DREAM
2479 Words
Blake arrived home expecting peace and quiet, only to find his father and the chief maid dancing together in the living room as though they had just won the lottery.
He stopped at the entrance, staring at them like they had both lost their minds.
“What the hell is going on here?”
The two immediately turned toward him. His father’s face lit up, and before Blake could retreat, Mr Kingsley grabbed his arm and dragged him closer.
“Come here, son! I have something wonderful to tell you!” he announced, practically glowing with excitement.
Blake reluctantly sat down, already suspecting that whatever his father considered wonderful would be a nightmare for him.
“I have found you a husband!”
Blake raised his eyebrows, then stared at his father in disbelief.
“Dad, are you kidding me?”
“Do I look like I'm joking?” Mr Kingsley asked, still smiling. “He's even an Omega, which means I'll finally get to have a grandchild!”
The moment Blake heard the word Omega, the little patience he had left disappeared. His expression hardened, and his eyes turned cold.
“It won't work. That's final.”
He stood up abruptly, making his father's smile falter.
“What the hell are you talking about? I've already spoken to his father, and I believe he'll accept the arrangement. Don't think you can simply reject this.”
“I'm just telling you to prepare yourself,” Mr Kingsley replied firmly.
Blake clenched his fists. “Dad, you know why I'm like this. I can't stand being around an Omega, let alone marry one!”
“I know what happened to you, and I know how badly it affected you. But you can't spend the rest of your life running away from every Omega you meet. We have to do something to help you move forward. Am I supposed to grow old without ever seeing my grandchild?”
The chief maid, who had been standing nearby, quietly excused herself before the argument could get any worse.
“If it's a child you want, I can adopt one for you,” Blake offered, desperate to end the conversation.
His father stared at him as though he'd just suggested setting the entire mansion on fire.
“What? Adopt a child? When have you ever heard of someone in our lineage adopting a child when they could have one of their own? Your mother was an Omega, too. Why didn't you hate her before she died?”
Blake's expression darkened.
“Mom was different from those abhorrent sluts!”
“Exactly! Your mother was different to you because you loved her. But how can you judge every Omega with those names when you refuse to know any of them? Have you even tried?”
Blake looked away, his jaw tightening.
“How many years has it been, Dad? Why can't you just forget about it?” his father continued. “You can't keep allowing something that happened in the past to control your entire life.”
“I can't marry an Omega, and I'm not even gay enough to marry a man!” Blake snapped.
“Have you ever proved that by bringing someone home? Have you ever even tried dating anyone?”
“All I have to say is that I'm not gay!”
“Spaghetti was straight until it got wet.”
Blake slowly turned to stare at his father, his mouth falling open.
“Dad!”
“What? Am I lying?”
“I'm honestly too tired to argue with you right now.” Blake rubbed his forehead and headed for the stairs.
“Fine! Keep running away from the conversation! But he'll be coming here next week, so prepare yourself!” Mr Kingsley shouted after him.
Blake didn't bother responding. He disappeared upstairs, leaving his father grinning like a man who had just secured the future of his entire family.
Mr Kingsley pulled out his phone and opened the picture of the young man he had received earlier. He stared at Noah's face, admiring his features.
“Look at how cute he is! I'm sure he'll give me adorable grandchildren.”
He zoomed in on Noah's picture, his smile growing wider.
“They'll be running around this house, calling me Grandpa. Hahaha! I can't wait!”
He stood up and resumed dancing, completely satisfied with himself.
..............................................................................
NOAH'S HOUSE
Noah was fast asleep when a knock on his bedroom door startled him awake.
“Noah, come downstairs!” his father's voice called.
He froze for a moment.
Something was wrong.
His father rarely called him so gently. Usually, he shouted his name as though Noah had committed some terrible offence simply by existing.
Still half-asleep, Noah climbed out of bed and made his way downstairs.
He found his father sitting in the living room, grinning from ear to ear. Several shopping bags were arranged neatly on the table in front of him.
Noah stopped a few steps away, immediately suspicious.
“I'm here, Father,” he said quietly.
“Come and sit down, my son.”
Noah approached the sofa and sat at the farthest end, keeping a cautious distance between them.
His father glanced at him, then at the shopping bags.
“I should have known you'd be the reason I'd finally become a wealthy man.”
Noah blinked in confusion.
What was he talking about?
“Look at all the things I bought you!” his father continued, pushing the bags toward him. “Go on. Try them on and let me see how they look.”
Noah looked at the expensive clothes, then back at the man sitting opposite him.
“Father, what do you want?”
His father's grin widened.
“That's why you're my son. You don't waste time beating around the bush.”
He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
“You're going to prepare for your marriage.”
For a moment, Noah thought he had misunderstood.
“My… marriage?”
“Yes, marriage! The Kingsley family doesn't like waiting, so you need to get ready.”
Noah stared at him, searching his face for any sign that this was some terrible joke.
There was none.
“Why am I getting married? I never told you I wanted to marry anyone!”
His father's smile disappeared.
“Are you raising your voice at me?”
