The man didn't say anything to his wife who was busy looking at her phone. He was, basically, her eyes. To make sure that she won't stumble, he held on to her hand and gently pulled her inside the elevator. He pressed the button to the top most floor and waited for the lift to carry them to their destination.
Stefan was sitting on his lounge chair while flipping through Cayenne's information that Chris compiled for him. He was actually amazed with her. Such a young woman but she was able to provide the needs of her family. Unlike other women whose life revolved around dating, shopping, dressing up and gossiping, Cayenne was working for her family.
She didn't care about mundane stuff like make up and other things. All she needed was money for her mother and money for her brothers.
His thoughts were just starting to wander off when he heard the doorbell rang. He knew that it couldn't be her base on her personality so it took him a long time to respond. 'I didn't ask for anyone so, who the hell is here to disturb my nest?' Stefan thought as he sluggishly opened the monitor.
What came into view was the sight of his parents, the people that he didn't want to see the most. Nonetheless, he still opened it but he didn't invite them in. It was Magnus who invited himself and got inside the suite. Clara looked at her son before looking down on her phone again. It was as if she didn't see him in front of her.
"Why are you here?" Stefan asked while pouring a glass of water for himself. He didn't invite them to sit but they still sat anyway.
Magnus looked at him from head to toe. "Is that how you speak to your parents now?"
"I didn't know I have one." He retorted back which angered his old man. Clara raised her head before looking down on her phone again. If Stefan was asked to guess what his mother was doing, he wouldn't think twice before answering, 'she was looking at her son'.
Since his brother died, his mother would always watch his brother's pictures and videos. She never spared him a single look, like he never existed in the first place. He was used to it already so he didn't care that much.
Magnus gently pat his chest to calm his heart. "Who was that woman who came out from your room?" He asked.
"It's none of your business. Who are you to question me?"
"Stefan!" His father yelled while pointing his index finger at him. "Don't you dare answer me that way! Don't forget that I am still your father! Your mother gave birth to you and you are still part of the Dumrique family!"
"Is that so?" Stefan mocked and stood up from his seat. "It's been fifteen years and I finally get to hear you say those words. I am not happy though. I am doing fine on my own. I survived without any parents all these years. So, why are you looking for me now?
Ah, you must want me to kneel in front of you and ask for forgiveness again, am I right? After all, it his death anniversary." As he spoke those words, anger flared up in his mother's eyes.
'PA!' the sound of her strong slap echoed inside his suite. Stefan just held on to his face and rubbed it. "You monster! Why did I give birth to monster like you?! If you weren't born, Alexander wouldn't die a useless trash like you! My son wouldn't be gone!" Her mother yelled at him and punched his chest again and again.
Magnus pulled his wife away to calm her down. He knew that Carla favored Alexander ever since the kids were young. The older brother was close to both parents while Stefan grew up under his brother's care. Alexander was the only one who cared for him in their house. Sometimes, he even thought that he wasn't really their child. He thought he was just an adopted child.
It would have been better that way. If he was adopted, he could understand why his parents didn't like him but the fact that they were indeed his biological parents hurts him the most.
How come they never showed me care? How come they never once expressed their care and love to me? How they never celebrated my birthday? Why do they hate me so much? Am I really their child? Do I really have the same blood as them?
Are they really my family?
Stefan wanted to ask these questions to them but over time, he just got tired and decided to stay away. He wanted to forget them, forget everyone who never cared for him. Before he didn't know why no one likes to celebrate his birthday now, there's definitely an answer that he knew of.
Alexander died on Stefan's birthday fifteen years ago. If they didn't like to celebrate his birthday before, now they hated this certain date even more. It was a blot of shadow in his existence and it was something that will never change.
Magnus took a deep breath and sighed. He wanted to talk to him peacefully but Clara wasn't in the mood to speak to him. Stefan wasn't really bothered by it. He already expected this kind of event to happen. "Is there anything you wish to say or do?" Stefan asked. "If you aren't done slapping me, you can do it again." His were cold as if he wasn't looking at his parents.
His face showed no expression, making it difficult to read him.
"We'll leave for now. We'll come back some other time when your mother has calmed down."
"I'd be happy if you won't show up in front of me again. I managed to live my life without any parents in the last fifteen years. I don't need one in the next fifteen years either." He didn't wait for them to reply and he left them on their own. He went inside his bathroom to hide from them.