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Playlist  - The less I know the better by Tame Impala

Ares

I was pinned under my father's deep scrutiny. His eyes had the power to bring anyone crumbling down to their knees and now they were solely focused on me. 

Like a motherfucker I was, I maintained cool, nonchalant composure. I was not letting myself fall prey to one of his sick whims. I was his son after all. 

I fell back on the cushioned seat and exhaled a deep breath. My father had demanded to see me in his office, so I decided to meet him at his Chicago office where he spent most of his time.

My phone beeped. I fished it out from inside my suit jacket. Unsettling feeling summoned in my chest when I read the sender's name. 

Charlotte. 

I swiped off her text, slipped my phone back inside my suit jacket before putting my phone on silent. I didn't want anyone to disturb my upcoming trail. 

“Who was it?” My father, Silas Torrance, wasted no time and began his investigation. 

“Charlotte,” I said, after a beat. 

His face held a stoic expression. Same went for his eyes which were arctic cold. If it was possible, he would have pierced my soul by now. I was certain of one thing: I may have landed myself in some serious shit. 

“You’re making me impatient, pops. What was so important to discuss with me that you had your minions summon me here to meet you? I am your son, not some business deal.” 

Deep inside, I was nothing more but apprehensive of what my father would do to me once he got his claws in me. I was silently preparing myself for a sudden death. 

He mocked a lively chuckle. I knew my father and this was his way of getting under my skin, to make me sweat. 

“Son, I think you of all can’t take a fucking piss without reminding everyone that you’re Silas Torrance’ kid.” His tone was menacing and made me inwardly flinch. “Isn’t it correct? 

“I don’t follow.” 

“I will give you a hint.” He turned to his iMac, clicked some shit then played an audio for me. 

I stilled, my eyes widened. The voices in the audio were clear as day. It belonged to me, my friends and Charlotte. Oh, fuck.

That goddamn bitch. Arrg! (screams) I saw it with my own eyes, Ares. He kissed her right in front of me. You told me to stop being paranoid where she was cornered, but that girl is obsessed with my boyfriend. The love letters, the small gifts (knocked down a table lamp) She won him over. 

I try to soothe my hysterical sister. Stop losing your head over Axel. He’s not worth it. Now you can finally see what I’d been trying to tell you (I console a soothing Charlotte) 

My father paused the audio and shifted his threatening gaze back to my face. He was beyond angry with me. Truth be told, I felt dread crawl inside me when memories of that night came flooding back to me. 

Everything I had promised my sister, the things I had planned for Luna. It was just tough to think about it. My father looked as if he was just getting started with his torture. 

“I reckon you don’t want me to play the rest of the audio. So I will advise you to narrate everything to me right now. I will bring your mother in if you leave anything out.” 

I panicked when he mentioned dragging mom into my mess. “You better not! I will tell you everything you want to know.” 

My mother, Evelyn Torrance,  was a sensitive woman and my achilles heel. He damn well knows how disappointed and hysterical she will be once she finds out about this. 

Old fucker was playing dirty. 

He leaned back in his chair, seeming satisfied with my compliance. 

“I want to know why you’re supporting Charlotte’ shit.” 

“You know why,” I deadpanned. “It’s because she’s the result of your tucking around.” 

“Don’t insult my intelligence, son. I know you know the truth.” 

My breath slowed down. He knows? No, it can’t be true. 

Three years ago… 

My mother paced around her bedroom, wild with rage. I was growing anxious as everyone second passed. When will pops come home? 

I approached her, careful to not aggravate her anymore. 

“Mom.” I placed my hands on her shoulders. “What’s wrong? Please, tell me.” 

She had a frantic look in her eyes. Almost seemed unstable. I took her delicate hands in mine and rubbed them. She was cold. 

She shrugged off my touch and continued with her impatient pacing. 

“Will you stop that?” 

She suddenly halted, turned to look at me. Fuck. She was scaring the hell out of me. Something was off about her. She didn’t seem like the poised, composed; like her elegant self. 

This time she felt like a mess. 

“Do you even know what I am going through, right now?” Wild. She was wild. “Our lives, both of our lives are hanging by thread.” 

What? “Did something happen to pops?” Now, I was worried. 

“Your father is fine,” she spewed out the words. “I am talking about us. You and me.” 

“If there’s something wrong that pops will take care of it. You don’t need to behave mad when he’s there.” 

“Not for long.” Huh! “We'll be out of here any second now.” 

