07

Derek’s POV

It was Monday morning and for the first time, I was doing the unexpected. I drove to my dad’s office based on the stupid contract agreement that I signed foolishly. If Henry and Sebastian hear about this, they won’t let it go until they grill me till I’m burnt.

“Good morning dad,” I entered his office unannounced. He looked up from his table and pointed towards the door,

“Go back to the door and knock like a responsible human,” He demanded.

I glared at him before smirking and walking outside his office. I knocked twice and he asked me to come in.

“Good morning, son. When your mother told me you’ll be at the office today, I was surprised. What’s going on? Did your nightclubs business fold up,”

I sat down opposite him after drawing out the chair. “I’m a competent businessman, my clubs can never fold up. I built it up with nobody’s help, trust me, I know how to handle myself,” I informed him.

“Then, why are you here?” He asked, surprising me.

“Didn’t mom tell you?” He smirked, giving me his mischievous look.

Kill me already! “I want to hear it from you. You always acted as if nobody could control you, you don’t give a damn about what anybody thinks, so Babyboy, king of the womanizer’s club, tell me, why are you in my office?”

I laughed. “It was a planned work, right?” I asked him. He nodded and I gave him a thumbs up. “Great, you got me this time, old man,”

“How’s your wife?” He asked, a hint of amusement evident on his face,

“What wife?” I asked him.

“Lily Miller, your new wife and my beautiful daughter in law”

I shook my head. “She’s at home,”

“You left her at home,” he asked surprisingly.

“Oh, I didn’t know I was supposed to place her on her head and carry her to every freaking destination of mine. That wasn’t included in the stupid contract,” I replied angrily. My father laughed, looking at me with disbelief.

He shrugged. “I won’t ask you to neglect your business so you can focus on mine. No matter how silly your business is, no business is bad business as long as you know what you’re doing. You’re my first son and I want you to have an idea of what we’re doing here even if you’re not interested,”

“That’s something I know perfectly, you’re into construction,”

He stared at me in disbelief. “That’s not what I’m talking about, idiot. I want you to know how things are being done here. God forbid I die or get terribly sick, who will take over from me?” He asked.

“HELLO! Did you suddenly forget you have two other sons? One is a very brilliant lawyer who wouldn’t find it difficult to work with you. Just let Derek go,” I asked

He brought his face closer to mine and whispered, “No, I’m never letting Derek go,”

I clicked my tongue, stopping myself from saying the next horrible thing that came to my head.

“What do you want me to do then?” I asked.

“I’ll give you an office where you can work, get involved in meetings, and every other thing going on around here. I’ll introduce you to everyone as my right-hand man. You can bring in your business work here but let me warn you, Derek, if I see one of those crazy boys of yours in my building, we’ll have a problem, you and me both,” he warned.

“They’re not crazy,” I replied, defending my boys. “They’re loyal, committed, and selfless, even more than the people you have here. Most of them are green snakes under the green grass. ”

My dad wasn’t referring to Henry and Sebastian, he’s like a worshipper of those two but he was referring to the boys who worked with me at my club, he hated their guts for an unknown reason.

“I’m shocked you said they’re not crazy. The same set of people who beat up guests at my nephew’s wedding last year,” he yelled, already getting on my nerves.

“They were working on my instruction, if you want to hate anybody for that shit, here I am, hate me for all I care, not my boys,” I yelled back. I knew our conversation was not going to end well and I’m so sure the day wouldn’t end well either.

“One of my secretaries will show you your office. I hope we can work together without any trouble,” He said after a few minutes of silence.

“I don’t think so. Trouble was on its own, living the best of its life and you decided to invite trouble to your office. Good luck dealing with trouble, dad,”

He clenched his fist and I knew it took everything in him not to punch the daylight out of me but I didn’t care. He and my mom started it and I’m so sure they’ll finish it themselves.

I walked out of his office and a secretary was waiting outside the door. He introduced himself but I wasn’t concentrating enough to hear his name. I entered the new office they gave me and I wanted to ask if I told them I was an architect for them to make such a crazy arrangement.

Even though I knew my dad wouldn’t be very happy about my next step, I made a call to one of my boys to bring a file from my office in one of the nightclubs, I needed it for the next Friday arrangement. We were supposed to invite an artist and time wasn’t on our side anymore. If we are not able to invite him, then there’ll be a big problem.

“What do you think about your office?” The secretary asked.

“I’m not a fucking architect,” I spat. He swallowed the smile that appeared on his face.

“Do you need me to change anything?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Did I ask you?” he shook his head.

“If there’s nothing else….” I know where he was going so I decided to make it easier for him.

“Get out, please leave,” I told him. How the hell am I supposed to work with these people? They’re so slow, so fucking stupid. I groaned loudly.

Twenty minutes later, one of my boys from the club came with the document, he wanted to stay but I told him to not bother about staying. He told me two of my men were stationed nearby. If I needed anything, they would bring it for me.

My plans to frustrate my father didn’t work out because he was barely in the office, after he left, I was also left alone by most of the employees. At the end of the day, I left miserably. I hated being camped in a spot and I can’t believe I was in the same room for eight hours.

After work, instead of going home, I went to a restaurant for dinner and stayed around for more than two hours, by six in the evening, I decided it was time to go home and face the consequences of my stupidity. Every time I remember how I gullibly signed a contract without reading through, I wanted to throw myself out of the car window and let a truck run over me, I deserve that for being a fool after so many years of being smart.

I met Lily at my door as soon as I stepped inside and I was shocked to find food on my dining table. She was smiling as I walked in.

“Did you hit your head somewhere?” I asked her.

“What?”

I closed my eyes, suppressing my anger again, “Stop smiling at me,” I asked her.

She nodded and quickly closed her mouth,

“I made dinner,”

“Good for you,” I replied as I walked past her.

“It’s for you,” I turned to look at her and smirked.

“Give it to the dog, I wouldn’t eat your food even if my life fucking depends on it,” I spat.

“Why?” She asked, disappointment lacing her voice.

“Because I hate you, I’m in this stupid mess because of you, so get it into our dumb, thick skull, I fucking hate you,”

I walked into my room angrily, slamming the door hard in the process, hoping she could just disappear along with all my problems but I know that miracle wasn’t going to happen soon.