Angel and Demon

"Eat right, Mark." The baritone voice sounded so scary that Mark had to hide his face behind the body of his mother Jane who was sitting right next to him.

Jackson Alexander, the sixty-three-year-old man looked disapprovingly at Mark who was eating a mess.

His son has special needs which make him act like a child even though he is an adult now but until now Jackson can't accept it by continuing to be fierce towards Mark.

"Look at William, he's your age but you don't act like him in the slightest." He scolded again, this time he compared Mark to William which made William feel uncomfortable instantly.

"You should teach your son how to eat properly!" Jackson said, this time he scolded Jane who could only hold back her tears before walking away from the dining table.

"Daddy was just joking, you don't have to be afraid," William said calming Mark.

Slowly the man with golden brown hair with light brown eyes pulled his face out from behind Jane's body.

"Lies! Dad never really loved Mark, he only loved William." He said crying before running away from the dining table.

"Mark." Jane tries to chase after him but William holds her back. "I'll talk to him."

Jane can only sit limp and cry, Mark will always be hurt whenever Jackson is home. Such is the cycle that she has always faced so far and she can never do anything to keep Mark's feelings from ending always hurt.

....

William knocked on Mark's door before entering, Mark was seen crying while tying crystal beads into a hook. He does love making accessories and he is very talented at it, unfortunately, Jackson was never happy to see Mark do all that.

William now sitting right next to Mark, sometimes he feels very guilty for Mark because Jackson always compares them and makes Mark hurt, moreover he occupies the position that Mark should occupy if he was born normal.

"Go, William, Mark doesn't want to talk to William." He pushed him away, he pushed the body of William who was sitting next to him but William didn't budge.

"Everyone likes William, dad, mom, and even Gwen too, but nobody likes Mark!" He complained while wiping his tears, even though he has special needs but Mark is still a human, he always cries when his father scolds him and compares himself with William.

"There's no one who doesn't like Mark, you're handsome and creative too, everyone likes Mark."

"Is that true?" Mark started to calm down now, he wiped his tears and looked at William.

"Who's Mark and William are more handsome?" he asked again.

William smiled as he stroked Mark's hair gently "Of course, Mark is more handsome." The answer.

"I'm certainly more handsome than big brother." William could only smile again when he saw Mark's happy face again, the words Mark said reminded him of the words his sister used to say to him. 'I am of course more handsome than you.'

Not wanting to drift back into his sadness, William then got up, "Let's eat again, you haven't finished your breakfast." Invite William and stretched out his hand.

Mark shook his head and said, "No. Mark isn't hungry anymore."

"Is that so? Alright, then I'll go to work now. You should stay home and take care of mom, okay?" He said goodbye, he didn't forget to give Mark a message before rushing off.

Mark nodded obediently, he didn't forget to wave his hand at William who purposely stopped in the doorway to make sure Mark wasn't really sad anymore.

"Will..." Mark called just as William was about to close his bedroom door.

"Yes?"

"Will William be seeing Gwen today?" Mark asked as he got up, he moved to grab a bracelet on the table and walked over to William who was still standing waiting.

"Give this to Gwen."

William looked at the bracelet that was handed to him, red and made of crystal beads. A gift that Mark has given to Gwen who knows how many times and it was clear enough for him to know that Mark has special feelings for Gwen.

"Only for Gwen? Not for me?" William asked after receiving the bracelet jokingly.

Mark shook his head, "William doesn't deserve to wear bracelets, these bracelets are only for women, mom said that."

"Is that so?" William smiled seductively especially when he realized that on Mark's wrist there was a bracelet of the same color with the same beads except that there was one black bead as a marker maybe? He thought and this bracelet for Gwen had a single, translucent white bead in the shape of a heart.

"So beautiful, Gwen will be very impressed. I'll give this bracelet to her after work."

"Promise?"

William was stunned for a while, his heart always felt hit when someone asked for his promise.

Promise... He couldn't promise when he couldn't keep his promise to his younger brother.

Not wanting Mark to be disappointed, William just smiled and touched Mark's shoulder before walking away.

****

William stepped out of his house, Jane lovingly escorted William to the doorstep, she didn't look like a foster mother at all. For William, Jane is an angel sent by God for him while Jackson is a demon who imprisoned him.

"Be careful, and don't miss your lunch," Jane said before hugging William warmly.

"Well, my beautiful mother." He said as he blinked and made Jane chuckle softly. William can always make her forget her sadness due to Jackson's treatment of Mark.

William then walked to his car which was waiting in front of the terrace of the house which looked more like a palace with large pillars that supported the towering height.

"You don't want to come in?" Jackson asked coldly, he had been sitting in the back seat just as the driver opened the door for William.

His heart was beating fast, he hated this man in front of him with all his soul and body but then again, he had to cover it up with a fake smile and warm words, "I'm just a little surprised." He said as he sat right next to Jackson. "Dad, have you been waiting for me for a long time?" he asked after the car started.

"Long enough to have my few million dollars wasted just waiting for you to waste time persuading that stupid kid."

William looked down, he could only grit his teeth, holding back his annoyance because Jackson called Mark stupid, even though Mark was his flesh and blood.

"Is there anything important?" William changed the topic, he didn't want Jackson to go back to talking about Mark's inability to live up to his perfect standards like what Jackson had done to himself, monopolizing him and turning him into a war puppet.

"Can't I share a car with my son?" Jackson asked, he smiled but his eyes flashed the petty things he would do to William.

"We're always going in different directions," William replied in a slightly cold tone as if warning.

"Yes indeed." Jackson smirked, "You're getting more and more like me all the time."

William's eyeballs moved to glance, a little curious and annoyed when he heard Jackson say that he was getting more and more like him.

With one heavy breath, William finally turned his head and asked, "What now?" His eyes were sharp as if the look in his eyes was a sword then he had chopped Jackson's body apart with his eyes.

But Jackson didn't flinch, he chuckled again "You're getting bolder with me."

"I learned a lot from you!"

"Yeah, I like that, but still you can't eliminate me from your life can you?" Jackson laughed again, this time laughing louder than before.

A laugh that William knew very well as a sign that Jackson would make him a scapegoat again to solve the problems he did, it was always like that and he was sick of it but he couldn't help it.

"Don't look at me like you want to kill me, Will. I am your father, you will be a disobedient child if you look at me like that." He snapped after stopping his laughter, but his tone still sounded mocking. But William did not heed what Jackson said, whether it was a joke or whatever, his gaze remained unchanged and now Jackson started to put on a cold face and said, "Go back to your home country."

....