Chapter 53
“Caspian?” Alaric slowly approached, crouching down in front of his son, his voice soft and concerned.
At the sound of Alaric’s voice, Caspian lifted his head, his eyes burning with anger. He shot a sharp question, “Is your relationship with Mom all for show? Do you truly dislike her? You two will never be together, will you?”
Alaric was taken aback. He hadn’t expected this outburst from Caspian. Through the time they had spent together, Alaric had come to understand that Galatea wasn’t the person he had imagined her to be. But now, seeing Caspian’s pain, he struggled to find the right words.
“Even if you truly dislike her, even if you’ll never be with her… I like her. She’s the mom I’ve always dreamed of!” Caspian’s voice cracked with emotion, tears streaming down his face. His tear-filled eyes locked onto Alaric, as though holding him accountable. “You say Orion is my mom, and I have to accept her, but the truth is—it’s not that I don’t accept her. She doesn’t accept me.”
Caspian’s words cut deep. His frustration, his pain, the feeling of rejection that had been festering inside him for so long, now spilled out in a torrent. “I’ve always wanted her love. I want a mom who cherishes me, just like other kids have. But Orion doesn’t like me. I’ve tried so hard to please her, to get close to her, but she always pushes me away like I’m carrying some filth. When I was sick, I wanted her to care about me, but she avoided me like the plague.”
The raw emotion in Caspian’s voice was heartbreaking. “I’ve been rejected by my own mother. But you’ve never acknowledged that the one who’s been hurt is me. You’ve just blamed me for being unreasonable, for not recognizing her as my mom. You’ve never considered my feelings!”
Alaric’s heart shattered as he listened to his son’s confession. “I finally found the mother I truly wanted. Why has that become a terrible sin? Why do I have to hate the person you don’t like? Are you really my dad? Do you really love me?”
Alaric, overcome with guilt and regret, crouched down further and pulled Caspian into an embrace. “Caspian, I’m sorry. I’ve been wrong. But I swear, I love you so much!”
Caspian pushed him away, his face twisted in sorrow. “You don’t love me. There’s no one in this house who loves me.”
“How can you say that?” Alaric pleaded, quickly pulling him into his arms again, his voice gentle. “I’m your dad. How could I not love you? You’re the one I love most in this world.”
“If you truly loved me, how could you hurt the person I love?” Caspian’s voice broke, his heart heavy with pain. “I’ll never have a mom who loves me like she did. Are you happy now? Is this what makes all of you happy?”
Alaric felt the weight of his son’s words press down on him. He could feel the deep hurt inside Caspian, the child who had just wanted love and acceptance. “Caspian,” he whispered, holding him close again. “Dad promises you that I’ll let her be your mom. Okay?”
At that moment, something inside Alaric clicked. Before Galatea entered their lives, Caspian had been lost, struggling. But since her presence, Caspian had blossomed, his health had improved, and he had started forming friendships. Alaric had seen the change, and it wasn’t just about special efforts—it was a natural bond, a matter of fate.
“Did you just say you’d really let her be my mom?” Caspian asked, eyes wide in disbelief.
“I swear, Caspian. If I’m lying to you, I’ll drop dead from a stroke right here and now,” Alaric said, mimicking an oath with his hand, his tone sincere.
Caspian’s eyes glistened with emotion, and he could hardly believe what he was hearing. He needed to hear it again, to make sure. “What do you mean exactly? Are you just agreeing to get me off your back, or are you honestly going to marry her?”
“I mean, it’s out in the open now. She’ll be your mom, and she’ll be my wife,” Alaric confirmed.
Caspian’s tear-streaked face broke into a smile, a joy he hadn’t felt in so long lighting up his features. Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around Alaric. “Thank you, Dad. So, once Mom gets better and leaves the hospital, you’ll marry her, right?”
“Of course,” Alaric agreed, his voice full of warmth.
“Thank you, Dad!” Caspian exclaimed, his voice full of excitement as he kissed Alaric’s cheek. “I love you, Dad!”
Alaric had never seen Caspian so happy. He wondered, as he held his son close, if this happiness would last once they married Galatea. Would Caspian’s joy be this pure and constant, now that he had what he’d always wanted?
“All right, Caspian, I have to go to the hospital to take care of her. You stay with Cormac, and be good, alright?” Alaric said, his voice soft but firm.
“Okay!” Caspian nodded obediently.
With that, Alaric left, feeling reassured by the lightness he saw in Caspian. However, Cormac watched the interaction with bewilderment. Caspian was smiling, but there was something about his joy that seemed so out of place in the current situation.
After Caspian closed his bedroom door, Cormac stood outside, puzzled. He couldn’t quite figure out what had just happened.
As Caspian lay in bed that night, he glanced at the clock. It was late, but he decided he couldn’t wait. He had to tell Harry the good news. Surely, Harry would be thrilled about their dad marrying Mom too, right?
The next morning, bright and early, Caspian called Harry. It was Sunday, and Harry wasn’t exactly thrilled about being woken up early on a day meant for sleeping in.
Seeing Caspian’s name flash on the screen, Harry groaned. “Not today,” he muttered, and hung up the phone. But to his annoyance, the phone rang again immediately.
“What the heck do you want this early in the morning?” Harry growled into the phone, his tone laced with annoyance. “I made myself crystal clear last night—we’re done interfering in each other’s lives.”
“There’s something important I need to tell you,” Caspian said urgently. “Dad gave me his word—he’s going to marry Mom, and this time it’s for real!”
“Dad’s going to marry Mom?” Harry scoffed, laughing derisively. “You think I’m thrilled? You’re out of your mind, Caspian. The line of suitors for my mom stretches out the door. She’s not even interested in marrying him!”
Caspian’s voice became more insistent. “Harry, don’t hang up just yet!”
“What else is there to say? Spit it out, because after this, you’re getting blocked.”
“I do!” Caspian pressed on. “Seriously, there’s more. Go to the study, open the second drawer of the desk, find the fifth book, and turn to page twenty-three.”
Harry, baffled, snapped, “What on earth?”
“Just do it,” Caspian insisted.
Reluctantly, Harry followed the instructions. He opened the drawer, pulled out the book, and flipped to page twenty-three. His brow furrowed as he found a black card inside.
“Did you find it?” Caspian’s voice crackled through the line. “It’s a black card. There’s over five million dollars on it. Mom needs it for her recovery after the accident, and you need money for you and Elisa’s tuition. The card’s for you.”
Harry paused. “Hold on a second! What is this supposed to mean, Caspian? Are you trying to show off your wealth or something?”
Before Harry could finish, Elisa barged in, snatching the card from his hands with gleeful excitement. “Harry, is this the huge bonus you were talking about?”