My face twisted in confusion. I was sure mom had gone crazy, because she wasn’t making any sense to me. 

“I don’t understand.” 

“Oh, let me enlighten you.” She mocked a jovial tone. “Your father’s past lover is coming back from the dead to reunite with her family.” 

I stood with my mouth agape. I had just came back from practice which had left me sweating everywhere yet this new piece of information made me sweat profusely.

Pops had a lover? Family? 

“Don’t look so stunned. That little bitch Charlotte belongs to that older bitch, Ruth, your father’s true love.” She spoke the words ‘true love’ with pure contempt.  

Mom pulled on her hair. I was afraid that she’ll rip it off. 

I went to her. Pulled her to me, hugging her.

“Nothing will happen to us. Pops loves you and me. He won’t leave us.” 

She started crying. It broke my heart to see her so broken. 

I cradled her face in my palms, wiped the tears away. “Hey, hey, listen to me. We’ll be fine. You’re worrying about nothing.” 

“I have to worry, because Ruth knows something she shouldn’t know.” 

“What is it?” 

“Y-You’re not Silas’ son,” she hiccuped. “He only married me, because I fell pregnant during our relationship, but I was pregnant all along the beginning of our relationship. He doesn’t knows, but Ruth does.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

He laughed. “Like mother, like son.” I remained silent. “Do you both think I am a clown? I bet you do, son.” 

I didn’t say a word. 

“You pity, Charlotte,” he answered for me. “Because you think you owe that much to her.” 

I gave him no reaction. Apathy was my wounded friend tonight. I had no response to his questions. Resignation dawned on me. He fucking knows the truth, but the question was since how long had he known? 

I wasn’t his son. His only legitimate heir was Charlotte. If he threw me out of office right now without explanation, I would not question his choice. Now, only thing I could do was to see how this meeting would map out to be. 

I brace myself and speak out my words. “I don’t know what you want me to say?” 

Pops shook his head in disbelief and stared at me the way he did when I was a toddler, crying over my dead fish. 

“You will tell me everything you think you know.” His clenched fist thumped on his mahogany table. “Now.” 

My breath hitched at the finality of his words. With a heaviness and reluctance, I told him everything that happened. He listened to everything I had to say, his hands tightened on the arms of his chair. 

I was finally done and I felt like I had lost everything. He’ll undoubtedly toss me aside. 

I had it coming. There was nothing I could do anymore

“Do you want me to leave?” I asked. Surprisingly, my voice didn’t sound hoarse, it was etched with indifference. “Out of your house.” 

Pops— Silas Torrance, reached for the pencil on his desk and snapped it two. “You must be fucking kidding me if you, even for the slightest bit, think that I’ll kick you out. You’re my goddamn son.” 

Stupefied. I was at complete loss for words.”But—“ 

“You didn’t say anything that I didn’t already know.” He shut his eyes, voice laced with contempt. “I was aware of Evelyn’ pregnancy when we first started dating. She tried to be slick with it, but I saw right through it.” 

“Then why did you marry her?”

My heartbeat went erratic as I waited for his reply. I had the right to know about it. 

His fingers brushed through his hair. Worry lines evident on his forehead. “Because I felt a twinge of pity on her, and I had no intention of marrying any other woman for love, give her my children when I couldn’t have the woman I wanted the most.” 

“Ruth,” I said. 

He nodded, painfully. “Yes. you’re right. She was the one for me, but also bad news. Her priority was getting high rather than worrying about anyone else. It was not a big surprise for me when Charlotte was dumped at our doorsteps. Ruth could never take care of anyone let alone a child.

“That day, when your mom was fretting over Ruth coming back into my life, it was actually the time when I admitted her to a mental illness facility. Ruth was suffering from a severe case of schizophrenia. She’s helpless, and I had to help her,” pops continued with his piece. 

“There hasn't been a single day when I didn’t love you and treat you like my own child. You’re never going to be an outsider for me. I fucking raised you.” 

I sat in my seat, immobile for several minutes after he was done. I tipped the crystal ice cold glass to my forehead to take in everything he said. 

“Pops,” I began. “That was some serious load you had been carrying on your chest.” 

“Like father, like son.” A small amount of warmth filled his eyes. He found it amusing, good. 

I can’t show the fact that I am hit by intense pain by his revelation. Something inside of me still wanted to hold onto the farce that I was his son, by blood. Guess, it had to end someday. 

I stood, shrugging the coat off my Tom Ford suit. It suddenly felt heavy on me. Suffocating me slightly. 

