Treat You Better ✅

Chapter 15

Win hesitates  just for a moment too long right then and Bright knew  the answer. After all he is a spoiled, insolent and privileged rich boy who complains that his family has given him a job and a life of security. Why on earth would Win will ever liked him? But Win opened his mouth and said "Of course I like you, it’s never been a question of whether or not I like you. I just knew the contract will bind you with Josh.... And Jesus Bright I couldn’t see you marry someone like Josh, I’ve been trying desperately hard to try and find a way of getting you out of that contract". Bright plainly ask "Why? only because I was just a legal project to you?". Win shook his head and scoot closer saying "Jesus Christ Bright. You know my feeling I know right now you find this hard to believe but I actually give a shit about your contract. Has anybody looked out for you in all this? Have you looked at the contract for the merger because believe me you have not been favoured at all. You're giving your 25 years and what you're getting in return in nothing compared to what Josh is benefitting from this contract".

Bright instantly freezes his mother doesn’t talk to him about the merger and benefits. Pam doesn’t talk about a lot of things with him. It’s the way it’s always been this way and Bright will admit that he’s more than naive to ask himself about the contract. He definitely knows nothing about running  the company he’s supposed to be inheriting after Pam. But he's been kept in the dark and until recently it’s been fine for Bright, as he was happier pretending the weight on his shoulders wasn’t there. Now he can see that they didn’t want him there from the beginning, maybe the merger was for Josh to take over and for him to stay away from it. He just doesn’t know why his own mother would do that.

Bright wipes his tears and ask "Win, What does the contract say?" Win sighs loudly and ask "do you really want to know?". Bright nods saying "Yes. I promise I won’t tell my mother or anyone that you told me, I just want to know Please". Win started "You and Josh will get joint ownership for twenty four years, then you have one year to sell the company, but the worst thing is you will only get twenty five percent of the entire company, and if it doesn’t sell you'll get nothing, and the company will closed down. That’s been your mother’s and Vincent's plan all along. That’s why Josh wants to know when your mother is planning on retiring, so he can start making plans for the company, it’s why he wants to keep you away from running it, because you don’t get the full amount of the sale".

A tear slips down on Bright cheek, but he can’t bring himself to move to wipe it away. All his life he’s been brought up to take over the company at some point, now he only gets a small portion of it, and he can’t figure out why his own mother would do that to him. He has so many questions, but right now he doesn’t want to talk to any of the people who could answer those questions. Win whispered brushing away the tears from Bright's cheek "I’m sorry Angel, they should have let you know about all the condition and facts before asking you about wedding".

Bright ask Win "Win, Why would she agreed to do that?". Win softly said "That’s a question I can’t answer, I really am sorry". Bright nods in understanding but he still can’t clear his head at the moment it just too much for him to take in He just hope there's some way to save himself now.  He ask Win in desperate tone "Win, Do you think you can do something about it, Can You get me out of the contract? Do you think there's any way out?". Bright can immediately tell by the look on Win face that there’s not. He is tied to Josh whether he likes it or not Win held Bright cheeks in his hand and said "I’m trying, I promise I’m trying, but I think I’ve done my job a little too well". Bright nods again saying "It’s not your fault, you were just doing your job. You didn’t know that it would end up like this". Win ask quietly "What are you going to do?" His hand was still cupping Bright face Bright feels safe here, in a tiny cabin house in the middle of nowhere with Win, but he knows that once they’re back home it’s a new ball game altogether. Bright collected himself and confess "I don’t know. I need to speak to my mom". Win nods at that "I think that’s sensible". Bright doesn’t feel like being sensible at the moment. He wants to scream or break something but that won’t get him anywhere. He needs to be careful about this, he’s not supposed to know all these facts and he certainly didn't want to throw Win  under the bus.

