Ryan gripped his wife’s hand as he looked around the room.
Aside from the carnation flowers and mourning people in black attires, the room itself was kind of ordinary. At least, for people who was born with silver spoon in their mouth. But, for him … it was just his old childhood house.
The same wall his father pushed him against, so that he could easily ram his fist against Ryan’s tiny stomach. The same dining table where his father held him, so that he could lash the belt on his unguarded back. The same ceiling he saw, when his father kicked him again and again.
Nothing changed.
Except that his father was dead, waiting patiently in his coffin to be buried later today.
From the corner of his eye, he saw someone from his past.
The woman looked younger than his father. Probably in her late forty or early fifty. Wearing a black dress like any other. The only thing differentiating her from the guest was that she already had a
Chaplin.Rhea watched his movie show once while helping at her uncle's run-down bar. The little television perched on the corner of the room became her sole focus that night. A black and white movie, without any sound, uttered. 'Hilarious,' she thought for the first time. She tumbled down the floor, hitting the table with her palm she should have cleaned, and accidentally spilled the half-empty glass of faded blue liquid. Her stomach hurt, laughing too hard, and she wheezed her breath. She never thought that there was something else that could beat Chaplin's funny show. But then again, she had yet to watch a show called Mr Bean. Her high school classmate back then often talked about it. They said Mr Bean was way funnier than Chaplin. Well, Rhea would only validate their claim after she watched it with her own eyes. So, before that happened, she would stand by her opinion that Chaplin's show was the most hilarious one throughout the entire history of mankind. Now,
Peeep![Congratulations!]TEETS’s notification chimed in the form of a mechanical voice, and a transparent dark panel floated before him. Its golden lines and white letters informed him of his recent progress.[Objective 4 achieved.][However, as TEETS is unable to give Mission and Ability regarding this Objective due to close proximity against another Host, TEETS will offer to level up three Active Abilities or one Passive Ability of Host’s choosing.]Ryan was surprised by it.Not for the special treat, per se, but for the fact that TEETS still counted this as him achieving his objective. He wasn’t the one who killed his father, but somehow TEETS trusted that. Or it could be because of what he did at the end of his eulogy. Perhaps that might be counted as killing his father’s reputation.Nonetheless, he was glad by this turn of events.Ryan couldn’t help the smile, and so he asked TEETS to show hi
Ryan and Violet's new home was located near Orchard Beach, no more than an hour's drive from the Crowne residence.They had a second-story patio overlooking the beach, letting the sea wind caress their face whenever they stood by it. They could garden in there, too, as Ryan specifically wanted the house for it.Violet didn't care, as long as it was far from the traffic and she had a beautiful view every time she opened the window. Especially this morning, right after she woke up from sleep."Beautiful, isn't it?" Ryan said as he brought plates to the dining table. "I wonder why you don't move out of your family's house.""Clearly, that's because I don't want to live alone with you," Violet said, rolling her eyes at his smile. "Scum.""Ouch." Ryan glanced at her the second time, noticing her messy hair and sleepy look. "Didn't sleep well?""Thanks to your creepy family, no.""Well, they tend to make me have nightmares, too. Even after
"Mr. Wilder, can you comment on your inheritance to overtake Ashford Group?"Then, someone else shouted, "Are you surprised that the shareholders are behind your nomination to take over the company?"Ryan faltered a step, sparking a shutter of flashes as he gripped Violet's shoulder more tightly at what he just heard. "What?"Arms clutching recorders immediately shot towards his mouth. With a vacant look in his eyes at the barrage of cameras inching ever closer, he glanced around as if someone would explain the meaning of this nonsense about him taking over the company.The more he remained silent, the more the reporters pressed the same questions over and over again like a broken record. Was he going to take over the Ashford Group?How did he feel about his father's death?Was he ever close to his father?"No comment," Ryan grudgingly spoke.And there he was, thinking that all of these clamoring reporters were here for Violet'
[What is your fifth objective?] 'Why, to expose my mother-in-law's infidelity, of course.' The transparent dark panel floated in front of him, showing his submitted objective. [New objectives have been submitted.] [Objective Five: Expose Marissa Crowne's infidelity.] He couldn't wait to do that. But all things take time, including this. He had to plan it beautifully so that he could make an explosion. But, for now, he had to take other matters first, like– "Oh, and what's this news I heard about?" Jared said to Ryan, looking him up and down in a condescending manner. "I heard that you are the long-lost son of Howard Ashford, who was presumed dead ten years ago. Is that true?" Ryan looked his brother-in-law in the eye. "What if it is?" "Nothing, really." Jared walked away with Violet in his hand, "Even if you return to your old family, I doubt it will be any different. Besides, for a family with unlimited source of money and influence, it's just strange, how you remain under the
That noon, Ryan spent his time sleeping.As opposed to what he said earlier, sleep quickly claimed him when he entered his old bedroom. A small place he called home for the last two years and a half since he was brought here by Violet’s late grandfather.No one bothered him there.Cinos had come earlier and begged him to drive the Spider again. Ryan let that boy run around with that expensive fast car, let the reporters chase Cinos for once, thinking it was him. Then, Bill came around and said he’d prepare some meal later, but he wasn’t that hungry.Liz didn’t say hi, but she peeked at him from Bill’s shoulder and nodded once. Remembering their first meeting, Ryan would call it progress.After that, he was left alone with his thoughts, and then he fell asleep. It was a good nap, he must say. After his hated father’s funeral and the final goodbye he delivered, his energy was spent. He had slept well the night befo
“What do you mean by that?”Ryan looked up from the floor, craning his neck to see Violet’s looming form. “What?”“What do you mean by, ‘let’s make one’ yesterday?”“Oh. That.” Ryan laid again, the back of his head against the hard, cool floor of their new house. He could hear the swimming pool’s small current in his ear as he was right beside it. “Just what it sounds like. If there’s no offer with a decent role for you, let’s make a production house ourselves, and you can choose whatever role you want.”Violet merely stared at him. “You’re kidding.”“Uhm… I really am not?”“Do you know how hard and tedious work it is to make a production house? I’ll be old wih wrinkles and backaches by the time we can establish it.”“Don’t sell yourself short, Violet.”She massaged her forehead. “Unbelieveable.”“But, imagine the potential and endless choices you can make with our production house. Who doesn’t want that?”Violet raised her eyebrow, “Seriously, are you asking me that?”Ryan shrugged,
That afteroon, in their new home, Violet saw Ryan by the side of the pool.It was one of the defining feature that made her want to have this particular estate as a home. A swimming pool on the second floor, right beside the patio she loved so much. She could see the beach and vast sea in front of her, soft waves rushing here and there like a romantic painting.Turning her blue eyes from that dreamy sight,Violet looked around them and back at him again. “Anyway, what are you doing here, laying like a lazy seal?”Ryan averted his gaze away, a bit shy. “I’m, ugh…”Fine.He was embarrassed.Must he say it in front of her?Violet looked down at him, waiting with an impatient tap of her foot against the floor.He sighed and looked at the soft current of the swimming pool that overlooked the Orchard beach, spreading wide in front of them.Ryan never thought he'd say something alon