My Stepbrother-Too Hot To Handle

DAMIEN:

Being at the dining table with a new family had been suffocating, but it was more heart wrenching with a grandfather, being added to the table setting. Mr. Anderson Stephen had come into the house unannounced after a long time had passed, ever since he had a big fight with his father which separated them temporarily.

The awkwardness in the air was palpable, and there was some sort of anger too. Dad’s facial expression was so stern and cold, because he was probably angry that his father came without informing him. However, the elderly man appeared calm and observant.

When dad got married to mum, a lady recommended by him, grandfather was proud that his son could finally settle down after so many years of waywardness with ladies. He promised him so many things concerning his corporation, which made dad try hard to keep with the marriage.

Soon days to months, months to years, she could never do anything to please him. He was not used to having a lady around that was being tied to him, so he was venting all his frustration on her. She wasn’t good enough in his own perception.

He doubted she would depart despite being broken, due to her good character. He used my mother’s intense love for me as leverage to keep her from leaving, because he threatened that she couldn’t take me with her.

Despite remaining in the marriage to see if things would improve, he resorted to physical violence when he realized she stayed for my sake.

He didn’t give her freedom of her life, let her see her family, or even allowed her to step out of the house as she liked. He couldn’t let her leave, and he couldn’t treat her nicely.

And one day after a massive fight between them, she dropped a letter for me saying that she could lose her life if she stayed any longer, and left in the middle of the night before everyone woke up.

His father resented him so much for that, and withdrew every benefit that he promised. It had been like that since, but maybe his marriage changed grandfather’s mind.

“So, Mrs. Sanders who has now become Anderson’s wife. How did you guys meet? Enough to get married to one another,” Grandfather asked Dabby’s mum, who let out a modest smile before dropping the fork that she was using to eat on her plate.

“I and Spencer met in Seattle when he came for a business meeting, and our first meeting was not a really good one. He was kind of rude to me, and I called him out without hesitation. I think he was challenged, and went miles to get my phone number. From there, we started talking and voila, it was all done. He has a good charm,” she narrated.

“Hmn. That is a very beautiful love story you two have got there,” grandfather commended, before putting a steak in his mouth, “And the marriage option. Was it the best?” He continued.

I had been watching dad’s expression the entire time, and it looked like he could ruin dinner for everyone by getting angry at his father. He was barely eating well, with ears open to hear what his wife had to say in response to his father’s questions.

“It wasn’t an option. It was a choice. And we have been living together as a good family. The children relate well, and even go to the same school. It is perfect,” she rounded off her sentence, with a word that wouldn’t give room for more questions.

“Do you children love it in the town, and in school?” Grandfather turned to Dabby and me.

“Yes sir. It is good,” Dabby was the first to answer, and it was obvious that she was trying so hard to keep a smiling face.

“Everything is just the same,” I answered concisely.

“I am glad you both love it, and that you think it is good. And with a new family that had no problems, then I think it is great. Joanne seems like a capable woman who has got everything under control,” grandfather went on and on in short talks that had a cryptic message hidden within for dad. He was indirectly referring to the past.

It probably got him by surprise that dad was married again, and just had to see how things are going even with an additional child to call his own. With Joanne’s feisty demeanor, he already figured out that dad wouldn’t be able to control her however he liked.

“Even if you didn’t invite me to the wedding, you did a great job Spencer. Marrying a woman like Joanne. The higher the energy, the better,” he taunted dad again, and it made him frown the more. His lips were trembling badly with a gritted force, wanting to talk back to his dad.

The rest of dinner went on peacefully, and I tried my best this time to reach out to Dabby. I knew it was going to be hard for her to keep up with her initial behavior, of relating well with me in everyone’s presence after what happened outside. I did the reaching out instead.

Grandfather didn’t wait to sleep over even if it was late already, and a chauffeur was waiting for him outside already after dinner. He left in the car after dropping a vivid message for dad, a package for mum, and a small parcel for I and Dabby too.

I think before I slept, I heard an intense argument from the other side of the house. I didn’t care though. I just hoped everything would solve itself.

When I woke up late the next morning, Dabby had already gone to school, and the parents were also nowhere to be found. After I dressed up for school, I left minutes before school time and didn’t see Debby message to pick her up. I assumed that she had found her way already.

It was still unsettling to me that I and Dabby had not finished talking about the previous night, and I planned to meet her during lunch at a secluded area. She was angry, and I didn’t like it at all. Xavier was the first to see me when I got to school after I parked my car, and he wanted to tell me about the expensive wine that he brought to school. He said that his uncle bought the last three pieces at an exorbitant price from an auction house, and that he replaced the contents in one of the bottles.

We went to class afterwards, and waited till it was time for lunch before we picked off with our fun. I hoped that I would run into Dabby anywhere in school, and see the expression she would have for me if we met. I was constantly disturbed by what she could be thinking.

When the bell for lunch rang, I and Xavier went to our own personal space in school to enjoy the liquor. Bryan had called to tell us that he wouldn’t be in school for the day.

The taste of the wine was so divine and good, that I felt like it was serving its worth even if the price was ridiculously pricey. I tried calling Dabby too, but she wasn’t picking up.

I was checking out the progress of the competition that I had registered for on my cell phone, while Xavier was laughing because of what he was reading from his phone.

He stopped abruptly after a few minutes and was staring at something, which sort of caught my attention because of the way he was acting.

He turned to me with a shocked expression on his face that also portrayed disappointment, and stretched out the phone that he was holding for me to see something. It made me wonder why he was acting that way.

A video flashed before the screen to my face, and the scene seemed a little bit dark. Still, I could recognize that the place I was looking at in the video was our house. The caption wrote; Any reasonable explanation for this?Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.

Dabby appeared from the other angle of the video and entered the house, while a tall figure that looked like me ran after, and shut the door behind both of us. The video stopped after minutes of recording a closed gate. I remembered the scene instantly. It was from last night.

I was so shocked at what I had watched, My fingers trembled badly, and I was unable to lift my head up. I quickly did some thinking.

The one person that could have been around our house at that particular moment was Debby. The only person who had left in a cab but could have come back to take these pictures was Debby. The girl that I was dating.

‘Shit. Fuck her. Fuck that bitch, because I would mess her up for messing with me. But first, I was damned too. Everyone in school would know already. What should I do? What?’

“You live with that girl? In the same house?” I heard Xavier’s pained voice ask me finally, and I knew that he felt really bad. But honestly, that wasn’t even the main point. Everything had gone haywire.