The Forbidden Apple

Chapter 6

Thomas:

“Why? Just why would you hire the girl here after you told me to stay away from her?” I asked mum once everyone had left. Her eyes met mine and she raised an eyebrow at me, looking me up and down before she walked back inside the living room. The woman was still angry with me, I was aware of that. But that gave her no right to do what she did right now. The fact that she brought the girl that she knew I had feelings for, the girl that I was with and SHE made me break up with. Why would she be doing so?

“Mother…”

“How did you even know that she’s here? Weren’t you the one who said that you would be staying at your apartment? So, what brings you here?” Mum asked angrily and I raised an eyebrow at her.

“Last I checked this was MY father’s house, whether I was to stay at the apartment or here was MY choice. I don’t think I need to ask for permission on where I’ll be staying” I answered glaring at mum who raised an eyebrow at me.

“This may be your father’s house, but it is mine as well and since you’re choosing to follow the girl; you have nothing in this house or its wealth” mum said and I had to fight back snapping at her.

“The man is MY son, and the house is MINE. He would be free to roam his father’s belongings, to go where he pleases and to leave whenever he pleases. Should that bother you, there you go, there’s the door” dad said from behind me, my eyes widened and mum looked at my father, her husband, then at me. Not expecting him to hear such a conversation between us “who are you to decide what belongs to him and what doesn’t? In case YOU forgot, nothing belongs to you, everything is his, his brother’s, and his sisters’. You have NOTHING”

I looked down at my feet avoiding both of them, it was true. Mum had signed an agreement, based on dad’s request, that NOTHING belongs to her. Except for the wedding ring that was on her finger, everything was father’s whatever she wore, whatever she had, jewels, houses, cars. Nothing was hers. Well, that is if we’re not including the ten percent investment share he gave her of the company when she gave birth to me, having been happy about having his first son. He gifted mum with a ten percent share of the company.

“My son get what he wants, he comes and goes as he pleases, and YOU have nothing to say or do about this. Am I making myself clear?” Dad asked mum who nodded not saying a word. I knew that she was internally curing the day of father’s existence, and that this conversation should’ve never taken place at home. Mum was already at risk of losing her marriage and I knew that any mistake would cause her hell. But I had no other option, nor did I know that dad was coming home or was home in the first place.

“Your son was in a relationship with a waitress…”

“And you’re complaining about that? Are you forgetting where YOU came from?” Father said and my eyes went wide.

“Father, that is enough” I said stopping father who turned to look at me. His eyes widened as he realized that I stopped him, but I shook my head at the man not wanting him to cross his line anymore than he already has. What happened couldn’t change now, but that gave father no right to insult mum the way he was right now. Especially not in front of me.

“The woman is still the mother of your sons, and as her son I cannot allow you to speak with her in such a manner nor can I allow you to disrespect her like that” I said looking my dad in the eye. He studied my expression and I raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to respond to me but he nodded and put his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it lightly.

“Alright, we’ll have things as you wish. Don’t forget to get yourself ready for work this Monday” dad said and I nodded.

“Work?” Mum asked frowning in confusion.

“Yes, Thomas would be taking charge of one of my companies for the next few months, and if he proves himself, I’ll be retiring and he’ll be taking my place in the head department office” dad said making mum’s eyes widen. She looked at me then at father before her eyes met mine.

“Why don’t I know of this?”

“Do you need to know of what I plan to do with my sons? The companies are theirs anyway, they were bound to take a seat in them and do their parts there” dad said casually, his expression filled with disgust and distrust toward mum. It saddened me that they reached this state, according to Lilian’s mum, Aunt Cecile, he and mum had a nice relationship. It also saddened me that mum was the reason he and Aunt Cecile got a divorce in the first place, the man was attracted to mum and left his wife for his secretary.

