and they seemed friendly and were already pulling jokes. They all laughed and he found himself in the studio with those big earphones in his ears standing in front of a microphone. The rest of the crew watched from behind a huge mirror. He was to sing any song of his choice while they tested his voice. He chose to sing ‘Help me get over you’ and to his surprise they had the instrumental with them.

He took one deep breath as he heard the beat start and he dived into the song. He started very softly,

‘Now I see, you’re so happy with him

Deep inside, I just don’t know what to feel

Oh, I’m sure, you don’t need me anymore

So I’ll go on, try my best to just move on’

As he sang that song, memories of his past with Marcos played in his mind like a song on replay. The first time they had met… their time on the island… the first time he and Marcos made love on that island… their rescue… their love… all the pain he had endured after being raped and how Marcos betrayed him and destroyed his heart.

but his voice got hotter as he reached the chorus,

'I don’t know what to do,

There’s no easy way of letting go

But I know, there’s no sense in holding on too much to something fading

Help me, help me

Help me get over you’

Everything was painful and he didn’t even realize that he was shading tears.

‘I know, I’ve got to leave it all behind

Somehow I try to get you off my mind

So tell me what to do

Help me get over.’

He went high note and everyone was in awe. He finished the song with a bang and all of them were gaping at him. He removed the earphones and got out, rubbing his tears. He had no idea whether he had done something wrong or they were just surprised. He couldn't read their facial expressions no matter how hard he tried.

"Did I make a mistake?" He asked feeling nervous. "Is there any problem?"

"We have a very big problem." Mr. Robbins said still gaping. "It's not what we expected."

"I am sorry sir." Ramon apologized after feeling so bad that he had failed Mr. Robins. He couldn't believe that his dream was about to crush. He had been so happy only to lose at the last moment. Guess people like him were not meant to be successful.

"What are you apologizing for?" Mr. Robbins laughed as the rest of the crew started clapping. "What I meant to say was that it was beyond what I expected. The voice was incredible and if I haven't heard that song before, I would have said you were the one who sang it. I think you will go a long way in the music industry. Truly you have an amazing voice."

"It's more than amazing." One of the crew members said with a clap. "It's been long since I heard someone sing like that."

Ramon couldn't believe what he was hearing. Finally, His talent would be developed, something that would make him rich and popular. Now, who was the person who was never going to be popular? He was going to show them all.

They were back in Mr. Robbins' Large luxurious office and to the office, Mr. Robbins had been encouraging him to pursue his singing career. He was later handed a contract which he read. The contract was only for two years and it was worth 70 million dollars. OMG, his heart was beating like a drum and he knew better than to accept that this was all true.

The contract was to be signed only after he had recorded one song. They would see just how much popular it would be and then give him the contract. After so much talking, he was ready to sing the next. He was lucky that they had a song that they had been struggling with and they would give him the lyrics and make him listen to the beat so that he could sing it after he had mastered it. All this was making him feel happy and nervous at the same time. There was one more thing that he needed and that was a name. Yes, a name that he would be known by.

After all this, Ramon was given the lyrics and later he was listening to the beat of the song while mastering the words. He spent the entire day listening and he was able to connect with the song very well. Just a little practice and he was gonna be perfect. He took the beat in his phone and he played it as he sang the lyrics and his family told him that it was superb.

He was so happy that he called Mr. Robbins that same night to tell him that he would be singing the song the next day. Mr. Robbins was surprised and he could hear it from the phone but he was ready to sing and make his path through music. He spent the night singing softly and memorizing and had a dream about it. It was such a crazy night.

The next day, he found himself in the studio and the beat began playing. He took three good luck breaths and he dived into the song flowing with the beat.

‘Days like this, I want to drive away

Pack my bags and watch your shadow fade

You chewed me up, and spit me out like I was poison in your mouth

You took my light, you drained me down

But that was then and this is now’

He sang the song with his heart and it reminded him of what he had been through with Marcos. The song was speaking to him and he got more energy and sang with his whole heart but the chorus was his ultimate favorite,

'This is the part of me that you’re never ever gonna take away from me *2

Throw you sticks and stones, throw your bombs and blows

But you’re not gonna break my soul’

Man, he sang that song like his life depended on it. The beat was lovely and at times, it made his heart race but he continued singing until he finished singing with another bang. Tears were in his eyes but he was not going to make them come out. He was going to be strong if he was to make it.

"How was it?" He asked nervously to the crew that was mesmerized and all they had to say was, "I think you should listen to it yourself."

