33 His reason

Michael Forrester

The moment the door clicks, he collapsed on his knees. Drained on the spot. His hands are still shaking. His nerves in uproar. His heart on drumroll. It’s theoretically impossible to put up such a face in that situation.

Situation huh. Maybe it is, he thought. He plant his hand on his right knee and stood up.

“Katherine,” he whispered. She, is his situation. A circumstance that is out of his control.

In his pocket, his phone vibrates. He retrieves it back into his hands and answered the incoming call.

“Hello?”

“How did it go?” a woman with a sophisticated accent asked on the other line. He gulped the big lump on his throat.

“It went just as planned.” he skidded his shoe to follow the circular pattern on the carpet. Reminiscing those times when he will sit in the settee and gaze outside. Having Katherine blabbing about alienated girly stuff beside him. She would talk about makeup, newly released fashion dresses, shops, and anything else Michael can’t understand.

He really hates talkaholic fiddleshticks women. But not Katherine. He would never hate her. Never.

“Good. Just as what I’d expect from Mr. Forrester’s son.” Michael stops circling his feet.

“That’s sly of you Mrs. Samson. Using your business rival’s son to break your daughter’s heart.” He heard the woman cackles on the other line.

“I take back what I said in our first meeting, dear boy. You’re useful. Deliciously useful. I need that girl to batter up and stop being so naive~ making a perfect scene into account. What happened today will definitely teach her a lesson. “ she dramatically paused.

“To never let love deceive your mind. Tsk. tsk. Such preposterous! I can’t believe she grow up so weak. She needs to be disciplined. Down to the basic.” the woman slowly huff air from her mouth. He can imagine her poofing smoke from that honey tobacco pipe of hers.

“Tomorrow, I shall arrange for her immediate flight here in New York. I’ll send my secretary to pack her things, arrange her transfer papers and -”

“Where’s my end of the bargain?” Michael interrupted. Trying to keep his cool.

“Ah, yes. I shall reinstate the loss of properties, shares, and the ownership of Forrest Tradings to your family. Then bail your parents from prison. An ideal outcome for both of us. Happy, dear boy?” his jaw clenched.

How can this woman be Katherine’s mother? She’s the real manifestation of an evil witch from medieval times. Where did those f*cking old dudes who burn witches alive disappear to? They forgot one.

Regardless of how much he tried to search for resemblance, he can’t imagine his precious princess having the same blood running through her veins.

“What about Katherine? What will happen to her? Is she gonna be okay?” he asked in a whisper, trying to moderate his voice. The woman scoffed.

“Aww, are you worried dear boy? My little princess will be fine. She’s my successor after all. After I straighten her out, splash some nice touches here and there, she’ll do her job just fine. Of course, you already know I only give birth to have an heir, right? I mean, that’s the sole reason she’s still alive."

Michael dug his nails to his palm too hard it pierce through the hard skin. Dripping blood inside his fist, down to the carpet below. He can feel his blood boiling in rage.

“Oh, right. I’ll give you a bonus for a job well done. That condo, it’s already leased for 10 years so you can use it for the time being. It’s been a pleasure doing business with you dear boy. Have a good life.”

And she ends the call. If it’s not for the knowledge that this house isn’t his, he could have thrown his phone out of the glass window. Suppressing the anger rising inside him is hard. He wants to pound his fist to the wall. Throw any things he can reach out with his hands.

But the frustration of being stupidly powerless is driving him mad. He should have known why his parents sent him away. It wasn’t because they abandon him. They’re trying to put him to safety. So he won’t get caught up with the company’s bankrupt mess.

He should have known the signs. The name. Katherine Samson… If he had just paid more attention, Samson Industries… his father’s greatest rival in the business world. He’s aware they’ve been on each other’s throats for years.

How could he be so stupid? Never notice the obvious…

Katherine is his father’s enemy’s daughter. And that enemy used him, to hurt his beloved Katherine. Taking advantage of his weakness.

“Sh*t, this is all f*cking messed up.” he groaned. He collapsed on the sofa and buried his head on his lap. Overlapping his hands at his nape.

“Why have all the circumstances packed together to create such a cruel fate?”

Katherine’s pleading face crushed his heart. He wants to touch her. He’s been holding back for a month. He wants to caress her cheeks. He’s been shoving his hands into his pockets just to stop them from moving by themselves.

He wants to slid her small frame in his embrace. He’s been turning his back on her to suppress the urge.

It was stupid to hurt her. He can never forgive himself. It was stupid to stay. He’s fighting the impulse of punching himself in the face.

Just to satisfy his selfish demands, he keeps her within his reach. He did not blink an eye, staring at her confounded state. He’s aware he shattered her illusions of love.

He’s a jerk. A douchebag. An asshole. He doesn’t know how to keep his promise. He hurt her. He destroyed her. Now she’s out there, unreachable, unattainable. He wrecked her beyond repair.

Now nothing can take it back. Nothing can take her back. He wasted his chance. He crushed her. For the sake of restoring what he’d lost.

Was it worth it?

He already knows the answer just by looking at her eyes.

“She said her presence bothers me, no, it’s the opposite. Just the sight of her alone calms my raging heart. She said she gave me headaches, no, contrary to that, her smiles give me the strength to live.”

“Katherine..” he let her name savor at the tip of his tongue.

In front of you, I will act like a douchebag. A despicable man who won’t even know how to take care of a girl. I will make you hate me. Despise me. Because this is the only way… to save you... from getting hurt.

I want you to give up on me. I want you to hate me. Don’t love me. I don’t deserve those precious feelings coming from you. I will never be a man… you think I was. I could never deserve you. So please stop looking at me with those eyes filled with love.

I’m no good for you. So hurry up and forget about me.