LOVING HIM

CHAPTER 1

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"You shameless piece of shit!"

That loud, jaw clenching cry echoed around the four corners of that big private conference room at Minah's, a popular three-star restaurant in the small town of Santa Barbara. The old man had an obviously intense feeling of anger written all over his face, as if any moment he'd be eating the poor boy in front of him alive.

The boy just kept weeping in silence from his seat, his head hung down and hands clasped together in fear.

"You're making my nephew's life miserable but you can't let him go, and you're saying you love him? Is that even love?" the man added, furious eyes still fixed on the weeping boy. "You selfish cunning man!"

The boy flinched and didn't try defending himself anymore. He couldn't open his mouth no matter how much he tried. He could only let his tears fall down his cheeks and on his shivering lap. He didn't dare look up at the old man's face. His painful words and accusations pierced though his heart and soul, through his whole innocent being.

The old man continued. "I don't know how you could even stomach knowing and seeing for yourself how hard he lives every single day with you. Are you blind? Or are you just doing all this because of money? Is that it? Huh? Is it about his money? Do you really love him? Answer me!"

"I... I... love h-him..." the boy's voice quavered in fear. He was still looking down while shivering. "I'm... I'm sorry... I l-love him. I l-love him v-very much. I c-can't leave him. I c-cant..."

That made the old man's lips twitch in anger even more. "You worthless piece of –"

"Don't you dare!"

The old man, who raised his hand and was about to give the boy a punch, stopped his hand midair. He immediately turned and looked at the person who angrily made his way inside the room and was now looking at him with clenched jaw and dark eyes. "Nathaniel..."

In a quick movement, the man named Nathaniel walked towards the weeping boy who was now looking at him with wide eyes. "N-Nathan..."

He held the boy's shaking hand and pulled him up from his seat. He then turned his dark eyes back to the old man. "What the hell are you doing uncle? You can't do this to him!" He was controlling his emotions but his voice was deep and resentful.

"Nathaniel, I'm just –"

"If you ever do this again, I'll forget all of you."

The man's eyes widened. He couldn't believe what he just heard from his nephew. "W-what?" He uttered. "Do you hear yourself, son? You're choosing him over us, your family?"

"You will never understand."

"This is ridiculous! You are being ridiculous!"

"I love him!"

"No, you don't!" the old man screeched. "You're just infatuated. You're young and you."

"Shut up!"

The old man was stunned again at how his nephew was talking back to him.

Nathaniel shook his head bitterly and resentfully. "You're all the same. You never learn. If you still can't accept him, I will never go back." He said and walked out of the room, dragging the dumbfounded boy with him.

"Nathaniel! Come back here!"

But Nathaniel never did.