Chapter 36

It was only once he was on his own, he looked at his phone, seeing the name of one of his friends from back in high school.

"Caleb?"

"Sorry, did I call at a bad time?"

"No, no, not at all. I'm on my lunch break actually. Did you need something?"

The man on the other side of the call hummed lightly, trying to gather his words to say what he wanted to, no matter how hard it would be.

Henry couldn't sense the tense feeling over the phone, innocently wondering what his old classmate had wanted. Caleb Shard had been one of the few people who hadn't popped up after the live stream last week. However, he was someone the man trusted as a friend; thought the years he had been one of the few to stay true to him. Of course, Henry was friendly with everyone he had gone to school with, but there were only a handful who he would consider close on his return from university, Caleb being one of them.

Henry had a tentative sigh, starting to wonder as the silence, grew longer than a few seconds. However, he did not have to wait much longer to find out.

"I have to tell you something. Honestly, I was just going to send you a message, but after some thinking, it was too much of a dick move. Our friendship was worth more than that. And I don't think I can tell you this in person either, not face to face. So it took a while, but, yeah, um… I don't think we can be friends anymore."

The young Reyes's features froze over once again, but this time the complicated feeling was much worse because he suddenly felt like he had lost his language abilities, or perhaps his comprehension. He must have lost some ability because he can't have been hearing right.

"No, I don't think it, I know it. I'm really sorry, Henry, but we really can't continue to be friends."

"Huh?"

Hearing the meek response, Caleb found himself throwing his head back. This had been harder than he thought it would have been. He knew he was hurting someone who he had considered a friend for half his life, and that really did hurt him. However the man was strong on his resolve and ethics. On top of that, he had always been an upfront and direct person.

It had gotten on many people's nerves and one of the things he admired most of Henry Reyes was that, from a young age and despite of his luxurious background, he knew how to take criticism and disagreement head on. It had been one of the biggest reasons he had stayed friends with Henry so long, most had gotten tired of it eventually, but Henry just accepted it as a part of the man's personality.

The man felt hypocritical with his actions, Henry's acceptance had played a big part in his life, but he also knew himself. So even if it was painful, and most definitely a horrible thing to someone he considered a friend, he had to say it.

"I will be honest with you, I really can't support your relationship with Joshua Lore, or with any man. You are your own person and should do whatever you feel is right. But I also can't deny the fact that I can't support you, or the fact this does completely change our friendship to me. It isn't that I am angry that you hid something so big, that is your own decision, and I'm not using this as an excuse because I am tired. I just really can't support you.

"And as someone who was friends with you for so long, I want you to continue with your life as it is and do whatever makes you happy. But, as my own person, I'm sorry that I am going to be so upfront about it, but I don't want you in my life.

"I wish you and your fiancé the best, but I am going to cut off all connections I have to you, so please do not contact me again. Goodbye, Henry."

The tone signalling the call had been hung up sounded, but Henry had barely heard it, still unable to move. Suddenly he felt like running off into a corner and crying in secret, the heavy emotions were having such a toll on him.

The man had just lost a close friend because of his sexuality.

It was not even his real sexuality; the entire thing was a curated lie that had stemmed from his family's misunderstanding. In theory, this should not have mattered even remotely, that is what Henry thought. He had been expecting to lose a couple friends but none that he was close with. And in the unlikely situation that they had been close, it could all be resolved once the truth came out, not immediately but if they really mattered it would have eventually. That had been Henry's original thinking.

But now that it had happened, it was completely different.

They young man felt hurt, rejected, ashamed even. And he could not understand why, because it was not like he really was gay. There was no reason for it to matter, even less for him to feel ashamed of all things. Yet the undeniable emotions were swirling within the pit of his stomach. It made him uncomfortable, like he had to hide.

Of all people, he had never expected it from Caleb. They were never conventional friends, but they had always been there for each other and made sure the other was fine. For that same person to tell him that he no longer wanted anything to do with him just because he was engaged to a man really did hurt Henry. And the confusion of why was what made it worse.

He had never had this deep sense of rejection projected on him before, let alone from someone he was close to, and it left a bitter, acrid taste on his heart.

As his hand slowly fell to his side, fingers gripping his smartphone as they trembled, the man's thoughts moved in a different direction, that only made him feel worse.

Henry was feeling so much pain being rejected for something he was lying about, something that wasn't really a part of his identity, so how about people who went through this for something they could not change? Surely this must be a thousand times worse for them. Their very being rejected, that must leave such a scar on people. Suddenly, Henry found it amazing that people of any minority group had it in them to collect themselves and push on.

Just how many of them lived with a self-loathing directed to traits that made them who they are? Just how many people face this sort of thing on a regular basis, perhaps even daily?

Just how do so many of them keep their will to live?

The scariest thought of them all: just how many of them have lost the will to live already?

All of these made Henry feel stupid, what was he so hurt for? There were so many in worse positions that him, people persecuted and stigmatised for things they can't change. He should feel grateful that he had so many people supporting him even though he was lying to them all. There are people who do not have that even from their family, people who receive painful discrimination on a regular basis for their reality. He had no right in being so hurt by something like this.

