Chapter 49

"What did you say to him?" Elaine King questioned her husband, knowing it had to be him who started whatever was happening. Why couldn't he stop poking at Eli whenever he came around? It only ruined her time with her son.

Charles turned his anger from Eli to his wife who accused him of starting the argument and said, "Why are you asking me that? You're my wife, have my side, and tell our son to sit back down."

Elaine folded her arms like a mother ready to scold her child and replied, "If you act like a good father, there wouldn't be a need for Eli to storm out."

Charles shifted his gaze back and forth between Eli and Elaine who both looked at him with the same look. He couldn't help himself from snickering at how the two would always gang up on him no matter if he were right or wrong. He remembered the small Eli who would cling to his mother's leg rather than run into his father's arms. 

"You always take his side, no wonder he ended up the way he is."

Elaine took a step to her left to get a better look at Eli who was perfect in her eyes. Of course, he was, she raised him. "Seems wonderful to me. I'm thankful the rotten apple in the basket, who is his father, didn't affect him."

"Rotten apple?" Charles scoffed at what she labeled him. They were all rotten but if it made them feel better about themselves to only point him out, fine. "Thanks to me, you two grew up in a life of luxury."

Elaine silently stared at her cocky delusional husband keeping her thoughts to herself. If only she could reverse time, she wouldn't have fallen into his trap. The man brought her nothing but suffering for thousands of years but she put up with it for the sake of her son.

Seeing his mother not retaliate against his father's words, Eli took it upon himself to respond instead. "A life spent in luxury to make us ignore the constant cheating and disrespect to mother. It was a good childhood, thank you," Eli sarcastically replied slowly clapping his hands.

"Stop it, Eli. I don't want to hear about the past, from any of you," Elaine stated, feeling depressed about her life. She didn't need to hear it from her son. It only made her feel worse about what she put herself through.

"The past mother? You don't want to talk about the past when it's all happening in the fucking present?" Eli questioned becoming frustrated with how much his mother liked to play off the truth. 

In front of anyone else, his mother never backed down, but in front of this scum of a man she always gave in. Eli was no longer a child for a long time who needed to play nice with his father for protection.

Her answer for not continuing to argue with his father had turned to the answer, she loved him so she put up with it. Eli had never understood that side of love. 

If you loved someone, you would never hurt them. If you loved yourself, you would never allow someone to hurt you for so long, and yet, his mother endured both for decades. 

No wonder Helen never wanted to get married and Eli didn't blame her. 

Charles smiled, resting back in his chair ever so slightly enjoying the tense moment between his son and wife. No matter what, Elaine would never leave his side. Thanks to his power position back in the old days, he had gotten the beautiful flower everyone had their eyes on to marry him.

Charles enjoyed watching Elaine take his side. "You see son, whatever happens between the two of us is none of your concern. Now be a good boy and sit back down."

"Watch it, Charles," Elaine hissed to her husband who seemed to believe she was siding with him. She was just tired of the back and forth in her family.

Eli rolled his eyes at the pair's behavior. He was too old to continue dealing with their nonsense. Whenever his mother gets a grip, he'll be there to help her leave. She clearly underestimated the amount of power Eli gained without the help of his father over the years. However, Eli loved being underestimated. 

His father could sit basking in all his glory enjoying life and believing Eli would be nothing without him. It would be quite the sight to see his father realize how wrong he was.

Without bidding goodbye, Eli turned on his heel to leave the two to talk with each other but Elaine didn't care to stay with Charles. She wanted to see her son. 

Elaine heard the talk of Eli being in a relationship but the boy didn't even think of introducing her to the woman. She didn't have much information about the woman Eli was seeing. None of her close friends or acquaintances had stepped forward and said he was dating their daughter or someone they knew.

It must be a vampiress new to the city. No wonder he was avoiding all the blind dates she set up for him and was sending the little scrawny boy Noah.

"Eli, please wait!" She called trying to get his attention. When he wouldn't slow down his place, she used her super-speed ability to appear next to him in an instant and grab his ear.

Elaine was still strong enough to make him halt by grabbing his ear. "It's rude to not answer me when I am speaking to you. I taught you better than that Eli."

Eli sighed, feeling his mother's tight grip on his ear, and said, "This has never hurt me, mother."

"The point isn't to hurt you, it's to see if these ears you have are still working. No matter how upset you are, you should never disrespect me. Understand?" She tugged on his ear for him to answer.

"Yes, mother."

Elaine released his ears after his response. She couldn't remain angry at her little pride and joy for too long. Eli was the best thing to come out of her marriage to Charles.

"Good. Now, tell me about this girlfriend I hear you have."