Forever My Love - 7. Chapter 7: An ugly confrontation breeds terrible results.

“Alright, thank you so much!” Ben said with a slight smile. “I really appreciate you giving me this information.”

He cut the call and sat on the chair, tapping his fingers on the table. He was tense and Carlos who was standing there with his arms folded could tell. Carlos was looking sexy as usual in a blue half suit that fit him perfectly. Ben on the other hand was sexy as usual in black skinny jeans and a white shirt that was tucked in, showing off his crazy body.

“You look so tense and confused, Ben.” He said with a raised eyebrow. “And I don’t like it. This is the same man that didn’t give two hoots about you when you were out there suffering. Do you think if the tables were turned, he’d be doing as much as you are?”

Ben sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “Whatever happened in the past, he is still my father.”

“Even at that. He still has that excuse of a wife with him and that spoilt son of his.” Carlos argued, shaking his head. He didn’t appreciate how worked up Ben was. “Granted, he saved your life but I am pretty sure the shooter was sent by that Elena. I can bet my life on it.”

“That’s a really high possibility and the police are yet to find out anything. Whoever that person was, we couldn’t get him on the CCTV cameras of the mall.”

“Which means your life could still be in danger.” He shrugged. “Dad thinks you should tighten up security.”

Ben chuckled, shaking his head. “The both of you are too worried.” He gave a reassuring smile. “I will be more careful now, I promise.”

Carlos sighed, taking a deep breath. No matter what Ben had said to him, he was still worried that his life was in danger. He took a file from the table and was about to start reading it when suddenly the door to Ben’s office opened.

Both Ben and Carlos looked in the direction of the voice, seeing the man who was staring at Ben with a stern face. Carlos didn’t appreciate that and he rolled his eyes, rising from the chair.

“Mr. Paola, you cannot enter the office like that.” He said harshly, a frown appearing on his face. “Ben and I are having a conversation and if you don’t mind….”

“I would like to have a conversation with Ben…. Alone.” The tone of his voice surprised Ben.

“Excuse me!” Carlos raised an eyebrow. “You found me talking to him so whatever you wanna talk to him about, you can say it in front of me.”

“Carlos!” Ben called softly. “It’s okay. Can you wait for me in your office? I will come and see you after we’re done here.”

Carlos glanced at Ben with a frown but he didn’t say anything. With one final angry look at David, he left. Ben didn’t know what was going on but he could tell the man was upset. But if he only knew what was about to happen, he wouldn’t have been as calm as he was.

“David…”

“How long were planning on deceiving me?” David dropped the bomb right there. “How long were you planning on taking me for a fool? And how long were you planning on using my son for your selfish games?”

To say Ben was surprised would have been an understatement. He looked at David and the confusion on his face was clear.

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh, we are just gonna pretend you don’t know what’s going on?” He chuckled bitterly. “Tell me the truth, damn it!” He snapped, slamming his fist on the table.

Ben got startled and he moved away from the table. “David, what’s wrong with you? You cannot just come into my office and start acting like that. This is a work place you know.”

He burst into laughter, tears building in his eyes. “I have been such a fool and here I was thinking everything you’ve been doing for my son has been from the goodness of your heart. I didn’t know you were such a hypocrite.”

“Excuse me!” Ben barked, his eyes widening. “I will not appreciate you calling me names and…”

“I found out the truth!” David yelled, breathing like he was in labor. “I found out that you and Jim are related. I found out about our past together.”

Ben froze, muscles locked in a momentary paralysis, his eyes wide with astonishment, surprise momentarily rendering him immobile. He felt a shiver run down his spine, a tingling sensation that spread like wildfire. His heart began pounding so hard one would have heard it without difficulties.

“Surprised?” He asked, shaking his head. “All those times I was asking you and you kept on refusing.”

“David…” He couldn’t find the words to use. “…how did you find out about this?”

“How did I find out?” He said, his voice barely above a whisper. The pain he felt was from out of this world. “The same boy you’ve been trying to hurt told me everything.” He said harshly. “He told me how all of us are connected and how you seduced me years ago.”

Ben stood there, his face becoming pale from the shock he got. His eyes widened and his breaths seized for a moment.

“He told me how you used black magic on me and made me run away with you. You made me abandon my family, the people I love and everything that I care about. You made me abandon the boy that I loved so much, someone that I had made so many promises to.”

Ben still couldn’t speak because his mind was still processing all the information he was being given. He looked shocked, disorientated and disconnected from reality. He stared at David without blinking and all the painful memories came flooding in.

“Wow!” He hit his head, chuckling with a tear running down his cheek. “I have been such a fool and I didn’t even know that I was hurting my family by associating with you. I was fooled by your sweet words, your charming smile and your fake love for my son.”

Ben was still silent.

“All those times we kept meeting, that was preplanned, wasn’t it?” He asked, angrily shaking his head. “Now it all makes sense…” He laughed. “…you saved my son and brought him home just to get close to me. How do I even know you didn’t plan all these things? All those stories you told me about my child reminding me of yours, was it lies? Did you even have a child? You’re so pathetic, Ben, using an innocent child to fulfill your pathetic desires.”

He got closer to the boy that just stared.

