Cruel twist of fate

CHAPTER 5

RICHARD'S POV

Saturday afternoon, everyone relaxed at home, went on dates, and engaged in fun activities. I was stuck in the office with heaps of proposals that I should have finished up the night before but I procrastinated intentionally.
I planned to work myself into a shadow just so I can avoid attending the family gathering.

skipping family events had been my habit for three years straight. last year I intentionally damaged my car and told everyone  I had an accident, the dinner still went on fine without me, and no one called to check thereafter.

I wasn't making up excuses, so they feel bad or anything like that, I just needed them to let me be, they never accepted me wholeheartedly, and hanging out with a bunch of people who didn't care about me was exasperating.

David burst into my office, he seemed shocked to see me engrossed in work, he instantly knew I was trying to create an excuse to avoid going home, he wasn't a fan of my family meetings either, but today he looked ready to convince me.

" Why do you look like you just saw a ghost,? " I asked.

" if you don't meet your father today, you might lose everything," he said.

" What do you mean by that? This isn't the first time I have declined the invitation " I said trying to hide the worry in my voice.

I knew losing everything was quite easy,my father could decide to cut me off anytime. I lived my life walking on eggshells around him and longing for his approval.

my younger sister seemed to be the only one who had accepted me but I still couldn't trust her completely. She was young and had no intentions of joining the family business but if she developed ambitions and greed, there was a possibility that she too might not be on my side.

"your father seems to be very displeased with you at the moment, " he said in a momentous tone.

"I really can't go there, c'mon, you know how hard it is for me to face them, they don't even want me there, " I said.

"How long are you going to hide from them? Don't you think you need to go show them, you are no longer the child they bullied, ".he said.

I pretended not to hear him, I picked up the blue ball pen on my desk and kept signing the documents in front of me, I hoped he would give up on persuading me, but it looked like he had only just begun.

" Richie! Have you ever thought about me? What would happen to me if you lose everything? You are my employer for heaven's sake!. He screamed, I could read frustration all over his face.

I knew he would never force me to go there if it wasn't in my best interest maybe this was actually for the best, there was no need to hide from them.

" Alright man! I'll go, no need to get all worked up ". he sighed and nodded.

I'll wait in the car" he said as he walked out of the office. I tidied my desk and followed him reluctantly.

We stopped over at David's place instead of mine to get changed, I called my wardrobe assistant to drop my clothes off at his place instead of mine.

My last meeting with Sophia left me flustered, I avoided and rejected her calls, and I didn't even entertain conversations about her.

Something made me want to trust her, when she held my hands and looked into my eyes, I wanted to tell her everything I kept suppressed all these years, for a moment my heart moved and I wanted her to comfort me, but I couldn't let anyone in like that, I spent years to build these tall walls.