CHAPTER TWO
1966 Words
To unfortunate beginnings II
It was a big day for the Fray family and, most importantly, for Jonathan Fray himself. Fifty years of
steering his multibillion-dollar company to greatness was no small feat and it was only right that
he celebrated it grandly. He had his friends and business partners all in attendance,
some of the wealthiest men and women also in attendance, and what celebrity would turn down
an invite to his anniversary party? To top it all off, he had his two successful sons, Sebastian
and Hadrian, who were part and parcel of his great company.
Nonetheless, there was still something missing, rather, than someone missing. He could still hear her
small, patient, and loving voice encouraging him to make those tough business decisions.
Shioban Fray may have been his wife, but she was his best friend and business partner first. He
trusted no one and made no moves without her say so.
As he got dressed for the occasion, he spied a tear steal away from his eyes. He still missed
her, even after it’s been three years since the accident, he missed her like it was only yesterday
she died.
He shook his head, not in a bid to rid himself of the thoughts of her, he could never do that instead, to convince himself that she wasn’t gone, she was with him, every step of the
way. That was the last thing she said to him before she died, and that was what had been
keeping him going for the past three years. He loved her then, and he would continue to love
her forever.
Hadrian was working on his laptop when Sebastian drunkenly barged in laughing with two ladies
in his arms.
“Ugh! For Christ's sake Hadrian have some fun in your life,” Sebastian complained as he closed
Hadrian’s laptop and threw it on the bed.
Hadrian was visibly annoyed, “What is wrong with you, I was working on something!” Hadrian
pushed past him and retrieved his laptop.
“Come on man,” Sebastian laughed, “you’re on a cruise ship, on our father’s fiftieth anniversary,
with all the wealthiest people and celebrities in the country in attendance, and not to mention hot
chicks all around, and you wanna hole yourself up in this room doing company work?” He
laughed again.
“At least I’m doing something better than getting drunk and embarrassing myself all over the
place with every skank I can find,” Hadrian scoffed.
“Excuse me?” One of the girls retorted, red in the face. “We’re out of here.” She said and
grabbed her friend by the arm and they sauntered out of the room.
“Hey! Wait!” Sebastian called after them but they didn’t spare him a glance.
He sighed and turned to Hadrian chuckling, “You know, I’ve always known you were an overachiever
achiever Hadrian, right from the time we were boys.” He slowly walked towards him, “You know
what I always wondered huh? I always thought, ‘Why does he even bother?’ You know, like why
do you bother Hadrian? Haven’t you understood already that whatever it is you work a hundred
times as hard for, I would get it on a silver platter in my sleep? Be it power, accomplishments,
women,” now he was toe to toe with Hadrian, except that he was taller than him by an inch,
“father’s company.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Hadrian’s annoyance with his elder brother grew by the
minute.
Sebastian seemed to be having fun stepping on his little brother’s toes, “oh you haven’t heard?
Ah, you must have missed the briefing with the board members, guess your overachieving ass
couldn’t get yourself an invite, Huh?” He laughed mockingly.
“Get to the point or get the hell out”
“Chill alright. I just don’t understand how you don’t already know by now that all your hard work
is going to be futile as always.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning, that before the end of his party, Dad is going to announce his retirement.”
Hadrian wasn’t surprised, “if you haven’t already noticed, almost everyone knows about this,” he
said and started to leave the room, “if you wanna use the room for whatever the hell it is you
wanna do with God knows how many women, you’re free, but I’m out of here.”
“You’re leaving? But I haven’t even told you the best part,” Sebastian called to him.
“Don’t mess with me, Sebastian.”
“Why would I? I would never miss an opportunity to see the look on your face when I tell you
that before the end of his party tonight, Dad’s going to name me Chief Executive Officer of his
company.”
Hadrian felt like the ground had been dragged from under his feet.
It was almost time for his father’s speech and Hadrian sat by the bar, at a position where he could best
observe everyone at the party. He ordered himself sparkling water. He didn’t drink, nor did he
smoke nor sleep with everything that wore a skirt like his goddamn brother. So why would his
father see Sebastian as the best option?
Hadrian had been preparing for this his whole life. He did not mind the fact that since they were
kids everything that Sebastian got, he got on a silver platter, while he had to work his ass off to
get even a morsel of it. He didn’t mind. His eyes had always been on the bigger prize. That was
why he worked twice as hard as Sebastian to accomplish what he could in the company.