“I take back everything I said, you don’t deserve to be a father.” He said in between clenched teeth. “No child deserves someone like you.”

A silent tear traced a path down Ben’s cheek, a silent testament to the depths of his misery. His wounds reopened and he felt like someone was stabbing him continuously, making him bleed even more.

“You’re not a good person and right now, I hate you so much.” He clenched his fist. “I hate you so much, more than I have ever hated anyone.” Saying those words, David felt such pain and he couldn’t understand why he felt that way. “You’re so pathetic!”

The room felt suffocating, air heavy with an oppressive sadness.

“You can say whatever you want about me, David!” Ben’s voice was filled with sadness. “But don’t question my ability as a father. You have no idea what I have been through and what I would have given to see my child growing up.”

“Bullshit!” David snarled, hitting his hands on the table. “You think playing the victim is gonna make me feel pity for you? I know everything about you and…”

“You know everything about me?” Ben chuckled bitterly, furiously rubbing his tears. “You don’t know a thing about me, not even one.”

He moved from where he was seated and slowly walked to the man, standing right in front of him. Not for once did he lose contact with him.

“I agree that Jim is my brother, and Elena is my step-mother.” He said, his voice rising. “But that doesn’t mean that I have been a bitter illegitimate son. I also agree that you and I have a past together, but it is far away from what you’ve been told.”

“Really?” He raised an eyebrow. “Then tell me this. Didn’t you and I run away together? Didn’t you get disowned by your father? Weren’t you dying in the hospital because you had cancer?”

“Yes, but…”

“Good!” David said simply. “Then I don’t have to know anything anymore. I know enough and I am here to tell you to stay away from me, my family and especially my son.” He warned, pointing his finger at Ben. “If I see you anywhere near my son, I’ll do something so bad that both of us will regret. Leave us the hell alone. We’re happy…. My husband has suffered enough.”

The room fell silent, the tension thick.

“I will be withdrawing my shares from this company.” He added. “And I will not repeat myself, Ben. Stay away from my son.”

After what felt like ages, Ben nodded without saying a word. They both stared at each other, the weight of the words that had been said hanging in the air. With a final glare, David stormed out of the office, banging the door behind him.

Ben remained standing there, reliving what had happened there. He didn’t even have a chance to explain himself. Everything had been laid down on him like a dead body and now his wounds were reopened. He was bleeding right there on the floor.

***

David entered his mansion and he was damn pissed. His fists were clenched… his eyes were red and his chest rose so high, showing just how angry he was. He had said a lot of things to Ben and he didn’t feel any better, he was rather conflicted because he still couldn’t believe Ben would be that evil. But the most upsetting thing was that the boy didn’t even have much to say. That meant he was guilty, right?

“David!”

David heard his mother’s voice and footsteps coming towards him. He saw her and Jim approach him with worried looks on their faces.

“Are you okay?” Jim asked, holding his arm sweetly. “What’s going on?”

“I went to Ben’s office!” He said harshly.

Jim’s heart sunk and he felt shivers run down his spine.

“W-what?” He stuttered. “Why? I thought mom told you she was gonna handle everything. That wasn’t a very good thing to do.”

“You expected me to sit here and do nothing.” He snarled, shaking his head. “I am not gonna allow that man to destroy my family the way he did years ago. I wanted to look him in the eyes while I talked to him. He didn’t even have anything to say.”

“What could he say?” Claudia chuckled. “He’s guilty and he knows that we know the truth.”

“I hate him so much!” He said, his jaw shaking uncontrollably. “I don’t ever wanna see his face near me or my son. I swear I am gonna kill him.”

“Who are you gonna kill?”

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Amber standing there looking confused. She rushed to David and couldn’t miss that look in his eyes. He was very pissed and couldn’t even look at her.

“David! Who are you gonna kill?”

“This is none of your business, Amber.” He said rudely. “I suggest you don’t talk to me right now because I am very upset with you.”

“What?” Amber gasped, confused at her brother’s words. “Upset with me? What did I do?”

“I am not ready to talk to you.”

He tried to pass her but she gripped his arm and pulled him back. Amber was so confused, she couldn’t understand anything.

“What are you talking about? What did I do that got you upset with me.”

David stood there, taking a harsh breath. He put his hands on his hips, staring at her.

“You know, all this time I really thought it was you and I together against the world.” He began. “But finding out that you were busy supporting an enemy really crashed me.”

“An enemy?” Amber frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“I am talking about 6 years ago, Amber!” He snapped. “You were busy supporting Ben as he was destroying this family. How could you do that? Do you know what that did to me when I found out?”

Amber burst into laughter when she heard that. She thought he was joking but when she saw him still serious, she stopped and got serious.

“Please, tell me you’re joking.” She asked with a raised eyebrow. “What are you even talking about?”

“I got to know everything that happened six years ago in this house. Mom and Jim told me everything.” He said. “I can’t believe you would do such a thing, Amber.”

Amber glanced at Claudia and Jim who had an evil grin on his face. She didn’t know what lies they had fed David but she knew that it couldn’t have been good.

“And what did they tell you?”

