The Mark

Athena

This guy has taken the business world by a storm. Everywhere I go, everyone and every news outlet out there, sings of his praises.

I have since distanced myself from the corporate world and I have no desire to go back. I was not dubbed 'the genius kid' for nothing. As long as I set my heart on something, I achieve it. Since that fateful day, seven years ago, I decided to change everything about the old me.

I left the corporate world and ventured into art. After three years, I made a name for myself. My paintings were highly sought after by the rich and famous. Undoubtedly, I am the wealthiest artist alive. I have made it my habit to stay out of the limelight though.

Although many know my name, few know my face. I will show up only when the time is right. My twin babies come first. I need them to grow far away from the conceited and vicious life of the wealthy. Although they came into this world because of others' wickedness, I vowed to love and fiercely protect them, the day I held them in my arms.

How they came into this world is a story that left me with a sensitive sore in my heart, that neither time nor age, has managed to heal. After all was done, I discovered that it was a ploy to oust me from the family. Forged by my mother and my siblings.

When I confronted my mother, she threw another bombshell that left me shattered. I was not her daughter and my mother died two weeks after I was born! Although it explained her attitude towards me, it did not make it hurt any less.

My father could not care less, no matter how much I tried to explain things to him. He was angry and chose to believe the so-called evidence, the twins presented to him. How it came to be was none of his concern. He disowned me and left me with nothing.

But now, I am someone and I am sure my status in the world surpasses his by leaps and bounds. However, I am not going to leave them alone. I have given them ample time to enjoy their peace. I am going to strip them of everything and they will feel how much it hurts to be left with nothing.

"Mommy, look at that guy's eyes. Does he not look so much like my brother?"

My little girl, Sapphire, brings me back to the present when she pounces on me. She is holding her tablet and she shows me a video. I scrutinize the guy being flanked by bodyguards and dogged by reporters.

Indeed his features resemble my son's but in a subtle way. I shudder as I recall the day when my world came crumbling down.

I was just three months shy of eighteen, when all that happened. Although I had vowed to never look back, fate had other plans for me. Not only did my trauma leave me with kids as a constant reminder, but the poor young man also left me with an unusual bite mark on my neck.

No matter what I do, it always makes me remember him. I do not hate him because he was as much a victim as I was. I have tried to forget him but his words have haunted me since then.

"I am sorry that you had to lose your chastity to a loser like me. But I am making a promise to you today. If they do not kill me, I will return and I will protect you. I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I will become so strong that I will reach the very pinnacle of power. By then, all these people who have hurt and humiliated you, will kneel and beg you for forgiveness. Give me ten years. If you do not hear from me, then know that they have killed me.

Whatever you do, wait for me. Even if it is the last thing I do, I will hold on to life. Remember my name. Dale Flemming. Even if I change it, I will make it so that you will remember me. I will rise from the ashes."

That is the last thing that poor boy had to say to me before he was taken away. Whether they killed him or not, I will never know. One thing I know though, is that subconsciously, I have been waiting for him.

In my heart of hearts, I believe that if I could make it alone, he could also. Subconsciously, I reach for the bite mark he left on my shoulder and shudder. I never loved him but he is the father of my two angels, whom I love greatly. Even if he is poor, I will look for him and allow him to know that he has children. Maybe that will motivate him to fight harder.

I cannot help but shudder as I recall everything that happened that fateful day.

Flashback (Seven Years Earlier)

I never thought that my dad would hand over the reins to me before my eighteenth birthday. It has been a week but I still struggle to believe it. I am in a constant state of euphoria and I am determined to make him proud.

Although we are three, my siblings are not bothered about anything at all. According to them, they have no reason to work hard as their life is set already. Our father is the wealthiest man in the whole of Sunshine City. I can safely say that he ranks third in the whole country in terms of wealth.

"My name is Athena Milano. I am seventeen years old and will be eighteen in the next few months. Two weeks ago, my father made me the president of Milano Enterprises. You may be wondering how, when I am relatively young. It is because I am one of the most intelligent kids in the world.