The song was played and he couldn't believe that it was his voice singing in that song. Gosh, it was a hit.

"I think you nailed it and we will be able to make a lot out of it I am sure." Mr. Robbins said cheerfully. "Just a few adjustments and the song will be on the market."

Ramon heard many 'congratulations' from everyone that met him. Mr. Robbins took him to the office and they talked about what was involved in the music industry. Mr. Robbins explained to him everything that was involved and though it took hours, he got everything. Mr. Robbins was going to be his mentor.

"So what name have you come up with?" Mr. Robbins asked as he played with a pen.

Ramon had forgotten about the name thing. But it was not difficult to come up with a name for him. He needed a name that no one would recognize him by especially Marcos and his family. His name was Ramon Castillo so he had to choose between Ram Cast and Ramillio Castra and he chose the latter and changed it to Ramillio Reyes.

He gave Mr. Robbins his new name and the man liked it. They both laughed about it and talked about other things. Mr. Robbins told him that his song would first be sold locally. He was so happy that he wanted to jump from his seat and just run around the room but he had to behave himself since he was a star in the making. His song would be released in a day or two and would be sold. He had confidence in his voice and he knew his song would bring him luck.

"You have to start writing your own songs from now, young man." Mr. Robbins joked as they all laughed.

Ramon was to come back to the company after his song has been released and sold and then he would sign the contract. In the meantime, he had to focus on writing his songs that he would sing. He said goodbye to everyone and he went home feeling very happy. He reached home and he was filled with so much excitement that filled all around the house.

He explained how it felt to sing and his whole family was happy for him. If only his mother would have seen him right now, she would have been happy. But wherever she was, he knew that she was watching over him and giving him blessings.

He began working on his songs and he had quite a few ideas. He was gonna focus on two songs in the meantime and he started thinking about what they should be about. He thought and thought until he decided to write something about happiness. He had no idea where that came from but he had the words coming in his head.

The next day, he was done with the first song and he dived into the next one which he named, 'together as one.' He did his best and though it had been somehow difficult, he managed to pull through by the fourth day. He had spent most of his time writing so Eduardo told him to go with him to the mall in the morning. He didn't object because he had to take some time off. His hand was hurting and he needed some ointment for it.

They were passing through the mall buying all the stuff they needed. A very wonderful song was playing and Ramon was enjoying the soothing music but it was interrupted.

He had not heard anything from Mr. Robbins since he left the company a few days back and he was wondering why. He went to the medicine section and was about to grab the ointment he needed when he froze. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, it was his song being played in the mall and it was so beautiful to hear. His voice was amazing and he couldn't have been more proud.

"Wow!" He heard the shoppers say. "I haven't heard a song like this in a while. The voice is really beautiful. I am going to buy this song."

Ramon felt like his whole soul was on fire. He was feeling a passion burn inside of him. He went and paid everything at the counter and rushed outside. He saw a huge crowd of people in line just to buy his song from the RLC vehicle which was probably packed with loads of CDs. He almost cried when he saw the number of people that had gathered just to buy his song.

"You are rising, my brother." Eduardo tapped him on his back. "You will rise."

Ramon leaned on to his brother and chuckled cheerfully. He went home and gushed at his father everything that had happened. The excitement was throughout the house and he couldn't wait to go to the company the following day. He was ready to go to sleep when he received a call from Mr. Robbins whom he answered excitedly. He could hear that Mr. Robbins was excited and he couldn't wait to hear the news.

"Guess what?" Mr. Robbins gushed. "We have counted the money that we have gathered after our sales today throughout the country."

"What?" Ramon said as he almost pulled his hair out with excitement. "You mean......."

"Yes, Ramon." Mr. Robbins said as he chuckled. "We distributed it around the country and that is the reason why it took longer to come out." He chuckled again. "So as I was saying, the total amount for the whole sales is 78 000 dollars which means that your song is doing well on the market. Imagine the amount we will make in a week with these kinds of sales. Others will be distributed tomorrow and we will be posting it on our website tomorrow and the people will be able to buy the song online."

Ramon was so happy that his song was getting the credit. If only he could shout out to the whole world. He would do it.

"I want you to come to the company tomorrow so that we can wrap things up." Mr. Robbins babbled as he cut the call.

Ramon couldn't believe that he would finally sign that 70 million dollar contract which would change his whole life. And it would just be for one year. Imagine how much he would make in the years to come if he made that kind of money.

