The Gold and the Forest

VIII

Chapter 8: Defiance

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Kade was greeted in his house by his mother a day ago. It was a distasteful encounter, and Angel wasn't there to mediate because she took a flight straight back to Los Angeles the day before.

It's almost like Angel knew what was going to happen.

"Welcome back." The words that were supposed to be warm and welcoming became cold and lifeless falling out of his mother's mouth. He greeted her appropriately, as she trained him to. She smiled, in haughty approval, watching her trained dog perform the tricks she taught in the exact manner she wanted.

Until she saw the fire of defiance in his eyes. He no longer looked down on the floor, he met her gaze steadily.

"We're going to discuss a small matter in my office." She directed, then headed to her office.

He contemplated disobeying her and allying-ooping out the nearest window. Realizing that Carl had not taught him how to survive that, he followed her instead.

She let the door behind them close before she began speaking. Laying a hand on her papers, she spoke slowly, like she was laying out a plan. "About your—as you call it, girlfriend."

"Min is not an it, mother."

She waved away his comment, a patronizing laugh filling the room. "Don't pick at my words, Kade. I will not change what I said. I know this little girl has been suppressing your little problem."

He inhaled deeply.

"You have stopped going for the professional help that I have gotten you. It seems you have deemed yourself able enough to survive without it."

He readied a round of arguments.

She turned, smiling smugly, a proud look in her atrocious eyes. "I'm glad you are getting better."

Her words did not match her expression, and he halted.

"We all know this girl is temporary, and your promise to marry her—that is not serious, is it?"

Kade blinked.

His mother paced towards him, her heeled shoes sounding their every impact with the floor. She laughed again. "What an incredulous thought, my son will never marry for love. He cannot feel it."

He gritted his teeth, shutting his eyes.

"Once you finish using her to resolve your mental distractions, we will find someone more suitable as an addition to our family."

"You will never." He whispered.

There was a loud silence.

"There is no family." He spoke louder. "There is no family to add to. You have killed me, I am not your son. I am the doll you position for the shots."

"Do not speak to me that way."

"I will marry her." He smiled. "You will not stop me."

"Kade."

"You made me want to kill myself. You will not take me away from the one that helped me live."