At ten o'clock the next day, Ms. Coral walked through the front door of the hospital with Ethan by her side, his expression deadpan and stiff, and yet, a sense of fear of what meeting this somewhat stranger would make him feel.
They approached the front desk and then Ms. Coral smiled at the lady at the desk, saying, “I was here yesterday morning and this is my son, and we are here to see-”
“Right! Yes! Please, ma’am, follow me this way.” The nurse behind the desk spoke as she stood up from her seat and gestured to the right corridor before leading the way.
Hesitantly, Ethan followed behind the two ladies quietly, wondering what his father looked like because his mother confessed to him when he was old enough to understand that she burned all of all of his father pictures when she received the divorce paper from his father's lawyer, changed his and her last name to her father last name, and decided to do nothing with his father or memories of him.
Because of how in tears she was and the pain in her eyes, Ethan never asked any further questions about his father, not his name, how his face looked, or why his father left, just knowing that he abandoned them, and that was enough to hate him for all his days.
Finally, the nurse stopped at a room in the private ward, and she knocked before entering along with Ms. Coral, and then the door shut in Ethan's face.
Clutching his fists, Ethan took deep breaths and reminded himself that it was okay. He was doing this for his mom.
Then he grabbed the door handle, turned it, and walked inside, immediately halting in his steps as his eyes widened and his heart stopped for a second.
“Ethan, meet your father.” Ms. Coral said with a small smile, pointing to a handsome silver fox, who was staring at Ethan from across the room.
For a while, Ethan couldn't speak and only stared at his dad, unable to believe that the man in front of him was his actual deadbeat father.
“You are Ethan, Ethan ... my boy?” The older gentleman's voice echoed in Ethan's ear.
But he didn't answer and turned on his heel, walking out of the room, ignoring his mother's cries, “Ethan, wait, please!”
His pace increased as he heard her rushing after him, and when he was halfway through the hallway, Ms. Coral suddenly grabbed his arm and cried out, “Son, please, talk to me! What's going on? Do you know him?”
Frowning slightly, Ethan looked away from his mother, answering, “Yes... and I have been living under his roof for three years now, mother.”
“Oh, my God! No! Ethan, You never… You don't talk to me…” Ms. Coral choked out.
“That man in there is my boss, mother. And for three years, I have seen how he loved his wife, cherished his other children, treated the six of them like treasures, and gave them everything that they wanted. But what about me? What about his first son? Am I so fucking irrelevant that he had to be dying to think about me!”
“Honey, you are not irrelevant-”
“He can die, and I wouldn't give a shit!!”
Before Ms. Coral could say anything else, Ethan walked off, leaving his mother crying and confused and hurt in the empty hallway.
After a brief while, Ms. Coral pulled herself together and bashed into Mr. Rider's room.
After she shut the door, Mr. Rider scowled and asked in a cold tone, “Are you going to talk to your son or not?”
“ That's it?! That's all you have to say… You are unbelievable, Harrison.” Ms. Coral let out with trembling lips as she shook her head.
When she turned on her heel to leave, his serious tone made her halt in her steps, “Him doing this for me will give him a better future.”
“You are his father... He doesn't need to go through surgery to save your life before you can see that...” Ms. Coral replied in a strong tone.
As Mr. Rider watched her reach for the doorknob, his face hardened, and he lashed out, “Five million dollars is at stake here for him, Coral. Talk some sense into your boy!”
When she opened the door, she froze as she saw Ethan standing there, and silently, she stepped outside, shut the door, and then stretched her hand out to her son before hesitating to touch him.
But Ethan suddenly grabbed her, pulled her into his arms, and hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head as he thought, ‘Five million... Nah, after twenty-nine years, I think I am worth and deserve more than that from that deadbeat, plus a payback toward all of them.’
When Ms. Coral withdrew from her son's arm, she looked into his eyes and saw in him nothing, no emotions, and just emptiness, and that broke her heart to see him so unreadable and detached.
“I’m sorry, Ethan.” She whispered inaudibly.
A faint smile appeared on his lips for a second and then it disappeared as he walked past his mother, leaving her confused, and she immediately turned to see him pushing the door open.
“Ethan,” Ms. Coral whispered before the door could close behind him.
When Ethan's eyes locked with Mr. Rider’s, he asked coldly, “What do you want from me?”
“Ethan,” Mr. Rider scowled.
“It’s been twenty-nine years since you left. So forgive me if my tone is not that welcoming and I don't want my time wasted with useless words, so go straight to the point, please.”
A slight frown appeared on Mr. Rider’s face, and then he said, “You are right. Abandoning you was-”
“My kidney, my blood... What is it?”