Ramon broke the news to his family and they all cheered for him. He was so happy that he cried due to happiness but it turned to sorrow as the memories of Marcos came to him. He sat on the cold floor and cried. He could see his family getting emotional but he couldn't stop crying because the pain had come back.

"I know you are crying because of Marcos." Eduardo said as he bent his knees to try and rub the tears off his brother."

He cried for a few minutes until his cries turned to laughs again. The pain suddenly went away and he found himself laughing loudly.

"That's right," Eduardo said to his brother. "You are a rising and you will be able to show them all that Ramon Castillo is a man not to be messed with."

Those words were really powerful and he hugged his brother tightly as he felt the heat from his brother warm him up. That should have been Marcos but fuck him, he will no longer affect him. He would find ways to get Marcos out of his damn mind.

"Father, when is uncle coming?" Ramon asked as he rubbed his wet face.

"I talked to him today and his flight will be tomorrow."

"You are happy, uh?" Ramon chuckled. "Bet it will be good to see your brother after sixteen years."

"Yeah," His father laughed. "It will be good for all of us and he said he has a surprise for us all."

Ramon couldn't wait to see what surprise his uncle had but he was sleepy and needed to sleep as he had a very long day the following day. He went to sleep thinking about signing the contract and starting his new career which would breed a lot of money.

The next day, Ramon got out of the cab and looked at the tall building where he would spend most of his time working. He slowly went inside and got the surprise of his life when everyone cheered for him and congratulated him. He couldn't even count the number of people that congratulated him but he found himself in the arms of Mr. Robbins who gave him a tight hug.

"Congratulations, my boy." Mr. Robbins said in his deep manly voice as he tapped on his back. "This was fantastic and I think the fans are ready."

The hug ended and Mr. Robbins pointed to a desk where there was a contract where his future awaited. He read the contract and to his surprise, it had increased to 100 million dollars. He asked and all he got was, "I appreciate real talent when I see one."

Ramon read the contract thoroughly and it said that he was to sing for movies, cartoons, products and mostly for songs. He would perform in cartoon movies and also perform the theme songs for movies. How wonderful was that? It meant that he would be busy and would be tired often but it was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

He signed the contract and he shook hands with Mr. Robbins who later told him that he would travel abroad real soon because his work was not needed in the country as much as the others. Ramon was ready to go anywhere and they laughed about it with Mr. Robbins.

"So how far with your songs," Mr. Robbins asked as he gave a bright smile that would burn anyone.

"Oh, I have the sample here," Ramon said as he unzipped his bag to check for his lyrics which he did not find. He later remembered that he had left them in the living room and asked to go and get them. Mr. Robbins told him it was fine but Ramon needed those lyrics so that he could work on his songs while he was still on the company premises.

He went back home to get the lyrics and he was looking forward to telling his family that he had signed the contract. He was so happy that he would meet his uncle and he was looking forward to seeing how he looked like. Ramon was about to rush into the house when he heard some voices.

"He is arriving here today." His father said. Just the excitement about seeing his brother but Ramon got ready to surprise his father and brother but something caught his attention.

"I know that he seems happy right now but I can still see his pain," Eduardo said with a loud sigh. "All this makes me want to hurt that family of scoundrels."

"Do you think Ramon would have been happier if he was with him?" His father asked, suddenly feeling sad. "Maybe all this wouldn't have happened if Ramon was with him. I should have insisted he had gone with him. He wouldn’t have met Marcos and none of this would have happened."

Ramon had no fucking idea what his father was talking about. If he was with whom, he thought?

"I don't know for sure but he was happy until that son of a bitch came and ruined it all." Eduardo cursed.

There was a moment of silence that Ramon thought the conversation had ended but as he was about to touch the doorknob, he heard Eduardo's voice once again.

"Have you told him?"

"No," His father sighed gloomily. "I don't know how he is going to take this... he is so excited about seeing his son."

Son, Ramon wondered. Which son was his father and brother talking about? Did his uncle have a son before he left? And where was he? All this talk was messing with his head and he was developing a headache.

"I couldn't tell him anything." His father said softly. "Which father would like to hear that his son got raped and was heartbroken?"

Ramon's tears just came out suddenly. They were talking about him. He was the son of his father's brother, but how? Ramon needed answers and these two were going to give it to him. He opened the door quickly and entered feeling betrayed and angry.

"Ramon, son," His father gasped. "Why are you..."

"Is it true?" Ramon asked as more tears run down his face. "Is it true that I am not your son?"

