Recap:

“You are wrong. He doesn’t control me, he just….asks me the way things would work better, that’s all.” Ash replied, his hand placed on the table trembled a bit, but Lily didn’t notice.

‘Why is Lily talking about dad? He doesn’t behave the way she is saying. What is she up to?’ Ash thought.

“Asher, you don’t know him the way I do, he is going to probably throw you out of the house when you’re of no use to him.” Lily’s hand made its way to Ash’s.

‘Is something going on between these two?’ Ash thought, his heart beating way faster than usual.

“Did something happen? Why did dad throw you out of the house when I was five?” Ash asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

“No, nothing happened. The time will come when you’ll know about what happened between us. Ash, just tell me if he behaves differently towards you, you think you can do that for me?” Lily squeezed his hand tightly.

“Fine. Now I’m going home.” Ash stood quickly, bid Lily good-bye, and went home.

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Chapter 2:

“Are you home, honey?” Ash’s mom asked when she heard the voice of the main door opening.

“Yes mom.” Ash replied while looking at his mom, she had features an awful lot like Lily.

“Was school good?’ His mom asked in a loud voice because of the TV show broadcasting.

“Yes.” Ash replied while walking the stairs to his room.

Then Ash went to his room and changed.

He always liked being tidy. Messy study tables weren’t really his thing. His room consisted of a single bed, a book-shelf at its right, and a small study table at its left.

His room resembled him a lot.

Clean, observed, minimalist.

He then waited for the dinner.

Because he wanted to observe why Lily was so curious about dad.

He wanted to see for himself.

Then the long awaited moment arrived.

Ash heard the loud banging of the main door, and someone scolding.

“Daddy's home!” Noah running through the hall, almost tripping over his own feet, screamed.

“Oy! Look where you’re going, you stupid child of mine! And don’t scream in the house, or you’re grounded, you hear!” His dad screamed back.

Noah, Ash’s and Lily’s little brother. He wasn’t even born when the Lily-leaving-home incident happened. He only knew there is a big sister of his, who is living in another city because of studying, and that’s it.

‘Dad never shouts when he comes home, especially at Noah. What on Earth is happening?’ Ash thought while making his way to the lounge, for the dinner.

He knew his father for, basically his whole life.

‘I never found dad controlling me or any other stuff Lily mentioned. He is always in control, his business of shipping products worldwide, himself, his family, everything is…okay. Well except for Lily. Dad always seems angry when it comes to Lily. Like there was this one time when Noah asked about her, and dad almost snapped at him.’ Ash shrugged at the memory, while standing at the doorstep of the lounge.

He saw his father, black straight hair, shoulder-length and black onyx eyes. His aura was always like cool wind, but almost menacing, like it’ll crush anyone or anything that comes in his way.

Ash looked like him.

A lot.

The only difference was his hair wasn’t as long as his dad’s.

“You, what are you doing staring at me like that?!” His father, named Luke, exclaimed. His deep eyes bore into Ash’s slim form, he was wearing blue sweatpants, and white T-shirt, his hair wet and sticking to the sides of his mouth.

“I’m sorry for staring. Should we eat dinner or are you going to take a bath first?” Ash asked quickly.

“I’m not hungry, take your brother with you and eat. I’m going to rest. I had to deal with some pretty crazy supply chain disruption- wait, why am I telling it to you? You probably don’t know it anyway.” Luke said sarcastically, while making his way to the study.

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And Ash….was dumbfounded.

‘Did dad just insult me? I mean I don’t know these chain disruptions dad was talking about, but still, he was definitely not himself today.’ Ash thought, his eyes darting towards his dad’s retreating figure.

“Come on Noah, time to eat.” Ash said, while forcing himself to tear his focus on something else.

“Ah, I wanna play, no time to eat!” Noah shrieked, while getting away from Ash.

“Come on, Noah, don’t be stubborn.” Ash began to move forward to Noah, who was only seven at the time.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After dinner, Ash was about to go back to his room, when his mom called him.

“Asher, daddy’s calling you in his study!”

“Ooh, Big brother’s in trouble!” Noah circled around Ash, while also jumping up and down.

‘What does dad wanna talk about?’ Ash thought while ignoring Noah’s actions. He made his way to the study.

When he was in front of the door of the study, he thought, ‘I wonder if something is wrong, or if it has to do something with Lily maybe? No matter, I’ll see for myself.’

Without further ado, Ash knocked at the door, thrice.

“Come in.” Luke said, and Ash was easy to guess that he had a hint of anger in his voice.

Ash pushed the door open, and saw his father.

Sitting on a big easy chair, with a table in front of him covered in all sorts of stuff, papers, and empty mugs.

Book-shelves and a red rug underneath.

Yellow lights, with an amber ceiling.

‘It sure looks…dramatic.’ Ash thought, taking in his surroundings.

“Do you need anything dad?” Ash asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

“Yes, Asher. Now, what I’ll ask you, reply truthfully.”