Silence filled the space between them for several seconds until Mr. Rider finally spoke. “...Your bone marrow if it is a match... I have this sickness called ‘Severe aplastic anaemia,’ and it's a rare condition in which the body stops producing enough new blood cells, so...”
“You need me to go through surgery for you?” Ethan calmly interrupted.
Looking at Ethan's dark eyes for several moments, Mr. Rider said, “Yes, I guess I do if you are a match, but it's not free. I am willing to pay you five million to go through with the surgery.”
Hearing his father say those words to his face after years of neglect and giving him abandonment issues made him mad, but he still nodded, giving Mr. Rider his answer, “Fine.”
“So you are willing to accept my offer?” Mr. Rider asked, a smile appearing on his lips.
“No, I agreed to get tested to see if my bone marrow is the perfect match for you, and if it is, we can then discuss my offer.”
“Fine, you-”
“When can I do the test?”
Annoyed by his son’s attitude, Mr. Rider cleared his throat, taking a moment to calm himself before responding, “We can do it now if you are okay with that.”
“I am,” Ethan replied.
Since he didn’t need to kiss his son to get him to agree to the surgery, Mr. Rider realized that he had nothing else he cared to talk about with his son so he gave a slight cough and said, “I will call the doctor then.”
A moment later, Ms. Coral sat in the hallway, wanting to give her son some privacy with his father and yet, scared that the room was quiet, way too quiet than she thought it was going to be.
Subconsciously, she looked to her right and saw the doctor walking down the corridor toward her, and immediately she stood up and quickly followed him inside.
Walking over to her son, Ms. Coral tapped his arm and asked, “What’s going on, son?”
“Ethan has agreed to do the test and see if his bone marrow matched mine.” Mr. Rider said.
The doctor looked over at Ethan with this friendly expression and asked, “So you are willing to give your bone marrow to Mr. Rider?”
“No,” Ethan replied bluntly.
A tense silence hung in the air for several minutes, and while it felt awkward for the doctor, he smiled in the tension and said, “I don't follow,”
“I agree to be tested to see if I am a match, and that's all I agreed to,” Ethan repeated, glaring at his father.
Mr. Rider looked taken aback by his son's words, but he shook it off and simply said, “Of course, Ethan, whatever you want.”
Not understanding the conversation, Ms. Coral frowned at Mr. Rider and then looked up at her son with a comforting smile.
“Okay then. Let's get you tested...” The doctor said.
Later on that day, The room was quiet as Ethan sat by his mother, and Mr. Rider watched him anxiously, knowing that he had tested a couple of people and none of them was a match... He needed Ethan's test to come out with a positive result because time was running out for him more quickly than he thought it would.
When the sound of the door finally opening broke the atmosphere, everyone turned their heads to see who had entered.
The moment the doctor walked into the room, he read the atmosphere and knew not to beat around the bush, saying, “We have a match. Ethan's bone marrow is perfect to be used for the surgery. He is what you need.”
A sigh of relief escaped Mr. Rider's lip, closing his eyes, muttering, “That Is good.”
“Well, we just need Mr. Harwe's consent so we can go through with the procedure and get the surgery done.” The doctor said.
“Well, son,” Mr. Rider began with a small chuckle, turning his head to look at him, “How much will it cost?”
“I am glad you called me ‘son’ because my price is, I want the title of your first son and child, your last name, and my rightful place within the Rider mansion. I want my full birthright as your son and to benefit off you as your five children do.”
The room became dead silent after Ethan's words as his father stared at him with a blank look on his face, unable to believe what he had heard.
“Don’t try to bite more than you can chew, son. Take the five million, and you and your mother can start somewhere fresh.” Mr. Rider finally said after clearing his throat a few times.
Nodding silently, Ethan got up from the chair and stared his father directly in the eye with a cocky smile that showed he wasn’t intimidated by the old man’s words and calmly said, "I wish you the best of luck."
Then he looked down at Ms. Coral, making her concerned by the relaxed expression on his face, and uttered, "Let's go, Mom."
"Huh?... Okay..." Ms. Coral stuttered, waking from her seat.
Silently, Mr. Rider watched Ethan take five steps, and then he shouted, infuriated within, yet desperate, "Wait, son!"
Stopping in his step, the corner of Ethan's lips raised slightly before he could turn on his heels and face his father, saying, "Yes?"
"Seven Million," Mr. Rider replied, swallowing nervously and trying to keep his emotions at bay. "My last offer,"
"I see," Ethan mumbled, not a single sign of care in his expression. "Well, that's good for you then... I am out."
