Chapter 2

Valerie plugged in her Air Pods and listened to music by her favorite artist - Justin Bieber ft. Ariana Grande in ‘Stuck With You.’

“Hey babe,” Tyler said when she got there.

“Is this your 11 am?” Valerie said checking the time.

“I’ve been here since 9 am and it’s 1 pm now, Ty,” Valerie said.

“I’m sorry okay, I had a quickie with Mr. cute this morning and I ran into James too,” Tyler said.

“You don’t know the name of the man, do you?” Valerie asked Tyler.

“I didn’t fuck him for his name,” Tyler said.

“Okay, so you met James, as in the James? James Taylor?” Valerie asked.

“Yea, girl, James Taylor Mackessy, my ex-beast of a boyfriend,” Tyler said.

“Are you okay? he didn’t do anything to you did he?” Valerie asked concerned.

“I bumped into him at the lounge,” Tyler said.

“What?” Valerie asked.

“He’s here, in Star lounge?” Valerie asked.

“Yea, he found out this place was mine and claimed to want to help me boost it with his publicity,” Tyler said.

“That animal, how about we post it online that he used to beat up his ex-girlfriend then he won’t be much of an anchor that he is,” Valerie said.

“He must think him being an anchor for JBC news makes him invincible,” Valerie said angrily.

“Leave him, girl, let’s go out and flex, we have a lot to do today since you are free,” Tyler said changing the subject.

“Well, be glad that the rain fell because I’m never gonna be free on a Monday again,” Valerie said.

“Well, Val, I love you bag,” Tyler said knowing Valerie would continue stressing about how the rain spoilt her plan.

“Why thank you,” Valerie said in a British accent.

“You welcome, milady,” Tyler said mimicking the British accent that Valerie used and they both laughed.

***

Justin arrived at the airport and everywhere was looking different already. It was like he had never been there before. He saw the chauffeur his dad sent to him with a bunch of bodyguards. He wanted to ignore them but one of them already came to meet him. He guessed his dad must have known that he would run away and gave them his picture. 

They followed him at his back and it looked like a grand entrance that it was and people started taking pictures of him which he hated.

They walked faster and entered the cars that were parked outside in the garage. He asked the secretary that his father sent what hospital the mother was in and they drove there. He ran to her ward which was of course a VIP ward.

He opened her door and entered inside.

“Mother!” He said looking at the state she was in.

“Justin” she exclaimed happy to see him in years.

“You have grown manly and taller my son,” she said but he ignored her.

“When did all these happen?” He asked and since he was there, facing her, there was no way she could lie to his face.

“Three years ago,” she said and a tear threatened to drop from his eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He said sobbing now.

“How could I? When you were so happy about having a job?” She said and he felt so devastated. Only if he hadn’t left home.

“Did Dad hit you?” He asked.

“No, he didn’t,” she said.

“What’s the problem? Why are you stuck in a hospital? Why can’t we go home?” He sobbed loudly now.

“Oh, my sweet baby, mommy will be fine. Don’t cry, you are 26 now, you are no longer a kid” she said and the door opened revealing his father. The father he remembered was a young man but now he looked old and wrinkled.

“Welcome home son,” he said but Justin simply stared at him with sad eyes. He knew his father hit his mother. He used to hit her when he was just a little boy and when he interfered, he’ll hit him too. One time, he hit his mother and she hit her head on the tiles and ended up in the hospital where she lied to the doctor that she slipped and fell which was a lie.

 

His father signaled to him and they both left the room. 

“What does she have?” He asked with a croaked voice.

“A tumor in her brain, she has four months to live,” his father said quietly and Justin knew he was sad. 

“Okay,” Justin said, and not wanting to listen to him further he went back into the room.

“Are you hungry?” She asked like he was the one sick in bed and she was running all around instead of the other way round.

“No,” he said.

“You must be from that flight, its 6 pm and you are not hungry?” She spoke.

“Okay, I’ll eat but only with you,” he said and she called one of the guards to get them food.

“I never knew hospital meals taste this excellent,” he said as they began to eat.

“It does,” she said.

“So do you have a girlfriend?” She asked.

“What?” He said almost choking on his food. 

“You don’t?” She asked knowing her son.

“I don’t, mother,” he said and she frowned.

“Besides Micah, I’ve not dated anyone else,” he said.

“Micah from college?” She asked.

“Yeah, mom,” he said.

“I often wondered how you managed to transfer from your college here in Central City o one in Canada without us knowing and how you managed to work and learn at the same time, you are strong Justin,” she said.

“At twenty-one, life begins,” he said.

