Quarrel

"What did you say?" I questioned in disbelief, pretty sure that that had slipped from his mouth. 

He stared at me calmly, breathed out. "You've got to get married." 

I scoffed, stood from my seat, definitely not wanting to believe his words. "Do you think this is a joke or something?"

"I know it's not a joke." The way he had said that, expressed he was indifferent to whatever was going on. Was this man fine? 

"Then what's going on?" I snorted, tucked my hands into the pocket of my chinos pants, gazed at him. "You must be crazy to think I'll accept your dumb proposal."

"Ace!" The moment I said that to dad, mom cried, hurried to me. Well, she hated seeing me insult my irresponsible dad. "Don't speak to your dad like that. What is wrong with you?"

"What is wrong with me?" I scoffed, my wrath worsening. "Everything is wrong with you all."

She moved closer, slowly cupped my jaw in her hands, her face beaming with so much worry. "Ace dear, can you please go upstairs?" She offered. 

"No, mom." I walked past her, stood in front of dad, and glared even harder at him. "Dad, what do you want to gain from this? I know you can never do a thing for your son without getting something good out of it."

He stood up from his seat as well, the anger in his eyes making him seem like a hammer hit his head. "Keep your mouth shut," he warned. "Who told you you've the right to yell at me like that?"

Yell? Who yelled? Was this man battling a mental issue? 

I scoffed, and tucked my arms across my chest. "I need an answer. What's going on here?

"Keep quiet." His tone grew stricter. 

"Don't tell me to!" I retorted amid gritted teeth. "Listen to yourself before you ask me to keep quiet

His dirty looks incremented, and without giving a second thought, he attempted to hit me. What was the meaning of this? Did he expect me to keep quiet, when he had just said something crazy

"Alfred!" Mom hurled. Well, before he had hit me, she had been able to stop him. "Don't do this please. Stop this nonsense. Will you both keep on quarrelling for the rest of your lives"

"Mom," I called gently, boiling within. I was angry. So angry, my anger getting to the uncontrollable level. "Move away. Let him hit me as he always has. Let him force me to do something I don't want to do. Let him kill me. Let him do it!" I uttered in a yell.

Mom turned to me, caressed my cheek with her knuckle. She looked so worried and pale, even sick. "My boy, please go upstairs. I'll be with you soon. Please."

I swallowed hard, and took a glimpse at dad. He didn't even look sorry in any way. All I could read from his face was anger. When was this man going to change? He wanted me to get married, but he was the reason I hated marriage. He was the reason I was this cruel and irritable. 

I hated this man so much!

The fact that he wasn't sorry about his reaction was almost hurting. But before it could hurt me, I stormed up the stairs, and headed to my old room. The place where I had only bad memories.

"You annoying son! You're only a wasted sperm! I wish I never gave birth to you!" He cursed as I trudged up the stairs, but I chose to ignore him although it caused a terrible increase in my annoyed state. He didn't even deserve my time. 

***

Flustered, I wandered in the room. I wasn't only angry because they wanted to get me married, but I was also angry because I was recalling the painful memories I had when I lived with them. And to worsen the whole situation, my father was being a jerk although he was already a threat to my life.

"Ace," Mom called softly. She perked her head in, smiled warmly. "Do you mind if I come in?"

I sighed, trying to keep calm. "Come in." My voice was cold but nice at the same time. 

She stepped in gently, and shut the door behind her.

I faced her completely, took my time to notice her. Her face was pale, those brown eyes showing nothing but worry. It saddened me, particularly because it was that man's fault. That man that wasn't worth her. 

"Ace." Although her voice was low, it was sharp. "Can you please sit on the bed?

I rolled my eyes, and walked to her. "Mom, don't try to convince me. I'm not going to get married."

"Ace dear—" she tried to talk, but I cut her off. It was my turn to speak. I couldn't continue to bear their babbles. An arranged marriage? What century was this for goodness' sake? 

"No, mom. I'm not ready to listen to any trash you all have to say," I informed her.

"Would you let me speak first?" She frowned, and sounded angry too

I exhaled hard, and averted from our gaze. "Fine. Speak," I prompted. 

"My boy…" she heegan to say whatever she wanted to. "I want you to think properly. You know you aren't in your right state of mind. You're angry. You need to calm down first."

I glanced at her, and turned back to staring at the view from the large window. 

"You also know your father is rude," she continued to speak. "But he sometimes speaks the truth. Your father didn't get married to me because he loved me. He only got married to me because he needed an heir. And he got one."

"So you want me to do that too?" I asked, being so apathetic.

"No, son. That's not what I want for you. But I think you might be a better person if you get married," she insisted.

"And why?" I spun around, darted hard glares at her. 

"Because this isn't the real you. You're only carrying the burden of your past. If you probably have a lady and maybe fall in love or something, you'd be the son I gave birth to," she uttered.

To be honest, if I didn't pay her some respect, I'd also say she was crazy? What was wrong with these people?

I scorned, raked my fingers into my hair, exhaled. "Ma, there's something you need to know. Love is something I can't, and would never feel. And secondly, I can change for no one. I don't need an heir. Even if I need one, I can get a mistress or something.

"Ace," she called, the weakness in her eyes aggravating. "This isn't you. How did you become so terrible? What happened to you? Did I train you to never care about anyone? You were never like this even when you lived a hard life as a young boy. What's gotten into you?"

I snorted. This anger I felt was close to the brink. I surely couldn't take this anymore. I wasn't a puppet after all. 

"And you think some random lady will change me? How in the world will that even happen? What makes you think anyone will win my heart? What makes you think I'll give anyone a chance to come into my life? Huh? Tell me," I blurted out. 

I couldn't take her tears. She was the only one I had emotions for and the only one that would ever have the right to my emotions. Excluding a friend though.

 M"Mom, please stop this nonsense." I tried hiding my excess disgust. 

"Stop?" She flared her nostrils, that rueful emotion sweeping through her face. "Tell me, what made you this terrible? I know your father has always made you live a stressful life, but you weren't this bad. What happened?

"Mom..." I tried to speak but she interrupted

"Don't 'mom' me. Tell me now. I have the right to know." Saying that, a tear left her eyes. Shit, this hurt so much. 

I swallowed hard, and tightened my fingers in a fist. Sharing the reason for my pain was something I could never say to anybody, especially her; the reason I became the cruel human I was, the reason I never liked anyone around me, the reason I hated life as a whole.

"I'll get married," I finally stated after so much hesitation.

It was better to get married to a stranger, than state the reason I hated life. I didn't even cherish marriage in the first place, so what was the point in hurting mom by saying the truth?

She stared at me blankly, and gaped. "Wh-what?" That came out in a whisper.