Twisted Fate

Chapter 3

Ethan. "Mr. Maclean, your grandfather said he doesn't want to be disturbed by anyone. He said I should-" I cut her off with a harsh slap. Everyone seems to think that they can tell me what to do just because they add my grandfather's name at the end. Your grandfather wants you to do this… Your grandfather wanted you to do that. Yet none of them infuriate me quite like Xavier's. It also doesn't help that he's the one that gets to work closely to grandfather while I'm left playing around like some spoilt brat. In the beginning I believed Xavier's foolish lies, the ones he spilled to me about protecting me because he didn't want my hands stained with blood. I thought I understood his devotion, his so called brotherly love, but what a fool I was. He wasn't protecting me, he was only trying to steal my place in grandfather's heart despite being the adopted one. I am a true and legitimate Maclean, while he's just a nobody my dear grandfather took pity on and saved from a miserable life. If he thinks he has a chance at what is mine, then he is sorely mistaken. Thankfully the incident that happened nine years ago was the rude awakening I needed, the one that showed Xavier's true colors. That he isn't some protective older brother, but a conniving asshole desperate enough to play a young and trusting boy. Memories of his betrayal burn my eyes and I struggle to forget them. He is no one to me now, I remind myself as much as it hurts. "What? What are you still standing here for? Do I have to hit you again?" I yell furiously. It only infuriates me more that I know Xavier doesn't need to yell like this. These miserable helps all favor him and they listen to him. Not only do they listen to him but they do whatever he asks happily. Like they actually enjoy obeying him. I on the other hand, they loathe with passion. It annoys me. "I- I'm sorry sir-" I shove her out of way before heading to my grandfather's room angrily. Most of this is his fault anyway. Why does he always send them after me? Especially Xavier. I feel like a small child being held on a tight leash. I might call Xavier a dog, but I feel more like the dog than him. Pausing in front of my grandfather's room, I take a deep breath as I stare at the fine mahogany doors in front of me. Only the finest materials for my perfectionism-oriented grandfather. While he sent me to Business school to learn more about the company, Xavier was sent to Business school and military school to learn under the best. It didn't feel fair to me no matter what excuses my grandfather came up with and it had to stop now. I can't take this any longer. I slowly twist the doors handle open, taking small steps into his office. I internally curse at myself for not knocking first as he hates that. If I want him to listen to me then the last thing I need to do is annoy him any further. He rarely leaves this room, so he considers it his own heaven. Entering without knocking is a sin he doesn't forgive easily. "Come on in, boy. No need to toe around now, do you?" His firm voice almost makes me want to bolt out of the room. I step in fully and glance around the impeccably designed room. At the far end of the wall is an exquisite looking book shelf that stands as sturdy as ever. His table is kept impeccable as always and his almost smallish frame slowly ascends from his seat behind the table. "Won't you come in now, son?" He urges again. His voice almost sounds kind but I can't be fooled by it. Grandfather Maclean is a lot of things, but kind isn't one of them. After all, he is the one who disowned his own son for marrying a woman he didn't approve of, only accepting me as his grandson because he needed an heir. I still don't know why he adopted Xavier but that's not something I could just ask my grandfather about. "Grandpa-" I attempt saying before he closes the book in front of him with a loud bang that echoes in the room. "You've not been very good, boy. Have you?" His voice is cold and menacing, and memories of the way he usually punishes me for not being good when I was younger makes me shudder involuntarily. Echoes of my cries as his belt landed on my bare back cause me to take a frightening step back. He might be older now and obviously not in a position to cause any physical harm to me, but memories like that haunt you for eternity. I gulp unevenly and try to reason with him. "It was just a few parties with my friends, grandpa. I promise, it was nothing too wild." Things are getting out of hand. I came here to try to get him trust me with more parts of the business since my business degree is lying around waste, yet he's the one scolding me. He eyes me warily as if digesting my words. "A few parties? You know how important our family name is yet you call those wild animalistic gatherings just a few parties?" He leans forward and I worry that he might try to hit me so I take an approach I've taken more