ENDLESS TEARS

Chapter Ten

If eyes could kill, I was pretty sure i should be dead already. I swallowed heavily as I thought I might have gone too far in my little melodramatic displays. Alex seemed to be boiling with rage as he marched to the place I was standing, seizing me by the shoulder. “Are you crazy woman?” he roared. “Was I not clear enough when I told you expressly to shut your stinking mouth? Do you have any idea as to the tenacity of what your stupidity has just caused?”

“Alex” the Senator bellowed. “How dare you constitute a nuisance of yourself in my presence? And when in the history of your life have you seen me rough handle your mother the way you are doing currently? Let go of her this instant” the Senator was on his feet in anger. I had trouble determining whose anger seemed greater as they both glared; Alex glared at me, the senator glared at Alex. The equation became balanced when the senator’s wife turned to glare at her husband.
 
“Mark, you should be in support of your son instead of scolding him because of this piece of trash here. I don’t blame Alex for treating her like a maid, she certainly looks like one.”

“Will you shut up woman” he barked at her as he faced her. “Do I blame Alex? I wonder what devil transformed him into this, and I would wager that the devil looks very much like you” she gasped and her face turned red.  Alex’s fingers dug into my shoulder painfully. I had definitely done everything wrongly, I thought sternly. As much as I disliked my evil looking mother-in-law, I did not want everyone to get insulted because of me. I opened my mouth to speak but before I could jump in, the senator proceeded. “Why do I have the strange feeling that the whole ‘maid’ thing was your idea?” he glared at her.
 
“Are you insulting my mum because of this thing dad?” Alex rasped and his anger seemed to have increased several degrees.
 
“This ‘thing’ is the woman you impregnated, and as long as you remain my son, you would have to accept her. If you don’t love her, learn to.” He said with a dead serious look on his face.
 
“I am a grown up man dad. As much as I respect you as my father, you cannot teach me how to run my family. I am capable to do whatever I damn well please in my own home, irrespective of your opinions. You know me well enough to know that I don’t take orders from anyone” he took his hands off me and stood taller, like an immovable pillar. I knew without a doubt that he was dead serious. I could not imagine anyone making Alex do what he did not want to do. Even though he was coerced into marrying me, I wondered how he had been pressured into the messy arrangement.
 
The Senator smiled dangerously, making my heart skip in fear as I anticipated what he was about to say. Alex was so much like his dad in so many ways, I noted, as they faced each other. I wondered within splits of seconds why Alex took everything from his dad, except his dad’s character; although the charming character had been evident in the village. It was probably just deceptive pretense, with the sole aim of getting into my pants, I thought. My thoughts came back to the sitting room when the Senator paced gently, circling Alex and I.
 
“You, my son, are probably the most stubborn man on earth, I agree, but you should know that every stubborn man has a father. If I remember correctly, Amara’s father threatened to disown her if she did not get married to you.” My heart raced as my eyes widened at the direction his words were going.
 
“Sir” I called, pleading.
 
“Be quiet, Amara, I am talking to my son” he scolded and my lips slammed shut.
 
He continued. “I would not threaten to disown you, because, apparently, you are my only child. However, the child in Amara’s womb in most definitely my grandchild and I would not have you subjecting her into unpleasant duties. If you refuse to treat Amara, your wife, with the respect she deserves, I would withdraw you from your position as the head of ‘The Bellos Crow’”

“What?” Alex gasped out as the words sank in. I was pretty sure I was as pale as a plain sheet. What have I done?
 
“You can’t be serious honey?” The senator’s wife said in horror.
 
“You can’t do that dad; I have spent several years of my life serving the company. You surely would not take it from me now.” He gasped out. I vaguely wondered how that was even possible since he just finished his service but that was the least of my worries.
 
“I can, and I will do just that Alex. Not only that, you would no longer be a member of the board at Belzinc. I say what I mean Alex, you know that”