Liberation: Oscar's Story

Chapter 13: Pt. 2

WARNING: 

This chapter has a brief scene of parental abuse.

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"Me neither, that's great!" She grinned. "We can both learn together! What do you think?" She bounced on her seat. "Come on, let's do it! It'll be fun! It's artistic and requires physical activity! Come on, come on, come on! Let's do it, please?!"

God, I can't say no when she looks at me like that. Fuck, she's so cute. Oscar cleared his throat in an attempt to appear unfazed, though he was sure that his smile gave it away. "Okay," he agreed. "When this is all over, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try."

"Yay!" Ananya squealed loudly, again attracting attention (and a few scowls) their way, but neither one of them cared. "Great, great, so now we can have something in common. Wait, what were we here for? We were supposed to meet someone here, right?" Her smile disappeared. "Well, fiddlesticks, I forgot. Do you remember...?" her lips parted as her gaze drifted from Oscar's face past his shoulders. Her eyes locked with a woman striding their way and Ananya felt a rush of cold tumble down her body like an avalanche, freezing her insides.

"Ananya?" Oscar gave a gentle shake to her shoulder. "Ananya?"

"Why are you touching my niece?" The sharp voice of a woman struck through the cafe. Chatter dimmed and eyes moved all at once.

Oscar didn't remove his hand from Ananya's shoulder, as when he began to pull away he felt her muscles tighten. Indifferently, he turned and rose, towering over the couple that were standing beside him.

"And who might you be?" He demanded in a soft, authoritative tone, making sure to remain firm but polite. He felt Ananya stand and her shoulder brushed him when she moved to be beside him.

"My name is Rutuparna Kaushikh, CEO of Happy Learners," the woman; a sharp-nosed, regally dressed Indian woman said cordially. "Beside me is my husband, Amanpreet Kaushikh, and beside you is our niece." Rutuparna's glare fell on Ananya, and Oscar noticed that the bright, warm aura surrounding the girl disappeared. "Ananya, come here."

To Oscar's surprise, Ananya nodded silently and drifted behind her aunt without a word of complaint, her head bowed like a praying child. She didn't spare Oscar a glance and her hunch deepened, just like her uncle. He noticed that Amanpreet seemed to either share Ananya's scoliosis or they were both just used to making their presence unknown around this striking woman.

***

"I'm assuming that you were the one who set up this meeting, wolf," Rutuparna said icily, her gold bangles jiggling as she clasped her hands tightly. Her red saree blew gently in the wind like a cape behind her. "I don't have a lot of time to spare for nonsense, so explain to me quickly what this matter is."

"Ananya requested you to come here. I believe this news is for her to relay. It would be inappropriate if I did so," Oscar easily mirrored her cold behavior. His glower significantly thawed when he looked at the figure behind the imposing woman. "And if you'd please, my name is Alpha Oscar Yuen. Calling me a 'wolf' is unprofessional and quite inappropriate, wouldn't you agree?"

"To be unable to think of a synonym for inappropriate and use the word twice in a sentence is appalling, Alpha," Rutuparna said frostily. "I would think a man of your caliber would have a broader vocabulary, nevertheless, I concede to your request." Her narrow, almond-shaped eyes flitted to Ananya, who wilted under her stare. "Ananya, what is it that you must tell me in person? You know how busy I am." The woman's critical eye assessed her young niece. "And pray, tell me, why are you wearing such a short shirt?! Are you trying to disgrace me? Look at this fabric! Look how thin it is! And these jeans?! When have I ever allowed jeans, Ananya?! You're showing all of your scars and everyone can see your back!"