“I will be in my office for the night, don’t wait for me in bed”

I watched as dad walked back into his office leaving both me and mum alone in the living room by the door “one day, very soon, that stupid office of yours will be my shoe closet”

Mum muttered under her breath and I had to fight back laughing, shaking my head at her, I wrapped my arms around her before she could process anything “thank you for what you did and what you said”

“You know that I’d never let him disrespect you” I whispered to mum, it was true. Her and I could get into numerous fights and arguments, but I would never let him hurt her feelings or break her heart. The man had done that for years when I was younger, I couldn’t fend for mum as I didn’t understand what they were talking about or why he was doing so. Then I grew older and I knew that what he was doing what wrong toward her, no woman deserved being insulted that way. No matter what she did, she was to be respected and appreciated. That wasn’t the case with dad who saw every little mistake mum did, forgetting that she ever had anything that was good or anything that she ever did for him or the family.

“Now, why didn’t you tell me that he hired you in one of the companies?”

“Well, if you would’ve allowed me to talk rather than separate me from the girl that I like, and fight to plot a few schemes then you would’ve found out” I said raising an eyebrow at mum who laughed shaking her head at me.

She frowned for a second before her expression turned back to a smile, I frowned in confusion but didn’t speak of her sudden change of mood and demeanor. She put a hand on my shoulder and attempted to take off my jacket, I hadn’t taken it off when I walked inside the house.

“No love, I’m not staying for the night. I’m just coming to get my things, then I’ll be leaving” I said taking mum’s hand off my shoulder and softly kissing her knuckle.

“Your things?” Mum asked frowning in confusion. Despite having my own apartment, I didn’t bother taking my things with me, keeping them here. My apartment was just my place when I wanted to be alone or when I wanted to bring a random girl home. I had never brought Kiara there, nor did I think of it, having found a girl that I really liked. I didn’t want to lose her by bringing her there.

“Yes, I’m moving there, mum. I can no longer stay here” I said making mum’s eyes widen, she shook her head at me and I smiled at her “I believe it’s time for me to start alone, it won’t mean that I won’t be coming here. But things have to change somehow” I said looking at mum who shook her head once more as tears filled her eyes.

“No, you can’t leave…”

“Mum, love, I am twenty-five, I can’t keep being treated like a fifteen-year-old kid…”

“You’re my son”

“Me moving out of the house will not change that” I said gently “but I need my time alone”

“Your time alone doesn’t mean that you need to leave…” mum tried reasoning but I shook my head at her, she didn’t understand what I was talking about, or maybe she did but she was refusing to listen or to accept it and I knew the reason behind that, she was both afraid of what father would do when I wasn’t around and her losing whatever power she believed she had through me.

She didn’t admit it, but the woman was simply powerful in this house because she knew that I would stand in the face of whoever tried crossing the line with her. But what she didn’t know or process was that even I had my own limit and she had crossed that a long time ago.

“I will leave mum, my decision is final in this one. If you wish to accept me coming as a guest in your house for lunch, dinner, or even breakfast at times. Then I’d be happy to join, but I can no longer stay here, I’m sorry…”

*********************

“You can’t be serious?” Daniel said walking inside my room without knocking the door, I raised an eyebrow at the kid who barged inside my bedroom in such a manner.

“Hello to you too”

“Thomas, what is this about mum saying that you’re leaving?” Daniel asked looking at me, he closed my suit case which I was putting my clothes in and I raised an eyebrow at him.

“I am moving to my apartment, not the other side of the globe. What the hell?” I asked looking my brother in the eye.

“Why would you leave the house to begin with? Have you lost your mind? This place is your home!” Daniel tried reasoning and I smiled.

“So is my apartment. Look Dani, I’m no longer a kid, I can’t keep hiding under mum’s skirt or behind father’s money. I need to try and do something for myself and that would be impossible if I stay here under mum’s endless rules. Plus, the house is a ten minute drive, all you have to do is call me and I’ll pick you up or have Igor bring you over whenever you want” I said looking my brother in the eye. He looked down at my suit case and nodded, removing his hand from on top of it and opening it for me, helping me fix the bag “I won’t be far, nor would I neglect you as my brother. But even I need my space at times”

“I understand, everyone’s put you under so much pressure lately, I can’t blame you for wanting to leave”

“Believe me, it has nothing to do with that, I’ve handled a lot worse. I just need my time alone for a bit” I said looking at my brother who nodded. His eyes met mine and I smiled as we fixed the bag together.

It was finally time for a fresh start.