“Why do you treat Charlotte like she means nothing to you?” I strode to his wine cellar, and pulled out jack. 

He eyed my moves, but didn’t comment on the fact that I was blatantly drinking in front of him. He was struggling to scold me for my underage drinking. 

Well, fuck that. I was under a lot of stress. 

In his classic Silas Torrance fashion, he chose to be more intimidating than necessary and answered, coldly. “I have nothing against her.” 

What a liar. “You don’t, now?” I raised my eyebrow at him and took a twig of the alcohol. 

“Enough. Hand it to me.” There it was. 

I shook my head. My lips curled slightly. I placed the bottle on his desk and stood in front of him. 

He had his finger resting on his cheek, his eyes giving away nothing. 

“Don’t lie to me.” 

“Since when do I ask for your permission to not divulge the truth?” 

“Uhm… let me think. Since never, but it’s starting now. And you’ve lied enough, already,”. I added at the end. 

My father chuckled and swore under his breath. “You really are my son.” 

My heart squeezed. I really did love it to be called his son. I won’t let him know how much it had really affected me in the past to think what would happen to me if one day he decided to… stop being a father to me. 

I didn’t say anything, maintaining a passive expression. I was not letting him slide easily. 

“You won’t stop breathing down my neck unless I succumb to your fucking question.” It was more of a rhetorical question. “Ah, damn it,” he muttered in his breath. 

Pops took a dream breath and then said,”I know how much it can affect your mother if I show any ounce of affection towards Charlotte. It would destroy her. After Ruth, I don’t want another person I love to go through any sort of mental trauma. Not because of me, at least.” 

He met my eyes and gave me his charming, affectionate smile. “I loved you more. I know, a father shouldn’t play favourites, but fuck me. I don’t care.” 

He loves more than he could love a child of his own. This bit of information should melt me, but I just feel overwhelmed with guilt. Guilt over taking something that wasn’t mine to take. 

“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath. 

“Don’t dare blame yourself for anything Charlotte’ ever done. No one is responsible for it, not you, not your mother. I am alone to blame.” 

“What was that fucking shit about? The one you poured on me.” I was suddenly angry at him. 

“Ares—“ 

“First you call me here, treat me like a raging asshole. And that tapes— I am fucking lost at what you’re trying to achieve.” 

“Will you let me speak?” His voice bellowed. “Calm down for one second.” 

My pulses ran an erratic rhythm against my ears. I was anything but calm. 

“The reason I had you summoned here is to confront you for covering up Charlotte’s dirty work. Do you think playing with someone else’s life will settle the storm in Charlotte’ brain? No fucking away. I have had enough of you crossing the limits of decency.” 

I laugh, toneless. “Give me a fucking brea—“ 

“No, listen to me.” His shoulders straightened and he stood up, leaning over his large table, meeting my eyes. “I am your father, you’ll do what I say.” 

“You don’t know anything.” 

“I know enough.” 

He tossed me a beige envelope and told me to open it. The contents it held were of me and Luna. Us kissing, in her house, school, new york and so many pictures. 

The damn asshole had a private investigator on me. 

“What the—“ 

“I don’t care how many whores you want to fuck or what you kids to now. That girl was a pawn in your sister’s game and it ends now,” he said, sternly. “Or I will end it.” 

I stilled. “What do you mean?” 

He smirked. “You know what I mean.” 

“This is not what you think it is, pops. I know how it must appear to you, but I love—“ 

“—The only thing I care about is for you to either end things with her or I will do it for you.” 

I swallowed. “Why do you want me to end things with her?” 

His expression twisted, like he couldn’t believe how stupid I was. “You’re almost near your highschool graduation and Yale is right around the corner for you. Do you think I am going to let my only son waste his time and effort on a goddamn highschool girl?” 

“Her name is Luna,” I snapped at my father. “I love her, pops. I am not kidding.” 

He’s out of his mind if he thinks I’ll break things off with my girl. 

He chuckled. “Do you really, son? Before you utter some bullshit, let me remind you, it’s not up to you to decide whether you’ll end for not. You played her like a pawn, why would she stay with you?” 

A dark, trepidation swept inside me at the possibility of Luna ending things with me once she got to know the real truth. Ha-like I will let her go. 

I was her man for crying out loud. She had become my muse and my drug. 

“She will.” 

***

My wifi was not working since three days. Sorry for a late update.

Good news:only four more chapters left

next update - 28th june