Liability

Chapter 44 - Rhys

Friday
September 21, 2018

Rhys stares at the ink carved sheet of paper in front of him, the words forced on him and Thommy by that bitch mocking him. The past week has been eye-opening in many ways and their mistake was painted in a completely different light. The rebellious, childish side of him rages at the perceived injustice of their imprisonment and wants to call that asshole woman along with Alenyka Yurieva out on how enslavement is unlawful. He wants to throw it into their faces that they have no right to keep him and Thommy locked up but it would be a lie. And that's still the hardest part to digest. That their families readily handed them over to a stranger, that their families are nothing but puppets in the hands of a merciless mistress that accepts no failure.

It isn't even that he was not aware of how deep his father is in the Yuriev Matriarch's pocket, how desperately he caters to every one of her whims. But knowing and experiencing that complete loss of identity are different. He knows Thommy isn't faring much better either despite the effort the elder Prescott has been putting into keeping in contact with him at least virtually. Rhys' father didn't even bother to send him more than a message about holding a press conference in order to avoid staining their precious family name and position by some dirty rumors. His mother and sisters didn't do even that much, apparently collectively ignoring his existence for the time being.

What Rhys hates the most about it probably is that it hurts even though it shouldn't. He despises that tiny corner of his heart that after all this time of being treated as a threat and inconvenience by his prestigious, pristine family, he still yearns for their love. How laughably pathetic is he?

And on top of it all, Aikawa has been steadily tearing apart the world around them, force-feeding Thommy and him with the dark seeds of reality and sparing no thought of sheltering them from it all. Like their first lesson on morality the next day after they were deposited in their glass and magazine glam coated tower cell. She challenged them, stripped them of their long-ingrained views by one simple question: What is truth?

It's easy to recall staring back at her, thoughts frying up and freezing at the same time as he tried to come up with an answer. Across from him, Tommy was quiet as well, brows furrowed in thought.

"Facts," was what Rhys came up with the same time Tommy blurted, "Honest words."

"Yes and no." The woman hummed, tapping her chin with her index finger in that irritatingly superior way that instantly sent Rhys' blood pressure through the ceiling. At least she didn't leave them hanging because she went on a moment later, "Say, someone crossing the road gets hit by a car, right in front of you. You see the car stop, the driver get out and rush to the person. You see the driver leaning over the person pumping his hands over their chest. The paramedics arrive, try to save the person's life but they still die right there on the road. The incident is taken to court and you're asked to act as a witness for the offense. They tell you to say the truth and only the truth about what you saw. What would you say?"

"That I saw a person being hit by a car," replied Thommy. Being better versed in giving statements, his answer was short and factual matching their knowledge of the made-up situation. Rhys' lips curls up just the slightest bit remembering the smirk his best friend threw at Aikawa.

"Was that person killed by the car?" came the next question.

"Yes."

"Is that the truth?"

"Yes."

"Is that a fact?"

"Yes."

"No."

"But you said that person was hit by the car and died!" Thommy snapped, expression dark and Rhys also felt his irritation climb to new heights.

Aikawa simply returned Thommy's earlier smirk.