She laughed remembering how she used to tell him when he was in high school that his life will begin fully when he’s 21.

Well, his life did begin fully at 21 after he transferred to a college in Canada and school for 2 years while doing part-time jobs. And finally getting a real paying job the year, he’s graduating at age 23 and working fully at 24 and growing to become the manager for extra two years and now he’s 26 years old and his life is a working progress.

“Will you work in your dad’s company?” His mother asked after a while.

He sighed. He didn’t want to worry her and the doctor said she had 4 months to live but maybe if she didn’t worry then she might live longer he thought but he knew deep down that he was only saying that to make himself feel at peace.

“Anything for you mother,” he said.

“Thank you, son,” she said and they talked about other things. Mrs. Smith knew what she wanted him to do but he was yet to settle down and she couldn’t bring herself to tell him.

***

“It's 8:30 pm Tyler,” Valerie said checking her wristwatch.

“I was supposed to be home by 7 pm,” Valerie said.

“Since when did you have a curfew? Val, you live alone,” Tyler said.

“I mean home not my home,” Valerie said.

“Oh no! You are in big trouble young lady,” Tyler said.

“I guess you gotta go now, I’ll ask Sheldon to drive you home with my car,” Tyler said signaling her driver to come over.

“And get a car Valerie, your parents own a company of one,” Tyler said.

“You know why I don’t wanna get a car don’t you?” Valerie said.

“Yeah! Because your boyfriend doesn’t have one and he’ll feel bad” Tyler said.

“You are such a lover girl,” Tyler said.

Valerie pecked her goodbye and walked towards Tyler’s car. Tyler employed a driver because she could get drunk anytime and Valerie who doesn’t drink to a stupor refused to get a driver's license.

Valerie entered the car and Sheldon drove her home. He knew her house because he has driving Tyler there countless times. Valerie thought of how angry and disappointed her mother would be and how her father would say her mother was the one who spoilt her and she also wondered what it was that they wanted to talk about with her. She checked the time when she arrived home and it was 8:50, a 20-minute drive but it felt like she was there for hours.

She quickly entered inside and met the whole family in the living room.

Her mother, her father, her sister-in-law, her brother, and their 3 kids.

“Hey JoJo,” Valerie said as she sighted her sister-in-law, Kim JoJo.

“Hi, Valerie,” Kim JoJo said perfunctorily. 

“Good evening mom and dad,” she said.

“Hi, Hye Joon, Nana, and Stephanie,” she said pecking her brother's kids.

Their full names were Houston Kim Hye Joon, Houston Kim Nana, and Houston Stephanie. Xavier allowed Kim JoJo to give the first names to their first son and daughter while he gave 2-year-old Stephanie her name.

“Is this 7 pm, young lady?” Xavier said seeing that Valerie was not going to greet him.

“Says a brother who dropped his sister in the rain,” Valerie said.

“That’s no excuse for being late Valerie,” her father said.

“Sit down” he ordered and she did.

“I heard you are dating a young man named Scott,” Mr. Houston her father said.

“Is that true?” Her father asked.

She was gobsmacked, she knew she and her brother often fought and argued but she doubted he’ll sell her away like that.

“Did you tell them?” She said asking Xavier.

“Why should I do that?” Xavier asked her back.

“So, you knew Xavier?” Mr. Houston their mother said.

“Mom, I can explain,” Xavier said.

“How did you know?” Valerie asked.

“That’s not the answer to my question” Mr. Houston yelled.

“Yes. I am dating Scott” Valerie said.

“What’s dating mother?” Hye Joon asked.

“Take the kids to their room Kelly,” Mr. Houston said to their butler.

The house was tensed and Valerie was the subject matter.

“Break up with him, he’s no good,” Mr. Houston said.

“No, I won’t,” Valerie said.

“Your father is right,” Mr. Houston said.

“No! I can’t, I love Scott and you guys have been deciding everything in my life up to my career but I can’t let you decide my love life” Valerie said angrily.

“Do that within a week” Mr. Houston said and walked out of the living room.

“He’s not even from a good home, his father is a drug addict in jail and his mother owns a small shoe shop in the gutters,” Mrs. Houston said.

“But you always said not to judge a book by its covers,” Valerie said sobbing now.

“Scott is not like his father and his mother works diligently enough,” Valerie said with tears.

“If you don’t listen to your father, you know what he’ll do,” Mrs. Houston said and walked away too.

 Xavier sighed and went to see the kids; he knew it was lady's talk so JoJo could comfort her. JoJo moved to where Valerie said and put Valerie's head on her shoulders.

“It is okay to cry,” JoJo said. And Valerie sobbed quietly.