Coerced

Chapter 5

Shannon's POV

It's been more than a month since Mr Luke died. His last 15 days were torturous not only for him but for the people around to see him suffer. He would collapse in a glimpse of an eye as for the growing tumor in his brain. However he continued to work with endurance in spite of my repeated requests for him to take leave.

After he left this world, the accountancy work began to pile up like a mountain. There were so many applications reaching my enterprise tempted by the high salaries we offer but there was hardly any prospective candidate who could manage the complicated accounts of our multilateral firm.

Our purchase executive Mr Brad who is an accountancy postgraduate is presently dealing with the numbers but I know he wouldn't be able to manage for long because of the growing requirements. Apart from taking care of purchase ledgers he is a prospective employee of our company to grab the next promotion of the chief operation officer.

With the passing days because of not being able to find a suitable candidate my frustration declared no boundaries. The interviews conducted during last week too failed miserably. "Hi brother, what's the plan for today? It's already Friday evening man and time to chill and enjoy. Come let's go to a club and loosen up." My brother cited with excitement.

I thought about the proposal for a moment. With the complications coiling up in the office I badly needed a break from work and waved a green flag. "Let's catch up at Ramola's." Adam waxes lyrical.

I went home after work, showered and got dressed in denim jeans and a white T-shirt. Applying little bit of gel to my black hair I was prepared to chill up. Spraying my favorite cologne I looked at myself in the mirror. A smile automatically laces on my rugged features. I was too peremptory to be so handsome. But l won't make a publicity of it.

All set I jumped into my black Ferrari and drove off to my favorite nightclub The Ramolas. But very few know I also owned it. I went to the bar to grab a glass of Tequila and drowned myself with alcohol when my brother interrupted. "Hey bro, a little slow man, or you will drop down."

I just looked at him with dripped eyes and a blonde came to me swaying her hips. It was time to relax, right? So I decided to taste the Colleen and waved bye-bye to my brother taking her to one of the executive suites.

At around 2:00 am in the night, I got a call. The person on the other line spoke "Hello we are speaking from Holy city hospital. Am I speaking to Mr Shannon Clandevis?" I answered in the affirmative. And the receptionist of the hospital told me that my brother had been admitted in the hospital for an accident on drunk driving.

Shit!

Within ten minutes I was in the hospital along with my parents comforting my mom who had almost turned hysterical after looking at the motionless form of my brother. Dad was trying to console her but he was breaking too. The doctor entered the room and signaled me to the exit. I followed him praying for my brother's life.

Making a note of my anxiousness the doctor apprised me of the hard truth. "Adam has meager chances of survival with multiple organ failure. His kidneys failed, liver got damaged hitting a rock and lungs stopped functioning after getting steered to a sudden shock."

My legs became shaky as I learned about the crucial veracity. Dropping to the chair I listen to the doctor's diction wrecked in a chaos. I am the person responsible for my brother's death. Alcohol overpowered my senses and my mind went out of its accurate stature. The holistic gospel was torturing me to odds and ends. Had I been vigilant on my drinks and used my rationality, I would have chosen my brother to a whore. A driver could have been hired to drop us home and Adam would have been alive today.

I let my brother drive home in his half conscious state because I was drunk too and was not able to make a lateral decision. My eyes go moistened, suffering the guilt. I succumbed to carnal pleasures and chose an unbound woman over my family in a state of dopiness. Making a lone implausible decision had cost me a sin of perpetuity which changed my life forever. How long am I to suffer the weighted loss of my brother?

The doctor looked at me with consoling eyes. He patted my shoulder and left the room giving me the privacy that was most required by me and my family at that moment. However before his departure I had one question to ask him.

"Can I have the details of the family that had to bear the brunt of my brother's recklessness?"