After Daddy Had Tortured Us

An Improbable Friendship

Fredrick Pov

"Good day, Mr Watson. My gosh! Benjamin, it's so nice to see you. It's been like forever."

"Come on, girl, "a nice to see you" isn't enough. Squeeze it in!" Benjamin said, hugging her tight.

"Thank you for all those Christmas and birthday cards you sent me. They were an inspiration."

"That's the least I could do since I couldn't pay you regular visits."

"How is Dee? I guess he must be all grown?" Abigail asked.

"He sure is! I have some photos here.You wanna see them?"

"What a silly question, of course I love to see them.

"Aww, he looks so much like you."

"Well, unfortunately, we haven't been on good terms ..... since I... came "out of the closet," he stuttered.

"Oh, poor thing, it must be very hard on you. There's no greater pain for a parent than your own child hating your guts.

I went through a similar thing with Audrey two years ago. She wanted to take Austin's surname, but I said no. For months during her visits, she gave me the silent treatment."

"Uggh, hypocrites, that the worst pain? It's been years, and I still haven't healed from the pain of losing my son, and you have the guts to blabber such crap." I fussed to myself.

"Geez, he too goes to Watson's Memorial?" Abigail asked enthusiastically.

"Well, that's the school for the elite, and my Dee happened to be at the top of the list. He's running things over there just like I used to," Ben bragged.

"Instead of bragging, you should warned him to be on the lookout for Audrey because she is ruthless, the combination of the genes of two geniuses, and like her father, she never loses," she too bragged.

I hated this conversation. Listening to them talk about their kids was a complete gloat.

"Abigail, stop this nonsense chit-chat and get back to what I am paying to do now!" I butt in.

"I'm sorry, Sir." She said, making a girn at me.

"That was so uncalled-for, dude. What an audacious remark. What's gotten into you?" Ben scolded.

Oh, please, you two hypocrite were the ones being rude by gloating about your kids without any empathy for a mourning father.

"My God! Dude, I'm so sorry, I totally forgot," He apologized.

No worries, man, just be more sensitive next time.

"Ah," she left without us hearing her side of the story. I've got to go after her." Ben said.

Didn't you see the face she made before leaving? I don't want to hear anything. Please let it go. I'm begging you.

"What about your feelings, Fred? Don't you want to know how she feels about you, too?

Not anymore, because I don't feel anything for her. That was just a meaningless "one night stand." She's Abigail Brown, my nemesis, remember?

WEEKS LATER

"Hey, Mr Watson, are you there? Can you please open the door? Her voice called from the other side of the door since I'd been ignoring her knocks.

This child was a meddler. I wish things would go back to how it was when they first moved in.

"Oops, sorry the door was unlocked," She said after letting herself in.

"I bought you some homemade lemonade and ice cream to celebrate your big win. Watson's Corporation won the bid!! Yay....hurray, she exclaimed

Thank you, Audrey, but I don't eat ice cream, I don't like lemonade and I am busy.

Hearing this, she drew a chair right next to mine and sat down, ignoring my wish.

"So how does it feel to win such a huge contract? Your entire team must be over the moon."

Audrey, if you don't mind, I'm busy!

"Holy Moly," she yelled after seeing the caller.

"You've direct contact with the president?" She asked. Thankfully, we were at the end of our discussion.

You know it's wrong to pry, right? Can you just go and get started with your homework or something?

"I already did my homework, and I told my Mom that I wanted to hang out with you, so she left for the mall without me."

Look, in case you haven't noticed, I am too old and busy to keep you company.

"I completely understand so don't worry about that because I will be the chatty.

There's something eating me up that I need to get off my chest."

Audrey, I'm not interested. Wait on your Mom.

"I can't discuss it with her because I won't want to add to her stress.

Since I started attending that school, she's been acting really weird. For instance, on the first day after promising me that there would be a life changing surprise waiting for me after school, I came home only to find her crying."

I was like: "Mom, are you crying?" She says: 'No, sweetie, I'm not. Why would you say that?'

I then responded; 'Because tears are coming out of your eyes, and your face is all scrunched up.'

Then she says, "It's nothing I will be okay." But since then, has she been okay.

Something is definitely eating..... her up, and since I can't help her, let me not add to it," she explained.

I thought if I appeared apathetic, she would stop talking. However, she continued.

" So, Mr Watson, how did you survive at that school anyway? I need tips, please. It has been so difficult, it's suffocating!"

That's because Watson's Memorial is only for the elite. You must have a name to survive.

"How am I supposed to make a name when the teachers are very mean to me. They make me sit at the back, and each time I try participating, I get ignored. The worst part is getting rejected at every extracurricular activity I signed up for with claims that the membership has exceeded its maximum."

Audrey, I didn't say, "Make a name for yourself." Your own name and achievements are nothing for now. To be accepted, you have to be related to a dignitary of this country.

"Really? Problem solved then, because you're one of those, so tomorrow, you would pick me up, and that will give them the impression that we are related."

I'm sorry, but I can't. Deceiving people isn't my thing.

"Technically, that won't be deceiving because we eat at the same table, share meals, and you're my Mom's friend."

Audrey, your Mom, and I aren't friends. She works for me. That's all there is.

"Okay, you don't have to do it for free then."

Wow, just how much are you willing to pay me?

"Whoa, am I Elon Musk's daughter?

Here is the deal, you help me out, and as a payment, I'll feed and walk Scott every day for the rest of her life. Deal?"

No deal! It's your battle and not mine. Audrey, you see everything that I owned today, I worked very hard to get it. So—

"Pfft!" No offense, but the Watson's name was your number one pass. BTW, it still is.

So that's what you think of me? If it's that easy, why not use your own father's name, to become a billionaire, as well?

"I would, but it's complicated. Having a different surname from my Mom's might have people referring to me as a bastard."

Will you quit making excuses, "Miss Know it all," and figure out a solution," I said, hoping she would get upset and leave.

She was a sweetheart, but I didn't want to get trapped, I wasn't ready to love the child of my nemesis.

I gotta use the bathroom. While I'm gone, under no circumstances should you touch anything. Am I understood?

"Mhm," she nodded.

Upon my return, the match was still playing on my phone, and the work on the computer was pretty much the same.

Everything seemed untouched, but it felt like something was wrong. Audrey stood at the door, looking terrified.

"What did you do?" I asked her.

"I.. used.. I used your.... sheets," she stuttered and ran out.