Chapter 10 #4
“Let him in, he’s my son,” my father said, emerging from the bedroom while tying his bathrobe belt.
Tom shook himself free and pushed Amin aside to enter the room, looking at me in surprise. I ran to him and hugged him tightly. Tom returned the embrace with equal intensity while stroking my head.
“How are you, little sister? Did this son of a bitch do anything to you?” he asked worriedly, pulling back slightly to look me over from head to toe.
“I’m fine, he just won’t let me leave and he’s keeping me isolated.”
“You goddamn son of a bitch! How could you do this to your own daughter? I swear you’ll pay for all your evil deeds.”
“Stop the dramatics. What bad thing am I doing? Arranging an advantageous marriage for her? Is that harming her? You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“We’re leaving right now, and don’t you dare continue with this madness!” Tom shouted, still holding me in his arms.
“Nobody is leaving here. Your sister is going to get married because I’ve given my word.”
“Your word?” he let out an ironic laugh. “Your word is worthless. If you don’t let us leave, I’ll report you for unlawful imprisonment. You’re keeping her locked up here against her will; that’s a crime.”
At that moment, it was my father who laughed sarcastically.
“Are you threatening me? Now you’ve suddenly become a man?”
“Yes, I’m threatening you, and since you mention it, if you don’t let us leave here and forget about this whole marriage business, I promise that everyone who does business with you will find out you have a gay son.
I’ll make it clear that I’m your son and that I’m homosexual.
Do you know what that means in your culture?
Forget about doing business because they’ll reject you.
And they’ll reject you even more when they also find out the reasons why you never remarried.
Perhaps homosexuality is hereditary, don’t you think? ”
My father’s face contorted and turned red. His eyes became bloodshot, and I noticed how fury was taking over his entire body. He was rigid and paralyzed.
“Amin, wait outside!” he shouted, and Amin immediately left the suite following the order, though I didn’t miss the fear reflected in his face as he looked at my father.
Although my brain was foggy, I began to process what my brother had said.
He had never confessed his homosexuality to me, though I had suspected it because I’d never seen him with a woman, nor with a man for that matter.
Tom was a very handsome man, tall, athletic, with the same hair color as mine, but with large brown eyes that were now looking furiously at Naik.
Now I understood that he kept it hidden because of him; that bastard probably knew because according to him, he “knew even what we had for breakfast” and would have forbidden him from living as he wanted and being free to choose his partner.
But the last thing Tom had said left me speechless.
Was Malek Naik gay? Had he abandoned my mother because of his sexual orientation?
I looked at him, and his distress removed any doubts—if what Tom had said wasn’t true, he wouldn’t be in such a state of desperation.
“Don’t repeat what you just said or I’ll make your life a living hell!” he threatened, shouting.
“You already made my life a hell by separating me from the person I loved, but I won’t let you do the same to Delfina.
I swear on my mother’s memory that if you don’t end this madness, I’ll do what I promised.
I assure you I’ll make your activities public, even if it takes television interviews or writing a book about the life of someone like you.
I might even become famous,” he said ironically.
“Just as you always made sure to investigate our lives and destroy any possibility of our happiness, I also made sure to investigate yours. With part of the money you deposited for me, I paid the best private investigators and I have evidence of everything I claim. I always knew you had something hidden that could sink you, and I made sure to keep it safe for when we needed it. You know what’s best for you.
I assure you that in your culture, you won’t get away with this.
You’ll sink in public disgrace and you’ll only live peacefully if you use your wealth to go live on another planet.
Now we’re leaving. You can tell your ‘boyfriend’ to let us out or you can face the consequences. ”
“I’ll let you leave, but keep in mind that I don’t forget offenses and I’m a very vindictive man. You’d better be careful.”
“Don’t threaten us, Mr. Naik, because I have everything covered, I assure you.
If anything were to happen to me or Delfina, there’s a group of lawyers who have instructions to make public all the information I possess, which I can share with you in case you require proof.
I don’t think you’ll be surprised by what you see there because you and your entourage of lovers are the main protagonists of the videos and photographs.
I even have the testimony of a young man who claims you paid him a fortune to be your lover for a time.
Although the evidence shows that Amin Klen is your permanent boyfriend, so to speak, or as one might also say, our ‘stepmother.’”
My father’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets.
His hands were clenched into trembling fists, surely from contained fury, and he was as rigid as if he were a statue carved in marble rather than a man.
His face had lost all color and, if it weren’t for my brother’s threat, I was sure he would have killed us right there.
“Get out of my sight right now or I won’t be responsible for my actions!” he demanded, his face transformed by fury.
I looked at my brother with pride, then I looked at him, at that man with whom I shared nothing but blood, because he was a complete stranger to me and from that moment on would be just a bad memory.
“Let me add that if anything happens to our loved ones, you’ll suffer the same fate,” I added.
“If you’re referring to Darwich, I don’t think he wants anything more to do with you,” he added, trying to make his comment a hurtful taunt, but he couldn’t because his fury made even that impossible.
“I’m referring to anyone in our circle, whoever they may be,” I stated.
My brother and I looked at him with contempt and turned to leave.
We remained tightly embraced as if we wanted to form a wall against all the attacks from that cursed man.
When we opened the door, we ran into Amin who looked at us not knowing what to do.
From inside the suite, we heard my father’s shout:
“Let them go. From now on, they’re dead to me.”
And at that moment those words sounded like glory to me. Amin looked at us and immediately entered the suite, closing the door behind him. I looked at my brother and hung from his neck to hug him tightly and cry with him. After a few minutes, Tom looked at me and dried my tears.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said, took my hand, and we headed to the elevators to put an end to that nightmare.