"Ramon, listen, where........."

"I heard everything." He yelled, furiously rubbing his face. "But I want to hear it from your mouth. Tell me the truth, am I not your son?" He cried.

"Ramon, you don't..."

"Tell me." He barked.

"Yes," His father said softly as a tear run down his cheek.

Ramon felt so weak that he sat on the chair drowning in his pain. He couldn't believe that whatever he knew about his life was a lie.

"But how?" He muttered, shaking his head. “How am I not your son? I have lived my entire life with you. You’ve never mentioned this to me.”

"I loved you too much and I had no idea if he was gonna come back. But, I will tell you the truth." His father sobbed.

Ramon cried so much that no one was able to touch him. His father then started narrating the story to him,

"19 years ago my brother, Ryan, got married to the first woman that he had ever loved. Her name was Alexa and she was your real mother."

Ramon couldn't believe that the woman that loved him so much was not his real mother. How could these people do this to him?

"They were so much in love but 18 years ago, a few weeks after you were born she was involved in a fatal accident that ended her life." His father added. "Ryan was so devastated but he held on to you. He lost his job and took care of you for two years until he couldn’t bear it anymore.

He couldn’t bear to raise you alone without Alexa so he begged me and my wife to take you as our own. It was really hard for him but he decided to make sure that you would have a bright future. He couldn't take you with him so he left you with my wife and me and our 8-year-old son, Eduardo here." His father sobbed sadly.

"It was so hard for him to leave you but he managed to leave abroad with his friend who was to help him. My wife and I promised to love you like our own son and that was what we did." His father sobbed. "We showed both you and Eduardo the same love and my wife loved you a lot. We continued to communicate with Ryan for about 4 years until we lost contact."

"In those four years, you had grown so close to us that we all decided to keep you from knowing the truth until your father came back home. But I never communicated with him until a few weeks ago when the letter arrived. We all thought he was dead and couldn’t come back." His father sighed. "You were never supposed to find out until he comes back. I am sorry."

Ramon had heard what his father had said but he had some questions that he needed answers to.

"So why did he stop communicating?"

"He was in jail for 5 years because his partner betrayed him." His father apologized. “ I shouldn’t have hidden the truth from you.”

Ramon was now even more confused.

"Why hasn't he visited even for once?"

"When he got out of jail, someone helped him with some money and he started a small business." His father said softly. “He’s always wanted ti visit but he had no choice. He made a promise never to return until everything was okay. Ramon, son…”

"Why did you all lie to me?" He asked softly but his voice was filled with anger.

"We didn't mean to. Your father loves you a lot and so do we."

"You don't love me." Ramon suddenly got up crying. "None of you love me." He shouted. "If you truly love me then you wouldn't have kept this from me. All this time, I thought that you all cared but honestly, you didn’t."

"Ramon, please understand what..."

"No..." Ramon yelled and stormed out of the house. He began running when he heard Eduardo calling his name. He was so hurt that he just wanted to cry it out. He ran so fast that he couldn't hear Eduardo following him. He ran for a long time before he finally stopped and sat on the side of the road and sobbed. His heart couldn't just accept that what he had known was a lie and that his real father was coming home that very same day. He just wanted to shout to the whole world so that it could feel his pain.

He sat on that side of the road for hours before he finally concluded, he couldn't stay that way. He needed to get it all out of him. He didn't want to go home so he decided to go to the company where he would be kept busy and forget about his pain. He was not even sure if he wanted to go home and face his family.

He walked for about two hours before he finally reached the company building. His whole face was dry but his mood had changed that he just wanted something to brighten it. He was about to enter the building when he saw Mr. Robbins calling him from a car.

"Hey, it's late now." Mr. Robbins said softly. He was glad the man was not angry at him for not coming back as he had promised. "I think you should go home. Come back tomorrow."

"I don't want to go home, sir," Ramon said softly.

"Why?" Mr. Robbins asked with concern.

Ramon didn't say anything but the tears that were flowing were able to speak to Mr. Robbins.

"It's okay." Mr. Robbins said softly. "Come inside and we will talk."

Ramon went inside Mr. Robbins' car and the man ordered his driver to drive. Ramon had no idea where he was being taken but he stayed in the car and sobbed. Mr. Robbins had his hand on his back and it helped him relax as he soon stopped crying. The pain subsided and he was glad Mr. Robbins was able to help him. In just 20 minutes, they arrived at a beautiful blue mansion that caught his eyes. They got out and Ramon was taken inside.