“Everything.” He said harshly. “I know everything and I just came from Ben’s office. I told him to stay away from this family, especially from my son. I don’t want Michael seeing that boy for whatever reason. I don’t want Ben anywhere near my son. He will not be mentioned in this house and never will he see him again.”

“David?” Amber couldn’t mask the shock in her voice. “What did you do? You know very well that Michael likes Ben and staying away from him is gonna…”

“I don’t care! That’s something he’s gonna have to learn to do. I am protecting my son and I’ll do anything to make sure that he’s safe.”

“You’re being…”

“I am not asking for your permission. Michael will not be seeing Ben and that’s final.”

Unbeknownst to them, Michael was upstairs listening to the arguments that were going on downstairs. When he heard what his father had said, he ran to his room crying and threw himself on the bed.

“David…” She tried to touch him but he moved away. “…listen to me right now. You’re…”

“I don’t want to listen to anything you have to say. In fact, I don’t wanna even see your face right now.”

Amber was hurt, really hurt. “Alright, but when the going gets tough, remember the decision you made.”

David stood there for a second before he stormed out of there. Amber slowly turned and looked at her mother and Jim that were smiling at her. She had never hated people as much as she did at that point.

“You had an opportunity to tell your son the truth and end all this misery but you chose to feed him more lies. How could you do that, mom?”

Claudia shrugged, still wearing her smile. “What can I say? I am a mother after all.”

“What kind of mother sacrifices her daughter like that?” She said, shaking her head in pain. “You’ve just showed me the one you love between the two of us. And…” She paused and stared at her mother, looking straight into her eyes. “…I have just lost whatever little respect I had for you, mom. From this moment, you can forget you ever had a daughter.”

With a hiss, she stormed out of there leaving Claudia looking confused and worried.

“Don’t worry, mom.” Jim reassured, squeezing her shoulder lovingly. “She just wants to make you feel guilty. She’ll come around.”

Claudia nodded but she couldn’t shake off the feeling that her daughter was serious.

***

Jerome was in the hospital bed, lying on his side like the doctor had recommended. There was pain but it wasn’t that much. He was lost deep in thought and memories of the shot kept on replaying in his head. He knew very well that shot wasn’t meant for him. And he also couldn’t shake off the feeling that his wife was somehow involved. There was no one else that would want to hurt Ben apart from her.

“Dad!”

Jerome felt his heart pound in his chest when he heard that voice. He slowly raised his head to find Ben standing in the door way, staring at him. It felt like a dream, maybe he had been thinking about it too much and hence the reason why he was now seeing Ben who wasn’t there.

“How are you feeling, dad?”

“Ben!” Jerome gasped, trying to get up.

“Hey! Hey!”

Ben rushed to his father and held him tightly, helping him up. He had a huge bandage that went down his abdomen. Jerome kept staring at his son.

“Ben!” He said softly. “Is this really you? Are you really here?”

Ben nodded, tears in his eyes. “I am so sorry, dad, you got shot because of me. If you hadn’t followed me there and if I had not been so hard on you, none of that would have happened. Now look at you… look at your condition.”

“What-what did you call me?” Jerome couldn’t believe what he heard.

Ben stared at his father and held his hand sweetly.

“I am so sorry. I have been a bad son to you.” He apologized and couldn’t fight his tears. “I was so hurt with what happened between us, the way I left the house. God knows that not a day passed when I didn’t wish you’d look for me and tell me that everything was alright. But you never came.” He sobbed. “So many bad things happened to me, papa, after David left me on that death bed. For a moment, I was happy but I lost everything within a day, including the will to live.”

“I am so sorry, Ben.” Jerome couldn’t help but shed a tear. “What I said to you that night was uncalled for, no matter what you did. I was a bad father and I have lived with those regrets the last six years. I want you to forgive me for everything. I cannot live with this anymore.”

Ben sighed, chuckling in his tears.

“After I almost lost you, I got to realize that no matter what happened, you’re still my father and I love you so much.” He smiled. “And for whatever happened in the past, I forgive you, dad. And I am also asking for forgiveness for whatever wrong I did.”

Jerome cried when he heard that. It was like a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders. He pulled his son into a tight hug, tender and full of promise that he was gonna be there for him no matter the circumstances. Ben’s shoulders slightly shook as he let go of the emotions that had he had been holding in…. the words that David had used on him that day, the memories of the past, he let them go and cried.

Jerome pulled back slightly, cupping Ben’s face in his hands and looking into his eyes. He saw pain and sadness and couldn’t understand why.

“Thank you so much, son. I have waited for this moment for so long. I promise, I will do whatever I can to make you happy.” He said, rubbing his tears. But they came flowing. “I am here for you, no matter what. You can tell me anything.”

“Thank you so much, papa.” He chuckled, feeling himself beginning to get weak. “I have missed these moments with you.”

“The feeling is mutual, especially your food.” He teased, smiling at his son. “No one can beat your recipe. I think I might need some of that food soon.”

“You get out of the hospital and I’ll cook for you.”

“Can’t wait!” He winked.

Jerome was smiling and laughing when he again noticed something that triggered questions in his mind. It was a golden bracelet that Ben wore with the name ‘Leah’ on it.

