Chapter 90 CURE FOR GAYNESS
“Please— please stop…”
Eli’s voice came out broken, barely holding together as the cold water hit his head again. It soaked his hair, ran down his face, slipped into his eyes, his nose, his mouth. He coughed, choking, trying to breathe through it.
Henry stood in front of him, empty bucket in hand, chest rising and falling with anger.
“You can’t be gay,” Henry said, his voice sharp, like every word was meant to cut. “You’re my son. You’re a man. You can’t let that bastard win me twice.”
Eli’s head hung low, water dripping from his chin. His body felt weak and heavy. The ropes around his wrists dug into his skin every time he tried to move.
Henry turned to the man standing by the wall.
“Are you sure it’s working?”
The man nodded carefully. “It takes time, sir.”
Eli let out a shaky breath. “Please… stop…”
Henry snapped his head back toward him. “No.”
He stepped closer.
“You’re my son. It’s my job to fix you. It's on me to make sure you are not a faggot. I spent money on this medicine for you. The medicine will cure you of this gay nonsense, just stop trying to throw up.”
Eli shook his head weakly, his stomach twisting again. “It’s making me sick… please… stop… I’m not gay, okay? I’m not— just stop… I’ll do anything you want…”
Henry paused.
There was a slow, dangerous smile on his face.
“Anything I want?”
Eli swallowed hard. “Yes… just… please…”
Henry leaned closer, his voice dropping.
“Will you kill Julian for me?”
Eli's breath caught.
Slowly, weakly, he shook his head.
“I… I can’t…”
Henry’s expression hardened instantly.
“Oh, you can’t?” he said, mocking. “But you said you’d do anything.”
Eli’s voice trembled. “I’m not a killer…”
Henry’s hand came fast, hitting Eli across the face.
Smack.
Eli’s head snapped to the side.
“That’s your problem!” Henry barked. “Weak! Always weak!”
Eli’s ears rang. His vision blurred.
“I’m not a killer…” he repeated, softer this time, like he was trying to convince himself too.
“Why? You're trying so hard to hate me, you don't want to be like me?”
Eli bit his lips, and started sobbing.
Henry grabbed the chair and kicked it hard.
The legs scraped violently against the floor before tipping over. Eli fell with it, his body slamming sideways, pain shooting through his ribs.
Henry grabbed the chair again and forced it upright.
“Answer me when I talk to you!”
Eli gasped, trying to steady his breathing.
Henry paced in front of him like a caged animal.
“That’s why you ran to Paul, isn’t it?” he continued. “You thought I was the monster and he wasn’t.”
Eli shook his head weakly. “No…”
Henry laughed, but there was no humor in it.
“You think he’s a saint?”
Eli’s eyes lifted slowly.
Henry leaned down, voice low and venomous.
“He used you.”
Eli froze.
“What…?”
“He used you,” Henry repeated. “That old man is not some poor, kind grandfather. He worked for Julian’s father. He handed over his own daughter, your mother, like she meant nothing.”
Eli’s breathing started to shake.
“No…”
Henry continued like he didn’t even hear him.
“Paul let me do all the dirty work while he sat back and played innocent. While Thorne fucked my woman on a yacht, that old bastard watched and said nothing.”
Eli’s head moved slowly from side to side.
“No… that’s not true…”
“And you,” Henry said, pointing at him, “you let his son do the same to you.”
Eli’s chest tightened.
“No…”
“Paul is a snake,” Henry snapped. “He could have paid his hospital bills anytime. But no— he needed to keep pretending to be poor so his retirement remains peaceful. So he let you run around like a fool, working yourself to death for him.”
Tears started falling again.
“That’s not true…” Eli whispered.
Henry crouched in front of him.
“You saw how fast Julian moved him to a better room, didn’t you? You think that just happened? No. That was part of the deal. You saw how Julian placed him under protection after he sold you to Julian just like he sold your mother to Julian's father? Paul— I'm gonna fucking kill him.”
Eli’s lips trembled.
“No…”
“Paul sold you,” Henry said coldly. “Just like he sold your mother.”
Eli broke.
“No!” His voice cracked, loud, desperate. “No, he didn’t—he wouldn’t—!”
Henry stood up straight, shaking his head.
“You are still so stupid after all these years.”
Eli kept shaking his head, tears falling faster.
“No… no… Grandpa wouldn’t…”
Henry watched him for a moment, then asked quietly,
“How naive of you. Even after all these years, you still disappoint me with your dull thinking ability.Tell me this… why didn’t you run from Julian?”
Eli froze.
“Hmm?” Henry pressed. “You ran from me. Why didn’t you run from him?”
Eli bit his lip, trying to stop the sob building in his chest.
Henry kicked the chair again, making Eli flinch.
“Answer me!”
Eli cried out, the words breaking out of him. “I wanted to run!” His voice shook. “I did… I wanted to… but—” He struggled to breathe. “But he’s not like you…”
Henry’s eyes darkened.
“With him…” Eli continued, his voice soft, raw, “I don’t have to try so hard… I don’t have to be something else…”
His fingers curled slightly against the ropes.
“He doesn’t… he doesn’t demand things from me…”
Tears kept falling.
“He makes me feel safe…”
Henry’s jaw tightened.
“For once… I’m not the one making sure everything is alright…” Eli whispered. “When something bad happens… he protects me first…”
His voice broke completely.
“When you blew up his car… he made sure I was safe… and he didn't blame me.”
Silence filled the room for a second.
Eli’s shoulders shook.
“I got tired… he takes care of me, so I got lazy…” he admitted softly. “Even when I hated being married to a man … I liked being with him…”
Henry moved, and he hit Eli again.
Smack.
Eli’s head snapped again.
“Shut up!”
Henry grabbed his collar, pulling him forward.
“Did you forget you’re a man too?!”
Eli cried harder now.
“But you left me!” he shouted, his voice breaking. “Why do you care now?!”
Henry pushed him back. “Left you?” he scoffed. “You ran away!”
“I didn’t run!” Eli cried. “I waited for you!”
That stopped Henry for a second.
Eli’s chest rose and fell quickly. “I waited for you to come for me… I wanted you to love me…” His voice dropped. “I wanted you to see me as your child… not as a weak liability who wouldn't stop drawing on your walls…”
Henry’s face twisted.
“I wanted a father…” Eli whispered. “But you never wanted to be one…”
Henry’s expression turned cold again.
“You’re pathetic.”
Eli flinched.
“That is why you turned out gay. Henry continued. “Too soft. Always crying. Always talking about love and dreams like a stupid child. You couldn't be a man, you want love and you draw shit all over the wall and won't stop talking about your dream to be an artist. I tried to raise you into a real man.”
Eli shut his eyes tight.
“I tried to fix you,” Henry said. “I told you those dreams were useless. I tried to make you a man. I reminded you that those stupid dreams are just dreams.”
His voice grew louder.
“But you kept crying. Kept drawing on walls. Kept talking nonsense until I had to beat it out of you.”
Eli’s shoulders shook violently now.
Henry sighed, annoyed, and lit another cigarette.
Smoke filled the air slowly.
He looked at Eli with disgust.
“If this drug doesn’t fix you…”
He took a drag.
“…I’ll kill you.”
Eli’s breath hitched, tears streamed down his face as he sat there, tied, and shaking.