Summertime Smiles.

24.

I stepped into the familiar surroundings of my childhood home, the memories of my past lingering in every corner. It had been five long years since I'd left, five years since I'd escaped the suffocating grip of my father's expectations. I'd worked tirelessly at Richard's Inn, my father's prized possession, while my brother Joseph got to jet off abroad in search of his "mental peace".

The irony still stung. Joseph, the golden child, got to travel the world, indulging in his every whim, while I was stuck here, slaving away for the family business. My father's reasoning still echoed in my mind - "Joseph needs to find himself, but you, my son, need to take responsibility".

Now, after a year and a half of living my own life, I'd returned to visit, to see if anything had changed.

But as I entered the house, I was met with the same familiar dynamics. My parents fawned over Joseph, still indulging his every need, while I was greeted with a mixture of guilt and expectation.

"Welcome back, son," my father said, his voice firm but laced with a hint of disappointment.

"We've missed you." Mom spoke.

But I knew the truth - they'd missed the son they thought I should be, not the man I'd become.

Chapter 24: Justice served.

"Stop this act." I spoke rudely.

They were astonished as they should be.

"How did you have the audacity to give my secretary to him?" I spoke, while glaring at my supposed father, a father without a purpose in my life ,father which gave me no guidance and only snatched away my mental peace.

"He's new. He needs someone professional." Dad retorted. He looked the least bothered by my uncomfortableness.

"There are a plenty of people for that job. Just say that you were feeling too itchy, not having seen me bothered since a long time." I scoffed bitterly afterwards.

Roberts rolled his eyes.

"Why are you misunderstanding me?.....dad I don't want anyone he once had either " Joseph spoke and rolled his eyes too.

"Oh please. Don't act all nice Infront of me." I spoke.

Mom held my arms as if all I do is fight and tangle others.

I pulled myself away from her hold upon hearing what my father spoke next.

"You can choose anyone else as your secretary, there's Mia, there's josh, there's danish, there's.......there's ambrian." Roberts said.

I scoffed mentally.

"So that you snatch them away too once I get comfortable?' i spoke bitterly.

He rolled his eyes again.

"You're misunderstanding your dad, Nathan.'' Mom said.

I looked at her in hatred.

"Obviously, you'd defend them. They are the most dearest to you while I'm just a outsider." I said. My heart was breaking into pieces and it wss hurting like hell but I remained strong Infront of them.

I walked out without another word said.

It hurt like hell so I messaged Benjamin to meet me at the bar.

"He's a dick..dude." he spoke after I blabberedd everything out after drinking five shots of beer.

"Yeah." I spoke while giggling.

"No one loves me." I said.

He looked at me in pity.

"No dude. There are alot who love you. Like me for example?" He chuckled.