My Ex-Boyfriend's Uncle

Chapter 5

Matthew’s POV-

Family dinners are the one thing in the world that I should love, but I do hate them. I only hate them, because it means I will have to see my half-brother and his son. My nephew, Dylan, was nowhere in sight this evening at this family dinner, which is no surprise. He avoids coming if he can, but he does come a lot more than I do. But in the last couple of years, I have found myself coming to dinners a lot more. There are a few reasons I do not like seeing my half-brother and nephew. My father’s blatant favoritism towards my half-brother, despite everything bad that my half-brother has done. Then there is the utter hatred and abuse I used to receive from my half-brother growing up, until he married and had my nephew when I was only five years old. My half-brother did not like our father marrying someone younger and having me, after his mother had died years before. Then my father forced him to marry someone he did not want to, because he knocked her up. That was when my nephew was born. My father has covered up many things that my half-brother has done. Now, my half-brother continues that cycle with Dylan.

My father still chooses them over me, when I have never done anything wrong my entire life. The moment I was old enough to start working, I did, while I continued my education. I have a master’s degree in business. When I turned eighteen, I was given full access to all my inheritance money, and my trust fund. I used it to immediately start my own business, which continued to grow while I was in university. Now, twelve years on, my company has become a national success story, providing hundreds of thousands of jobs, and is starting to branch out on to the global stage. Even my mother says that my father is putting his trust and pride in the wrong son. Something I tend to agree with.

But despite all of that, I was civil with them. I wanted to quietly build evidence against them, so that when they go too far, which I know one day they will, I can hand all the information and evidence over to the police and to the newspapers. It will over all drag my last name through the mud, but I have a press release plan in place if and when it goes into the papers.

After we had dinner, we headed to sit in the sitting room in my parents’ mansion. The room was just sofas and armchairs around a fireplace. A small drinks bar, display shelves full of ornaments and pictures, and finally, bookshelves that are full of books. I sat close to the fireplace, while my father lit the fire, before he took a seat next to my mother. They sat opposite me and my half-brother, James.

“So, James, how come my grandson did not come this evening,” Dad asked.

“He said he was going to watch the football match with some friends, and then surprise his girlfriend, Eilith,” James replied.

“When are we going to see Eilith again? She was such a lovely and proper young lady for today’s generation,” Mum said.

I mean she wasn’t wrong; I had only met her twice. I think I found myself wanting to come to family events more after I first met her, when Dylan brought her to a family event. She was beautiful, smart, confident, and quite funny. That was what I thought of her the first time I met her, but the second time, she seemed more quiet and less confident. It certainly did leave me wondering what the hell Dylan was doing to her, for her to become like that. I hoped that I could help her before it was too late.

“Honestly, I am not sure. Dylan doesn’t deserve her,” James muttered.

“Why would you say that,” Dad inquired.

“Well, remember all the trouble I caused you when I was his age. Well, he is far worse. How she has not discovered the things he is up to and does when she isn’t about, I do not know,” James replied.

Well, that is going to spawn a whole world of trouble the moment she discovers what he does, and she tries to leave. Dad shook his head, “You will need to sort that boy out before he damages our name. I won’t stand for it. Our company could plummet if the papers find out about his actions, just like it could have happened when you caused trouble.”

“I know, I am just grateful, you knew the right people,” James smiled.

Dad knows everybody, so of course, he could easily sweep things under the rug. So does James. I worked hard to make sure I knew better people. That was when I got a text from my friend on the police force, he informed me that my nephew had been arrested on Grievous Bodily Harm charges. I didn’t reply. Fortunately, the text came through as a notification on my smartwatch, so I didn’t need to look at my phone. Handy devices, when you don’t want people to think you are ignoring them by looking at your phone. I was not going to say a single word to my family about this. I was going to wait and watch to see if James got a call or text from someone on the police force. That way I could give that name to my friend, and he can begin investigating that individual for bribery or whatever other charges could stick.

“Yes, well, it still shouldn’t happen. I do not know where it went wrong with raising you, James. I am just glad that Matthew never caused trouble,” Dad said.

“Matthew is always going to be the goody two shoes in the family,” James chuckled.

“That is because I have an image to uphold. I built my company from the ground up. Twelve years and I am stepping on to the international stage now, so I must be on my best behavior,” I said.

“Yet, you are thirty, and have only achieved that. When are you marrying and producing an heir to the company you have created,” James retorted.

“Yes, I am thirty, and I still have plenty of good years left in me. I am just waiting for the right woman to come into my life,” I rolled my eyes at his retort.

Before James could reply, his phone started ringing. He pulled it from his pocket, and his brow furrowed. I was able to catch a glimpse of the name, and it was the name of the deputy chief of the Metropolitan police force. I knew he had someone in the police force that was helping cover things up. Dad asked, “Who is it?”

“A business associate, I believe this call is important, so I will just step out to take it,” his face did the little twitch thing it does when he is lying.

I rolled my eyes, and watched him leave the room, closing the door behind him. Dad looked at me and asked, “Why did you roll your eyes?”

“Did you not see that he was lying? His face does this little twitch thing with his mouth when he is lying,” I replied.

“He wouldn’t lie to me,” Dad retorted.

“Just ask him when he comes back. See what he says,” I shrugged.

Dad was about to say something back to me, but Mum gripped his hand and shook her head.

“On a different note, do you have any plans on dating to find the right woman for you,” Mum asked.

“At the moment, not really. I am too busy with getting my company on an international stage,” I replied.

“Come on, there must have been someone in recent years that has taken your fancy,” Mum raised an eyebrow.

There was someone, but I didn’t want to say who. Mostly because people will think it is wrong of me to want to take my own nephew’s girlfriend away from him. Eilith was by far the only girl in recent years to capture my attention. Her intelligence, beauty, and elegance made her the perfect woman in my eyes. But she is my nephew’s girlfriend, so I could not ask her out. That it would be wrong of me to do that. I guess I was silent for a little too long, thinking of how I should answer that question, while my thoughts got side tracked, thinking about Eilith.

“I can tell by your silence that there was someone,” Mum said.

“There was someone, but sadly she is in a relationship. So, I will have to keep searching for now,” I replied.

Before Mum could say anything else, James walked back in, with his coat in hand. Dad’s brow furrowed, “What is wrong, son? Why do you have your coat? Who really called you?”

James sighed, “I must go and get my i***t son out of jail. He has been arrested on GBH charges. My friend in the force just contacted me about it.”

“Who did he attack, or was it self-defense,” Dad asked.

Like that matters, he committed a crime.

“Apparently, he attacked his girlfriend, because she was trying to leave him, after she caught him cheating. That is all I know right now, but I must go. Thank you for dinner,” James replied, before leaving the room in complete shock.