Reece's Haven

32

"You are to me what the sun is to sunflowers..."
– Nautica

❀❀❀

~ D O R O T H Y ~

January 1998

Damien and I walk along a path that is parallel to the River Thames. With a hot chocolate in one hand and a box filled with three different pastries in the other, I listen intently to what my companion says.

"This is the fourth time... The fourth time that he has gotten engaged," he says. "My parents had an arranged marriage. They never got along and would always fight over small matters. I was unfortunate enough to witness most of their trivial quarrels. They divorced when I was eleven. Dad wanted full custody of me, so he offered mum a hefty amount of money to leave me for good..."

He takes a deep breath, slowing the walking pace.

"Mum gladly accepted it and left me with dad. I haven't heard from her since then."

Absolutely shocked, I stop sipping on my drink and watch him with wide eyes. How a mother could leave her child for money is insane to me. I can't imagine how hurtful it must have been for him when he found out the reason why she left him.

"Damien..." I whisper, sympathetic.

"It's ok. I mean, it broke me. I loved her, but I guess money was all that she cared about. Anyway, dad kept on bringing random women home, but it was when I was thirteen that I caught him sleeping with a woman. He realised that exposing me to his... 'hobby' was not good for me, so he left me with the maids and a butler to pursue women. He married three times. His third marriage only lasted three months. Three. Fucking. Months!"

"I'm sorry to hear that," I say, looking at him with a different perspective.

I guess no one has a perfect life, including Damien Clarke himself. Wealth, looks, possessions – all are a facade. Behind all of that, there is bound to be something hidden – something dark.

"Now the thing is, I am the heir to his business. He wants me to be serious about it. How can he expect this from me when he is barely around, when he is out there wasting his time, acting so immature and ruining his reputation?"

When we approach a grassy patch, we sit down. Damien has his legs stretched out, while I cross my legs. Noticing his sombre expression, I hold onto his hand in an attempt to comfort him. He looks at me, his eyes softening.

"Damien," I say, trying to find the right words to say. "I admit, your father should have been there for you and he shouldn't have married that many times."

He sends me a small smile.

"But I can tell that he loves you," I add, to which he frowns.

"How are you so sure? If he does, then why did he leave me?"

There is a pause of silence as I think about where I am going carefully.

From my own experience, it's best to look at the positives, and discard the negatives.

"He did not leave you," I say. "Look, your father did not love your mother and so, he bribed her to leave you with him. He divorced the next two women he married, so obviously that meant that he didn't love them either. The only person who stayed in his life all this time was you. No matter what, you are his son. He will always come back to you. He will always keep you in his life."

"He keeps me around because he cares about the company. He needs his heir."

"Or," I interrupt. "He wants you to be sensible because he wants you to grow into someone who is amazing and respectful. I mean, if he cared about the company, don't you think he would be more serious and not do what he has been doing all this time? If he had cared for his company only, I don't think he would ever risk getting his reputation ruined, let alone actually ruining it. Damien, maybe your father wants the best for you. Ever thought about that?"