You Don't Know Me

You

                                                                          ~     The Past      ~

"I should have never married you!"

Forth's little fingers clutched the door handle tightly as he listened to his parents arguing. He wasn't scared nor was he crying - he was used to their verbal fights - still, he couldn't help but remain wary as their tone of voice increased the more heated their fighting got.

"No one is forcing you to stay with me! How dare you say "I should have never married you!" I have taken care of you and our son to the best of my ability. I have given you endless luxuries and comforts! I gave you everything that a man could possibly give a woman, but no, it's never enough for you! You always want more!"

"I know what this fight is about, but don't blame everything on me! It's not my fault that your company is suffering losses. Oh, and another thing, I only married you because I thought I was going to be taken care of, but now, I have to restrict my spending, I can't go out with my friends or buy the latest fashion! Do you know how humiliating that is!"

Forth remained still, as he watched his mother walk away from his father. They didn't notice him at all and instead continued their angry tirade into the bedroom.

"How selfish can you be! I am trying my hardest to keep a roof over our heads, can't you see that! The least you can do to help me is restrain yourself when it comes to your lavish spending! I beg you, think of our family! Think of our son!"

"Our son? Ha! Don't make me laugh. I only gave birth to that insufferable parasite because he guaranteed me an easy life! That abomination was only good in helping me catch you. The only reason why I didn't get rid of him was because it made you marry me!"

He didn't like the ashen look that suddenly spread throughout his father's face. He looked taken aback and confused. His father had placed a hand over his chest and had fallen back towards the bed. 

His father couldn't believe what he was hearing, the more he thought about things, the more he found it harder to lie to himself...still, he had to know. He needed to hear her say it. 

"What do you mean, "it made you marry me?" Speak clearly for once! "

"Don't act so surprised. I was pregnant before I married you. Like I said, I didn't get rid of that unwanted pest because it helped me land a rich husband. I sucked it up and put up with the weight gain, nausea, headaches and on and on, and for what? I almost ruined my beauty because of it! If I was going to go through all of that, then it should have at least been worth the trouble and brought me something good into my life. And it did, it brought me to you."

Forth hurriedly brushed away the tears streaming down his face as he listened to the person who had given birth to him, speaking so ill about his father and himself. 

So, he was just a burden? Not worthy of being loved or cared for? His only purpose in being born was to help her land a rich husband? That was it?

He couldn't stomach all those thoughts and looked towards his father who's face had suddenly turned pale. Forth ran towards his father and looked at his mother, - no, not his mother, this person did not deserve such a title - the woman currently grabbing all the articles of clothing, perfumes, creams, and so on and stuffing them into a large suitcase, and mustered all the abhorrence and loathing he felt for her at the moment, in one single look that caused shivers to run across her back.