CHRIS’ POV
I am currently at the bar and waiting for my friends. When I finished my work, I went straight here because my mighty father destroyed my good mood. Aside from that, we will have gotten together in my circle of friends before one of us prepares for his wedding and married life. When I drank directly from the bottle in front of me, I was not in the mood. Argh! I was terribly annoyed by my old man.
* FLASHBACK *
When my colleagues and I were done with our meeting, I immediately returned to my office. The company where I am working is owned by our family. I was astonished to see my mother enjoying herself in my receiving chair as I walked into my office.
“ Mom! “ I called her even if I am still shocked.
Mom looked in my direction, then she gave me a wide smile.
“ Hello, son! “ Mom greeted me.
I went near in her direction to give her a kiss on her cheeks.
“ What brought you here? “ I asked Mom happily after I sit on my swivel chair.
“ Nothing. Is it bad to pay a visit with my only son? “ Mom asked me back while smiling.
“ Oh, c’mon, Mommy. I know you miss me, but I also know that you will not visit me without other motives. “ I answered Mommy while laughing which causes her to pout her lips. See how childish my mom is.
“ Fine, we will be having a board meeting later about your upcoming takeover of the company. “ Mom explained. Hays, another stress is coming soon.
“ What look is that, Mr. Ramirez? “ I was shocked when I heard my father’s authoritative voice from the door.
“ You are also here,” I told him coldly. I treat my father in this way because we are not particularly close.
“ Of course, I am still the CEO of this company, just in case you forgot. “ Dad said sarcastically and with a dark aura as he approached Mom and me.
“ How can I forget? You are always the person they compare me with. “ Mom is holding me since I seriously responded to Dad.
“ You are not yet in the position, but you are starting to act that way! Why did I not have a chance to have another child? “ Dad exclaimed in unbelief which makes me smirk.
“ I am only your child, but you never took care of me, then you are really asking for another child. What a joke!” I told him in sarcasm that made his anger visible on his face.
“ You! I am not raising you to answer me like that. “ Dad told me angrily while he was clenching his fist.
It is better that my office has a soundproof wall, so no one among the employees would hear us raising our voices to each other. People knew our family as a perfect and influential one. However, our family is not near that one. I grew up without my parents on my side because they were busy working in their companies.
“ Toph, stop it. Let your son be himself. “ Mom tried to stop us and beg my father.
“ The reason why your son is growing like that was because of letting him do what he wants. I will not be shocked if one day he can kill somebody because of his attitude. “ Dad said with a sentiment.
I stood up from being seated on my swivel chair, then walked towards my office’s door. I momentarily stopped in front of my father and talked.
“ You do not have to worry. If ever I killed somebody, I will never ask for help from you. Besides, if you really do not like me, simply disown me. I can still accept that, so I will not waste my time trying to pretend in front of your business partners to show off a perfect family which is not for the sake of your reputation. “ I told him coldly, then I passed by his side.
I still hear my father calling my name full of anger, before I go outside my office. After I close the door, my act will begin. I need to change my irritated face into a happy one for the sake of employees that admire our family.
“ Cherry! What is my schedule for today? “ I asked my secretary as I passed by her desk.
“ You do not have any scheduled meeting anymore for today, Sir. You just need to check the location of the next project, so the groundbreaking can start right away. “ Cherry answered me while looking at me seductively. Tsk, how pathetic.
“ Alright! I will go there alone. You stay here. “ I instructed her.
Before she could say anything, I turned my back on her already because I knew she would insist to go along with me. Then, I am sure she will start to seduce me. I really hate that type of girl. I cannot fire her as my secretary because my father himself is the one who chose her, and I am sure that he will lecture me if I fire Cherry from her job.
I walked out of the building and immediately drove to the parking lot to grab my car. I got in and started driving to the project site that I am in charge of. I stayed there for a few hours to carefully checked the whole site so that when the building construction started, there will be no problem.
