The Return Of The God of War

10

Everyone falls silent and if a pin is to drop on the ground, it would sound as loud as a plate crashing on the ground.

Taylor is the center of attraction, everyone's eyes are on him.

They don't even notice when the front door opens and Melody's father, Mister Joseph walks in with his briefcase in his hand.

He looks around, but everyone is too busy to notice his presence and so he walks right into the heart of the scene.

"Guys, what's going on?" He asks. " I can see that Taylor made it. "

Taylor is now sweating profusely and he keeps wiping his face again and again.

" Joseph, thank God you are here. " Melody's grandfather returns to his seat with a disappointed shake of his head.

"What's going on?"

" Well, the boy kind of proved us wrong. " He gestures. " He came here with the money as he said he would, but there has been a new development. "

"Okay?" Mister Joseph shrugs.

" Taylor here said that he helped Duke get the contract and Duke says it's false and now Taylor can't prove it. " Mister Futterman takes his time to explain to his son.

Mister Joseph looks at all of them and laughs. He walks to a seat and lowers his tired self.

" Dad, it's not funny. " Melody breathes. " You guys think Duke wouldn't do it but he did and now this lunatic is trying to claim the victory."

"Hey, Melody!" Her grandfather warns her. " Language, no name calling. "

"Sorry. " She murmurs.

" That's easy. " Mister Joseph shrugs.

He gets up to the mini bar and pours himself a glass and sips from it.

" If you did, Taylor, then you should call the manager to prove it. " He suggests.

" He can't do that because the manager is cooling off in a police cell. " Duke raises his nose. " Maybe Taylor should join him for lying too. "

Taylor laughs, a kind of laugh that suggests he is offended by Duke's utterance, but that's just him trying not to get caught.

" Okay, fine. " Mister Joseph sighs and raises his glass. " Let's keep civil, Dad doesn't like shouts around his house. "

"Yeah. " Mister Futterman huffs. " I don't want to have to kick anyone out. "

" This is insane. " Duke complains. " To think that I had to go all through the trouble of getting the loan and even had to stay through the manager getting arrested because of how he tried to make advances at her–"

"Excuse me, what?" Her mother frowns.

She has been standing in a corner the whole time with Bella and they haven't said a word, but now she walks to join the rest.

She grabs Melody's hand and pulls her closer as if she is going to be able to tell if something is wrong with her just by looking.

"Hey, someone tried to molest you?" Her mother asks her.

Melody is so mad that she shrugs her mother off and takes a few steps away from her and towards her husband.

"Now you care? " She berates her. " Now you want to know what happened?"

"Melody, tell us what happened. " Her grandfather orders.

She might be mad at all of her family members, but she can't ignore her grandfather, he is not going to take it from her.

" When Duke and I got to the bank, the manager requested to have sex with me before giving us the loan. " She sighs. " Duke won't have it and somehow managed to get the president involved and that's how we got the loan. The manager got arrested on the president's order. "

Her words leave them baffled, but Duke only smirks and lets her do her thing.

" He asked to have sex with you?" Her grandfather is angrily cracking his fingers.

He turns angrily to Taylor who has suddenly lost his voice and he points an accusing finger at him.

" Are you trying to say that the person you supposedly told to help wanted to abuse my granddaughter?! " He barks at him.

"No, Mister Futterman, I'm sorry. " Taylor gives in to the pressure, there is no way out of this for him. " I only wanted to help, I didn't know he would ask her for sex in return. "

" For the hundredth time, he didn't call the manager on our behalf. " Melody has gotten so frustrated that she screams.

Taylor is startled, he tries to speak but only gibberish words are coming forth.

"Okay, if you did call her and you tried to help, pick up the phone again and call the manager. " Mister Futterman insists.

Taylor swallows hard, but he reaches out for his phone and calls the manager again.

The phone rings and rings as they all listen and it's as if the manager is not going to pick up, but it connects at the last minute.

"Hello?"

This is not the manager's voice, it's the voice of a different person and the voice sounds irritated and impatient.

Taylor has lost his confidence, but the angry eyes that are staring at him urge him to speak.

" Hello, Mister Maxwell? " He croaks without confidence.

" Mister Maxwell is in his cell and can't come to the phone, I am detective John. " He grunts.

Melody has never felt more satisfied in her life and as for Taylor, he is covered with shame from his head to his toes.

"Ask him. " Mister Futterman pushes him. " Ask him why the manager is in jail?"

Taylor doesn't want to, but he knows that he shouldn't disobey Mister Futterman.

"Um, please if I may ask, why is Mister Maxwell in jail?" He asks.

" Where do I start from? " The detective laughs. " Diverting his boss' money into his account, corruption, sexual abuse. "

" The son of a bitch. " Mister Futterman curses in his heart.

Taylor has humiliated himself enough, he ends the call and jumps to his feet. It's time to leave, he can't stay here another minute.

"I'm sorry for all that I did. " He confesses and turns to Melody. " I hope you and your husband can forgive me. "

" Me? Never. " She spits. " My husband? I am sure he might. "

Taylor turns to Duke, he is still calm, unlike Melody, who is steaming like boiling over pot.

"I'm sorry, I just felt intimidated by you. " He says. " I hope that you forgive me. "

Duke doesn't say a word to him, instead he nods.

Taylor turns to Mister Futterman and bows so deeply that his head is almost touching his balls.

" You should be ashamed of yourself. " Mister Futterman curses. " You good for nothing boy, why would you want to take the praise for something you didn't do?"

"I'm sorry, sir. I just wanted to help Melody, I am so sorry sir. " He pleads.

"What will your father say about this?"

"He would be so disappointed. "

"That's right, son. He won't approve of this. " Mister Futterman says. " But I am going to let this one go because you have been a very good person, you may leave. "

Without looking at anyone's face, he makes his way out of the house. The whole place is quiet.

Bella walks to Melody's side and gives her a brief hug. Melody might have been mad, but she can't be angry at her sister forever.

"I'm sorry we didn't believe you. " She pouts her mouth.

"Yes, Melody. " Her mother agrees. " We shouldn't have believed him over you. "

"Finally. " Melody rolls her eyes. " I told you guys that Duke did it without anyone's help. "

" We believe him now. " Mister Joseph says.

" But it doesn't change the fact that you guys didn't think I would do it. " Duke looks at all of them.

" I did it anyway. " He shrugs. " Does that mean I have your approval now? Am I now accepted? Have I proved myself enough to you guys?"