Anger surged through Mr. Rider as he watched his son turn his back on him for the second time and he shouted, "Do you know what this will do to me, bringing a bastard into my marital home?!"
"A bastard," Ethan laughed as he turned to stare at his father with this amused look on his face. "Wow! I knew that was coming, after all, you have been my boss for three years, but honestly, I wasn't really for it."
"Ethan,"
"Get a lawyer to make my demands official, or you can find yourself a new bone marrow donor. That's my final offer."
The doctor and Ms. Coral looked uneasy at the sudden tension between them as Mr. Rider glared at his son and exclaimed, "You have been in that household for three years, and you know what it's like, so why would you want to get mixed up in that?!"
Snorting, Ethan let out, "You are not denying me what I want because you care about me-”
"You are right. I don't want you because where I am now in life, you don't have the qualification to stand by my side as one of my sons. You can't live up to it, and not to talk about the scandals and rumors that me accepting you is going to cost my family." Mr. Rider let out.
"You selfish bastard," Ms. Coral whispered beneath her breath, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.
“Well, everyone has freedom of choice and if that’s yours, I can’t beg you to change it, but my mind is made up.” Ethan casually said.
When Mr. Rider met Ethan’s eyes, he could see it in his son's stare that this was it… he was not going to get that bone marrow without accepting his demands... he knew that Ethan wouldn’t budge until they reached that point… and it didn’t take long for him to realize he already lost any chance he had of winning.
With a defeated sigh, he looked away from his son in disappointment and half-heartedly let out, “Fine... I will get my lawyer-”
“Good. I will come with mine too tomorrow. You know, just so I don't get screwed up in the deal.” Ethan replied, cutting him off. “See you tomorrow then, father.”
When her son turned to leave, a sense of panic hit Ms. Coral hard when she saw the resentment that clouded Mr. Rider's expression like he dread the idea of accepting Ethan, and she knew her son was not going to get his father's favor and acceptance easily, which meant his life was about to take a difficult path from then on.
‘Ethan, son, why would you want such fate for yourself, huh?’ Ms. Coral cried in her head as she walked after her son, staring at his back.
Sitting at the dining table, Nina tried to pretend that everything was fine like her father didn't slap her yesterday after she caught her half-sister in bed with her man. "Stop playing with your food, Nina. It's not healthy." Her father said in a stern tone, causing her to aggressively drop her fork into her plate. "Can I get a break?!" Nina snapped, standing up abruptly as she crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at her father, trying hard not to cry again. "I'm just having a hard time dealing with the fact that I am supposed to put on a show with Charles, know that she and him-" "Edward, your daughter is trying to ruin our Dana reputation and I will not have that. What happened in the past is the past, we have to move on." Mrs. Simone spoke softly but firmly. Like an obedient puppet, Mr. Simone looked at his daughter and said, "Do not get on my last nerve, Nina, and know your place in this house. Dana is your sister, and you should know what such scandalous words c
The large wooden table was covered in food, from barbecue ribs to vegetables, fruits, and soups, all perfectly cooked. All maids were walking on eggshells, knowing how important today was for the Rider family and one mistake would get them punished severely or worse. “Bobby!” Madam Rider's voice echoed in the dining room, sending chills down everyone who heard it, and they all turned their faces away from her, leaving Bobby the only one facing her. “Yes, ma’am,” Bobby replied with a deep bow, his voice trembling slightly at her cold eyes. “Do you know where Ethan said he was going?” “Well, no ma’am...” “What do you mean by, ‘No!” Jumping slightly, Bobby stuttered out an apology. “I don’t mean to say that ma’am I just… well, I don't know where he could have gone…” “He asked for two days' leave. It's been a week plus already and he's not back!” Madam Rider snapped, causing Bobby to flinch again, this time from fear. “That useless thing knows how to take advantage of people's
Frowning, Clara shifted slightly on the couch and mumbled, “Well, you could have agreed with me more calmly than that.” “No, Clara. I am not agreeing with you. The thing is…” Mr. Rider paused to glare at Ethan like he was blaming him for this whole mess. When she noticed how her husband was staring at Ethan with this hesitant look on his face, Clara frowned before speaking again, “What is it? Spit it out!! Why aren't you agreeing with me? You know he needs to be punished for disrespecting my authority and doing his own thing… if we don't set an example with him…” “Ethan was away for all those days because he was saving my life… He was at the hospital with me. His bone marrow was what they used for my treatment...” Mr. Rider confessed softly. A mirthless chuckle left Jeff’s lips as he gave Ethan a cold stare, mumbling in his head, ‘Is this idiot trying to get my father to promote him, is that why he’s kissing up his ass?’ As he hardened his jaw, Tyler stare at Ethan with an unim
