Not good for you

35;

The only time I met Seeley's father was after the graduation ceremony in June. He looked fierce but bored and didn't even smile. He didn't hug or give his son a reassuring pat on the shoulder; he merely nodded sternly at Seeley and walked away. Seeley told me it was surprising that his father even showed up in the first place. I've heard stories of how busy his father always was, leaving Seeley with barely any time to spend time with him. When he was at home, they often ended up arguing. As a result, Seeley was always relieved whenever his dad wasn't around; it was like living alone, a dream scenario for any teen during their high school years. After all, who wouldn't relish having the house alone when their parents were away?

The shock I felt was chilling to the bone, yet it barely scratched the surface of the emotions clashing inside me. I blinked as if my eyes were lying to me, but Oswald Drewitt stood right in front of me. This had to be a bad joke, right? He couldn't be Perkyn's father. There was no way Oswald was always too busy with his work and was secretly living a double life. That only happened in the movies—he couldn't disrespect Seeley like that, could he?

The more questions popped into my head, the more confused I became. There was no logical explanation for any of this. If he was actually Perkyn's father, that meant Seeley and Perkyn were brothers... This can't be happening, this can't be real. I tried to compare their faces in my mind in panic; there were similarities that I hadn't noticed before, but...

Then, the realization struck me like lightning. Perkyn had been cracking his fingers in the same strange way that Seeley did. Oh my God... How could I have missed that? My mind was itching the first time I saw Perkyn do it, but I never thought much about that habit. They'd never met before, yet they had the same unique way of cracking their fingers when they felt nervous or lost in thought. I've seen others crack their fingers, but not like that. Not just going down the line to their middle finger and then reversing after that. I was so quick to overlook the fact that I could have realized something was off long before today if only I'd paid attention to the details.

What was even funnier was that I thought I saw a ring on Oswald's hand, which he slipped into his pocket when he noticed me staring. When we locked eyes, I saw him furrow his brows, and slowly, the color began to drain from his face. He recognized me. I felt anger creeping up my spine, filling my body in no seconds.

"Dad, this is... Heddy." Perkyn put his hand on the back of my waist, pulling me closer when he noticed me standing as still as a tree.

I saw Perkyn giving me an encouraging smile. He had to think I blocked again because I was nervous. He had no idea what was happening just now. Only if he knew the root of my shock was knowing his father.

The more I thought about it, the more disgusted and disappointed I became. Seeley never mentioned he'd have a brother. And I was there when he first met Perkyn one night. It was clear that they never met before. They probably never even heard about each other before we came here.

Oswald Drewitt couldn't have lived a double life. It just didn't make any sense.

He was many things, but he couldn't have done that. He couldn't have abandoned his son to be a part of another family.

"Heddy, this is my father, Oswald," Perkyn said in a welcoming tone, and I felt my heart jump into my throat.

Oswald gave me a knowing look that also gave me the feeling of something cold and threatening. It's a good thing I was so dumbfounded that I couldn't even find my voice.

"Perkyn has been speaking of you all the time," Oswald said in an unimpressed tone.

"Shall we go inside?" Perkyn asked, sensing his father's mood. Oswald raised an eyebrow, stepped aside, and allowed us to enter. I felt his keen gaze on me as I walked into the house behind Perkyn as if a predator were waiting to pounce. What should I do or say? I never imagined a situation like this would occur. I'd often envisioned the worst-case scenarios for a first introduction, but finding out that my friend's father was also my co-worker's father? It felt like I was suffocating under Oswald's silent scrutiny as Perkyn guided me through the house to the back. A few other guests gathered around the grill, exchanged chatter, and held drinks. I gave an awkward smile when the unfamiliar faces turned toward us. I felt incapable of being friendly with everyone.