CHAPTER 3

I could've easily denied the fact that I was gay, I could have explained the whole situation to them…so why did I not make an effort?…no, even if I lied they were going to find out later on and even if I did come out in the near future the outcome would still to be the same wouldn't it?

He bit his lower lip momentarily quivering.

"….no family would remain the same if they suddenly found out something like that about their child…or is it just my own family?"

Glen was overwhelmed in his thoughts and didn't realize tears were plopping down from his eyes. Huh?, why am I crying?… He clenched his lips depressed trying to hold in his cry.

The cloud soon turned dark and showed up at Charlotte's house with his bag and a nose mask on his face to cover the bruising on his cheek and mouth.

"Glen?"

Charlotte looked confused as she opened the door.

— — -

She let him crash in her house that night but he felt guilty having to lean on her because she was already going through a lot as a teenager. She lived with her grandmother who was often sick and it would put her on edge.

He lowered his head guiltily fiddling his fingers. "I'm sorry for bothering you at a time like this."

"I'm not bothered." She handed him a cup of tea and sat on the bed with him as she watched him he take of his nose mask and took a sip of the tea in a daze.

"What happened?" She inquired concerned.

Glen was quiet with a brooding eyes as he stared into the cup trying not to tear up. "My parents found out that I liked men."

Charlotte cover her mouth in disbelief. "What actually happened!?"

He told her about Phil and what he had done, but he didn't tell Charlotte that he actually complied with some of his wretched demands.

Charlotte felt revolted after hearing Phil's atrocity.

"What sort of bastard does shit like that?! And You never told me you made a new friend!" She yelled furiously.

He lowered his head more guiltily. Fidling with the cup in his hands. "I wanted to be sure he was a good person first…"

"Hah…" She pinched her forehead stressed from the story Glen told her and crossed her arm. "Hey, if something is bothering you, please tell me…there are ways to resolve problems like this!"

He lowered his head even more and his voice cracked. "…im sorry."

She let out an exasperated sigh and pondered for a moment.

"Please let me stay for a while… I'll find a place then move out."

With a soft and pity smile she responded. "I don't mind if you live here with me, you're like my brother."

"No, I don't want to be a bother especially to you… it's going to be temporal."

She sighed softly. "…Okay then…do whatever you want.

— — - —

Afterwards Glen blocked Phil and cut ties with him but Phil kept contacting him with different numbers—he just had to keep blocking him.

Was he that shameless? He fucking ruined my life and he is still unfazed? Self centered bastard!

Glen worked multiple part time jobs to not fall behind in his education since his father had disowned him and didn't care if he lived or died.

His father stopped contacting him entirely, but his mother would still reach out to him to send him money but he always refused the money and returned it back to her.

He wanted to be independent and to stop living to the expectations of his family. If his parents could easily disown him like that without trying to understand him first, then it meant that he had to live for himself alone and have nothing to do with them.

He saved a lot of money while staying with Charlotte's house and eventually moved into a studio apartment around school. To him it was a great deal.

— — —

Phil managed to find out where Glen worked, in a cafe, after numerous attempt to contact him. He kept showing up and a simple go away was not enough to stop him from pestering Glen.

— -

While Glen was cleaning up the cafe, Phil showed up again to plead with him, the mere presence of him was mentally draining for Glen.

He crinkled his brows furiously. "What do you still want from me?"

"Please let's talk, I'll make it quick." Phil pleaded approaching him.

"What else do you want to talk about? Please leave and don't ever come find me again. You already got what you want so please."

How could he sit and talk to a boy who made his life like that?

"Glen, I'm sorry I'll go and tell your parents that I set you up…I'll explain everything please…" He continued his imploring trying to force Glen to relent on his decision to cut him off his life.

Glen frustratingly took his phone from his pocket about to call the cops, but Phil hastily grabbed his wrists obstinately and his phone fell to the ground. "Glen please let's talk this out!" He tightened his grip on Glen's wrists even more still imploring.

"Let go of me!" Glen yelled and soon people began to gather around to know what was happening.

Glen noticed the crowd that was slowly gathering and became wary lowering his head furiously. "I'll call the cops if you don't leave for real!"

Phil slowly retracted his grip and glanced at the people who were whispering and watching them, he looked at glen in anguish, like he was the one doing something wrong.

who is to blame here? I already lost my family because of you, don't look at me like that!

He trudged off shame faced and didn't look back even once.

— — —

After that day Glen switched to another cafe, worried he might show up again, but luckily for him, he didn't show up to any of his workplaces.

He returned back to school and found out Phil had transferred schools, fearing that he may have told the school about his sexuality—but nothing unexpected happened in the three days that he attended school.

He actually disappeared quietly?

Glen felt like a heavy load was pulled from his shoulders, with a sense of relief he continued his routine of staring at his crush who he never got the chance to talk to.

— — —

After school, he watched Charlotte get into a cab and continued his walk to his place when his eyes met Henry kissing a girl—he hastily hid behind a fence to avoid getting caught.

What am I doing? I definitely look like a stalker right now…

He peeked from the corner of the fence. The girl didn't look like the girl he was rumored to be dating in school. The girl this time looked a little bit older than him.

A black car that looked really expensive suddenly parked close to them and they got in all chummy with each other and zoomed off into the distance. Glen came out of hiding and watched the car as it shrinks in the distance.

He always has different partners…isn't he too young to be doing stuff like that with anyone?

His faced flushed from his thoughts and he hastily strode off.

— — —

Glen and Charlotte finally graduated high school but Glen still never got the opportunity to talk to Henry or confess his feelings. He didn't know what or how Henry was doing and thought his feeling was pointless—and he should probably get over it for real this time.

Glen used study as a means of distraction from Henry. After he was done studying, he turned on his tv. His gaze stunned at a familiar face in the clip of the news headline that read: Craig Benjamin launched his new company.

The familiar face was Henry wearing a suit and stood sideline with the Craig's family.

No wonder…I saw him get into a car like that that time…his father is Benjamin Craig.

Henry Craig is the son of Craig Benjamin a renowned rich business man who owned one of the most successful construction companies in the country. In the headline his father was launching his new company's branch.

Glen immediately took out his phone and looked his family name up on the internet. Henry was the last son of the family of three children.

Craig Benjamin his father was rumored to have had three children from different women, he was also rumored to be a man who indulged in an endless debauchry and there are other kids who were never heard of.

Henry Craig did not have control over his surroundings as a teenager, he played a normal boy to avoid people coming around him because of his father's status, it's only after he graduated that a lot of people got to find out Glen was a son to wealthy and famous Craig Benjamin.

— — — -

Glen and Charlotte succeeded in getting into the same College but different majors, it was a very big celebration for them. They bought alcohol and celebrated their entrance at Glen's apartment—chugging beers and cheering endlessly.