The sound of a knock made Mr. Simone raised his head to see Nina standing outside of his study door, and he gave her a small smile, mumbling, “What is it, Nina?” Calmly, she walked into the room, and then closed the door behind her, saying softly, “Do you have a minute to talk?” “Sure,” Mr. Simone replied, moving his laptop out of his way so he could focus on her. Although she and her father had had great issues since her mother died and he remarried, Nina was hoping that this time, just once he would be a supportive father. “Remember when I was about to leave for my scholarship, what I asked of you?” Nina questioned, sitting in front of her father, crossing one leg over the other and resting her elbow on her knee. The dumbfounded look on her father's face made Nina sigh in frustration, knowing that he might not have even cared to listen back then when she was talking to him. “You promised me that the spot was going to be filled up by a temporary employee and that I can have the
The quietness in the guest room had Ethan uneasy, even though he was finally sleeping on a softer and more comfortable bed. After twisting and turning for a while, he couldn't sleep anymore so he decided to leave the bed and go outside to get some fresh air and also get his stuff from the worker's quarter. “You fat lazy pig!! Can't you do any damn thing properly!” Madam Rider's voice echoed into Ethan's ears as he came downstairs. The moment he stepped into the hallway, he saw her standing behind Bobby as he struggled to hang up a large framed portrait of her and her five children on the wall. These portraits had always been in the family gallery room, and they had been placed there by professionals because of the size and weight of each piece. “Higher, you fat junkie!” Clara screamed, causing Bobby already tired hands to tremble under the weight of such a huge glass frame. Anger rose in Ethan like fire as he watched Bobby struggle to keep the portrait above where Clara wanted
Nibbling on her nails, Nina watched her laptop screen as the website loaded, making her heartbeat, wanting to stay positive, but after the constant rejections, she couldn't. “You need to chill, Nina,” Her best friend, Kim, said, taking another bite of her sandwich. “It’s only been like a few companies who have replied. It's not like all the-” “Nineteen companies, Kim. It's been only a couple of days, and I have been receiving rejection letters one after the other, Every other day.” Nina mumbled, grabbing another napkin and blowing her nose into it. “It’s like I am cursed.” “Come on, Nina. Be positive. Who knows, this one might-” “Dear Miss Simone, we regret to inform you that the position that you applyed...” The trembling in Nina's voice made Kim's sandwich freeze to her lips, and she whispered as she rested the sandwich on the bed, “Oh Nina, come here.” Crawling towards her friend, Nina buried her face in the crook of Kim's neck as she sobbed. “Shhh, Nina. You're okay. This is
Staring at the garment bag hanging on the rack, Ethan studied it for a while, and then he unzipped it, taking out the only suit that he had to his name and dusting it off.Then he took the pants and blazer from the garment bag, deciding to go with his black dress shirt, and wore them. Once he was done, he wore his shoes that were polished and then stepped in front of the mirror to wear his tie.Suddenly, a knock on his room door broke him out of his thoughts, but before he could react, the door opened, and in came his father who was wearing a very expensive blue suit.Halting in his steps, Mr. Rider immediately frowned, his eyes blazing with rage as he stared at Ethan's suit and asked, “What is that rag?!”“What rag?” Ethan frowned back at him, wearing his tie.“The shit on you.”“You mean, my suit?”Speechless in anger, Mr. Rider looked at him like he was insane and said, “Yes, your goddamn suit! Haven’t you worn that rag on many occasions?!”“Yes, and it is still in good shape for
Taking the glass of water off the tray, Nina smiled at Esther and said, “Thank you.”A soft breath escaped her lips as she slowly sipped the drink, enjoying how warm and comforting it was.With an uneasy expression, Kim leaned onto the railing next to Nina, looking at the view and gazing up at the night sky above, waiting patiently.A couple of minutes later, Nina rested her head gently on Kim's shoulder and whispered, “I got a headache.”Her vision was slowly getting blurry and she couldn't focus on anything. Her body was tense as she started to feel a bit warm inside, the cold air made her shudder slightly.Finally, Kim looked down at her with furrowed eyebrows and asked, “What’s wrong with you, Nina?”Even though she tried to answer no sound came out and instead, she closed her eyes tight and sighed softly, her teeth gritting together.“Do you want me to find a guest room for you to rest in? You look awful.” Kim whispered.Nina wanted to say that she was feeling weird in her body a