HIS ARRANGED WIFE

Quarrel

"What did you say?" I asked silently.

He stared at me calmly and breathe out. "You need to get married."

I scoffed and stood from my seat. "Do you think this a joke or something?"

"I know it's not joke." He stated, not showing a bit of concern on his facial expression.

"Then what?!" I hollered. "You must be crazy to think I'll accept your dumb proposal."

"Ace!" My mum cried as she hurried to me. "Don't speak to your dad like that! What is wrong with you?"

"What is wrong with me?" I asked rhetorically. "Everything is wrong with you all!"

My mum moved closer and cupped her hands around my face. "Ace dear, can you please go upstairs?"

"No mum." I stated as I walked past her and stood in my dad's front.

"Dad, what do you want to gain from this? I know you can never do a thing for your son without getting something good out of it!"

He stood from his seat and glared at me. "Keep your mouth shut. Who told you you've got the right to yell at me like that?"

I scoffed and creased my arms across my chest. "Yell? How can you even say that?"

"Keep quiet!" He hollered.

"Don't tell me to!" I retorted amid gritted teeth. "Listen to yourself before you ask me to keep quiet."

His dirty looks incremented as he raised his arm to hit my face.

"Alfred!" My mum hurled from behind as she rushed to stop him. "Don't do this please. Stop this nonsense. Will you both keep on quarrelling for the rest of your lives?"

"Mum." I called gently. "Move away. Let him hit me as he has always. Let him force me to do something I don't wannna do. Let him kill me. Let him do it!" I uttered in a yell.

My mum turned to me and caressed my cheek. She looked so worried and pale, even sick. "My boy, please go upstairs. I'll be with you soon. Please."

I swallowed hardly and glimpsed at my dad. He didn't even wear a sorry look. All I could read from his face was anger.

I hate this man so much!

The fact he wasn't sorry about his reaction was almost hurting. But before it could, I stumped up the stairs and headed to my old room. The place where I had only bad memories.

"You asshole! You are only a wasted sperm! I wish I never gave birth to you! i***t!" He screamed as I trudged on the stairs.

               ***

I wandered in the room angrily. I wasn't only angry because they wanted to get me married but also because I was recalling the painful memories I had while I lived there.

"Ace." My mum called softly as she peeped through the door. "Do you mind if I come in?"

I sighed and clinged my eyes together, trying to reduce the anger that was burning in me. "Come in."

She stepped in gently and shut the door behind her.

I turned to stare at her as she walked to me. She seemed so tired and sad too.

"Ace." She called faintly. "Can you please sit on the bed."

I rolled my eyes and walked to her. "Mum, don't try to convince me. I'm not going to get married."

"Ace dear..." She tried to talk but I cut her in.

"No mum. I'm not ready to listen to any trash you all have to say."

"Would you let me speak first?" She asked as she furrowed her brows in irritation.

I exhaled and averted from our gaze. "Speak." I stated coldly.

"My boy." She started. "I want you to think properly. You know you aren't in your right state of mind. You are angry. You need to come down."

I glanced at her and turned back to the view from the window.

"You also know your father is rude." She continued. "But he sometimes speaks the truth. Your father didn't get married to because he loved me. He got married to me because he needed an heir. And he got one."

"So you want me to do that too?" I asked.

"No my son, that's not what I want for you. I think you might be a better person if you get married." She added.

"And why?" I retorted.

"Because this isn't the real you. You are only carrying the burden of your past. If you probably have a lady and maybe you fall in love or something, you'd be the son I gave birth to."

I scowled and turned to face her. "Mum. There's something you need to know. Love is something I can, and would ever feel. And secondly, I can change for nobody. I don't need an heir. Even if I need one, I can get a mistress or something."

"Ace." She called weakly as tears welled in her eyes. "This isn't you. How did you become so terrible? What happened to you? Did I train you to never care about anyone? You were never like this even when you lived a hard life as a young boy. What has gotten into you?"

I snorted and gave her an intense stare. "And you think some dumb a*s will change me? How in the world will that even happen? What makes you think some random girl will win my heart? What makes you think I'll give anyone a chance to come into my life? Unh? Tell me."

I couldn't take her tears. She was the only one I had emotions for and the only one that would ever have the right to my emotions. "Mum, please stop this nonsense."

"Stop?" She questioned ruefully. "Tell me. What made you this terrible. I know your father has always made you live a stressful life, but you weren't this bad. What happened?"

"Mum..." I tried to speak but she interrupted.

"Don't 'mum' me. Tell me now. I have the right to know." She said as a dumb tear rolled down her cheek.

I swallowed, and tightened my hand into a fist. Sharing the reason for my pain was something I could never say to anybody, especially her. The reason I became the horrendous human I was. The reason I never liked anyone around me. The reason I hated life as a whole.

"I'll get married." I finally stated after so much hesitation.

It was better to get married to any f*****g s**t than to state the reason I hated life. I didn't even cherish marriage in the first place, so what was the point of hurting her.

She stared at me blankly and gaped. "W--what?"