Until a day before Bright couldn’t wait for the weekend to start and now he doesn’t want it to end for completely different reasons than what he’d originally thought. It’s not just about Josh or the wedding anymore. He doesn’t want to come home where everyone is waiting to take advantage of him where his own mother is waiting to  put his goddamn life to drain until there’s nothing left for her.

To make matters more worse Josh car was parked outside Bright's apartment  building when he gets back home with Win. Win ask Bright "Are you going to be alright?" They both were glaring at Josh car. He was not inside, which means Josh probably is waiting inside Bright's apartment. He doesn’t pretend to know how Josh works but he’s sure he got his ways to find out everything. Bright' assures Win with soft smile "Don’t worry about me. Thank you for this weekend, and for telling me about the contract. I’ll see you soon?" Bright kissed Win cheek and Win murmured quietly "Yeah, soon". Bright suddenly felt an unsaid omen in the air, that they might not see each other again soon or maybe never. The wedding is in a couple of weeks and Bright has a sinking feeling he knows why Josh is here after all. His weekend bag doesn’t give too much away, it looks like what he said that he’s been away with Gulf for the weekend.

When Bright reached in his apartment he saw Josh in his kitchen. Bright smiles tightly saying "Hello" as he lets himself inside his apartment. Josh was sitting at the kitchen island, tapping a finger on the countertop. Bright sigh and said "I saw your car outside".  Josh hums but doesn’t look up at Bright and said "You must be thinking I’m an idiot". Bright shook his head and  tries to assure Josh "I don’t think that...".  They both know it’s a lie. Josh grits his teeth in anger and stated "You think I don’t know you’ve been fucking the lawyer since months now? I turned a blind eye the first couple of times because I don't care whom you sleep with  but this is ridiculous. You’re not taking me for an idiot, I have a reputation to uphold and one that it doesn’t involve my wife spending the weekend with another man getting fuck".

Bright flinches, at the volume of Josh words. He’s right Bright did think he wasn't clever, he thought he’d pulled the wool over Josh eyes because he didn’t pay any attention to him before. Bright thought he was enjoy smooth ride of his illicit affair with Win, Bright thought he will get away with it all and Right now whatever he's done is made himself look like a fool. Josh warns lowly and tightly "You’ll stop. God help me Bright if you don’t, you’ve already signed the next twenty five years of this life to me. You don’t want to piss me off before it’s even started, I will make your and that lawyer life hell".

Bright internally shrink back only thinking about Win. He laugh bitterly though saying "like that wasn’t the plan from the start". Josh retorted "Oh for You, I planned many things... You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into Bright. How could You anyway.....You don’t even know what’s happening around because you’ve been too busy fucking that lawyer to notice anything". Bright blood boils he yelled at Josh "I don't know because nobody tells me anything. I’m in the dark about everything. You’re trying to keep me in the research department so I don’t have a say in running the business. My mother won’t tell me what’s going on. You only come to see me when you need someone to take your anger out on. What the fuck you guys take me for". Josh flatly stated "I’m not arguing with you. You’re not worth my time, but I’m telling you you’re not seeing that lawyer again, so I hope you got it out of your system because I’ll kill you both if I find out you’re still seeing him". Bright glares at Josh, he doesn’t answer him back, but he knows Josh is not bluffing. he wouldn’t put murder past him especially to someone who made him look a fool. That’s exactly what Bright is been doing, he thought he was being clever, he thought it was a well kept secret but he was so wrong Josh knew everything all along

He can’t see Win again, Bright may not care about his own life, but he won’t put Win in Josh way. After Josh left Bright sends Win a text, cause he can’t hear Win voice not right now. Win texts back saying he knows, he probably guessed what was going to happening when he saw Josh car outside of his apartment. Bright wanted to mourn for ending his beautiful relationship and he did this to himself. One night was a blip, he was sad and he needed a distraction. But he kept on going back to see Win time after time knowing it was wrong, knowing that he shouldn’t be doing it because one day they have to end this.

Don't forget to share your thoughts❤️💚