6

AUDREY

“Come home, Audrey. Dad is waiting for you to come home. He’s dying, you know.” Anton stared back at me sincerely. He called me to meet him at the restaurant across from the Stark office building. I was hesitant at first, but I was curious about what they had been up to.
My half-brother had grown thin in the past months. His eyes darkened, his skin paled, and his voice croaked. His eyes looked fatigued after working almost twenty-four-seven. According to my source, Linda, our housemaid who didn’t leave Anton and Samuel, still worked under the new landowner at the vineyard. They sold all our properties, except for my mother’s house, and our money was wasted on some bad investment, and of course, Dad gambled.
“Look, Anton. I don’t know how you found me or who told you where I am. I’m already guessing that it’s Chelsea, but I’m not coming home. I left, even though Dad was sick. And I’m sure he’s not waiting for me. It’s impossible.”
“I don’t know how long you keep running away. You won’t see him for what? Four years?” He took my hand. “Sis, he’s a man of ego, but he’s still our father, and I know he is waiting for you.”
“Really?” I raised an eyebrow. “Then, if he’s waiting for me, where are you going? You look like you’re going somewhere far.” I glanced at his side and noticed a suitcase bag.
He heaved a sigh. “I wanted to see you before I go. I’m marrying Juliet in a few weeks, and we are moving to Dublin to live with her parents. Although we are going to stay in Brooklyn for a few days. We can catch up.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “Is this why you came to see me? To catch up?” I smirked humorlessly. “Anton, you don’t catch up. Not with even Samuel or me. You’re always in your own world. So, tell me, why are you here?”
Anton backed away and scratched his head in frustration. “Look, Audrey. I’ll tell you the truth. I can’t do this anymore. Living with Dad and his new—whomever whore is Cecile, she’s taking over the house—the house your mother left you. She’s bringing her drug-addict friends, and it’s always noisy. It’s time that you finally take over—”
“Take over? Me?” I let out a laugh of sarcasm. “I can’t believe it. You are asking me to come home so you could be free of your responsibility?” I shook my head. “It’s the endgame for us, Anton. He doesn’t have any money in his bank account. You are just making it up. Can’t Julia stay with you?”
“How about Dad? Are you just going to let him die? How heartless can you be?”
“He ruined my life!” I slammed my fist on the table. Judgmental eyes and attention shifted in our direction.
“Everything okay, ma’am?” a waiter approached and asked.
“Everything’s fine.” I forced a smile. “Sorry.” The waiter scrutinized us one more time, then he left.
Anton’s jaw clenched. “Then what do you want me to do? Let you go live your pathetic life?”
I glared at him. “What did you just say?”
“Yes, you heard me right.” He pointed at me. “You and Dad have unbelievable pride, but you are the worst one,” he accused. “If you only stayed with us, you wouldn’t be living with a friend in this big city, having to skip meals.”
“Who’s more pathetic here? Yes, I skipped meals to pay for my student loans, so what? I graduated from college without anyone helping me. I struggled, yes, but at least I have no gratitude to pay to anybody.”
”So, you think you can look down on me now?” His expression turned furious. “You can never be at the top, Audrey. Just because you finished college and got a mere probation job in New York doesn’t make you a good person. I saved you from your misery, remember? I am asking you a single favor, and you cannot do it.”
I gritted my teeth. “Save me how? Like letting me leave and not telling Dad? Listen. It was you who drove me to leave. You and your murderous ass.” I crossed my arms.
“What do you mean?” He frowned.
“Oh, don’t play coy with me here, Anton. You told me what happened to Liam.”
“God.” He brushed his fingers on his scalp harshly. “That again? He kidnapped you, and he was about to rape you. How could you still rattle me about that? He deserved whatever happened to him. And what’s the point of talking about this now? He’s probably rotting on the ground now.”
I slapped him. “You’re fucking sick!”
I was done. So done.
I sprang up from my seat and marched towards the restaurant’s exit. Tears finally flooded my cheeks, and my stomach twitched the moment he mentioned Liam.
The poor man would not rape me. I asked him to take me away, and my foolishness led him to death. Three days after the incident, I heard Anton talking to Dad that they paid someone to hurt Liam, and they tossed his body into some lake.
Ever since then, I haven’t gotten any proper sleep. He haunted my dreams every night, and it was always the same. A dream where he asked me to believe in him and save him, but I didn’t do anything because of fear. The guilt was eating me, and I was suffocated by the fact I was living with murderers under the same roof. And so I had to leave.
I couldn’t do this anymore. It was a mistake meeting my so-called brother.
I looked away. Anton had never been a brother to me, ever. He always sided with Dad and thought of me as his most horrible sibling. Never in my life that he saves me. It was only when I got drunk and almost fucked a stranger.
As I was about to cross the street, Anton appeared at my side and caught my wrist. “Did you just fucking slap me?”
I tried to pull away from his grasp, but he spun me around and dragged me to the side of the street. “Let me go, Anton, or I’ll scream.”
“Don’t turn your back on me, Audrey. I did not come here to fight. Didn’t you hear what I said? Dad is dying. Cecile has taken over the house. You have to come home!”
“Unfortunately, you and your father are both cold-blooded, so why do I need to bother?”
“You fucking bitch!”
I tried to yank away from him, but there was no use. I must’ve lost the strength I had when he mentioned Liam. “Let me go, please. If it’s true that you still consider yourself my brother, you will.”
He gritted his teeth, and his grip tightened. “You know what, you are right. I never considered you as my sister. You deserve to die just like your whore mother and that boy rapist Liam! But you are still coming with me.”
My eyes grew wide. “How dare you!” I felt my body trembling, and my knees were liquefying. “Please, just let me go.”
“No, you are coming with me,” he pressed, his voice sounding more dangerous.
“I said, let me go!” I finally screamed. I didn’t care if people were watching anymore, but Anton started to strain me again.
Suddenly, another firm and strong hand shoved Anton’s arm. “Let her go.”
Oh, God. “Mr. Stark!”