The Bad Son (Book 2)

Chapter 5

Tin's arrival at the Medthanan Mansion was almost, not quite, almost anti-climatic. Father must have had a detective watching over him. He snorted as the gates of the mansion immediately swung open and the taxi drove right up.

His personal butler and the maids were lined up to welcome him home. Tin waited until the butler opened the door and he stood. "Thank you." On his life, he couldn't remember the man's name. He had been his butler for only five months, replacing the man who had been his butler since he was a child. 

Several of the maids mouths drop open. When did the young master say thank you? The butler did not respond, simply going and retrieving his luggage from the boot of the taxi. "Sir? Is this all?"

Tin nodded, looking over the staff. His father had an eye for good looking people. Of either sex, the staff had to have extremely presentable looks. As a child, Tin took it for granted that this is what people looked like, even if they were rich or poor - beautiful. 

It wasn't until he was much older, that he learned beauty could hide rotten insides. Lessons began when he was sent to boarding school at eight. His older brother, Tul, whom he idolized, tricked their father into believing it was for his own good.

Tul had been born with classic Thai looks. He was tall, taller that Tin. He grew into his height early, had full dark hair, deep dark eyes, the Medthanan straight nose and an easy smile. It was the smile that was tricky. It hid so many things. His evil soul, for one thing. 

Tin despised him. It was Tul who greeted him upon his return to the mausoleum. Tin walked past him as if he didn't exist. Tul grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop. "Seriously, little brother, when will you grow up? We have to talk." 

Taking his hand and slowly removing Tul's as if it was a piece of lint from his arm, Tin met his brother's eyes. "No, we don't." He continued to walk down the hall to his suite. He held in his sigh. No sign of weakness could be shown here. 

Yelling back, "There is a family dinner tonight. Father and Mother expect you there."

Lowly, "I guess you all will have a lovely dinner. I have plans." Tin didn't. He just knew there was no way in hell he was sitting down and breaking bread with the enemies.  First, after unpacking and seeing if anyone had been inside his suite, he would wander throughout the mansion and see what horrible redecorating the step-monster had done.

His new butler was at the door. Tin sighed. "You, what's your name?"

The butler gave a small half bow. "You may call me Tapi, Young Master."

"Tapi, who hired you?" Tin asked, fishing in his pocket for the door key. The butler stood aside, the luggage by his feet. Tin had deliberately changed the lock on the door the morning before he left. He had not left a copy of the key. Unlocking it, he stood aside, Tapi moving to open the door for Tin.

Tin entered the room and surveyed the area. It looked the same, just dusty. 

"Sir, I will call the maids. It won't take long." Tapi said, noticing the dust. He put down the luggage and went to open his closets. He tapped the suits and puffs of dust also came off of them. "I'm afraid all of your clothes will need to be cleaned as well, sir."

"I have enough with me for now. Do what you need to." Tin replied absently. "Tapi?"

"Yes, sir?" Tapi came to parade rest in front of Tin.

"Who hired you?" 

"Master Tul, 3 years ago. I worked for his young wife until the vacancy here in the main house, young master." Tapi wondered why it mattered. There was gossip among the staff. With rich people, the staff always talked, but butlers were the soul of discretion or they didn't have jobs. Didn't the young master understand this?

"Thank you. Dismissed." Tapi bowed and backed away, closing the large door behind him, his gut churning. Was he to be fired? It didn't matter. Until he received that notice, he had a job to do. He went to the butler's station nearby and picked up the in house phone and called maid service. 

After carefully wiping down one of the three desktop computers, he owned, Tin carefully pressed the on button and waited. He had no choice but to leave them behind. He had disconnected it from the internet before leaving, ensuring that no one would be able to remotely access it. He had worried over it and the other two, endlessly.

They had contained his life. His journals. His mother. His documents of Tul's endless tortures. The difficulties at boarding school. Everything about his life was in these three computers in digital format, backed up and saved, so he could look at them when ever he wanted. 

The computer finally came to life and he entered his password and his mother's picture was on the screen. Tin had a sentimental streak. Why shouldn't he? He had only ever wanted one thing that he could never have - familial love. 

He thought his mother loved him and she left. Dying was the same as leaving.
He thought Tul loved him and he heard him say he wished he was dead.
He thought his grandmother loved him and she just loved the fact he was pure.
He thought his father loved him and he never, not once, stopped Tul. 

Then came the step-monster. Money hungry step-monster. They hated each other on sight. Tul now had someone to help him. It was to the step-monster that Tul had been talking to, that he said Tin was better off dead. That Tul would take care of him. The next day he was shipped to boarding school. 

Tin now knew no one loved him. Money was the only thing that anyone ever wanted. Needed. If you had money, you had power. He had to survive until he had all the money and power.

He opened a file on the computer marked "Mama" and clicked on a video. He turned down the sound and leaned back in the chair to watch it. In it, his father and mother played with him on the lawn of the Medthanan lawn. It was just the three of them on a bright sunny day. Tin was dressed adorably in a bright blue jumper, barely able to walk.

His father laughed as Tin fell, and struggled to get back up. His mother jumped up to set him back on his feet. The clip ended. 

Tin's fingers reached out to touch the screen. He had seen this clip a hundred, no, a thousand times. What changed? Why didn't his father love him anymore? Who had taken this clip? Why had these videos all been moved out of the theater the year after his father married the step-monster?

Tin found them in the attic hiding from Tul when he was 12 on a rare summer vacation home from Bilton Grange Preparatory School. He wanted to be back in Thailand. He was fighting with both Father and Tul, crying like the boy he was, at hearing he was going back to boarding school when he just ran. 

The tapes saved him. Or his sanity. They gave him hope that once upon a time he was loved and wanted. He wasn't born a reject. Unwanted and unloved. How could his father play with him like that if he was a reject. 

That's when he knew, deep in his heart and soul, it was Tul. Tul poisoned Father. He changed him. Step-monster did too. 

So Tin changed too. He hardened his heart, he lost his soul and he became bitter.