times than I can count. The one which only works in tight times like this one. "It's not my fault, grandpa. It's Xavier’s. He's always taunting me, always looking down on me. You know he's just a lowly servant yet he riles me up all the time." I say carefully. I and grandfather know everything I have just said is a clear and blatant lie. In fact Grandfather Hebert knows all I just said would make more sense if they were coming from Xavier but I discovered a long time ago that my grandfather likes when I speak ill of Xavier. He smiles at me. "Is that so?" He asks with a knowing look. This game of lies and deceit is one I've played with him one too many times. He will pretend to believe me, let me off the hook and punishes Xavier instead. Everything just to make his life miserable. Once this thought might have hurt me, but now I only feel great resentment at that bastard brother of mine. I seize the opportunity to lodge my complaint instead. "Grandpa, most times the things he says aren't so wrong you know?" I urge pitifully. This time he gives me a confused look. This isn't part of the game. I continue, “Because he's the one who does everything while I do nothing. He sees me as nothing more than a child, yet I'm twenty-six! He might be older than me, but I'm the true heir of the Maclean line." I say confidently. Too bad people like Xavier were born to be adopted. "Hmmm. Are you saying you want to do more work for me then?" He asks thoughtfully. I smile and nod, thankful he's seeing things from my view. Things always get so easy with grandpa whenever I mention Xavier, and although I'm jealous of this, as long as it gets me what I want, I don't mind. Once I start working for grandpa properly, I can finally put that lowly dog in his place. "Okay then, I have your first job ready for you." Wow, that went surprisingly faster than I expected. ~~ I should have known things can never go so easily with my grandfather, yet I fell for it again, like a stupid little boy. I groan while dusting invisible specks of dust from my shiny new pants. His first job for me just had to be in this lowly neighborhood, retrieving some money from some wretched nobody who owes him. I don't know why he even bothers lending money to people like this. It's obvious they'll never be able to pay him back. I can only assume he expects favors from them in return. The two men I took with me stand in front of me, waiting for my orders. This should be easy, scare the man a bit till he's ready to do anything the Maclean’s say, and regrets ever borrowing money from us. "You can go in, I'm not stepping in there. Drag him out here to meet me." I order the men, and they move almost instantly. Soon the sound of yelling and struggling fills my ears as the man tries to break free of the men. What I don't expect is the voice of a woman to follow, and a voice I remember all too well. Familiar anger burns through me as I remember what exactly the words that voice had spoken to me two nights before. How they had ridiculed me in front of everyone at that bar. The memory is quickly followed by the one of Xavier coming right after and embarrassing me further. I stand straighter as they approach me. "Let them go." I say to the men holding not only the man who owes my grandfather but the girl from the bar Incognito. I smile at her the minute her eyes land on me. The obvious fear in them only makes my smile widen more. "What do you want from my father? If it's me you want then why do this to my father?" She shouts at me. I like how feisty she is. She knows she has the lesser hand yet she's still putting up a brave front. I take a step towards her and grab her soft chin in a fierce grip. "I'm not here for you, doll. Your wretched father owes me some money and I'm here for it. Although I won't say I'm upset to see you here." I make a move to lick the side of her face but she pulls herself away from me furiously. I'll have a lot of fun breaking that spirit of hers, she just has to wait and see. "A-are you Mr. Maclean's son?" The frightened older man asks. I turn to him and land a heavy slap on his face. One that has him sprawling on the floor. The girl yells and reaches for her father on the floor. I hate being identified only in relation to my grandfather. Never Ethan Maclean, only Hebert Maclean's grandson, or those worse days of high school as Xavier Maclean's little brother. Would I ever be my own person? I squat to their level and stare at the frail looking man. "You owe my grandfather a lot of money, old man, and he wants it back. Now tell me, what can you do for it?" I whisper coldly. The only person who can hear me is the man and his daughter and my eyes are trained firmly on the girl. Whatever amount he owes my grandfather can be settled. I couldn't care less about the wretched old fool. The one I want to crush is this beautiful young girl, and unknowingly my grandfather has given me the chance.