Anomalous (Yanderes x reader)

[46] Betrayal

"That's too much, Cecil. You can't manage all of that."

Words that questioned his capability, words with an intent to discourage–were the kinds of words Cecil hated the most. He found out at the early age of twelve. Weird, right? On the way home, sitting in a car and talking about his aspirations, you'd think his parents would encourage him or, at the very least, listen with a smile. Every parent wanted their child to do something meaningful and ambitious.

Unfortunately, not his.

A young boy glanced out the window, watching the tall buildings pass.

"I can do it," he said. It almost sounded like he was sulking. "I know I can."

"Don't be naive," his mother snapped. As a child, Cecil instinctively flinched at the harsh tone. "Focus on becoming an AEI member. We're lucky you have decent exorcism abilities."

"I'm not saying I won't be an AEI member," the child argued. "I'm saying I will be an AEI member and run my business."

His father sighed. "You're not capable enough for that."

Cecil frowned. "You don't know that."

"It's reality, Cecil. Prodigies are few in between. You need to stop your ambitions now before you do illogical actions and end up losing everything," the man said, a note of finality in his voice.

Be safe, don't overshoot, and stick to what you know would work. That type of security and certainty was what his parents lived by.

Cecil hated it.

"Oh, and don't think I didn't notice you eyeing that makeup store," his mother said, a stressed sigh escaping her lips.

"It looks fun," Cecil said. "You can be expressive with makeup."

"I don't care if it's a little here and there, but don't stand out."

"But—"

His mother glared at him through the rearview mirror. "Do you understand?"

Cecil dug his nails into his lap to suppress himself from further arguing. "... I understand."

His parents could tell he didn't really mean it, but the compliance was enough for them. As a dependent child, it was hard to challenge your parents. Cecil always prided himself on being independent for his age, doing things here and there to earn his own pocket money and learning to take care of his necessities such as cooking and cleaning. He wanted as little reliance on his parents as possible. However, he wasn't in a position where he could support himself entirely.

The child glanced out the window just as they passed the AEI building. Tall, sleek, and expensive, it was the dream occupation. Cecil wondered what it would be like working there. Would he meet interesting people? People with ambitions bigger than his?

His thoughts sparked an excited flicker in his eyes. He couldn't wait to grow up.

Cecil's younger years teetered between the line of a rebellious son who could be disowned any second to a son any parent would be happy to show off. His parents would advise him against certain actions, but he'd do it anyway. Constantly shutting him down, humbling his abilities—it acted as fuel for his ambitions. The very fact that he was on a good path to becoming an AEI member kept his parents sane.

When Cecil hit his adult years, he earned a respectable AEI position as the operation design division head. His parents were overjoyed. They even had the nerve to show him off, proudly claiming credit for his success.

They began acting more supportive, encouraged him, and even dropped by his bar and asked how he was doing. However, the horror on their faces when they found out that he got a tattoo and engaged in the occasional promiscuous acts was oh-so-satisfying.