Chapter 89 Chapter 89
Theodore
Sounds of fire crackling echoed in the large space, coming from the corner of the wall. A bottle of wine is placed on the table, a glass beside it.
Uncle walked slowly, his scepter in hand, to balance his weight as he looked through the books' covers on the shelf.
“The last drug was a failure because of your men's incompetence, and we lost billions for that.” He turned to me, his eyes narrowed over me before turning back to the books.
“It’s quite astonishing. What do you think happened? Who should I punish for the failure of it? Your boys or…..” He turned back to me.
“I asked you to be in charge of it personally. Why did you put so much faith in your men? How could you let this happen?!” He raised his voice, but his face held no emotion.
I placedmy hands on his table. “I know you are worried about the higher-ups, you shouldn’t be. All the drugs weren't lost, I was able to retrieve some. The higher-ups will have to wait—I told them the distribution is fully supervised.”
He raised his brows, and then sighed, before turning back to walk to his seat. I sat on the couch opposite him.
“What about your mother? Ethan told me she tried to screw up the arrival.”
“She did.”
His face tightened. Whenever mother's name was brought up, Uncle fights himself not to flip, not to break his control because of anger. That’s how much he despises her.
“She is currently in check. You shouldn’t worry about her, I can handle her.”
“Can you?”
My gaze met his.
“That crazy woman who doesn’t value anyone. Can you handle her?”
“I ca—“
“You can’t, just like your father.” His eyes narrowed. “You care for her too deeply to get rid of her. That wretched woman has caused so much harm to this family, yet you are still protecting her. How pathetic.” He spat.
He has never hidden his beliefs or his thoughts about me. But he was wrong about me protecting my mother.
“You got it wrong, uncle. I’m not protecting mother.”
I would never protect someone like her. If anything I didn’t want to see her. She was like a threat to my existence, and her presence was a threat, always leaving me helpless.
“Then why won’t you kill her?” His brow rose, challenging.
I sighed and licked my lip. “Because of Father and…”
Brother.
I clenched my hands together.
“I can’t harm her because of them. I owe that to them.”
“A father with no backbone dies in the hands of his crazy wife while trying to rescue his son from the death of his first son. That would have made a great headline for our family back then. What do you think?” He picked up the glass of wine and drank from it.
Darkness swirled, circling in a surge to my head. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply to push everything back.
“Do you still have those nightmares?”
My eyes flared open. “No, I don’t.” I lied.
It was a lie. It has always haunted me. Every night. Every time I close my eyes. Even the shortest time spent in unconsciousness, it comes back.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” His hands rubbed on the ring that’s always stuck to his finger. “ You should kill the source of your nightmare, Theodore. That’s the only way for you to be sane.”
“Isn’t it beneficial if I’m not sane? You have always wanted that.”
Again, our gaze locked, and his lips spread into a smile.
“That’s true.” He stood up and walked to the window. “For our world, being sane would lead you to a quick death, just like your father.”
I narrowed my eyes.
Growing up, I’ve always wondered if he hated his father, because he would never stop talking about his younger, weaker brother.
But I’ve come to know that his hatred was for how kind my father was. And he hated him for that, because he was easily pushed around, even to his death.
“Growing up, our father–your grandfather didn’t like your father. Out of all his children, he was weak, pathetic, and hid behind our mother. Father once said he was going to die earlier, and the following week, mother refused to speak to father.”
“But he wasn’t wrong. Your father was weak - a fool for love. He started a family with a crazy woman.” He threw his head back, laughing hysterically.
“Lyubov eto razrushenie—love is destruction, I’ll always tell him. Repeating words that our father would always say. I had encouraged him to leave her. But he won’t, only for her to launch.” He started laughing again.
“I warned him not to end like Estelle. That fool rushed into marriage, and ended up with a fool, leaving behind Boris and Larisa.”
He was getting drunk. But I could hear it. The pain mixed with the laughter.
I watched his back as he laughed about my father, his brother. Only I could see this side of him every year.
Every day before my father's death, he’d get drunk in front of me. Vulnerable as he laments on his weak family.
And he calls others pathetic? I scoffed.
My phone beeped and I took it out. On the screen, it displayed;
“Die tomorrow to atone for your sin.”
“It must be your mother again, wishing you death tomorrow.” He laughed again. “Crazy woman.” He muttered, before turning to me.
“Be with me tomorrow to pay respect to your brother and father.”
I nodded.
“And you must not come with that woman.”
The sky turned dark as we all stood under the rain in front of my father's and brother's tomb.
“Uncle didn’t deserve to die so early, he was my favorite uncle then. Why’d he have to marry that psycho woman? She ruined his life.” Boris clicked his tongue.
“Your mother married a psycho man too, that’s why her psycho brother took us in.” Larisa scoffed from his side. “So you only had one uncle.” She murmured.
“You smartie pants, does it matter? The most Important fact was I liked him, until he met that woman.” His voice lowered. “If I were older then, I would have strangled her to death.”
I zone out their conversation to look at the great Mateo Medvedev who stood in front of the tombs.
“I can guess what’s in his head right now. He must be wishing to kill her.” Dominika spoke beside me.
“The person who caused so much harm to his family.”
I turned to her and she gave a little smile.
“He had a nightmare yesterday, and when he woke up, he felt sorry. He has always felt sorry when he looks at you.”
My brows furrowed at her words. “He regretted everything he did to you then, after you were rescued by your father .” She inhaled.
“Your uncle may act tough, but he isn’t. He had held himself responsible for the death of his brother for the past twenty years. Don’t hate him too much for the harshness you went through as a child.