Lost in madness

Chapter 3

Andrew

My workers' and brother's voices drift in the very back of my consciousness, I can barely recall a word they've said since they walked into the room.

I'm trying to knot a tie and it's useless.

"Fuck!" I curse and toss the stupid tie, everyone pauses to look at me, "What the hell am I doing?!" I groan. I'm angry and frustrated and the last place I want to be is here.

"Let's give him a minute?" Luke, my assistant speaks up.

Everyone starts leaving the room, except James, my older brother, he stays because he for one understands why it's a shitty day for me, "It's too late for regrets." He started.

"I know, you don't have to remind me, I have father for that." I feel even more annoyed.

"How long are you going to let him get to you?"

"I want his company...." I admit.

James picks up the tie off the floor with a sigh and walks over to help me with it, he laces it around my neck and begins to knot, there's a deep knotted silence between us for a while, "This exactly why I left the company, all that pressure, and father, is not worth it. Life is too short."

"It's not the same for me, and you know that."

He doesn't say anything, even he couldn't deny it, we are different, he's the ideal son and I'm the mistake that ruined is ideal family.

"How's Helen?" I try to clear the air.

"Well, we broke up six months ago." He says with deep relief.

"I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Ending it was the best thing for the both of us. .." He smiles at the end of his sentence, "Besides, I might have met someone I like."

"Already?"

"Yeah, it just happened." He breaks another smile.

"I've never seen you grin like that, so whoever she is I approve."

His eyes light up at the mention.

"Wow, she's got you whipped. Is it someone I know?"

"Yeah, You've met.... I'll let you know later. Tonight is your night, let's focus on you and my sister-in-law." He gets all flustered and shy at the thought of this woman.

"Is she pretty?"

He snickers, "Looks doesn't matter to me, it never has, but yes, she's pretty."

"Then I approve."

"Not that I needed your approval but thank you, brother. Now, let's get you out there."

I nodded.

"As long as she makes you happy." At least, one of is. James has always been open about how he felt, whether it be love or our father, he had his boundaries and that's one thing I have admired about him, "You know father wants you to come back home."

"We both know what he wants and it's not to be the ideal father."

"He wants you back in the company." James has always expressed he didn't do any of it, he said he didn't turn out like our father. Our father, George Williams, Chairman of Trovelt International, one of the leading international automobile companies in the world, and a tyrant who treats his children like commodities to be exchanged for business deals, like this marriage.

"All done." James turns me towards the mirror, "You're a married man now, act like it."

I nodded and rubbed his hand on my shoulder, "Thank you, brother... Can I have a minute?"