And even Ash’s angels knew that Luke called him ‘Asher’ when he was mad.

“..Okay.” Ash managed out.

“Did you meet with Lily today?” Luke asked, barely keeping his cool.

‘Lily? So it does have to do something with her. Wait, dad doesn’t even mention Lily, so why now?’ Ash thought.

“No.” Ash blurted.

‘Why on earth did I say No?! I was supposed to tell the truth. Oh god, I’m in big trouble now.’ Ash mentally scolded himself, ‘Mind as well bear with it now, no time to deny it.’

“What did you say?” Luke angrily stood up, with hands slammed on the table.

“Um..dad, did something happen?”

But before Ash could tell him the truth, and he would gladly tell him, because there was something in him telling him to run, anywhere, somewhere, just…away from him.

There was something in him, telling him that, today, Dad was not the same.

Luke came towards him, angrily mumbling about something, and the next thing Ash knew, his father was jerking him from the shoulders.

“You fool! I told you to tell me the truth, Now…did you meet her today, or not?!” He had a dangerous edge to his voice.

“I… did. Yes, I met her.” Ash was somehow getting shivers.

“Why? Why did you meet her?!” Luke screamed, now pulling Ash upwards from the collars of his shirt.

“Be-Because she's my sister.” Ash blurted, his face inches away from his dad’s.

‘Why is dad acting like this?! He never acts like…’ And then Ash remembered, ‘Is dad behaving…okay? Asher, you don’t know him the way I do, he is going to probably throw you out of the house when you’re of no use to him.’

As much as he hated remembering Lily’s words, he knew dad was acting differently.

He knew his father never shouted, or acted this angrily.

‘Sure, dad gave me advice to stay away from her, everyday, rather harshly, but he never pulled out the physical card. He never even touched me like he is now. Hell, he is actually suffocating me, I can’t breathe, Come on Asher, Breat-’

“ I told you to stay away from her, dammit! Why can’t you listen to what I tell you? You… You’re actually worse than your sister!” Luke screamed, while shaking Ash from the collar, until his teeth rattled.

‘I can’t breathe, I can’t-’ was the only thing Ash could think.

He didn’t know his dad was this angry, he never saw him like this.

No, He didn’t even want to see him like this.

So, why now?

Then he heard a familiar voice.

“You’re suffocating him, Luke! Leave him be!” His mom screamed while looking at the scene unfolding in front of her.

Luke seemed to gain his senses, it was like he could see again.

He saw a hand holding Ash up, and shaking him to the point he couldn’t breathe.

Screw that, it was his own hand.

He quickly left hold of Ash’s collar, and Ash fell to the ground with a loud thud.

His mother worriedly hurried towards her son, who was bending over the floor, and coughing.

“Are you okay, honey?!” She inspected her son’s battered form.

“I’m…o-okay, mom.” Ash replied, now finally being able to breathe.

“Luke, what were you doing to Ash? What happened?” His mom asked.

His dad ignored her mother’s inquiry, and said in a low voice, “Asher, if I ever find you went to talk with her, I’m gonna rip you apart. Are we clear?”

“Y-Yes.” Ash blurted out, and his mom asked him to go to his room.

Ash walked to his room, and he could hear his mom and dad arguing about something, they were really, really loud.

He went and sat on his bed, holding his throat, he thought,’ What happened, dad, never, behaves like this. Lily said to tell her if Dad acted differently towards me, so she knew somehow. Should I tell her?’

But then Ash played the entire scene in his mind.

From his dad asking him to shaking him.

And, To the last line.

.

.

‘If I ever find you went to talk with her, I’m gonna rip you apart.’

.

.

‘Why did dad say it? He..he never acts like this. Forget Lily, I would never tell her after dad’s threat. God, he was scary.’ Ash shrugged, and laid down.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After putting Noah to sleep, I went to the kitchen.

My son’s can be such a pain sometimes. Like Noah, who wants to play and play, and doesn’t wanna go to sleep. He started school last year, but he never actually takes an interest in studying, if you ask me.

Asher and Lily are such good students, actually Lily was so good, her teacher asked me to enroll her in the national university only 1% students can apply to.

I was on my way to the kitchen, when I heard someone shouting. It was Luke.

Luke doesn’t even get angry that much, so what happened?

He also skipped dinner, and he rarely does that, so something is definitely wrong.

I hurried my way to his study, and then I remembered, Ash was there too.

Did it have to do something with him?

I was only too worried to think.

I went and saw, Luke was holding Ash up like if his weight meant nothing to him, and Ash was having difficulty breathing.

What the heck?!

I immediately stopped Luke, and sent Asher to his room.

And Luke said something about…Lily?

Wait, did he meet Lily by any chance?!

Oh no, now Luke is going to be harder to calm down.

It’s gonna take a lot of work and effort.

And the next thing I knew, Luke was screaming at me because of my failure in raising Lily, the wrong way.

Actually, he’s at fault.

And, I’m gonna make him realize that.

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