Hide and Seek

23 hours...

SETH LEVI

'My little brother and I were never really close, that was probably because of the age gap. But then again, Ezra was never close to anyone. He always preferred being on his own. Dad always said we left him out, but he was the one who withdrew himself.
The only time Ezra and I ever communicated was when I would get into trouble and he would get me out of it. That was one of the things that irritated me the most about him. And he would never ask for anything in return. Helping me out of the goodness of his stupid heart.

Like the time when I had a little too much to drink and I got into a fight with a general manager at the time. The man was getting on each of my nerves every time he spoke. So, I just punched him right in the face. He was a man with his own issues so he did not let it slide and punched me back. Before we knew it, we were throwing punches at each other up and down. Unfortunately for me, it turned out that the general manager's father was actually an important friend of my dad. Ezra found this out and managed to convince him not to tell his dad on me. Anyway, in the end, Ezra-'

"Yeah, okay sure," Zahara stopped him, lifting her head. "We both know you don't care that he helped you with that, that guy had it coming. There must be something else Seth."

"Fine." He huffed, scratching his head. "It was about two years ago, but I remember everything vividly. Dad started a competition for the entire company. Everyone could enter regardless of your current position..."

'"Whoever can come up with the best proposal will get promoted." Dad said. "This will be fair play for all, my children included. The board will make the final decision on which presentation is best. And I will exclude myself from this particular decision."
'All of the employees were excited, working hard to come up with ideas to better the company and get promoted. I also worked my butt off day and night. All I wanted was to prove to my father that I was just as worthy to receive the inheritance as Ezra was. Or maybe even more worthy. I am the eldest son and most competent, so how could he give it to the youngest? The youngest who never did much for the company. Ezra did not care about that company and he had no clue about what was going on in it.

"Why aren't you competing for the promotion?" I asked him two weeks before the date of the presentations.
We were sitting in this very study. Dad had called us in for a... briefing. Something he did regularly just to know what we were up to. He does it with all of us. He sets a date and meets up with us individually or sometimes in pairs and we tell him about what's going on in our lives. Anyway, that day, dad had called us together and when he stepped out of the room we got to talking.

"I have no interest." He answered.

"You know, dad is planning on leaving the company to you. How will you run it if you're not interested?"

"I'll cross that bridge when I get there."
He was not looking at me, instead his eyes were staring at our sibling portrait.

"So, you will accept it?" I questioned him. I was staring at him as he continued to analyse the portrait, hoping my gaze would make him uncomfortable and cause him to look at me, he did not, but he did answer.
"Yes. What makes you think I won't accept?"

"Because you just said you're not interested, Ezra." I could feel the heat of anger rise up to my face.

"In the competition, Seth." He finally looked at me with those eyes. Those eyes that always managed to piss me off. He always looked at people as if they were beneath him. As if speaking to me was a waste of his precious time.
"I'm not interested in the competition." He finished.

"Why? Is it beneath you?"

"Why do you always choose to put words in my mouth?"

"You were thinking it though, weren't you?"

Ezra let out a deep sigh. "It's not my fault that we find different things... pleasurable. You find pleasure in competing to prove your worth. I don't. I find it degrading. I believe your competence can show even without a competition."

"That's ridiculous."

"I'm not telling you this to debate with you. It's just my sentiment."

"A ridiculous sentiment."

"But mine nonetheless." He released a huff as he stood from his chair, stepping behind dad's desk to get a closer look at the portrait as if he had never seen it. "If I compete in this and win," he started, "you guys will hate me. If I don't compete you'll still hate me, but a little less. So, as a normal human being, I'm inclined to go with the latter to avoid being hated... more."

"What about the losing option?"

"I don't understand what you mean."

"What about the probability of you losing, Ezra?"

"I'm not sure about that." He pursed his lips. "I have no memory of ever losing. I either win, or I don't compete, you know that."

"Which is why I want you to do this even more so I can beat you."

"Why do you want to beat me so much? It's not like you gain anything. If dad is really giving me the company, then competing with me is pointless." He wiped something off the portrait. Dust maybe. "Or maybe it would help you realise where you stand with your... skills."

It took me half a second to move to where he was and grab him by the collar.
"Say what you mean." I gritted.

"Seth, get off your brother." Dad said as he walked in. I had to let him go.

Ezra adjusted his shirt and turned back to the portrait as he spoke. "Great timing dad. I almost got beat up."

"Seth-"

"I wasn't really going to hit him dad. I just wanted him to be brave enough to explain what he meant."

"Yeah, with your fist." Ezra mumbled as he returned to his chair.

"Okay boys, how are you doing on your presentations?"

"I'm doing fine. Ezra's not participating." I answered.

"Why son?" Dad turned to him.

"I don't feel like it."

"Do you feel pressured because of the other project?"

"No. I just don't want to."

"What other project?" My eyes moved from dad to Ezra and back to dad.

"Don't worry about it Seth," dad answered, "You'll know when the time comes."

"As the first born son of this family, I think I deserve to know what's going on."

"You don't deserve anything, Seth. You work for it." He glared at me. "We will tell you when the time comes."

"This is ridiculous."

"Seth-"

"Shut up Ezra," I hissed at him.

"Seth calm down."

"I'm calm dad." I slammed my fist on the table. The opposite of calm. I rubbed my forehead and huffed. "I'm calm," I repeated a little softer than the first time, but I could still feel my chest burn with rage.

"We can just tell him dad," Ezra said with a sigh. "Since he wants to know so much."

"Don't do that Ezra, I swear I'll punch you," I gritted.

"What?" Ezra raised his hands.

"Just-" I pointed at him, but bit my tongue and stormed out. I slammed the door after me, and heard something rattle in the room.
That was not the first time they had kept me out of a project. They did that every time and it infuriated me because I am the eldest son. Me! I had the right to know everything that happened in the company, the birth right! And Ezra took that away from me. I never cared about him being the favoured child. I lost the hope of being that a long time ago, but I hated how he replaced me in my position at father's right hand. The company was the one place where I could breath but it turned into a living hell when Ezra arrived. So, the best thing to do at the time was to get rid of him. In order for me to be the heir I was always meant to be, I had to get rid of Ezra.'