A FAILED YOUTH
Butler Edward and Robert was shocked at how terrifying and scary Scarlett was. She really meant business.
Tracy and Rowan on the other hand, was really mad at Bryan. He had gone too far this time. They both felt Bryan deserved it. He was known for being too impatient in everything, and this time was no new to everyone.
Tracy stepped forward with a dead serious face and stated, "Letty is still my child no matter what. Under no circumstance would you ever lash out on my daughter again. You kicked her out and made her grow without proper parental love and care, and I am done tolerating your nonsense. If you don't stop this madness, I promise that you will end up miserably." She stormed off to the garden.
Rowan simply glanced at his father and went after his mom. Robert, who had been quietly watching all this while, spoke up carefully.
"Sir, I suggest you take your rest now, as there are many things to do at the office tomorrow. Your health has been deteriorating badly. You really need to rest." Butler Edward also agreed with Robert's suggestion.
"That is true sir. You may even take the day off tomorrow."
Bryan had been stressing himself out these days, and his health was rapidly going down the drain. He was no longer young and he needed to take good care of himself. It would be bad for the Chevalier family if anything should happen to him.
"Just go home, Rob. I'll take the day off tomorrow. Give me a call if there's anything goes out of hand." Bryan dismissed him.
Robert nodded and handed over the briefcase to Butler Edward. While Butler Edward led Robert outside.
Bryan went into his room. He went in and stood by the window, where he could clearly see the garden.
It looked really beautiful at night. He could see Tracy down there, walking through the flowers, the yellow fairy lights around the garden cast a soft youthful glow around her. He looked over the left side of the garden and saw Rowan just standing there and watching her.
He remembered when they just got married. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He pledged his whole life, time and energy to her, promised to never look out at another woman, to keep their children safe and give them the best of everything.
She went against her father's wishes to marry him. Her father wanted her to marry into a family that was on par with theirs, not a lower class family.
She begged and begged because she loved him. The house they lived in was a wedding gift to them from her father. He wanted the best for his daughter as he realized she would marry Bryan no matter what.
But he failed.
He had failed his beloved wife. He failed to live up to her expectations, and her father's too.
He failed to live up to his own expectations.
He had failed his two children. He had failed those who looked up to him as a responsible and fair family man.
His entire life, he had spent it thinking about how to make more money, how to become more prominent in the society, how to make the headline news, how to make people respect him and seek his approval for everything.
His drive for affluence and influence got him here…but he has what he had always wanted now.
Money and power crawled its way up to him.
It crawled its way into his mind, shattering the perfect dreams he had set out for his family.
Money had its subtle influence on him, leading him to believe he could have everything and anything the way he wanted it.
His daughter, Scarlett, who he treasured and tried to pamper and care for, to treat like a princess who could have anything she requested for, had grown up to become a strong willed lady. A lady that had everything at her beck and call. She was her own knight in shining armor.
Scarlett had become his greatest enemy. She had grown up to enjoy the bitter sweet game called revenge.
He never imagined that anyone of his children could become so rebellious and bitter towards him.
She had made him feel less than a human being today.
From the moment he saw her, he knew he had lost it, he had lost her. He had thrown his valueless treasure back to the hands of the man who disapproved his marriage with his wife.
But he refused to admit it.
How could he accept the fact that his own daughter now had the power to overthrow him from the seat of power he had taken all his youth to build?
How could he accept the fact that he was going to be labelled 'the most careless and money conscious father/husband who has no control over his home?
How would he come to terms with the realization of his failed youth turned into a nightmare for him at old age?
Rowan had made up his mind not to live on his father's wealth. He wanted an empire of his own.
His family was on the verge of collapsing. He climbed into bed, wishing he could wake up 9 years back.
This was just too much for him to take in.
Rowan looked up at his parent's bedroom and saw that the lights were turned off. 'It could only mean that Dad has gone to bed' he thought to himself.
He turned to look at Tracy, walking through the garden slowly. It seemed like she was going back in time.
Despite the fact she came from a wealthy family, it didn't mean she had an easy life. She had to deal with her father's business at a very young age, dealing with her mother who was diagnosed with sickle cell at the time.
She shouldered a lot of burden as a child, up until she got married. She thought she had met her prince Charming, someone who she could rely on and have no worries about what their future would be like. But her prince Charming turned out to be a self-centered being, using her as a ladder to his ambition for wealth and affluence.
Rowan sighed deeply and went inside after some minutes.
He got into his bed and dialed Scarlett's phone.
"Hey big bro. What sup?" Scarlett greeted casually.
'"Where are you going this night? Do you have a house here?" Rowan asked her, poker faced.
Scarlett laughed on hearing Rowan's question. "Bro, I can see your face expression right now. It's way too funny!"
Scarlett went on laughing as she drove with lightning speed on the lonely highway.
"Miss, answer my question." Rowan asked fondly but absolute.
"Where are you going?"
"Okay, okay bro. I'm going to Seaside Hotel. That's where I'll be staying before I go back to Milan." Scarlett answered freely.
"That's okay." Rowan sighed in relief .
"But seriously, what is up between you and Dad? You guys kept bantering like he had some secret in your hands" He inquired curiously.
"You guys seem like sworn enemies. He even smiles a bit to Mr. Tomasi. The way he looks at you is so fierce like he could feed you the sharks if possible."
"Oh no Row!!" She laughed out loud. How could he figure out stuff and be so direct about it?
"Maybe you could ask him yourself. Cause I've always been normal, even till I left."
"Seriously why don't you and mom take a vacation or even leave that house, hmm? I really don't know how you guys live with such a volatile human being." She concluded.
Rowan listened carefully to all she was saying. "Why should we move out? Even though Dad can be very unbearable, he's still our father. We cannot abandon him just like that…at least we need to have a valid reason to do so." He reasoned with her.
The line was silent. Only the sounds of rushing wind could be heard over the phone.
"Hello? Letty? Are you there?"
Rowan was alarmed. Why wasn't she responding? Had she crashed her car? His mind ran wild....
"Big bro I'm here. I'll call you back, I have an incoming call." Scarlett lied complacently.
Rowan understood her at once. She would only lie to him when it came to their father. She hated him and would never say anything about him….never.
"Alright. Drive safely." He sighed. "Call me when you're settled down at the hotel."
"Alright, I will."
Scarlett heaved a sigh of relief as she dropped the call. Talking about her father at this moment would only be an unnecessary burden for her. She was not ready for any conversation until she was done with what she had come to do.
All she had come to do was to teach him a bitter lesson, one he would never forget for the rest of his life….that is if he even survived it.
'Don't worry, Father. I promise you'll love my retribution.' She chuckled.