Chapter 94 Perfect Son
Mia’s POV
That night, after I left her, the drive home felt endless. The city lights blurred past my windshield, but I barely noticed them. My hands were tight around the steering wheel, my chest aching with every breath I took. Her words kept replaying in my head, over and over, refusing to fade.
I don’t know if it’s a good idea for us to keep seeing each other.
She had not said goodbye. She had not said she was done. And somehow, that was the only thing keeping me from completely falling apart. A part of me clung to that small hope, fragile and foolish, because if she had broken up with me that night, I knew I would not have accepted it. I would have begged. I would have stayed. I would have done something reckless just to keep her from letting go.
When I finally reached my house, the silence felt heavier than usual. I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling, sleep refusing to come. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face. Hurt. Tired. Trying so hard to be strong even while pushing me away. And the worst part was knowing that I had put that look there.
Morning came too quickly.
I dragged myself out of bed feeling exhausted, like I had not rested at all. I got dressed for school, my body moving on instinct, my mind still trapped in the night before. I told myself I should respect her words. I told myself I should give her space.
But my feet still carried me to her apartment.
I stood outside their door longer than I should have, my heart pounding as if I were about to face something I already knew would destroy me. When the door finally opened, it was Josh, his expression guarded, almost apologetic.
“She left early,” he said.
The words hit me harder than I expected.
“She told me to tell you to give her space, Liam,” he added before I could even speak.
I swallowed, my throat tight, desperation creeping into my voice. “Josh, please. Help me.”
He looked at me for a long moment, and I could see it in his eyes. The pity. The frustration. The truth he did not want to say out loud.
“I really want to help you,” he said quietly. “But do you honestly think we can go against your father’s decision? Do you think he will make things easy for Mia?”
I stayed silent, my chest tightening.
“She already lost so much,” Josh continued. “And I don’t think you want her to suffer more.”
Something in his tone made my stomach drop.
“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, already fearing the answer.
“Mia was fired last night,” he said. “Our boss let her go. And it was because your father didn’t want her near you.”
The world seemed to tilt.
I curled my fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms as the pain finally sank in. Fired. Because of me. Because of my name. Because of my family.
Josh did not stop there. His jaw tightened as if the words themselves tasted bitter.
“That was your father’s way of sending a message,” he continued. “A warning to Mia. A way of telling her to stay away from his precious son.”
I felt my chest constrict.
“He wanted her to understand that no matter how hard she tried, no matter how good she was, she would never belong in your world,” Josh said quietly. “He wanted to remind her where she stands.”
The cruelty of it hit me all at once.
I had known my father was powerful. I had known he disapproved. But I never imagined the damage would reach this far, that he would go after the one thing Mia worked so hard to protect. Her job. Her independence. Her dignity.
Guilt crushed my chest until it hurt to breathe. Mia had not pushed me away because she stopped caring. She pushed me away because loving me was destroying her life.
And that realization hurt more than any rejection ever could.
“Thank you, Josh,” I said quietly, forcing myself to meet his eyes. “Thank you for always being there for her.”
My voice wavered despite my effort to keep it steady.
“I know I’m asking for too much,” I continued, the weight of every word pressing heavily on my chest. “But please… don’t leave her. She needs someone right now. Someone who won’t make her feel alone.”
I swallowed hard, the pain tightening with every breath I took.
“I can’t promise that I’ll stay away from her,” I admitted honestly. “But for Mia’s sake, I will try. I don’t want to be another reason she gets hurt.”
The silence that followed felt heavy, final. I turned away before the ache in my chest could spill into something worse.
When I left their apartment, I did not drive straight to school. I could not. The thought of sitting in a classroom, pretending everything was normal, felt impossible. Instead, I found myself driving back to our house, my mind clouded with anger, guilt, and regret.
I had left the mansion early that morning, hoping I could talk to Mia. Hoping I could at least see her face, even from a distance. I never imagined I would return carrying the knowledge that she had lost her job because of me.
By the time I arrived home, my hands were shaking. I walked straight into the dining hall, my steps heavy with every memory of the night before. And I was right.
My parents were still there, seated at the long table, eating breakfast as if nothing had happened. As if they had not destroyed someone’s life with a single decision.
The sight of them made something inside my chest tighten painfully, and I knew this was not a conversation I could keep avoiding.
“Liam, what are you doing here?” my father asked, clearly surprised to see me standing in the dining hall.
I did not bother with greetings.
“Why did you tell the owner of the restaurant to fire Mia?” I asked immediately. I no longer cared if he saw the anger on my face. My chest was tight, my hands clenched, but I forced myself to stand still.
My father slowly lifted his coffee mug and took a calm sip, as if my words meant nothing. Then he looked at me, his expression cold and unreadable.
“Because I wanted you to understand that what you want is impossible,” he said. “I can do whatever I want with that girl, Liam. I already warned you, but you chose not to listen.”
His words hit harder than any shout.
“I am your father,” he continued, his voice firm and unyielding. “And my words are law in this house.”
I felt something inside me crack.
“I am your son,” I said quietly, the fight draining out of my voice before I could stop it.
“Yes,” he replied without hesitation. “You are my son. My only heir. And that is exactly why I did it.”
He leaned back in his chair, his gaze sharp.
“I will not allow you to waste your future on someone like her,” he said. “A girl who works in a restaurant and thinks she can climb into a world she does not belong to. I will not let my name be dragged down by a social climber.”
For the first time, I wanted to shout. I wanted to slam my hands on the table and tell him he was wrong. That Mia was nothing like the person he described. That she was kind, honest, and stronger than anyone I knew.
But I did not.
Instead, I swallowed my pride and felt the weight of defeat settle heavily on my shoulders.
“Please,” I said, my voice low and controlled. “Just leave her alone.”
I hesitated, then forced the words out.
“I promise I will stop talking to her,” I added. “From now on, I will do what you want. I will be good to Stacy.”
My father’s lips curved into a satisfied smile.
“Very good,” he said. “I am glad you are finally learning to be a good son, Liam.”
He kept smiling, as if he had won something worth celebrating.
I stood there, my anger burning silently in my chest, my fists clenched at my sides, and played the role he wanted. The obedient son. The perfect heir.
Even though I knew that by agreeing, I had just betrayed the girl I loved.