It was well decorated and the house workers were welcoming. They took him to the guest room where he stayed until he was called for dinner. He went to the dinner table and found Mr. Robbins and his assistant already at the dining. He had no appetite but he tried to eat a bit.

"Thank you so much for this, sir." He said softly as he stared at the tall man who was on the other end of the table.

"It's fine," Mr. Robbins smiled. "I am glad I was able to be some kind of help to you."

After dinner, Ramon went back to the guest room where he cried himself to sleep. The next day he woke up very late and found that Mr. Robbins had already gone to work but his house workers were at his disposal. He didn't need to order anyone around so he stayed in the guest room and thought about what he had found out the previous day. It was not hurting much but he still was lied to and that was what he was angry at.

In the evening, Mr. Robbins came back and he was wearing a smile on his face. Ramon had bathed and wore the same clothes so Mr. Robbins had given him some clothes which fitted perfectly.

"Those used to be my nephew's." Mr. Robbins laughed after saying that.

"Who is your nephew?" Ramon asked curiously.

"Jack Robbins."

Ramon couldn't believe that one of the people that he adored was the nephew of his boss. It felt good to be dressed in the clothes of one of his favorite celebrities.

"Your brother came to the company today." Mr. Robbins said softly. "And to be honest he was worried and he looked like he had not slept the whole night."

Ramon suddenly felt so bad that he had caused his family to be so devastated but they had lied to him. No matter what they did, they were his family.

"I told him you are with me." Mr. Robbins added. "Are you ready to share with me your problem?"

Ramon took a deep breath and he narrated the entire story to Mr. Robbins who seemed quiet after he had finished. Maybe the man got him and that might have been the reason why he remained quiet.

"You see in this world, we do crazy things," Mr. Robbins chuckled naturally. "But that doesn't mean that we don't love the people that we care about. In your case, I think you deserve to be mad that they had lied to you. But they have shown you so much love which would only be given by your true family. Your father sacrificed his happiness so that he could make sure your future was secured."

"Your family loves you, Ramon." Mr. Robbins added. "Believe me, no father can bear to leave his child alone but your father did and you might not know what he passed through. Besides, you received all the love that any parent would give to his child."

Ramon thought about what Mr. Robbins said to him. When he went to bed, he thought about it and just accepted everything that had happened. Immediately he made that decision he felt eager to see his family and apologize to them for causing trouble. He planned to wake up very early the next morning and go home.

The next day, he got up very early and Mr. Robbins ordered his driver to take him home. When he arrived, his brother came out and hugged him. He could see that his brother was emotional but he got strong and hugged him back.

They both decided to go inside where Ramon saw his father seated on the chair and a man whose back was turned to him. The man never for once turned to face him. It was his fault that his father didn't want to face him. Maybe if he had stayed home like a good son, none of that would have happened.

"He's back," Eduardo said softly.

His father looked at him and he had a look of guilt.

"I am so sorry, son." His father said as he got up and rushed to him. "I should have told you..."

"It's okay." Ramon laughed. "I shouldn't have done what I did. I know that I should have listened and......"

Before he could finish his sentence, his father gave him a hug which made him teary. They broke the hug but the man who was sitting was still giving him his back. Ramon needed to say something to his real father. He needed to turn so that he could forgive him for making him go through such a hard time. But what was he going to say?

"Dad," He said softly. "Please, can I see you?"

The man slowly turned and Ramon saw his face for the first time since he had been born. The man was handsome, muscular and he looked like a big celebrity. He had hair just like Ramon and his skin was golden brown. His eyes were watery and it made his piercing blue eyes look so beautiful. Ramon at the sight of seeing his father just got teary and the tears just started flowing. He couldn't control his emotions. He slowly walked to his father and gave him a tight hug while he cried.

"I am so sorry, dad." Ramon apologized. "I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay, my darling son." He replied, rubbing on his back He had a deep manly voice which made him feel calm.

They hugged for a few minutes, embracing each other. Ramon was happy to be in the arms of his father, thanks to Mr. Robbins who had soothed his heart. It felt incredible knowing that his father had come after a long time and he was seeing him for the first time. They all shared a hug and Ramon liked having two fathers whom he loved as well as they did. He decided to call Ben his father and Ryan his dad. They sat on the chair and his old man was just holding him as he tried to stay calm.

"My brother has been telling me what has happened to you." His Ryan said with sorrow in his voice. "It just breaks my heart to know that my son has been through a lot. I should have taken you with me, only maybe you wouldn't have been able to experience the pain."