“Leah!” He didn’t even know he said it out loud. But he could see the look in Ben’s eyes change. “Son, I am so sorry for asking but who is Leah? I know that’s your mother’s name but something tells me that this is someone else.”

Ben was suddenly hit with emotions, so much it felt like they were suffocating him. The weight of all that crashed down on him, and his chest tightened with a pain that seemed to have no end.

‘You don’t deserve to be a father.’ David’s painful words cut through him like a knife through butter. ‘No child deserves to be with someone like you.’

Ben let go of his father’s hands and stood up slowly, too slow to be human. He slowly walked to the window and closed his eyes, hoping that when he opened them again, his pain would reduce. The room seemed to close in around him, suffocating him with memories of his once happy life with David, whispered promises and dreams that got shattered.

“I am so sorry, Ben, I didn’t mean…”

“I had a daughter!” He said softly, words barely audible as they escaped his quivering lips. “Her name was Leah, named after my mother. But she…. She…” He broke down and began crying. “…she died the day she was born.”

He slowly turned and looked at Jerome. His eyes were blood red and he seemed to be in so much pain it scared Jerome. But he was helpless.

“Oh my God!” Jerome rasped, covering his mouth. “I am so sorry, I didn’t know.”

“I didn’t even get to hold her when she was alive.” He cried uncontrollably. “I didn’t get to hear her voice. She didn’t even get the chance to see her father before she passed on.”

Jerome with difficult got up and slowly limped to his son, wrapping his arms around him.

“That was the most painful thing I have ever experienced in my life, carrying a child for 9 months and then finding out it died.”

“W-what do you mean?” Jerome sounded confused. “I don’t get you.”

“I was in the hospital for a number of months because I started getting sick.” He said, barely above a whisper. “I had cancer and that’s why David left because he couldn’t stay with my suffering anymore. I waited for death and my tummy started growing. Turns out that it was not cancer…. I had a condition called Persistent mullerian duct syndrome…” He paused before he continued. “…I was pregnant with David’s child, our child.

Against all warning to terminate the pregnancy and remove the female organs, I decided to carry the baby. But she never survived, dad. She died.”

Grief held Jerome in merciless grip and he began crying uncontrollably.

“I… I was a grandfather.” A choked whisper escaped his lips. “I never even knew it. This is my fault… I caused this. I am so sorry. Please, forgive me. I am such a bad father.” He put his hands together, his eyes dropped to the floor. “Forgive me!”

Ben glanced at his father and shook his head. “No! You didn’t do anything of a sort. And I don’t blame you for this either. I might have done something while I was pregnant that led to that.”

“I am sorry.”

Father and son hugged each other and just comforted one another. Each of them seemed inconsolable, especially Jerome who felt the guilt eating him up from the inside. Eventually, as the tears subsided, they pulled away, their eyes still locked. A shared understanding lingered between them, a hug that Ben had probably been longing for. He felt much better than he expected.

Meanwhile, Elena who had heard everything stood outside looking confused, eyes wide and mouth gaped. Her hands trembled from the fear that had come with the news of Ben’s child. She couldn’t believe it and the more the words repeated, the more confused she became.

“Ben and David had a child?” She whispered. “How?”

In that moment, she knew that she had to hide the news because if it came out, it was gonna bring chaos. If David got to know of this, it was gonna ruin everything they had done to that moment to make sure that her son was happy.

‘No!’ She shook her head. ‘My son cannot know of this, especially my David. This news can ruin everything.’

What was she going to do?

***

A scream was heard early morning, waking everyone that heard up. David didn’t even bother putting on something to cover his chest as he found himself running downstairs with his husband behind him. He didn’t take long as he found his sister in the living room looking stressed.

“Amber? What the hell are you screaming for?” Jim asked angrily. “Is this your way of getting attention?”

Seeing her brother, Amber rushed to him. “Please, tell me he slept in your room last night.”

“What are you talking about? Who slept in my room?”

“Michael!” She gasped. “I have checked everywhere for him. His bed looks like it wasn’t slept in last night.”

“What?” David’s voice trembled. He felt his heart begin racing and dread slowly crept up on him. “You must be joking, Amber? Michael didn’t sleep in my room last night and last I saw him was after dinner.”

"David?!" Her voice wavered, echoing through the room.

“Oh please, stop it!” Jim furiously pulled her, raising his finger at her. “This isn’t funny and you should stop it. I know what you’re trying to do here but guess what…”

“Can you just shut up!” Amber snap, pushing him away. “You think everything is about you? We’re talking about a child missing and you think I’d care about whether you’re talking to me or not. You’re delusional if you think I’d use Michael to get attention.”

Without giving a thought, David rushed upstairs to check his son’s room. But true to what she had said, there was no Michael. His heart pounded in his chest as he scanned the room thoroughly, the anxiety clawing at his insides. A sense of dread wrapped around him like a suffocating shroud.

He checked the whole room but there was nothing. He checked other rooms but there was nothing. He came running down the stairs like a man who was being chased by hounds of hell. He was panicking and he felt like his heart was about to burst.

“Amber!” He gripped her arms painfully. “What happened? Tell me this is a joke.”

“Of course, it is a joke.” Jim hissed. “She wants attention, can’t you see that?”

