Novel Palace
Chapter 20
Matriarch Sheila stood astounded at a spot for over five minutes while I and Jason struggled to wear our clothes.
“Seize him!” She screamed as she pointed a trembling finger towards Jason.
The huge men she came with, went and grabbed Jason
“What are you doing, grandma” I shouted, struggling to free Jason from the men, but it was to no avail.
“Lock him up in jail. Do not release him until I say so” she ordered and the men took Jason away.
“Grandma” I screamed. “tell those men to let Jason go”
She kept silent for a moment, then she went up to me and gave me a hard slap on my face
“You’re a homosexual?” She yelled
“Yes, Sheila, there’s nothing wrong with being gay. Release Jason now!”
“Since when, Harley? Since when did you become so irresponsible?”
“Being gay isn’t irresponsible ” I said in a strained tone. “Have you ever asked me want I wanted? How I felt? No, you haven’t, grandma. You only cared about your fucking company and not me–”
Matriarch Sheila raised her hand and slapped me hard again
“That company is my everything” she screamed. “it’s your everything! It means everything to our family. Do you know –”
“IT MEANS NOTHING TO ME!” I screamed, to match her voice. “I feel suffocated grandma, I hate myself and this darned life you’ve chosen for me”
Matriarch Sheila straightened her frame and looked away from me
“You know what will happen when the news of your homosexuality breaks out” she stated with an indifferent tone. “I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything this night. Go now and apologize to Sara and her family for standing them up. You have to get in their good graces”
“I don’t give a flying fuck about them!” I protested. “tell those bastards to release Jason now”This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org: ©.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that”
“Why?” I cried “Jason has done no wrong. It’s all me. Please release him”
“I’m glad that you know that it’s all your fault. It’s also his fault for mingling with someone who’s not from his status”
“Please grandma –”
“It’s Matriarch Sheila” she interrupted curtly
“I won’t let anything happen to him” I said with an air of finality
“That’s good to know. At least you know what to do now” she said coldly and walked off, with her bodyguards following her.
I slumped down, defeated. This was my fault. I couldn’t allow anything happen to Jason because of me. I had to do something, quickly
*******************
Three days later
I knelt down and bowed my head to the ground.
“My behaviour, three nights ago was unforgivable. I’m truly sorry. Please I beg for you to let it slide. I promise never to repeat it again”
I apologized infront of the Monasto family and my family. I had finally managed to get the Monasto family to come over to our house. After three days of persistent pleading, they finally came.
“Harley!” I heard Sara say. “get the fuck up. What are you doing?”
“Language, Sara” mr Monasto said
“Dad, please tell him to stand up” she said
“No!” I heard my dad say. “He needs to be taught a lesson for his irrational behaviour”
“But he just apologized” my mom mumbled. From the corner of my eye, I could see my dad glaring at her.
“Apology accepted” I heard Mr Monasto say. “get up now”
I raised my head but I didn’t get up from the ground. My gaze went straight to Matriarch Sheila. She met my gaze with stern eyes.
“Uh… what’s going on?” My sister, Dinah asked as she noticed my gaze lock with my grandma
“I have done what you asked, Matriarch Sheila” I said, firmly
Then I turned to Mr Monasto
“Sara is beautiful. She’s nice but I’m afraid I can’t marry her because I’m not into her. As a matter of fact, I’m g–”
“Harley Charles McGuire!” Matriarch Sheila yelled fiercely, interrupting me.
What a hag! She knew I was going to tell the truth about my gayness but she blatantly interrupted me.
“What are you doing? Surely, you are aware of the repercussions of your actions” she said to me
“What’s going on here, Sheila?” Mr Monasto stood up
“Sorry, Jake” she said to him. “Harley’s just a bit stressed out. He didn’t mean what he said”
“He knows what I’ll do to his loved ones if he messes this union up” she said to Mr Monasto, but her gaze was fixed on me.
I felt a chill run down my spine at her words. Then I knew that she wasn’t planning to release Jason just yet, she planned to use him as a pawn to get to me.
My grandmother is devilish, I thought bitterly
“She’s right” I turned to Mr Monasto, tears brimming at the back of my eyes. “I didn’t mean what I said earlier. I’ll marry your daughter, sir. I’ll marry Sara”
I looked Matriarch Sheila, the woman who claimed to be my grandma but wasn’t because no grandma would use her grandchild as a pawn to get more business allies.
She smirked at me. I could read her expression. ‘well done, Harley’ it said. I loathed her.
Once again, I was helpless. My life was being planned out for me and I didn’t even have a say. I was too cowardly to admit that I was gay.
Someone I loved suffered in jail all because of me. I couldn’t help but wonder how he was faring all alone in that untidy cell. He was allowed to resent me because I brought this all on him. I needed to get him out of there at all costs. My grandma was diabolic to the extent that she could frame him for another crime he didn’t commit and lock him up in jail forever, if I didn’t comply to her demands.
The fact that I couldn’t stop her from taking Jason made me feel pathetic.
And it made me hate myself.
But I knew deep down that I had to keep these feelings of self revulsion at bay.
All I needed to do was rescue Jason and I would do anything to achieve that.