"It's okay, dad," Ramon said courageously. "I'll admit it still hurts and everything reminds me of them but I will be strong and pursue my career. I will show them that they can't just step on me." He said as he clenched his fist thinking about just how much they had hurt him. "I know that I am gay and I hope..."

"Don't worry, son." His dad said with a smile. "I know you will make it."

They stayed like that until lunch when Ramon decided it was time to ask questions. He felt safe and happy in his father's arms but he needed to know what happened to his father while he was abroad.

"So dad," He sighed nervously. "Did you come back to the country to look for us after you lost communication?"

His dad was looking at him with sorrow in his eyes and Ramon knew that things were bad for him while he was abroad. Even if he didn't bring anything, Ramon was happy that his father was back, safe and sound.

"When I went abroad 16 years ago, I had so much more difficult than I expected." His dad said while looking down. "I suffered for 5 years and I lost communication with you. I wanted to come back but there was no way I would have come back without anything so I stayed. I looked for a job at one of the best companies I could find and luckily I got employed. One day, I saved the boss' life and we became so close. I continued working for another five years until he died." His dad said as he rubbed his eye. "After he died, he left me with a huge amount of money and one of his small companies. I decided to establish a company in this country which I did.

A years ago, I started a small company in this country which started expanding. I opened three more in the country and they are still in the country." His dad added. "7 years ago I came back and looked for you everywhere but no luck. My company abroad was doing so badly that I decided to go back and leave it all for the private investigator. 5 years ago while going to the airport, I was involved in a bad accident that landed me in the hospital for several months. I was released from the hospital but I had to completely recover which I did only 3 years ago. I continued my search through the private investigator but when he found you, I was somewhere else in a conference meeting which took several weeks."

Ramon couldn't believe that all that had happened to his father. He should have understood.

"I am so sorry." His dad apologized. "I might have been away but I never stopped thinking of you. Not a day went by without thinking about you. I knew you were in good hands and that was why I was not that eager to look for you."

"I am sorry too." Ramon apologized squeezing his father's hand. "I shouldn't have left the way I did."

"It's okay," Eduardo said softly. "No one would have been able to handle the news that the person they thought to be their real father is not." Eduardo chuckled. "I don't even know how you were able to handle it."

"It's all thanks to Mr. Robbins." Ramon chuckled. "He told me what I needed to hear."

They all laughed and talked the whole afternoon but Ramon was just clinging to his dad. It was like he was a little boy again. His father even kissed his forehead several times, a symbol of love as his dad called him. Eduardo asked about the company that he had talked about and the man said that it was in the capital and it was a small business. Ramon didn't care as long as he had his dad around. He was now a star in the making and would be able to provide for all of them and expand the company his dad was talking about.

"By the way," Ramon's father said as he moved closer towards his brother. "You said you have a surprise for us."

Ramon's dad chuckled before he responded and Ramon wondered why his dad laughed at that.

"It's a surprise and I will take you to the capital to show you the surprise."

The capital, Ramon wondered? No! He couldn't go back to the capital. That was a very big city and Ramon didn't want to bump into someone that he was not ready to meet. But he just nodded as he didn't want to make his dad feel bad.

The rest of the afternoon they talked about Ramon's newfound talent and career and Ramon was more than happy to talk about it. He told all of them about the 100 million dollar contract. In just a year he would become a millionaire and be known by many people. But something crossed his mind; he couldn't show himself to the world yet. He needed some time to be famous and if it meant becoming a mystery celebrity, he was ready. After all, others did it and it made them even more popular after they showed themselves. He was going to talk to Mr. Robbins about it and hopefully, the man would agree.

That night, he slept with his dad in his room and they talked until it was late. He said goodnight and he slept in his father's arms the whole night.

The next day he was ready to start his day with a lot of happiness. His dad told him that he would go with him anywhere for the rest of the day. They both went to Mr. Robbins' company in simple clothes and Ramon showed Mr. Robbins the lyrics and how the song would go. They went into the studio and Ramon told the crew about the song and they told him that he would be in the studio in four days recording the song and that made him feel happy.

The only thing that was delaying them was a beat for both songs and that was what they would be working on. Ramon knew that it was going to be a long and busy three days. He also received the good news that his song continued gaining high sales and it totaled to 400 000 in just 3 days. Ramon was proud of himself.

Ramon knew that he had to work so he decided to spend the whole day with his family and it was unforgettable. They went shopping, talked and they even helped him plan the lyrics for more songs. What else could a guy ask for when he was happy with his family?