Ignoring Jim, Amber stared at her brother. “I went to prepare him for school like I usually but I couldn’t find him. I thought maybe he had gone to the kitchen but he’s not around. I have checked the garden and everywhere but I can’t find him, David.”

“No!” David shook his head. “Where could he have gone?”

“What’s going on here?” Claudia asked, yawning and stretching her arms. “Who was screaming?”

“Michael?”

“David! What happened? Are you okay?" Claudia rushed towards her children.

“I have to find him.”

David began rushing towards the door but froze almost immediately, a chill running down his spine. His gaze remained fixed on something at the entrance, his expression frozen in terror. Everyone wondered what had made David to look so scared and they quickly looked in the direction he froze in. What they saw scared them to the core.

There was Isaac rushing inside but he wasn’t alone. In his arms was Michael who was still in his pajamas. His hair looked wet and so was his clothes. They didn’t know if it was their minds playing tricks on them but he seemed to be shivering.

A cold sweat clung to David’s trembling skin as he frantically called out, "Michael!”

He rushed towards Isaac together with everyone but the man couldn’t allow them to touch him. He rushed to the living room and carefully lay the boy on the couch and began undressing him as fast as he could.

“I need some blankets!” He shouted. “And someone warm some water.”

Amber didn’t need to be told twice. She rushed upstairs. Meanwhile, Isaac finished undressing the boy and began rubbing his tiny hands. He was cold as hell and it scared Isaac.

“Isaac!” David knelt in front of his son and touch him. He was so hot it scared him so much. “What’s going on? What happened to Michael?”

“That’s what I am supposed to be asking you, David!” Isaac snapped, glaring at his friend. “How could you be so careless and useless as to allow a small child be in the rain?”

“What?” A shiver ran down David’s spine.

It hit him that it had began raining the previous night around 11 pm and he was sure it had stopped raining around 3 because he couldn’t sleep with so many thoughts in his head.

“Where did you find him?” Claudia asked, her hands covering her mouth.

“A few meters from here.” Isaac sighed, getting some instruments from his bag. He got out a thermometer and stethoscope. “He was crying and shivering along the road.”

“What?” David shook his head. “How did that happen?”

“Here!” Amber said, handing the blankets to Isaac.

The man carefully covered the boy in the warm blankets. “He has a fever and it’s rising.” He added. “I need to bring it down as soon as possible. I have asked for them to bring some things from my hospital but for the mean time, we need to keep him as warm as possible.”

"Michael! My baby!" David’s voice quivered with a mix of fear and desperation.

Tears welled in his eyes. His mind raced with thoughts of the unknown, imagining the worst scenarios that could have happened while her son had been out there.

“Michael, can you hear me, my love?” He asked, placing kisses on his forehead. “Baby, I am so sorry. I didn’t even know what happened to you.”

“Ben…”

The word was barely above a whisper but everyone heard it as it escaped the boy’s lips.

“Ben…” He moaned slowly.

Jim paused; his breath caught in his throat. The room suddenly plunged into a suffocating silence. Jim glanced at Claudia who glanced back at him. It seemed they both had the same questions, they had both heard that name but….

“Ben…”

Isaac gazed at David. “Ben!” He sighed. “Did you tell him anything concerning Ben yesterday, David?”

David shook his head. “No, I didn’t talk to him about anything and…”

Amber chuckled bitterly. “No, you didn’t. But remember last evening when you were shouting that he won’t be seeing Ben? He must have heard everything and probably…” She paused and stared at him. “…I think he ran away from the house last night.”

“No, he could have.” Jim said abruptly. “And not because of that man. It’s not possible.”

“Wow! Can you hear yourself?” Amber barked, feeling angry. “This is all your fault if you ask me and…”

“Excuse me!” Jim snapped. “You are blaming me for…”

“Can we all just shut up!” Isaac yelled, rising from the couch. “This isn’t helping matters.” He glanced at David. “Help me take him upstairs.”

David took his son carefully in his arms and took him upstairs. Everyone else followed.

***

The air was heavy with tension and concern. Michael lay in bed, wrapped in layers of blankets. His face was flushed, and beads of sweat glistened on his forehead. Amber sat by his bedside, holding a damp cloth and checking her temperature with a thermometer.

“Hang there, baby, I am so sorry this happened.” She whispered, wiping her tears. “His fever is not getting down, Isaac.”

Michael’s breathing was rapid, and he tossed and turned in discomfort. Suddenly, his eyes fluttered open, revealing a glassy gaze.

“Ben…” He mumbled. Everyone heard that name clearly.

“He’s still saying the same thing.” She sobbed. “And his fever is not breaking.” She rose, staring at Isaac. “Please, do something, I am begging you.”

“I want… Ben…”

“I am trying my best.” Isaac said softly. “I’ve given him something to help with the fever but it isn’t helping. The fever keeps rising and I cannot do anything until I receive everything I need from the hospital. But even at that… I don’t think I’ll be able to do much.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Claudia gasped, a frown appearing on her face.

“It means that Michael’s fever might keep rising until he gets what he wants.” He said simply. “I believe he ran away from this house to go look for Ben. That might have contributed to him being sick and until we provide that solution, I am afraid medicine might not do much.”

