WHEN JAKE AND MELANNIE head back to the party, they don’t see Jake’s family anywhere. Someone Jake knew gestured to the door to the left, sending a sympathetic smile.
The room must be a private meeting room. Jake’s father sat on the couch, distraught. Julia sat next to him, blotting tears from her eyes. Char was pacing the room furious while Jackson tried to calm her down. It wasn’t working.
“Come on, Dad. How could you not see it? Jake hated it from the very beginning. It was evident on his face when you forced him to join you on your business trips. Were you so keen on making your dream come true that you didn’t notice how unhappy Jake was?” Char asked her father.
“Charlotte, what are you trying to say? That he is a bad father? He’s done everything to provide for you. You live a comfortable life because of him. Don’t forget that,” Julia countered.
“Of course, I am not saying Dad is a bad father. I love him but he could do better. For once, he can focus on us rather than his lovely business.”
Jackson glanced at Melannie, probably feeling the same way she was. This seemed private. It felt wrong to listen to this conversation. Jackson raised his eyebrows in question and she nodded, deciding to leave the room. When she tried to turn around, Jake’s grip on hers tightened. Melannie noticed that Char was squeezing Jackson’s arm too. They wanted us here.
“Charlotte, mind your words. This is a mistake on his part, I agree, but that does not mean he loves his business more than his family,” Julia said.
Jake stepped forward to Char and squeezed her shoulder. “It’s okay. I’ll talk to him,” he said.
“I’m sorry, Jake.” Char hugged her brother tight. “I should have at least told him about it. I am so sorry.”
It was the first time Melannie watched Char openly show affection towards her brother. It was too emotional. Especially the way Jake brushed a kiss on her hair before moving towards his father. Jake’s father sat on the couch, his hands cradling his face. Jake knelt before him. “Dad.”
“I’m so sorry, son,” Mr Woods said. “I never knew.”
“It’s my fault too, Dad. I never told you that I wasn’t interested,” Jake said, taking his father’s hand. “I didn’t have the heart to shatter your hopes so I tried accepting it, Dad. I thought if I keep learning more about the business and involve myself slowly, I’d get the knack for it and grow to love it. But I couldn’t, Dad. And after you suddenly announced it…” Jake’s voice cracked.
“It’s okay, baby,” Julia said, placing a palm on his shoulders. “It’s okay.”
“I realised I hated it, Dad. I don’t want to take care of the empire you built. I am not the right person for that.”
Mr Woods placed a palm over Jake’s. “I’m sorry, son. I thought you were interested. You never said no or showed the least hesitation when I asked you for something. I didn’t know you did it out of love for me and not for work. I am sorry to have assumed. I never even thought to ask you.”
“It’s okay, Dad. It doesn’t make you the worst, you know. We all love you. Char is only angry because she cares the most out of us all.”
Jake’s father barked out a watery laugh. “That is true.” He looked at Jake. “I’m glad you walked out of this hall tonight, Jacob. I would have been guilty the rest of my life if I had ruined your life.”
Mr Woods glanced at Char and when she met her father’s gaze, a smile formed on her lips. She ran straight into her father’s arms. “I’m sorry for saying those things, Dad.”
YOU ARE READING
Written And Composed
RomanceON HOLD [new adult romance] Two strikingly opposite people. One is rich, insanely attractive, annoying and thinks he has his life figured out. One is self-made, stubborn, hardworking and thinks she is temporarily lost in life. Both of them folded i...
