DOUBLE UPLOADD

Future me, this is 17!

Theodore

For the first time in my thirty-seven years of life, my mother slapped me. She smacked me right across my face and my dad...laughed at me. My mother has always threatened and glared at us, but she's never put her hands on us.

"How dare you?" She said lowly. "Is this how I raised you Theodore? To disrespect women? Tell me where have I failed so I can apologize to you and make things right–"

I shook my head, still holding my cheek like a child. "You haven't failed–"

"Shut up!" She cut me off. "Why'd you do it? Why did you break this girl, hurt this girl? You disrespected her and used her! You acted so disgusting toward her!" She yelled at me in my own office.

"Mom, I–"

"Theodore, shut your fucking mouth. I am not fucking done you dumb fucker." My eyes widened at my mother's use of profanity.

My dad snickered in the background, yet to comment.

"You lied to me, not only did you use her to get rid of my nagging, you also had sex with her did you not?"

I frowned. "Mom–"

I jumped when her hand slammed against the desk. "Did you not?!" She shouted.

I could feel my eye twitch in annoyance, having to let my dad hear this shit was beyond embarrassing. "Yes." I mumbled.

"You made her fall for you and I am under the impression that you love her too, do you not?"

I glared at my desk. "I don't love her–"

"Don't lie, boy," my dad's eyes glowed as he smirked at me.

Get out of my fucking head, father.

I do what I want.

My eyes widened for the hundredth time when Mom grabbed my collar with such inhumane strength. "What the–"

"Lie to me again, Theodore. I put you in this damn world and guess who gon take you the fuck out?!"

"You?" I laughed nervously.

"Me." she confirmed. "Do. You. Love. Her?"

I nodded profusely. "Yes, mother, I do."

Mom's grip softened and she sighed, finally calm. "Then why did you leave her?"

I cleared my throat and straightened my collar. "I don't want to–wait, don't hit me!" I raised a portfolio up to protect myself.

"If you don't start talking." My mom gave me that look and I groaned.

"But, I don't want dad hearing my business–"

"Too bad," he took a seat. "I'm invested now. Go on, boy, tell us why you had to leave the girl."

Mom didn't look too amused. She wasn't going to let it go.

I sighed. "My job is dangerous, I choose not to marry or be with anyone after the whole situation ten years ago with the Shoebox Murderer, but I went against it and Stephanie almost got killed because of me. She will be in danger because of me and I'm protecting her." I said as brazenly as I could.

My dad shook his head in disappointment. "I don't know which one of you guys is a bigger disappointment."

I rolled my eyes as my mother facepalmed.

"You a pussy ass bitch, you know that? You sound like a cunt." My dad said before he got up and walked away.

"Gee thanks, dad." I rolled my eyes.

That was Vincent Trancy's way of saying 'You fucked up.'

My mom sat down and grabbed my larger hands. "Theodore," she said calmly. "This woman is in the same profession. Do you plan to have her fired as well?"

"Well...no."

"Is Stephanie the type of person to give up so easily, to cower in fear, to run away?"

I frowned. "No." I chuckled, remembering when she first came here.

"Like I said, I don't care. I didn't want to do this. I will not validate your feelings; I don't care for you, scream and shout and get mad all you like. I don't care. At the end of the day, I just want you gone."

She groaned, sighing. "Challenge accepted, sir." then she smirked, this sight almost made me laugh.

"In fact, she isn't like that at all." I reminisced.

"Then why did you feel the need to do what you did?" Mom asked again.

I shook my head. "I wanted to–no, I needed to protect her at all costs. She's..." I sighed. "I love her more than you could ever imagine, mom. I can't lose her."

"Then love and protect her." Mom said. "Your dad loves me, but he also protects me. You've heard the story of my abusive ex-husband and how it turned out."

I nodded. How can I forget my mother was married when she met dad, in fact the man she married used to beat her on a daily basis.

"Your father protected me, loved me, shielded me. Even when I thought I didn't need it, he was there for me."

I sighed, facepalming. "Mother, I fucked up."

She nodded. "Yeah, pretty much."

Stephanie was avoiding me. I don't know if she knew I saw her, but she'd always run the other direction when she saw me. Stephanie hid in her office, and clocked out early, with all of her work being turned in and great. "She's hiding from me."

"Then actively seek her out." Mom said. "You're gonna give up because she's hiding? Your father is a rich man, which makes you the son of a rich man, which makes you now a rich man. Use your resources. Don't piss me off."

"Ok," I whined. "Damn."

Mom sighed. "I know where she lives–but, I won't tell you. Find out, get her flowers, apologize. Get on your knees. Do what you have to do to earn her forgiveness."

I nodded. "Ok..."

 ‿̩͙‿ ༺ ♰ ༻ ‿̩͙‿

Again, I was humbled. I stood at her apartment door, soaking wet from the rain, hesitating if I should even knock on the door.

"You a pussy ass bitch, you know that? You sound like a cunt."

I groaned at the innate feeling not to let my dad be right for once and I knocked on the door. It felt like eternity, waiting to hear some sort of noise, but then I heard it. She walked over and opened the door.

Her eyes widened, tears filling them as she looked at the flowers in my hand. She began to shake her head, but I stopped her from closing the door. "No, please–"

I sighed, grabbing her softly to stop her from closing the door. I frowned, ashamed. "Stephanie."

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