“No!” David shook his head. “We have to find other ways, Isaac. I am not gonna allow that man anywhere near my son if that’s what you think.”

“I am not saying go bring him.” Isaac shrugged. “All I am saying is that your son knows why he ran away from this house. If this continues and his fever continues rising, I am afraid have a seizure. And we don’t want that to happen.”

“What?” David gasped, feeling a chill go down his spine. “How?”

“A febrile seizure.” Isaac responded. “If this temperature rises to dangerous heights, I am afraid there’s nothing I can do.”

David stood there like a statue, voices playing in his head. He felt like someone was hitting him with a wrecking ball, right on the head.

“You can do something, alright.” Jim said abruptly. “There’s no way I am allowing that excuse of a man near my son. For what exactly?”

“Even at the expense of your son?” Amber asked, shaking her head. “I am not really surprised because you’ve always been a selfish bitch. What are you so afraid of?”

“Nothing and Ben is not coming here. Over my dead body.” He swore.

As the two argued, David was so lost deep in thought. His eyes were locked on his son who was still shivering and mumbling Ben’s name. As a parent, that was the most scared he had ever been. The thought of his son having a seizure made his skin crawl. He couldn’t allow that but what was he gonna do, he thought? For whatever reason, he didn’t wanna bring Ben into his house.

***

“Yes, papa.” Ben said as he took his bag from the car. “I just arrived home from the office right now. And I am so glad you’re home now.”

‘Yeah!’ Jerome sighed on the other end. ‘I am glad too, I just wish that you had been there when I was getting discharged.’

“I am so sorry, dad.” He said softly. “You know the reason why I couldn’t be there. Aunt Elena was there with you and you know it would have only caused trouble.”

‘She would have behaved.’

“Plus, it’s a moment for the two of you to be together. I’ll see you soon. I love you so much, dad. Take care of yourself.”

‘I love you too, son.’

He smiled and cut the call, getting the rest of his things from the car. He was still getting his stuff when he heard footsteps behind him and he didn’t need to be a genius to know that was Carlos.

“Good thing you’re here so you can help me get some of this stuff inside.”

He took some things and put them down but Carlos just stood there behind.

“Hey, what the hell!” He quickly turned. “Didn’t you hear…”

His heart raced as he turned and instead of Carlos, a very beautiful woman stood there with a radiant smile. She wore a black blouse and a blue designer skinny jean with blue heels on her feet. She didn’t have much makeup on her face and her curly dark hair was just loose, revealing her gorgeous face. Seeing her, Ben got emotional and tears welled in his eyes.

“M-mom!” He stuttered, his bottom lip quivering like a child.

In that moment, time seemed to stand still as they locked eyes, the depth of their connection resonating in the air.

“Hey baby!” She said, opening her arms widely. “How are you?”

Ben dropped everything he was holding without a care and rushed to the woman. As he stepped into her arms, the world around him seemed to fade away. Ben felt a sense of security, a refuge from the storm within his soul. The woman’s presence was a balm, soothing the ache that had settled in his heart.

The woman was someone he didn’t even know he needed at that moment. Alejandra was Jerome’s younger sister, the woman that had found Ben outside the church years ago after he lost his child. She was married to the chocolate king and they managed the company together. To cut the story short, Ben had so much to thank her for. He had no idea what would have become of him had it not been for her and her gorgeous family.

After what felt like ages, Ben pulled away from the hug but his eyes never left Alejandra’s.

“How?” He chuckled in his tears. He couldn’t explain how excited he was. “I was talking to you the other day and you didn’t say a thing.”

“And miss the chance of surprising you?” She raised an eyebrow. She cupped his cheeks, rubbing them sweetly. “Look at you, you look so handsome than the last time that I saw you. Although…” She paused and lost the smile on her face. “…I don’t appreciate the fact that you’ve been doing some things that have the potential to hurt you.”

“I see you’ve been talking to Carlos.” He said happily. “I just didn’t want to make you worried.”

“And you think this doesn’t worry me?” Her brows furrowed. “We’re talking about you encountering your past like that, David and Jerome. What were you thinking?”

“I just got scared when dad got shot the other day.” He sighed. “I couldn’t lose him the way I’ve lost my mother. I wanted to tell you but I didn’t wanna scare you. You know how worried you get.”

“I am a mother.” She said confidently. “It is my job to worry.” She wore a beautiful smile, kissing his forehead. “But I am glad you’re okay.”

They smiled at each other before hugging tightly again.

“Oh!” Carlos moaned as he rushed towards them. “Can I join, please?”

“Of course,” Alejandra laughed. “I have so much love to share among my two lovely sons.”

“You don’t need to ask twice.” He laughed.

He began rushing towards them with his arms open until suddenly he stopped and…

“Motherfucker!” He groaned.

In fury, he passed them and the next thing they saw was David flying to the ground with a thud. David hadn’t expected that, the blow he received on the jaw was quite painful and he felt like it had been broken. But there was no bleeding or any deformity… he hoped. He raised his head to stare at the man that stared down at him, his chest rising and falling in fury.