He had to give it to Sebastian though, even though he had all these vices, he had his
way of keeping them on lock when it came to being professional. That was what Hadrian
secretly envied and admired about him, his way of balancing life, of eating his cake and still
having the whole damned thing. Maybe that’s what his father saw in him, his work-life balance.
Something Hadrian wasn’t sure he could achieve.
The lights came on the stage and the crowd erupted in a round of applause, the star of the night
was here.
“I want to thank you all for coming tonight, it means a lot to me that you people showed
up..”
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world honey!” One of the celebrities chipped in and everyone
laughed.
“That warms my heart to hear” Jonathan laughed. “You know, I woke up this morning and for a
moment I wasn’t sure I wanted to do this without a special someone. She has always been with
me on every anniversary, helping me with the arrangements.”
Hadrian blanked. His father was talking about their mother. He searched for Sebastian in the
crowd and found him standing motionless by the stage. He hid his eyes behind sunglasses so
Hadrian couldn’t read his emotions.
Bastard!
This was the first time their father was publicly talking about the death of their mother. It
was the first time he was talking about it at all. He didn’t know how to feel. Ever since her death
happened they all seemed closed off, no one wanted to talk about it. It hurt Hadrian the most
because he was the closest to her, and he couldn’t understand why his father acted the way he
did when it was so obvious that they were head over heels for each other.
“…..there’s nothing I would say about that woman that would completely embody the amazing
person that she was. So without further ado, I think we all know what I am about to say
next.” Jonathan said and the crowd started cheering.
Hadrian simply slumped into his seat, wishing the whole thing would be over already. He could
see the cocky grin on Sebastian’s face.
Ugh!
“Calm down, calm down everyone, yes we all know I’m retiring to the countryside and living my
days out in luxury, but do you know who is going to be taking over my company?” Jonathan
asked and the crowd cheered on in Sebastian’s direction, the whole fiasco looking like a game
show to Hadrian.
“The person that I would be passing the role of Chief-Executive-Officer and head of the Fray
company is….” Hadrian hated his father’s dramatic pauses. His heart raced despite knowing it
was going to be Sebastian.
“None of my sons.”
Those words hit Hadrian like a bomb. In contrast to what he thought his reaction would be if the
announcement ever took this turn, he seemed shocked.
What the hell just happened?
He looked in the direction of Sebastian to see his reaction. Even with his eyes behind the
shades, Hadrian could feel him burning with anger and embarrassment. All eyes were on him
and he knew it. He quietly walked away, shoving one of his numerous conquests that tried to
console him.
“Thank you once again, friends and guests, and please, have a great night.”
“What the hell was that about dad? I was supposed to take your place. You were supposed to
call me to the stage! Me!” Sebastian whined to his father later that night in his study. Everyone
knew him to be a spoiled brat, throwing tantrums whenever he didn’t get his way.
Hadrian simply sat on one of the plush chairs in their father’s study, withholding his laughter.
“Aren’t you going to say anything? At least let us know who’s going to take over?” Sebastian
was growing impatient. As much as he hated to side with his brother, Hadrian too was itching to
know who his father deemed worthy other than his two sons.
Jonathan sipped his wine, making sure to take his precious time before he spoke, “None of you
are getting the position because none of you have a legacy.”
“What?” They both chorused, confused.
“A legacy, boys,” he said as he got up from his chair, “the two of you are my legacy. When I was
much younger than you were, my father made me promise to never let his company fall into
anyone else’s hands. That it be carried on for generations to come, because that was the same
thing he promised his father before him, and I intend to fulfill it.”
“Dad, enough with a history lesson and get on with what you’re trying to tell us,” Sebastian
retorted.
“What I’m saying Sebastian, my first son, is that the only way you’re going to get this company,
is if you get married first, if not, if Hadrian does so first, then he gets it.”
They both looked stupefied. Hadrian even more so, “That’s it? Do we just have to get married?
What about all the work I’ve put in? You’re just not going to notice that?”
“Son all the work you’ve put in would be futile if someone else gets the company don’t you
think? Now leave me be. I want to be alone.”
Hadrian couldn’t believe it. He watched Sebastian smirk and in that moment, the realization
dawned on him. This was just going to be another game where Sebastian won, because
between the both of them, Sebastian was the only one who had a decent shot at getting a
woman. He stomped out of his father's study and slammed the door.
“f**k!” he yelled. His only shot at owning the company had been thrown out the window#
- Writer
