The Billionaire's Maid man×boy (reposted)

Chapter 38

3rd POV

(two weeks after last chapter)

The sun is dim, a light through the grey clouds, highlighting the trees trapped on either side of the wide path leading to the cemetery.

Anthony has never liked these places, the memorial stones either scare him or make him sad, especially seeing the words engraved on them.

His black shoes touch the ground and the black glasses on his once happy hazel eyes hide the tears of grief after a lost one.

Everything is black, just like a funeral should look.

It is a moody afternoon, people dressed in black attire gathering into a group, all with the same purpose, well, more or less.

They either come with pain and grief, or with respect for the ones who are grieving.

Anthony is both, maybe none, maybe more. In the end, it does not matter to him.

As he woke up in the morning, did his routine, monotony and sadness a virus in his brain, he tried to gain as much time as possible before leaving to the event that he's now at.

But Veronica hurried him.

"It happened in your house Anthony. We need to respect the dead's family. Now hurry."

That's what she told him hours ago. After groans, and sighs, and a few sessions of crying in the bathroom, Anthony finally managed to climb into his limo and come here.

But he doesn't want to be here, he had no power to wake up, get dressed in black attire and go to the funeral of someone who should not be dead. But the circumstances...he is forced to.

He has an obligation towards the family that just lost a member.

Hesitant steps are shaking the ground until he reaches the crowd.

Just like his emotional state changed in these two weeks, so did his appearance. His once stubble or clean chin is now growing a full beard that almost reaches halfway down his neck. His under-eyes hold dark bags and his tan skin turned pale and lifeless.

Never in his life has he felt such amount of pain. Ever.

Fortunately, he shares it with a few other people, including his brother that has been by his side since everything went down.

It didn't help a lot emotionally, but he definitely helped with work and taking care of the company.

"It's gonna be over soon." Alessandro says, patting Anthony on the back.

They stand in the back of the crowd, afraid to interfere to much.

Even from the back of the crowd, Anthony can clearly see the deceased. The face of the body in the casket reminds him of someone he once knew, someone he still knows. The blond hair is framing the soft pale face that once had a big, bright smile but now turned lifeless.

The eyes are covered by eye lids, and Anthony misses the blue color in them.

Only memories can be seen in them.

Anthony sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he listens to the priest who started talking.

The memorial starts as any other one, and Anthony wishes he could focus on the words, on the grief of everyone, but he's feeling to much pain and fear.

All these weeks he has been feeling so much pain and fear that it fried him completely, so today he's paralyzed...numb.

And he hates himself for not feeling anything.