“What the fuck do you want here?” Carlos snapped, his fists trembling in fear. “How dare you show your face here after what you did to my brother.”

“Carlos!” Alejandra gasped, rushing towards him. She wrapped his arms around him, preventing him from making any mistake. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Let me kill this excuse of a man, mom.” He bellowed, pointing at the man that was slowly getting up. “How dare he show his face after all he did and said to Ben.”

“I am so sorry.” David said as he slowly got up, putting his hands together. “I know what I said was quite painful and…”

“You think that was quite painful?” Carlos chuckled bitterly, shaking his head. “What’s quite painful is abandoning…”

“Carlos!” Ben hollered, stopping the man from making any mistake.

Carlos shook his head in anger, his jaw clenching so hard. He felt like punching the man so hard and sending him into a coma. “Get the fuck out of here before I commit murder.”

“It’s okay, Carlos.” Alejandra said calmly. “Go inside, I’ll take it from here.”

“But mom…”

“Please!”

Carlos took one ugly look at David before he stormed inside the house cursing under his breath. Alejandra stood there, staring at David and God knows she wanted to slap him for all the pain that he had caused Ben.

“How can we help you?” She said calmly. “Just because I let my son go inside doesn’t mean that I am gonna let you do what you came to do here.”

David looked at Ben who stood a distance and the pain he saw in his eyes was something that he didn’t like.

“May I speak to Ben, ma’am?” He pleaded, putting his hands together. “This is very urgent and a life is at stake?”

“You want to speak to my son?” She raised an eyebrow. “About what exactly? Aren’t you the same man that warned him to stay away from you and your family just a few days ago?” She raised her voice. “What do you want from him?”

“My son, ma.” David felt vulnerable. Even as he spoke, there were tears in his eyes. “My son’s life could be in danger and Ben is the only person that might be able to save him.”

Ben felt his heart begin pounding at the mention of Michael’s life. His mouth opened to say something but David’s words flooded his brain and he quickly closed it, staring at him without any expression.

“Your son?” Alejandra chuckled. “And what does Ben have to do with any of this? Don’t tell me you’ve come to blame him some more?”

“No!” He abruptly shook his head. “This is something different. I know I said some pretty hurtful things to him the other day but…” He glanced at Ben again. “…Michael is in trouble and I need your help to save him, please.”

Ben had that vulnerable look in his eyes and David saw it. But he still wasn’t saying anything.

“I don’t think I can allow Ben to go with you.” Alejandra said confidently. “He’s already been through a lot and the last thing I want right now is for him to associate with you or your family. I am sorry, but you’re gonna have to leave.”

“Please!” David threw himself on his knees, a tear going down his cheek. “Don’t do this to me.”

“You solve your problems with your family.” Alejandra added. “Don’t get Ben involved in it again and then blame him.”

She looked at him once and turned to Ben who seemed like a statue. “Let’s go inside.”

Ben glanced at his mother, feeling like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

“Let me talk to him. I’ll find you inside.”

“Are you sure?”

He nodded. She squeezed his shoulder and left.

“Thank you so much!” David rose, putting his hands together. “You have no idea…”

“Don’t thank me for anything because I am not going with you.” He said harshly. “What are you doing here? What happened to Michael? And how do I fit in that equation?”

David remained quiet for a second before he spoke again.

“Last night after I came back from your office, he overheard me arguing with Amber. He heard me telling her that he’s not allowed to see you or talk to you.” He sniveled, feeling so stupid. “This morning, we realized that he ran away from the house last night and got drenched in the rain. He has a very high fever and it’s not going down. He keeps calling your name and Isaac suggested your presence will help bring the fever down.”

Ben’s heart pounded in his chest like a trapped bird desperately trying to escape its cage. His eyes widened as a shiver ran down his spine. His breath came in shallow gasps, and his hands trembled uncontrollably.

“What?” He gasped, tears building in his eyes. “How? How could you have let him out of your sight? What the hell were you thinking?”

“I didn’t know.” David answered weakly. “I thought he was safe and… thinking about it, all that rain pouring on him, being outside alone… I feel like the worst father ever. I didn’t know he was gonna run away looking for you.”

There was a silence after David said that. They stared at each other without blinking or saying a word for what felt like eternity. The sincere concern, the fear and the love for the boy couldn’t be masked in both their eyes.

“I really thought you were gonna at least be considerate when saying certain things in a house with a child.” Ben said angrily. “But what can I expect from a man who speaks from anger without considering the feelings of others. But whatever the case…” He paused and slowly turned his back to David. “…I am not coming back with you. Like my mother said, this is none of my business. This is about you, your family and your child. I have no business with that.”

Although he said that, Ben felt a Ben emanate from deep inside. A tear ran down his cheek which he quickly rubbed. David on the other hand felt heart broken when he heard those words from Ben.

“Please, Ben….” He cried softly. “…this is my child we’re talking about.”

“Exactly!” Ben furiously turned, staring at David. “This is your child and I am incapable of fatherhood. I am incapable of loving a child and I do not deserve to be a father. No child deserves to be with someone like me.”

David’s words were now haunting him. He felt weak… he felt like he couldn’t breathe… at that moment, he wished he hadn’t said those words.