The next three days were busy as he spent the whole day in the studio working on his beats with the rest of the crew and Mr. Robbins. He spent the evenings with his family and it was such a funny, happy family. On the fourth day, Ramon found himself in the studio singing his song and he finished the rest of them the same day.

He wanted to work hard and impress everyone. He even had the chance to ask Mr. Robbins if he could remain a mystery to his fans and he was glad that Mr. Robbins did not have a problem,

"As long as your songs keep on getting higher sales, I am good with it."

Mr. Robbins did ask the reason why and Ramon couldn't hide from him. He told him that he didn't want his ex-boyfriend and his family to know about him just yet because he was avoiding them. They had laughed about it and his dad came to pick him up. His dad asked for permission to go to the capital with Ramon for a day and Mr. Robbins had no problem with it. Ramon was so nervous that he had to go to the capital.

The next day, a SEAT Alhambra MPV was parked outside their house. It was a beautiful car and Ramon asked whose car it was. He received an unexpected answer from his dad which shocked everyone else as much as he did,

"It's now our car."

Ramon just nodded and they were on their way to the capital with his father driving, of course. It took about 6 hours to reach the capital and Ramon's heart was racing. He was back to the place where everything started and a place that had so many memories. It was a big city and anything could happen but Ramon prayed that he never meets any of them. Eduardo might have noticed as he extended his hand and held onto his brother firmly. Ramon gave him a nervous smile but that was all he could give.

His dad drove around town and they were in front of a tall building. He had seen the building in a newspaper before but he couldn't remember the name.

"What are we doing here, uncle?" Eduardo asked as he scratched his head, probably searching for answers. Ryan smiled and he started heading inside while the rest of them followed.

"This is Liama Shoe Company and I have to do something before we go on our way."

Liama shoe Company, Ramon thought. This was the same shoe Company that he had read about just a few days ago. He had no idea what they were doing here but he was glad he was in one of the largest shoe-making companies currently.

They went inside and he noticed that most of the workers were nice to them and they somehow showed more respect to his dad. They walked around from floor to floor where his dad showed them everything. There were a lot of beautiful shoes and they looked expensive. They spent about 4 hours just exploring that building until they finally reached the conference room where several workers were seated. Ramon had no idea why they were in the conference room but all the people in there were looking happy.

His dad sat on one of the chairs and was smiling.

"So what do you think?"

"I don't understand," Ramon said as he got more confused.

"Do you like the company?"

"It's... its nice and I like it a lot." Ramon stammered not knowing where this all was going.

"This company is Liama, named after its owner, Liam." His dad gushed. "This company has lots of memories and it is dear to me. This was the surprise I told you all about."

Ramon looked at his father and brother and they were just as confused as he was. He had no idea what his father was talking about.

"This is my company and it is also yours, my son." His dad added.

Ramon was wide-eyed and he struggled to breathe. He couldn't believe what his ears were hearing. How was this big company his?

"I know that you are surprised but this is our company." His dad smiled as he got up to hold his son. "You probably did not hear about it because it was not doing well so I invested a lot of money and it is now the leading shoe company in the country."

Ramon couldn't still believe it. His father had managed to secure his future after all and it was just too much. He had no words and he didn't know what to ask.

"Li....li....." He stammered.

"Liam is your middle name." His father Ben said as he tapped him on the back and smiled at him. “This was the name that your mother chose for you before you were even born.”

Ramon almost cried but he was so happy. All the managers, workers, and the rest of them were calling him sir and it just made him happy. He was so happy that he didn't even know how to express it. They spent about an hour in the shoe company introducing all of them and they were glad to meet their boss. After so long, Ramon was an heir to a business empire and he couldn't have been prouder.

They exited the premises after being received so warmly and they went back to the car and they drove off. Ramon's heart remained inside the shoe company and he was happy that he had a company. To his surprise, they stopped at Ram Food Company and it was also their company. It was big but not as big as Marcos's but it was bringing in a lot of money.

They stopped at a third company, Memorata group of companies. It was a company which dealt in clothes and cosmetics. It was a high rising company and Ramon almost died. He had no idea his dad was the owner of those companies. Had he known, those idiots wouldn't have treated him like they did.

They went back home and all of them were happy. They couldn't believe that they had suddenly become rich just like that. Ramon was the happiest and he went to bed early.

