Treat You Better ✅

Chapter 14

On their last night they sit on the dusty old couch, curled up together eating frozen pizza. It was uncomfortable and springs dig into their bum but neither of them care, because tomorrow they’ll go back home and all of this will be nothing more than a memory for rest of their life. Bright swallowed his pizza and murmured "You know, I don’t think I’ve ever felt this accomplished before". His back was leaning on Win chest. Win plays with Bright's fingers while they watch the open fire warming the room Win smile and ask "You’ve been through college and grad school, you’re a scientist and painting a room is the only thing that’s made you feel accomplished?".

Bright shrugs self-consciously then respond "I think it was always a given for me, what I’d do, going to college and whatever was just kind of the life plan that was set out for me before I was even born. I’d either be a scientist or work in the sales and running of the company. I don’t care for people so I decided to go down the science route as my parents wanted". Win said "That’s probably for the best, because you're great". Bright questions with a frown "Is it?! I'm? Because Josh is using all these against me, he said I can’t run the company because I haven’t had any experience with it, he wants me to stay in the research department and my mom to retire early so he can take over both the companies completely".

Win instantly stiffens hearing that then replied "it’s in your contract Angel that he can’t stop you from running the company. The whole point of it is that it’s split evenly between you two and it’s to be run together by you both in future. If he’s trying to push you out of the picture he’s breaking the contract". It might be something he knows but Bright knows Josh and he is far from stupid. He’ll say that Bright running the research department is his share of the company. That’s probably been his plan all along, to keep him away from running and using his knowledge only for the research department to keep him there.

Bright sigh explaining "It won’t work though he’ll just say that I’m running half by being in charge of the research department. He is that cocky and arrogant but he’s not stupid, he knows the contract very well and he’ll use every loophole to his advantage". Bright saw at Win, and he can almost hear Win thinking about it deeply. He gets like this whenever Josh is brought up, silently fuming inside thinking all sort of things. Win softly stated "Bright I will never ever stop looking for the moment he fucks up and you can get out of there". Bright blinks hearing that he ask "Win, You’d do that? You’d wait around for me even though I’m not available, I’ll be living with someone else, he’ll be watching me and doing the same, waiting for me to fuck up enough to take both the company over himself". Win tighten his hold on Bright and nod his head stating "Even if we’re not together and I know we can’t be, I don't want you to be there any longer than you have to be. I won’t ever stop fighting for you. You'll always find me waiting for you".

Bright swallows and stammered "Why? Why me?... You must deal with hundreds of clients like me, it’s your job.... Why are you doing this for me... or do you do this with all of your clients?". Win breath out a small  laugh and replied "Oh you’re just one of many people in an arranged legal marriage, it’s kind of my thing. You know". Bright snorts at that and elbows Win lightly in his tummy saying "Win, Please I’m being serious, Why Me".

Win plant s soft kiss on Bright's head saying "You because... I knew it.... I just.... I don’t know...... You’re so young, you was having your whole life ahead of you and... That day... Josh never looked at you even for once, he never spoke to you, he barely even acknowledged you until he flippantly said before he left that he’ll sort out a date soon. Does he even try to atleast know you, has he ever made any attempt to get to know you? You met him that very day and he didn’t even look at you while you were signing a contract with him for the next  25 years". Bright ask "But Win surely You must see this all the time, it will be nothing new for you..  why?". Win further said "I don’t really.. not like that. The people that come into my office are usually leveled up in this game, there’s no great age difference like yours and Josh, it’s been discussed greatly beforehand and they’re absolutely sure what they're doing it for. Both parties get benefits from it. But You looked like you were about to pass out that day, You looked to your mom and Pam had to give the cue to do it. You didn’t want to do it right?, but you did it anyway with having no idea who he was, what he’s capable of, why did you even agree to do it with him. You don't even know what could you possibly get out of this, still you sign that 25 years of your life to some stranger?".

Bright drops his hand. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, knowing about the actual situation only when it already happened and now after hearing from Win's POV, and looking back marrying a man he doesn’t know it's just  ridiculous, just so he wouldn’t be available anymore, so he wouldn’t have to think about getting in a relationship. Clearly, it was going to happen whether he’s married or not. He will still fall in love if he met someone like Win after marriage only because he doesn’t love Josh and he never will, that was never on his cards. He was going to fall in love whether Bright likes it or not, and it was so stupid to think marrying Josh wasn’t just going to push him into someone else’s arms.

Josh was right afterall he’s a child and he’s so stupid Bright then inform "Win, My mom asked me to do it, and I still don’t know why, I’m in the dark as much as you are. But I thought it would protect me, stop me from getting into any more relationships because what’s the point? Love does nothing but hurt you, I didn’t want that anymore so I agreed. I know now that it’s stupid of me to think like this but you still didn’t answer my question, Why me Win?".

Win shifts thinking how he should answer this.  He doesn't know if it's right time to actually confess his feeling that he fall in love with him at first sight. Soon Bright is going to get married. He doesn't want Bright to feel guilty for their relation. Bright also shifts from his spot and turn his face towards Win. Bright is getting angry now because Win is taking too much time, whatever it is, it’s been simmering for a while now it’s all coming to boiling point and they need to talk it out Win started "Because you don’t deserve this. If I hadn't met you that night in the bar this probably would have never happened between us. I'd have just move on with your thought, But You would have been on my mind since you enter in my office that day. If you weren't there for marriage contract I’d have looked for you up and hoped to reserve you for the best. But When I did meet you that night and Jesus Christ Bright, all I could see a helpless son in you. Your mother nods at you to sign that fucking contract. What kind of mother sends their twenty two year old son into the firing line of the Vincent? Pam knows exactly what kind of people they are, she knows exactly what Josh will do to you and still she told you to sign that stupid contract. Why Bright ? Why would she do that to you?".

Tears falls from Bright's eyes, there’s no answers he can give to Win. There’s nothing he can say in response because all this time he’s been kept in the dark about everything, it’s just been one big manipulation and Bright doesn’t know why. Win continue "At first I really like you. I felt compelled to protect you, I couldn’t let you go into it alone. I don’t know if it was the right thing for me or not but I... I.. needed to be in your life in some way or another since I.... So I followed your lead that night at the bar when you were wandering on the street and after that You kept on coming back because you had doubts, You knew you'd fucked up otherwise if you wouldn’t be coming back time after time".

There isn’t a single time in Bright life that Bright hasn’t been manipulated. His schooling choices, his career, hell his entire personality has been shaped by his mother. Now His husband, their wedding, how long they’re married for it’s all been manipulated by someone other than him. Every time he’s fallen in love it’s been guarded, it’s been careful and it’s been painful. The one time he’s let himself fall and it’s all been orchestrated in some failed attempt to keep him safe by his parents.

Win also failed him though, because all he’s done is hurt Bright more. Win is not protecting him, Win has shown him a world he can’t have and now Bright is going to leave him. Bright doubt Win actually like him, knowing he only did it because he didn’t wanted to see him marry Josh, not because he loves him. So Bright moved away from Win, he made some distance his eyes filled with tears and ask "So this whole time has been you  was actually feeding your ego thinking you couldn't protect me because I can’t take care of myself. I doubt you even liked me for once?".

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