I also wanna make sure that this project will be alright to prove to my father that I am a worthy successor to him. It is not because I really want to inherit their richness, I just do not have a choice. When I was a child, people always asked me if I have a chance to choose from richness or a chance to grow up with my parents’ love and attention. I always answered it with the second option. I wished to grow up with love and attention because those two things could not be bought by any riches.
I stopped reminiscing when I heard my phone ring. I checked who is calling. It is Drew, one of my friends since childhood.
“ Bro? “ I said after answering the call.
( Let’s get together before our friend gets choked, I mean to be married.)
“ Location? “ I simply asked him while looking in a far.
( Same place, same time. See you there. )
He did not bother to wait for me to answer because he ended the call after he said those words. Sometimes, my friend is so rude to talk with. I went back to my car and drove to the bar where we always hung out.
* END OF FLASHBACK *
“ You look so serious there. “ I heard Drew say after he sat at my side.
“ Tsk, what time is it? You are always late. “ I told him irritably. It has been more than an hour since I arrived at the bar and waited for them.’
“ You simply arrived early. I came here on time. “ Drew said to me while laughing.
“ Tsss, “ I respond shortly since what he said is true. I just arrived here early than the set time.
“Your head is hot already. I am sure you and your father fought again. “ Drew said in sentiment.
“ Do not bother to drop his name. My head is heating up more. “ I told him, but he just laughed at me.
“ Uncle is not getting younger. You should express yourself to him more so that you will not fight each other. “ Drew recommended to me. Tsk! He can just say that because he is close to his father.
“ That is too deep. You had a disagreement again with Uncle? “
Drew and I simultaneously look in the direction of the voice we heard. We saw Bryle grinning while his arms were on the shoulder of Rex.
“ Tsk, what took you so long? “ I asked them with irritation.
“ You are really impatient. It is not our fault that you came here early. “ Rex answered while laughing, so I looked at him sharply.
“ Hey, stop that already. We are here to celebrate. “ Bryle said to stop us.
“ Are you really going into trouble, I mean to be married? “ Drew asked Bryle while laughing.
“ Yes, Of course. Rose and I were together for a long time. Besides, we should not prolong it, especially if she is the one. “ Bryle said in sentiment, so the three of us simultaneously shook our heads.
“ You are so corny, bro. “ Rex said while laughing.
“ Psh, you will be like me if you found the one already. “ Bryle said to us in seriousness.
“ That is not soon to come. “ Drew told Bryle while laughing.
“ Stop teasing Bryle so much. Let’s just have a toast to welcome his happiness. “ I said while raising the bottle I am holding in my hand.
“ Cheers! “ we said in unison, then we toasted our bottles.
Our whole night went crazy and happy at the same time, not until Rex’s phone rang. It seems someone is calling him.
“ Hello, Attorney Rodriguez? “ we heard Rex say after he answered the call.
Bryle, Drew and I exchange confused looks because of the person Rex is talking to. It is too late in the evening. Why does he need to speak to a lawyer? We just shrugged our shoulders off because no one among us have an idea of what is going on.
“ Why? Who arrests him? What murder? “ Rex asked one question after another, so we looked at him. Murder?
“ All right, I will be there in a few minutes. Let us see each other at the police station. “ Rex instructed his caller, then he ended the call.
“ Hey, bros! I need to go first. “ Rex asked us permission.
“ What is with the police station? “ Drew asked Rex. It is the same question I want to ask, he just asked it first.
“ It is Dad. He was arrested by police officers. The charge is murder. “ Rex explained to us making our eyes widen in shock.
“ What happened? It is impossible that Uncle would do such horrible things. “ Bryle said in confusion.
“ I know, so I need to go to jail to know what happened. I will leave you now. “
Rex spoke such remarks, and then he ran quickly out the door of the bar. So, we were unable to respond. What really happened to Rex’s father? What did Mr. Ching do?
TO BE CONTINUE!