The next day, his family asked him if they should buy a house in the capital or just in their current town. There was no way he was going back to the capital to meet with those people again. He was not ready to meet them. What was bothering him was that he still loved Marcos despite hurting him. If he could just forget about him, he would but it was something that he couldn't.

Mr. Robbins was ready to work with him at the branch in the capital but Ramon insisted they stayed in their current town so in a few days, they bought a big mansion. It was white and it had all the furniture that they needed. It was just a temporary house but it was beautiful and big. They employed all the house workers, guards, and drivers. Now they were fully settled. Ryan used to go to the capital a few times a week to work.

Ramon's songs were released and they were a hit. His songs were the most downloaded on the company's website and they were generating huge sums of money. His dad had taken the rest of the family shopping and they had more than enough clothes to wear, cars to drive, and any luxurious things that were needed. Ramon even told his father about Mark and he was now living with them. Ramon liked having his friend around and it was beautiful to spend time with Mark. After his dad came out as the owner of those three big companies, he was the talk of the country. Magazines, newspapers, and even television adverts were talking about Ryan.

A month passed and Ramon received some news from RLC. He was to leave the country to the company's headquarters in New York, where he was urgently needed. At the same time, his dad suggested it was about time to start his business degree so that he could manage the companies with him. They later applied for the best schools in New York where Eduardo, Mark and he could study.

Ramon knew it was gonna be hard to study and focus on his music but he had to do it. He was going to manage as his songs were getting better and better every day. His songs were played almost everywhere he went.

A month later, Ramon found himself in the room quickly dressing. It was in the afternoon and his flight was at 4.pm. He stared in the mirror looking at how much he had changed and how handsome he was when the door flung open.

"Hey, slowpoke," Mark joked. He was looking handsome and cheerful. "It's 3 already. We need to start moving or we will miss our flight. I am sure Mr. Robbins is already waiting for you at the airport."

Ramon smiled and told Mark that he was done and he left. Ramon was going to New York with Mr. Robbins. The man was very good. He didn't mind at all that Ramon was going to study while focusing on his music as well. All he said was,

"As long as you will be able to manage, I am cool with it."

Mr. Robbins was a good man and Ramon regarded him as an uncle. His songs were a hit and everyone loved him though they never really knew who he was. It was going to take time before he appeared in a video but he knew that while in New York, he would perform mostly in movie theme songs and his lyrics would be written for him. Even so, he was going to write most of his songs.

Ramon came outside and the guard took his bag. Everyone was waiting for him especially the people he was going with, Mark and Eduardo.

"There you are." His father said as he hugged him.

"You need to leave because it will be 4 real soon." His dad said as he gave him a tight hug.

"I will miss you a lot, my two lovely fathers," Ramon said as he chuckled.

"We will be visiting frequently." His dad said softly. "Besides, you have Mark and Eduardo with you."

Ramon looked at Eduardo and Mark who were smiling and he knew he would have a great time with the two of them. Ramon hugged his father tightly and then his dad.

"Please, don't forget to do what I told you," Ramon said to both of them.

"Don't worry, everything will be done before you come back home." His dad said with a bright smile.

Everyone said goodbye and they were on their way to the airport. Ramon was feeling nervous because he had never been on an airplane before but Mark and Eduardo held on to his hands and he felt safe. They arrived at the airport and met with Mr. Robbins who looked worried.

"I thought you had changed your mind." Mr. Robbins joked.

They all laughed and soon, they were headed for the gate because people had already started boarding. Ramon sat on an airplane seat with Mr. Robbins and he was so nervous. He tried to put up a nervous smile but Mr. Robbins just laughed.

"You will be fine. It happens the first time you are in an airplane."

Ramon smiled sheepishly and he looked through the tiny window. The stewardess asked everyone to put on seat belts and soon the plane started moving. Ramon watched from the window as it rose from the ground and into the sky. He was so nervous at first but now, he was absolutely fine. He watched as the airport and everything else just became smaller. He was going to miss his fathers, but at least he had his best friend and his brother.

“Marcos,’ He said in his mind. “I am leaving this country, and my place of comfort because of you and your family. Your family used me, they hurt and then they broke me to bits. But leaving this country, I have taken those broken pieces with me and I’ll glue them together so that no matter what happens, I’ll never be broken again.

By the time I’ll be back, you’ll see a different person, someone stronger and more powerful. Then I’ll be able to face you once again. This pain will take some time to heal but I’ll surely heal.

Goodbye, Marcos, and better be ready for my return. Till we meet again!”

To be continued…