When I reached the hotel lobby, I realized I had left my purse behind. I wasn’t going back for it. I had been cautious and above all distrustful, and hadn’t brought any documentation with me, I only had my phone, some money, and the keys to my apartment. Mental note: change the lock.
“Let’s go to your apartment,” Tom said as we descended in the elevator. “I didn’t bring anything, I left with just what I’m wearing to get here as soon as possible. I came on a private jet that I chartered to arrive as quickly as possible.”
“I left the keys in my purse and it’s still in the suite. I’m not going back for it, plus they had already taken my phone.”
Tom snorted when he heard me and hugged me tightly.
“I can imagine what he must have put you through. Tell me what happened with your boyfriend.”
“I have no idea what he told him. I know he threatened to ruin him and made him believe we were lovers. Hermes arrived at the suite and saw me. I don’t want to remember the disappointment I saw on his face,” I said, shaking my head.
Just remembering it caused a stab in my chest that left me breathless.
“Right now he hates me and I don’t blame him, I would have thought the same thing, though he denied me any chance to explain and that really hurts. ”
“What are you going to do?”
“Nothing for now. I want to think a bit. I’m still afraid they might do something to him.
Besides, when our father’s sentinel tried to remove him by grabbing his arm, Hermes tried to punch him, but couldn’t, and this Amin guy forcibly removed him.
I couldn’t see anything else because our father pulled me into the suite and closed the door. ”
“I never thought he would go this far.”
“Tom, maybe it’s better if we stay in a hotel tonight. It’s the middle of the night and I’m still a bit scared. Early tomorrow we’ll go to the apartment, I’ll ask the doorman for the key, and we’ll change the lock,” I suggested.
“We’ll do that if it makes you feel safer.”
“Yes; it makes me feel safer.”
Tom hailed a taxi and I gave him the name of a hotel located on the waterfront, near my apartment.
We stayed in the same room because I didn’t want to be alone.
As soon as we entered, I went to take a shower and then put on the robe provided by the hotel.
Tom also went in to bathe and, when he came out, I was waiting for him sitting on the bed; we needed to have a long conversation.
“Come, sit here,” I said, patting the bed beside me. “If you’re not too tired, I’d like us to talk.”
“I’m tired, but with the adrenaline rush I’m not sleepy. I know we have many things to confess.” He sat next to me and gave me a kiss on the head.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were gay?”
“Because I wanted to protect you. He found out because he always had us watched and he made me break up with my partner and repress everything I felt. If I didn’t do it, he would put you in danger because he threatened to hurt you.”
I covered my mouth in fury and indignation. My brother had to suffer to prevent that man from hurting me.
“I’m so sorry, Tom. I feel terrible that you had to suffer like that.” I moved closer and hugged him tightly, and he returned my embrace.
“Don’t worry, I got used to the life I have, hiding and repressing what I feel when I like someone. I understand clearly that I can’t live the life I want.”
“But you can’t do that, you’ll be unhappy your whole life. I can’t allow it.”
“Relax, I’m fine. I also need to tell you about him.
When his threats started becoming harsher, I realized that at some point that man could actually carry them out.
I needed to have something to be able to confront him, so I hired the best investigators and managed to discover his double life.
I kept his secret until today, but as you heard, I was cautious and have everything well organized.
If anything suspicious happens to us, everything will come to light.
When you called and told me about your forced marriage, I knew it was time to confront him.
I’m grateful I had the clarity to do something like this, otherwise we would be at that man’s mercy. ”
“Thank you, Tom. I have no words to thank you for all the sacrifice you’ve made for me. You’re an amazing brother.” I hugged him again, crying with sadness for him, my soul ached thinking about everything he had given up and how unhappy he would be.
“You don’t have to thank me. You’re my family, I love you with all my heart and never, listen to me, never will I allow anyone to hurt you.”
“And I won’t let you be unhappy either. I love you, little brother.”
“Now tell me the whole story with this Darwich guy.”
I began telling him about our complicated beginnings and we ended up laughing about all our adventures.
From the stain on his shirt to all the subsequent arguments.
I also told him about Hermes’ story with his previous girlfriend and the anguish it had caused me that he thought I had done the same thing to him.
I told him about Baco and he genuinely smiled hearing about my friend’s antics.
My brother listened to me with great attention.
“Call him tomorrow and tell him the whole truth.”
“He won’t want to listen to me, I’m sure of that.
Even his family must hate me by now, they must think I deceived them and that Hermes is suffering another disappointment because of me.
Even my friend must have erased me from his life.
I don’t know what to do, maybe it’s best if I leave his life forever, that way I’d also be protecting him from that monster we have for a father.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea for me to go live with you in Miami. ”
“Don’t give up on your happiness. You love that man and, from what you’ve told me, he loves you very much too. You have both your happiness in your hands, don’t give up on it. We’ll find a way for him to listen to you.”
“I don’t think I’ll manage it. You can’t imagine the devilish temper he had when I met him, well, you probably got some idea from everything I told you. Now that he must be despising me and hating me with all his being, I don’t want to imagine what he’ll do when he sees me.”
“We’ll have to find a way, but I assure you we’ll succeed. Now let’s go to sleep because my eyes are closing.”
“Mine too.”
Tom moved to his bed and soon I could hear his steady breathing, a sign that he had fallen asleep. I wasn’t so lucky; I couldn’t stop thinking about Hermes and the pain I had caused him. I wasn’t sure if it was better to leave things as they were or to tell him the whole truth.