Emily was livid; anyone who looked into her eyes would see the ugly shift in them.
She was so furious at Aiden for ruining her plans, and now she had to wait for another opportunity to serve Mr. Chaz, another drink or food.
Everyone was surprised at what had happened. They stared in pity and surprise, but they understood that he was just a boy.
"Dad, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"It's okay, son, I understand," Mr. Chaz stood and gently helped Aiden up.
At that moment, Aiden squeezed the white teabag in his father's hand and didn't let go.
Mr. Chaz was about to ask him what he had put into his hand, but Aiden tightened his smaller hand on his father's and looked up at him, subtly shaking his head at him, silently asking him not to speak.
"Come here, Aiden; I'm sorry, darling, he'll bring you another drink right away," Emily went to take Aiden away from the father, but Mr. Chaz shook his head, drawing Aiden closer to him.
"It's alright, Darling, please, entertain the guests, I'll take Aiden to help me clean up upstairs," Mr. Chaz replied, smiling softly at his wife
Emily smiled and nodded but balled her fists behind her; she was livid; she wanted to smack Aiden's face so badly for ruining her plan.
Does he know how much it cost her to purchase that substance? She'd make sure she'd starve him for a whole week when his father travels the following day. Hopefully, he dies on his way to Paris; she had already spoken with a few hitmen and given them the location where she would be starting; she couldn't wait to be freed from him.
"It's alright, Mr. Chaz, we'll wait for you; he's just a boy; my boy once poured a hot coffee on me; kids are the same everywhere," One man replied.
"Thank you for your understanding, Daniel," Mr. Chaz smiled as he took Aiden away from the guests, heading up to the stairs.
Mr. Chaz led Aiden into his room and locked it.
He gently led his son toward his bed and sat him down on it.
He stared at Aiden, worried. He'd never seen the panic he saw in his son's face a few minutes ago before. He looked as if someone was threatening his life, and when it got to that, his son was the number one priority, nothing else mattered but the comfort and safety of his child.
He looked down at his hand and opened it, staring at a white teabag.
Aiden sat quietly, observing his father stare at the teabag; he hoped his father wouldn't expose him to his mother; if he did, he was dead meat.
His heart was beating in his chest as his father came and sat beside him. Mr. Chaz held the tea bag in front of Aiden and asked quietly.
"Mind telling me what this is, Aiden?" He asked.
Aiden slowly shook his head and whispered, "Emily," He couldn't even bring himself to call him another anymore; his small brain was already traumatized to the core.
Mr. Chaz paused in shock, he stared at Aiden strangely, "Aiden, you don't call your mother by her name, do you understand?" He asked with a frown.
Aiden shook his head, "She's not my mother," He spoke out for the first time.
Saying that made him feel as if there was a weight that was lifted off his shoulders.
Mr. Chaz sensed the danger in the room for the first time.
He knew his son was a smart and humble kid; he never said things that weren't true, and he never spoke without a reason.
He turned to Aiden and held his hands, "Talk to me, son. What's going on? Is everything alright?" He asked cautiously.
Aiden shook his head again, "Emily...she's trying to poison you, Dad; she wants you dead so that she can inherit your property with her boyfriend...Benson. She...she locks me up each time you travel and I starve for days, she smokes that stuff our teachers warn us about, and she's always making irritating noises with her boyfriend in the room next to mine, I'm not kid, father, I think k Emily is having sex with that guy, she's a traitor, please, divorce her, I don't want to lose you, and I can't keep living like this," Aiden withdrew his hand from his father's and pulled up his shirt.
Mr. Chaz widened his eyes in horror as he stared at the numerous handprints and unknown marks on Aiden's back and rib; his heart broke for different reasons.
His heart broke for his son, who had to endure all this just because he thought his mother would change and because he feared that he wouldn't believe him if he told him.
His heart broke for the betrayal, the worst kind of betrayal. It was a betrayal he never expected from the person he believed to be his better half; his whole life crumbled at his feet, but he held himself strong because of his son, who was currently looking at his face and searching for his reaction.
He sighed tiredly and pulled Aiden's shirt down.
"Come here," he spews out his hand in an invitation for a hug.
Aiden responded immediately by leaning toward his father and wrapping his arms around him.
He felt the warmth and love seep into his body through his father's hug; he felt instant comfort and security in his father's arms.
"Please, Dad, don't tell Emily, she'd starve and punish me for days," Aiden begged as he placed his head in his father's chest.
Mr. Chaz held back a sob; he couldn't imagine what his son must have gone through, the trauma and emotional and physical scars.
The one person who should be his safe haven was the one introducing him to the harsh parts of life.
"I'd do no such thing, son. Thanks for trusting me enough to open up to me; I've been an ignorant father, but I promise you, from now on, you're going to live the life of a normal boy, okay?" He stared down at Aiden's scared face.
Aiden nodded, relief washing over him.
He suddenly remembered something and quite called his father, "Dad?"
Mr. Chaz blinked away the tears that were forming in his eyes and looked at Aiden, "Yes, son?"
Aiden picked up the teabag that had fallen on top of the bed and placed it back into his father's hand.
"Maybe give it to grandpa, he's a doctor, he'd study it and find out what kind of poison it is; I believe this was the cause of your...Colon cancer...I've watched her put it in your food for years. I was too scared to speak up, but I don't want to lose you, Dad; you're my real family," He hugged his father again.
Mr. Chaz couldn't hold his tears back anymore, he let it fall down his cheek. The way his son spoke showed how mature he'd been forced to become at his age. He spoke as if he'd experienced life for forty years; it broke his heart.
"And, please don't go to Paris tomorrow," Aiden warned, his voice turning very serious.
"Why? Don't worry, I won't be stupid enough to leave you with her; this evening, I'll be sending you to your grandma, and you'll live with her from now on, okay?" Mr. Chaz informed.
Aiden nodded, a great relief waking over him. But that wasn't what he was talking about, "I'd love to study with Grandma Nari; she's super cool," Aiden smiled for the first time in a very, very long time.
"But, I still don't want you to go to Paris tomorrow, it's Emily," He informed.
Mr. Chaz frowned, "What does she want to do?" He questioned.
He loved his wife, but if someone threatened his child or his life, that person automatically became his enemy.
Emily was his enemy.
"Last time Benson was here, I overheard them speaking with a hitman on the phone; she wants to kill you in Paris," Aiden exposed his mother.
"It's alright, son, I'm not dying that quickly, come on, we have to get you ready to meet your grandma," Mr. Chaz was boiling with anger within him, and he didn't want his son to stay around, and witness the chaos that would ensue the moment he left the house.
Aiden bounced down from the bed, a feeling of freedom encompassing him.
Deep down, Aiden knew he wanted to have a complete family; he wanted to feel that mother's love he saw his friends experience at school. He wanted to be loved by his mother, and it pained him that his life had to turn out this way.
He knew he was going to live with the reoccurring nightmare of the torture he went through at the hands of his mother, and he knew he'd never stop asking her to love him in that dream; he always did; he always asked her not to leave him, to love him. He was only but a child who wanted his mother's love.