Tyrone sat there in silence as he continued to stare in disbelief at the woman he had referred to as mother all his life.
"You can't be serious." Was the only thing that came out of Tyrone's mouth.
"Of course, she is, for twenty three years, your parents continued to search for you, even when they went on to have other children a year after you were kidnapped, they still continued searching for you," Jason told him.
Tyrone listened in silence, allowing the new revelation to sink in.
"You mentioned something about them being late, what happened to them, how did they die?" Tyrone asked flatly.
Jason did the sign of the cross before he went on to answer, "May their souls rest in perfect peace. They were good people until their death." Jason paused for a moment as if to reflect on something before he added, "Your mother died of heart disease and your father couldn't take the news of her death."
"He knew that he was going to join her soon and willed all of his properties to your grandfather instead of your younger brother, Rollins, Hoping that one day you'll be found to inherit your father's properties."
"Wait, hold on a minute!" Tyrone said, putting up a finger, "You mean... Rollins Jefferson is my brother?" Tyrone asked, his eyes bulging in surprise.
"Yes, he is." Amanda was the one who answered.
"So if Rollins Jefferson is my biological brother, then that means that..."
"Zayn Jefferson is your real father." Jason completed the sentence for him.
Tyrone's jaw hung down in bewilderment as the realization dawned on him. "Zayn Jefferson is my father!" Tyrone repeated, his heart pounding vigorously against his chest as his whole body went numb.
"You mean the owner of the Zayn's multimillion dollar companies is my real father?" Tyrone asked, averting his gaze.
"Yes, Tyrone," Jason answered, watching Tyrone closely as if he were studying a specimen.
Tyrone turned to look at the woman who was standing in front of him, not knowing what to address her as. As he continued to stare at her, he didn't know whether to be angry or to be disappointed but what he had just discovered was the biggest shock he had received in his entire life, even bigger than finding out that Judy never loved him.
He opened his mouth to express his inexplicable feeling but he closed it back when no words were forthcoming.
"I'm so sorry, my son." Amanda struggled to get up from the floor.
"Don't you dare call me that?" Tyrone warned in a low and dangerous tone and Amanda fell silent instantly.
After a few minutes of awkward silence, Tyrone decided to ask Jason "So, how did you discover that I was Tyrone Jefferson after 26 years, you wouldn't have been able to know what I looked like when the last time you guys saw me was when I was still a few months old."
"Well, it wasn't you who we recognized from the video, it was Amanda."
"What video and what are you talking about?" Tyrone asked with furrowed brows.
"Well uhm, you see, a few months back, your grandfather fell ill, seriously ill and he had to be transferred to the city, and due to his sickness, he couldn't continue looking for you, not until this morning when we found a video of you in a wedding and in at an award show making rounds on the internet."
"Wait, there are videos of me being disgraced on the internet?" Tyrone asked in disbelief, his cheeks flushing red in embarrassment.
"Yes, there are. So in the first video, we found Amanda trying to console you before we saw you. I know it was you the moment I saw you. You like exactly like your father, Tyrone." Jason said and let out a wide smile.
Tyrone's eyes fell to the floor, how did the videos of him make it to the internet so quickly?
"And when I knew that it was you, I started looking for means to get to you, until a kind nurse decided to look you up. I was skeptical about that because I thought that Amanda must have changed your first name but obviously, she was stupid enough not to." Jason said and shot her a hateful look.
"Your grandfather's illness miraculously alleviated when I told him that we had found you and he immediately instructed that we came home with you to continue your treatment."
Tyrone just swallowed and continued to stare. He looked up from Amanda and then back to Jason, before looking around the whole room.
"So this is who I really am, and you kept this from me, Mother."
"I'm sorry, Tyrone, I really needed a child..."
"And you decided to steal me from my own family not caring if I'd find out about it later on."
"I'm sorry," Amanda repeated, her wrinkles intensifying with the deep frown on her face.
"Once you're better, your grandfather would love to see you," Jason informed him.
"I'm better now," Tyrone said and immediately stood up from the bed.
"What the?" Amanda expressed her shock as she watched him stand upright.
"Can we go see him now?" Tyrone asked, unsure if he was ready to meet his biological family himself.
"Okay then, this way," Jason said and pointed in the direction of the exit door. "You stay here Amanda, and don't even try to escape."
Amanda suddenly broke down in tears, shaking her head.
Even after what she had done with Tyrone, he couldn't stand to watch her cry. He averted his gaze and walked out of the room briefly when his heart was starting to melt, he wasn't going to forgive her easily.
"Come this way, Tyrone. Your brother is so not going to like the fact that we've found you." Jason said.
Tyrone swallowed the bile in his throat as they stopped in front of what seemed to be his grandfather's room.
