The Elites

Chapter 15

Jeremiah

"What is the meaning of this?"

I froze the moment I heard a loud thud on the table like someone had just hit it with a really big book. Christian had just hit it, probably with his iPad. I swallowed hard, taking another step towards my father's study, being as careful as I could, so no one would hear me. The last thing I needed was getting caught eavesdropping.

I peeped in through the little space the door had made, due to not being closed completely. Christian must have forgotten to check the door before he went on to interrupt my father's reading. I squinted my eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of my father but I couldn't. Christians whole body was standing in the way, right in front of the carved wooden table in front of him. My palms were becoming sweaty again, because I knew exactly what was happening and why.

"How far are you trying to go with this?" Christian's voice was loud enough. "How long do you intend to keep humiliating me like this?!" Now he was yelling so loudly. I watched my father's hands slowly drop his glasses on the table.

"Do my feelings not mean anything to you? Don't I mean anything to you? Why do you keep letting him in my way?"

"If you have something to say Christian," my father's hoarse voice echoed around the room. I froze still, I had almost forgotten how terrified I was of his voice. How terrified we all were. Maybe that was because I hadn't heard him talk to me in a long time. "Sit down and we can talk about this like grown ups."

I had also forgotten how diplomatic my father was, always trying to settle everything with conversations and a peaceful approach. He was never really the kind to demand respect or talk too much. Even with all the crazies in our lives, he always managed to remain calm. Maybe it was because he was the originator of all our crazies.

"First, you bring him home!," Christian continued, his voice was still so loud. "And then you want him to live here and school here, and now, you're giving him a place in Benoil. What's next? Are you going to send him to business school? Give him the company? When would you stop playing with our lives? When would you stop playing with my life?! Fifteen percent? Why should he have fifteen percent? Why should he have the same amount of shares that I do? I put all my work and sweat in that company! I've worked so hard for Benoil all my life, and he does nothing but live recklessly and cause trouble wherever he goes for the past ten years, and you're just going to hand over fifteen percent of my company's worth to him!"

"Benoil is not your company. Benoil is my company and Jeremiah is my son. All of my children had a number of shares to their name the day they were born. It's only natural he gets the same benefit."

"All your children were awarded five percent shares the day they were born. Kodi and Nicholas still have their five percent, I had to work hard for seven years to prove myself worthy of the extra ten percent I was given, something your precious son can never relate to. He just comes back and you're just going to give him fifteen percent for not doing anything? Aren't you going to stop? Why do you keep forcing him on us and rubbing it in all our faces? Why would you keep disrespecting her memory like this!"

I let out an exasperated sigh, pressing my fingers hard against each other.

"I wonder if anything has really changed since he left. If you've really changed. If you're really sorry for your sins, because we know the reason you suddenly brought your precious son back is because you still miss her. It's because he reminds you of her, but what about me? What about the part of my life he destroyed? The part of my life you both destroyed! Why do you keep sending him my way? Why do I have to stand him? Why do I have to keep seeing his face, and breathing the same air with him? Why do I have to share anything with him? Why do I have to be in competition with him when he owes me everything - when you both owe me everything!"

"Aren't you too old to be throwing tantrums!" My father raised his voice immediately, standing up to his feet hurriedly. "Who are you to tell me what to do with my company's shares? Who are you to tell me how to run my house?"

"Who am I?"

"Ten years, it's been ten years. When will you let go of this childish hate you have for your own brother?"

Christian scoffed.

"What?" I guess he couldn't believe that.

"All he has ever done is try to make up for what happened, to please you. All I've done is try to make up for the loss you went through as a child, I sent him away all those years because it was what you wanted, because you said you needed him to leave, because his presence made you so upset, thinking it was going to give you enough time to heal. He even went away because he wanted you to be better. All he cares about is you, when are you going to let go and embrace him as your baby brother? Jeremiah is my son and he deserves to be here just as much as you, and the rest of my children. If you can not accept that, anyone that can not accept that is free to leave my house this instant! And my company too."

"I see." Christians voice wasn't as loud anymore. "That's what you really wanted isn't it? That's what you've always wanted, to get rid of me just like you got rid of her, give what's mine to someone else- my birthright." He scoffed. "Fine. I'd leave your house! I'd leave your house because I can't stand you just as much as I can't stand him. I'd leave your house because I can't breathe the same air and eat the same food as he does. Because I hate him just as much as I hate you. I'd leave your house because if I don't, someone might actually die and it's going to be me or your precious son. I might end up killing him."

"Do whatever you want. If killing him is going to make you feel better after all these years then do it."

My father made himself comfortable into his seat once more.

"Leave my office." He told Christian. "I have a lot of things to do, and I won't entertain a full grown man throwing tantrums in my face  like a teenager or a child deprived of breast milk."

I cringed away from the door the moment I heard footsteps approach it. The door opened quickly and then Christian got out. I could feel the aura of anger hovering around him, feel it from where I stood and the moment we exchanged glances, everything felt so cold. He eyed me for a really short time and then stormed away before I could even say anything. What could I have possibly said to change his mood? There was nothing.

I turned to the door.

There was nothing at all.