Noah flinched. His body instinctively tensed as memories of previous beatings flashed through his mind.
But this time, he couldn't simply remain silent. He couldn't let his father decide something so important without even listening to him.
“B-but, Father, you can't do this to me.”
“Can't do what? I'm arranging a good future for you!”
“What about my dream?” Noah's voice trembled. “You know I want to become a singer. I've worked so hard for this, and I don't want to throw everything away because of a marriage I never asked for.”
His father scoffed.
“Your dream? Is that what you're still thinking about?”
Noah's eyes filled with tears, but he continued.
“Father, I've already been accepted. I finally have a chance to pursue music professionally. Please, just let me try. I promise I'll work hard, and—”
“Shut up!”
Noah immediately fell silent.
“After everything I've done for you, this is how you repay me? You're still talking about some worthless dream instead of being grateful!”
“But, Father—”
“Do you think becoming a singer will put food on my table? Do you think your little songs will pay off my debts?”
Noah shook his head desperately.
“I'm not saying I won't help you. I just want a chance to live my life, too.”
“Then you should be grateful that the Kingsley family chose you! Do you have any idea how many people would do anything to marry into that family?”
“But I don't even know the man!”
“And whose fault is that? Must you know someone before you can do something useful for once?”
Noah's lips trembled.
“Father, please. I don't want this marriage. I want to sing. I want to chase my dream. This is the only chance I have!”
He slid off the sofa and crawled closer to his father, desperately grabbing at his trouser leg.
“Please, Father. I'm begging you. Don't take this away from me.”
His father looked down at him with nothing but irritation.
“Get off me!”
“Please!”
“Do you want me to let you pursue that worthless dream while my creditors come knocking at my door? Who is going to pay my debts? Are you?”
Noah opened his mouth, but no words came out.
His father shoved him away.
“Instead of using your brain, you're behaving like a greedy, ungrateful child! I've fed you, clothed you, and given you a roof over your head. Is it too much to ask you to do one thing for me?”
Noah stared at him through his tears.
He wanted to remind his father that feeding and clothing a child were responsibilities, not favours that had to be repaid with a lifetime of obedience.
But he knew better than to say it aloud.
“Please,” he whispered again. “I don't want to lose my only chance.”
His father ignored him and reached for his phone.
He had already accepted the marriage arrangement in his mind. The clothes were merely a way to make Noah look presentable before the Kingsley family, and the debt was far more important to him than his son's future.
He dialled Michael's number.
“Come here immediately,” he ordered when the call connected. “I need you to help me with something.”
He ended the call and turned back to Noah.
“Stay here. Don't even think about causing trouble.”
Noah lowered his head, his shoulders shaking.
A few minutes later, Michael arrived.
“Good afternoon, sir.”
“Michael, hold him for a moment. I have an important call to answer, and I don't want him ruining everything.”
Michael hesitated briefly before approaching Noah.
“Sir, please, I haven't done anything!” Noah cried as Michael seized his arms.
“Stay still,” Michael muttered, tightening his grip.
Noah struggled, but Michael was stronger. When Noah tried to call out again, Michael covered his mouth.
His father answered the incoming call with a smile so bright that Noah could barely recognise him.
“Good afternoon, Mr Kingsley!”
Noah watched him from Michael's grasp, his eyes wide with disbelief.
“Yes, sir. I've been meaning to call you. He've already accepted the arrangement.”
His father's smile widened as he listened.
“Of course, sir. I'll bring him over next week so we can discuss everything properly.”
He paused, then leaned forward eagerly.
“There's just one thing, Mr Kingsley. About the land at Windsor Estate…”
Noah's heart sank further.
Even now, while his son struggled to free himself, his father was already negotiating for more.
“Really?” his father exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. “You're willing to give me the land?”
He listened for a moment before nodding enthusiastically.
“Yes, sir! Thank you so much. You won't regret this.”
He ended the call, still smiling.
Then he turned toward Noah.
The smile vanished.
Michael released Noah's arms, but before Noah could move away, his father strode toward him and slapped him hard across the face.
Noah stumbled sideways, clutching his cheek.
“Don't test my patience,” his father warned. “You will behave yourself and do exactly as I say. If you don't want me to kill you before your time, you had better stop giving me trouble.”
With that, he turned and walked out with Michael, leaving Noah alone in the living room.
For several seconds, Noah didn't move.
His cheek burned, but the pain barely registered. His mind was crowded with thoughts he couldn't organise.
His dream was slipping away.
The opportunity he had worked so hard for was being taken from him, and the person responsible was the same man who had spent years making him feel as though he wasn't worth anything.
He looked at the shopping bags on the table. A few minutes ago, he had wondered why his father had bought him so many things.
Now he understood.
They weren't gifts.
They were preparations for a life Noah had never chosen.
Tears rolled down his cheeks as he slowly pulled himself to his feet.
He wanted to run. He wanted to escape somewhere his father couldn't find him. But he knew his father would search for him, and he had nowhere to go.
For the first time, Noah felt as though the walls of his home were closing in around him.
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