By the time I was fifteen, I was already doing my masters in Chartered Accounting. I was homeschooled because I was always ahead of my classes. So, I finished school at a very young age. Anyway, now I am the youngest boss around.

It is a great responsibility and I am determined to make my father proud and shun all those who say that he has made a mistake. So far, everything has been going well without any hitches. I hope this answers all your questions. Now if you can excuse me. I have kept my siblings waiting. We have scheduled a dinner date."

I dismissed the journalists and tidied up my office before rushing out. Jack and Lilly have fiery tempers. If I make them wait I will never hear the end of it.

Although my gut instinct told me not to go, I was thrilled at the prospect of bonding with my younger siblings. Even though I was swamped with work, I just needed to spend more time with them. Besides, denying them will make the mother angry.

I know that my mother, Violet, is already unhappy with Dad's decision. I do not want to give her another reason to lash out at our father.

I cannot complain really, about my mother, but sometimes I feel as if she is biased towards my twin siblings, Jack and Lilly. She barely reprimands them and she allows them to get away with so many atrocities. Even when Dad grounds them, she pleads on their behalf. If he withholds their allowances, she always gives them more.

When it comes to me, she is more passive and cold. She has never really treated me badly but I feel that she just does not care whether I am there or not. Had it not been for my dad, I swear my childhood would have been quite unbearable. What beats me, is why Dad never seems to complain.

Whenever I would ask why my mother was so cold toward me, his response has always been the same.

"Athena, forgive your mother. She suffered postpartum depression when you were born and I think it affected her bond with you. Remember that she had twins when you were barely ten months old. As long as she does not harm you, just forgive her."

Since then, I have learned to tolerate my mother's attitude toward me. The fact that she does not target me makes it more bearable. However, when the twins prank me, she will not do anything. Even the last time they held me under the pool and I almost drowned, she was mad when Daddy punished them.

By now, I am used to it, even though it hurts at times.

I get into my car and follow the directions those two sent to me. They said that they have just discovered a new place that makes the best exotic dishes downtown.

I do not suspect anything because I know that it is difficult for foreign nationals to set themselves up in the heart of the city.

Once I reach the destination, I am surprised to see that it is a rundown inn. Swallowing my apprehension, I get down from the car.

As I lock the car, I am suddenly grabbed from behind, and before I can register what is going on, my nose and mouth are covered by a cloth. Whatever is on the cloth causes me to lose consciousness.

The next time I wake up, I find myself in a room with a single bed, and my body is on fire. I have this sudden urge to do things that I have never done before. I bite my tongue trying to remove these thoughts from my mind to no avail.

The door is suddenly opened and a scrawny-looking young man is thrown in. Whoever brought him, locks the door behind him.

By now, my eyes are blurry and my thoughts are incoherent. I notice that the boy seems to be in a similar situation as mine.

He just lies on the floor writhing in pain. Feeling sorry for him, I decided to crawl to him to offer comfort. That is the mistake I made. The moment I touched him, everything in me snapped.

Without thinking about the consequences, I lunge at him and start kissing him senselessly. He tries fighting it but the drug wins in the end.

He became my first man. The one who deflowered me. We were entangled with each other until the wee hours of the day. That is when the drug seemed to start to ebb away.

I was left exhausted and sore all over. My shoulder was hurting the most. The boy stood up, then looked at me sheepishly.

"I am sorry for biting you. But it was an urge that I could not resist. Just take this as my mark. I promise that I will come back for you. I will work so hard and become so strong that no one will ever dare cross our paths again. Take it as my mark. The one thing that will connect us. I will avenge you, Miss."

After saying a whole lot of things, some roguish goons break the door and start beating him. After he stopped thrashing, they check for a pulse and when they do not feel any, they panic.

"The loser is dead guys. Let us just go and throw him over the bridge. He is just some stupid orphan. No one will miss him anyway."

Just then my siblings walk in and they start laughing at me. Without having been told anything, realization dawns on me. This was preplanned.