“Ben, if I could take back those words, I would.” He sobbed.

“No, you wouldn’t.” Ben nodded, angrily wiping his tears. “A person speaks what’s in their heart when they are angry. I lost my child years ago and it was the most painful thing I have ever experienced. It was so hard opening up to you and I still did. As a father, I expected you to understand my pain and sympathize with me seeing how much you love your child. But what did you do?” He barked. “You used it against me the first chance you got.”

“I am sorry.”

“I am sorry too.” He said, breathing harshly. “But I am not going to mess with your family again. I am sorry for what your son is going through but I am afraid I cannot do anything.”

“No!” David cried, dropping to his knees. “Don’t do this to me. If not for anything, do it for Michael.”

“I cannot do what you are asking me to do.” His face was flooded with tears. “I wish nothing but good health for your son.”

“Please…” He wailed.

“And I want you out of this compound before I call security.”

“Ben…”

“I am good person.” He chuckled in pain. “And I would have been a good father.”

With those words, he turned and began rushing inside the house with tears running down his face. He felt terrible, like he had just sentenced a child he loved to death. It was eating him inside but he couldn’t do anything.

David remained there crying and calling for Ben who couldn’t heed to his call. He was so scared his body visibly shook. What was he going to do now?

***

David entered his mansion looking all stern with his fists clenched. He seemed to be thinking about something and didn’t see the people that were approaching him.

“David!” Amber called worriedly, getting him out of his thought. “Where is Ben?”

She looked around but couldn’t see him.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t come with him?” She said abruptly. “You know how important this is to Michael. This is the reason why I wanted to go there myself instead of you.”

“Are you surprised?” Jim chirped, rolling his eyes. “He wants this family to suffer and what better way to do that than allow us be severely worried about Michael? He’s always been like that, selfish and evil.”

“Selfish and evil?”

A voice interrupted Jim as soon as he heard that. His eyes quickly moved to the direction of the voice and saw Ben entering the mansion. Jim blinked rapidly, trying to clear the fog of disbelief that clouded his vision, surprise momentarily distorting his perception of reality.

Amber chuckled when she saw him, rushing to give him a tight hug.

“I was so scared that you weren’t gonna come.” She sobbed softly. “You have no idea how glad I am that you’re here. Michael really, really needs you.”

Ben lost the smile on his face. “I am so sorry for what happened. I really am.”

“You have to be.” Jim said rudely, moving closer to Ben. “After all, my son had run away because of you. Now you see why I told you to stay away from my family. These are the consequences. Why is it that you can’t just leave us alone, Ben.” He put his hands together, pretending to plead with him. “Leave us alone, Ben, please. We’re finally happy and fulfilled.”

Ben got so annoyed, he felt like slapping Jim.

“That’s no problem, Jim.” He shrugged. “I have always been the one leaving things for you anyways, isn’t it.”

“Can you stop this drama!” Amber snapped, glaring at Jim. “Ben is here to do something that you’ve failed to do and that is tend to your child. You should be thanking him right now.”

“Thank him?” Claudia chuckled bitterly. “For what exactly? Causing our family pain? I don’t remember inviting him here and yet here he is.”

Ben sighed. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have come here. I have to…”

“No!” David gripped Ben’s arm, holding it tightly.

The two of them shared a momentary yearning stare which hurt Jim like hell.

“Ben is here on my request.” David chimed in. “I had a lot of difficulty bringing him here and so he is my guest. No one will say anything to him. No one will do anything to him. No one is going to disturb him when he is with Michael.”

“David!” Jim snapped. “Are you gonna allow him to be with Michael alone?”

“I don’t need your opinion right now, Jim.” He dismissed, surprising the man. “My son’s health is very important to me.” He looked at Ben, his face blank. “Come with me, please.”

Ben nodded and followed David upstairs. As they went up, Jim couldn’t help but get upset. His hands trembled with repressed fury, fingers curling into tight fists, nails digging into his palms. Out of the blue, Amber began laughing as she stared at the two of them.

“This must really hurt but you know what makes me happy, Jim?” The man looked away in anger. “Seeing you suffer gives me so much joy. And right now, you’re in pain.” She chirped. “It must hurt really bad since the boy you call your child doesn’t even wanna see you but would rather be with your enemy. The truth is not so far away and I can’t wait for David to find out.”

She left upstairs, her voice echoing as she laughed.

“I hate you!” Jim’s voice boomed like thunder, each word a sharp crack of lightning.

Claudia on the other hand was standing seemingly disconnected from the real world.

‘Why does this keep happening?’ She thought as a fear preyed on her. ‘No matter how much I try to keep Ben and David apart, something else seems to bring them closer. This gonna be a really critical period for me.’ Her eyes looked to the heavens. ‘Lord, I know I am a bad person but please, don’t let the truth come to light as I stand to lose everything I have worked so hard for. If you do this for me, I promise to be your faithful servant.’

Claudia’s thoughts careened through a maze of worst-case scenarios, each possibility more terrifying than the last as panic hijacked her rationality. What had happened that night couldn’t come out to the light no matter what. It was a secret she was willing to take to her grave.

What skeletons was she hiding in her cupboard?

To be continued...