Jason pushed through the door and motioned to Tyrone to make his way inside. Tyrone peeked inside before he made his way in. The room looked nothing like a bedroom, it looked more like a conference room to Tyrone. Jason walked past him and into the room. "Tyrone, after all these years.. " the old man said, stretching his hand out to Tyrone. "Grandfather?" Tyrone didn't know when the word escaped his lips. "Don't you think it's too soon to be referring to him as that?" A man said. Tyrone hadn't taken notice of the people in the room so he looked around and realized that there were two other people in the room. The man who had said that walked up to Tyrone. Tyrone's eyes bulged seeing a man that looked exactly like him walking up to him. Tyrone could perceive the heavy whiff of the expensive cologne the man wore. "You think you can just barge in here and call anyone names as you please huh?" The man said rudely, obviously annoyed by Tyrone's presence. "And I suppose you might be
"Didn't you hear me, you dumb fool? I know you've signed the documents already." Rollins said and started approaching him. "So why not give the companies to someone else who will be in a better position to handle them than you," Rollins said in a mocking tone. "I won't sell those companies to you, Rollins and besides, they're not worth ten million dollars." Tyrone intoned. "I see that you're not as dumb as I thought," Rollins said with a slick smile on his face. "You have twenty four hours to make up your mind," Rollins said and walked out of the conference room. "Please get seated, sir." The man who had shaken his hand said. "My name is Malcolm and I'm the one who manages the company." "Woah, you manage all five companies at once." Tyrone voiced out his surprise. "Yes, I do." He said and sat back down. He handed a small package to Tyrone. "What's this?" Tyrone asked before opening the package. "In there is your new phone with a new bank account that has been created for you w
"Tell me what you did to Grandpa or else I'm going to report you to the police!!" Melinda threatened, standing across from Rollins with her heart racing in her chest. "Do you think I'm scared of the police, my dear?" He said with a sly smile and stood up from his office chair, making his way slowly toward her. "You killed him, didn't you?" She bellowed. "I only rescued him from his sufferings." "You monster!" "Now, now, my dear, there's no time to shed fake tears." "They're not fake, I loved Grandfather with all my heart." She yelled at him. "Oh save me that." He said with a wave of his hand. "We barely have time on our hands, we need to make our move." He said and walked back to his seat. "What's the plan?" Melinda sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. "We need to take Tyrone out of the picture and you're in the rightful position to do that." He said as he picked up a pen and began to fiddle with it. "Oh no, never, I will never take the life of someone, especially not
The glittering lights of the red carpet illuminated the night sky as Hollywood's elite gathered for the premiere of "Starlight's Shadow," the most anticipated film of the year. Cameras flashed incessantly, capturing every moment of glamour and excitement. At the center of it all stood Judy Palmer, resplendent in a shimmering silver gown that clung to her curves and sparkled with every movement.Judy’s heart was pounding as she posed for the camera, her smile covering up a whole lot of emotions running inside her. This should have been the happiest day of her life, her breakout role, her face on every billboard in the city. But her conscience kept pestering her, threatening to spoil all hard work that would be hard to maintain had turned out to be a perfectionAs she walked down the carpet, just beside her is the co-star and film direct, Malcom Reed. Judy couldn’t help but think of another event happening downtown. She ditched a marriage, a jilted groom and an empty church.Unknown to
Tyrone couldn’t bear it any longer. He walked away from the theater, away from the cheering crowds, away from the cameras, away from the shattered remains of his happily ever after. His hands fell as he walked across the sidewalk like the remnants of his dreams.Tyrone walked for what felt like hours, his polished dress shoes pinching his feet, his tie hanging loose around his neck. He found himself in a denser part of town, neon signs buzzing and flickering in the growing darkness. One establishment caught his eye: "The Broken Heart Saloon." A bitter laugh escaped his lips. How fitting for his present situation, what a coincidence.Pushing open the wooden door, Tyrone was enveloped by the smoky interior. The bar was dimly lit, populated by a handful of men who looked as lost and dejected as he felt. He slumped onto a cracked leather bar stool, raising a hand to catch the bartender's attention." What'll it be?" the grizzled man asked, eyeing Tyrone's rough formal wear with a mixture
Tyrone had always prided himself on being a gentleman with composure, but tonight, that composure was unwinding at an alarming rate. His apartment which had solitude, has now become the stage for a different kind of drama. The room was quiet except for the soft rustle of bed linens. Tyrone had come here, hoping to find Judy and bring some sense of normalcy back into their lives. But the sight that greeted him as he pushed open the door was anything but normal. Judy, the woman he had imagined spending his life with, was entangled with another man, the director, a figure whose arrogance and charm had always chewed on him.Without a second thought, Tyrone anger kept growing without bounds. His vision reduced and his natural thinking was being replaced with uncontrollable rage. He surged for rage, throwing his fists into the room with a shout. “You son of a bitch!” Tyrone’s voice filled with fury.Judy’s eyes was wide open in shock as she tried to stay away, holding tight the bedspread t
Suddenly Judy face changed and her countenance actually changed into someone who Tyrone wasn’t familiar with. “You pathetic, insecure man,” Judy said, her words stinging in Tyrone’s skin. Her hands were tightened at her sides, her curated manicured nails digging into her palms. “Did you really think you were a match against him? He’s an award-winning director, and you’re nothing but a washed up loser that can’t admit when he loses.”Tyrone's eyes widened as each word was a physical blow. He tried to look in Judy’s eyes, his swollen face a testament to the beating he had received earlier. “Judy, I saw you with him on our bed. Are you kidding me, how could you?”“How could I?” Judy cut him short, her laugh now bitter and cold. “How could it not be? What he’s offering is everything you can never think of offering yourself in the first place, fame, wealth and a real career. What were you going to give me, Tyrone? A life watching us live a normal life, a normal American family as you alway
Tyrone tried walking out of the house almost staggering and falling, his vision covered by blood trickling down his face. He had just lost the fight with the director, lost everything in whole, and right not he was left with nothing but a painful heart and aches of his battered body.The cool air of the night met his face as he managed to walked down the stairs, almost losing his balance. His legs were so light that couldn’t support his weight. But he had to keep moving, he just couldn’t stop. He needed to get to the hospital, he needed help before he faints or before the injuries become serious.As he staggered down the sidewalk, the events of the past hour played on repeat in his mind like some sick, twisted movie.*Walking into their bedroom, seeing Judy naked and writhing beneath the director.The look of shock on their faces as they scrambled to cover themselves.Judy's voice, shrill and panicked: "Tyrone! It's not what it looks like!" The director, smugly buttoning his shirt: "Sor