Ramy turned into the corridor, looking up from his phone to see Henry stood outside the accounting department, trembling and pale, almost using the wall to support himself. Without a second thought, the PA disregarded his current errand and rushed over to the young man, who looked completely at loss.

"Henry, what's wrong, do you feel sick? Is it your injuries?"

The most worrying thing about the situation was that the second son was completely oblivious to Ramy's presence, in a state of shock. It was only as the man's amber eyes started to well up did Ramy decide to lightly shake Henry, thankfully pulling the man back to reality. Something had clearly happened, but the young man couldn't fathom what could have forced the positive man he knew to become such an emotional mess.

The department door opened, Felicity coming out after having heard the commotion. She almost found herself in shock, her young intern's entire demeanour had completely flipped in the space of a few minutes.

"Who called you?"

Hearing the manager's question, Ramy quickly realised someone must have said something, the real problem was what. When Henry didn't answer, only looking away with is glaze down and roughly wiping his eyes, the PA looked to Felicity, silently asking if she had any other clues. To his dismay, she shook her head, expression worried.

"Alright then. I think you should take leave for the rest of the day."

Henry's head immediately popped up, turning to his manager with a worried face. He should not have let himself get into such a state while at work.

But before he could refute, Ramy nodded. "I think so too. You're in no condition to work."

"Don't worry about what work you have left, the department can pick up the slack."

"But-"

His section manager shook her head, giving him a kind smile. "No need to push yourself while you're injured too and have more faith in your seniors. We handled things well before you came to us; having you take an afternoon off is not a big issue right now. So, for once I will use my authority and tell you to take leave for the rest of the day."

As he watched Henry reluctantly nod, Ramy found himself biting back a smile, despite his worrying. The accounting section manager really did know how to handle her employees even when they were not acting themselves, especially Henry. It did, however, make the man wonder why she was a mere section manager.

With a silent nod of thanks to the manager – mostly to stop Henry becoming more self-conscious of his behaviour – Ramy requested, "Do you mind sending his things up to the presidents' office after 3 o'clock? And making sure that no one outside the department know he has left early. I will inform HR and the presidents myself after their meeting this afternoon."

Felicity nodded, knowing exactly why the PA had asked of that. Today was the last day that the Reyes's and Lore's had to convince their boards of directors on their more inclusive restructuring during the merging process. Of course, they would definitely get their way, however the same could not be said if the Reyes family find out something was wrong with their youngest family member. "I will leave it to you, then."

With one final look at Henry, who still looked terrible and perhaps a little vacant, Felicity returned too department's workspace.

Ramy slowly led Henry towards the central elevator whilst using his tablet to send an email to HR to submit a leave of absence for the second son after the rest of his family had left the office; whilst inside the building, a notification would be sent directly to Caroline's computer, however when out they were sent to Ramy as to not disrupt anything, it was up to the PA to follow up and decide whether it was urgent enough interrupt. He then texted one of their drivers to get ready, also instructing him not to tell anyone it was Henry he was going to drive.

While doing this, he asked Henry, "Are you calm enough to tell me what happened now?" He let Henry have his prolonged silence as he sorted things out for both Henry and the job he had originally left for, chasing after some unsigned papers.

It was as they finally entered the elevator, as Ramy thought of pressing him a little harder, that Henry spoke.

"Caleb said we couldn't be friends anymore. He cut all ties with me."

The tablet almost fell from the PA's hand as the cracked words processed in his head. Of course Ramy knew who Caleb was, he had been with the Reyes family long enough to know such an old friend of Henry's. He knew that while they did not look the closest, they had been very much so. It made the words that had just left Henry almost unbelievable. Ramy looked to Henry to see his face twisted with so much pain the man himself probably wasn't aware. It did not take a genius to work out why this had happened.

"Because of the engagement?"

"Mn."

Henry flinched, realising he was clenching his fists too hard, his nails were digging into his palm wound. He wanted to wipe the whole memory from his mind.

The elevator doors opened and Ramy sent a quick text to Haerin, grateful for her immediate replies, while taking Henry to the underground carpark.

The blond man stayed quiet as the PA sorted everything out for him. Henry felt he was being treated as a child but for once he could not refute against it, he really was acting a little childishly. Who was he to be hurt but something like this? Especially when it had stemmed from his own lie.

He didn't say anything until Ramy spoke to the driver.

"Take him to the Lore's main residence. I have sent a message ahead; they should let you through without any problem. Return afterwards, Samuel will leave at half 2 to pick up Meera on his way to the joint board meeting. And remind Alexa to have the presidents' car ready at least five minutes before we are scheduled to leave."

The pokerfaced driver nodded, making a mental note of the tasks.

Henry turned to Ramy and asked, "Why am I going there?"

"Because you are going to get lost in your thoughts. Spend time with Penelope and forget what happened for now. Haerin said she has been really excited."

Henry easily forgot Ramy was in fact a year younger than him, the difference in maturity was too different; not a surprising fact as, when it came to the company, the PA was in fact four years his senior.

In that moment, all Henry could only nod and let himself be sent off, as if he was just a child being told what to do by a guardian.

Henry did not feel entirely like himself.