Loukas POVConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    I couldn’t believe Hiry when she said that I moved my right leg. It’s surprising because I haven’t felt any movement in my right leg in fourteen years, so when she told me about it, Iughed about it. “Great to hear that you felt a movement in your leg,” Rotimi reminded me once Hiry was out of the room. “It’s a great start, but we have another problem,” Rotimi announced, and he looked towards the door of the therapy room, searching for Hiry.


    I told him, “She is noting anytime soon.”


    Rotimi heaved a sigh and nodded in response. “Amanda has made the move and she is gathering other supporters for her son.”


    I shifted in my seat and sighed briefly. “What does that mean?” I asked him, fearing the worst that was yet toe. “What is going on? I thought you said you had everything under control and Mr. Adrians was in support of usst week! ”


    “That’s what I thought until today when I called him and he dropped the bombshell,” Rotimi said, rubbing his forehead and giving me the pitiful look he had on his face for years. I didn’t want that and when I thought that I had everything under control, Amanda just found another way to ruin everything for me. “There is no turning point for now, Loukas. Thepany haspletely been brought over by your brother, and even if you decide toe back again, you won’t be epted.” Rotimi ced his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it gently. “We’ll find a way,” he assured me.


    “A way?” I scoffed and shook my head. “Come on, Rotimi, you know thatpany has been my sweat for years even if I don’t make myself known!” I bit my lip and blinked, trying hard to let the tears that had welled up in my eyes appear. I was a man whose life had been decided fourteen years ago. If Hiry had note then, I would have been dead by now and Amanda would be the happiest person on Earth. My death was her happiness.


    Just as I thought about Hiry’s, the door opened and she walked in with a tray of fruit juice. “Sugar-free homemade orange juice!” She announced and dropped the tray on the table. There were three ss cups on the tray with a straw each. I stared at the ss of juice and then looked up to face Hiry. “Isn’t it amazing?” She pped her hands and beckoned to Rotimi and me to pick up the sses.


    If only she knew what had happened before she arrived. If only she understood that I wasn’t in the mood for a ss of juice. “Hiry, I…” I tried to say something, but Rotimi nudged me on the shoulder. I turned to face him and gave him a questioning look. I raised the corner of my lips to him, but he ignored me and pointed to the juice on the table. “Drink this, Lou,” he belched, setting his ss on the tray. It’s so healthy,” hemented and gave Hiry a thumbs up.


    “Thank you,” Hiry replied.


    I scoffed as I carried the ss from the tray and ced it close to my lips. When I smelled it, I gave Rotimi a questioning look, but he just shrugged his shoulders at me. “Let’s just get it over with,” I said and took a sip of the juice. I squeezed my eyes shut and almost spat out the liquid in my lips, but I forced myself to swallow it.


    The juice was devoid of sweetness. “What is this?” I quickly dropped the ss on the table and gave Hiry a questioning look.


    “It’s juice free from sugar. 100% natural,” she said, but I didn’t find her smile enticing; instead, I med myself for drinking the juice. “How is it?” she asked.


    “It’s nd!” I shouted and got hit on the shoulder by Rotimi. “What?” I rolled my eyes at him. I clicked my throat and squeezed my eyes shut, still feeling the taste of the juice in my throat.


    “It’s one hundred percent natural,” Hiry repeated and sat opposite me. She took the ss of juice and gulped it all at once. I stared at her in awe, and when she saw me staring at her, she chuckled. “Health is wealth,” she said, clicking her tongue.


    I rolled my eyes and scoffed. I replied, “As if it will bring me money.”


    Rotimi cleared his throat and stood up from his chair. He picked up the boxes beside the door and ced them on the table. “Guys! I bought your clothes for the g party of the Whitemorepany,” he informed us and pointed to Hiry’s box that was just beside mine.


    “A party?” Hiry asked as she opened the box. “Do we have a party to attend?” She asked again.


    I scoffed, and she looked up to face me. “Were you deaf when I announced it a few days ago?” I retorted, and she shrugged as if she didn’t understand what I meant.


    “The party is held by Caleb Whitemore, Loukas’s brother, “Rotimi informed her.


    “Wow!” She pped her hands as she picked out a red sequin dress. “This looks pretty,” shemented.


    “Courtesy of Loukas,” Rotimi pped his hands. “He bought the dress and shoes for you!” He announced got hit on the shoulder, wondering why he kept announcing it to her.


    “It must have been expensive,” Hirymented and hugged the dress.


    Did she expect me to buy a worn-out dress? I thought and chuckled. “Thank you, Loukas,” she said to me. “I love it,” she added.


    I lowered my head and smiled, not letting anyone see the smile on my face, but Loukas was tricky. He caught me smiling and nudged me on the shoulder. “I never expected that you’d smile,” he whispered into my ears. I raised my head to face him and gave him a questioning look. “No need to get angry about it. She looks happy, “he pointed towards Hiry, who held the dress closer to herself. Watching her embrace the dress brought a smile to my face. She looked happy, and that was enough to melt my cold heart.


    “I heard Caleb Whitemore is opening a new hotel, right?” She asked, and Rotimi nodded in response. “Your brother is cool!” She dropped the dress on top of the box. “I’ve been a fan of his for a long time,” she chuckled as she took the ck heels from the box and admired them by bringing them closer to her legs.


    “You’ve been my brother’s fan?” I asked her and she nodded in response. That’s enough to create an unpleasant feeling inside of me. “What are the things that made you his fans?” I asked out of curiosity. I wanted to know what she found pretty amazing in my stepbrother, who had been an idiot while we were growing up.


    “There is no need to ask these questions, Lou,” Rotimi whispered into my ears.


    I ignored him and beckoned to Hiry to answer my questions. She looked from me to Rotimi before opening her mouth to reply. “When I was informed that I had gotten a job from the Whitemore family, I thought it was Caleb Whitemore.”


    “Why ?” I asked. “Because you find him amazing, right?” She nodded in response, and Iughed. “Go on,” I implored her.


    She shifted in her seat and dropped the heels in her hand inside the box. “I became a fan of Caleb Whitemore when he built the Whitemore hotel,” she pped her hands. “It’s the biggest hotel in Mecianda.”


    I chuckled and nodded in response because I was behind it. I was behind the building because I drew the ns, but my brother took credit for it all. “Why don’t we stop this discussion?” Rotimi said, and he stood up beside me and pped his hands. “Today has been a great day, so why don’t we all just rx?” He tried to stop the conversation because he knew that I would be triggered, but I wasn’t ready to end the conversation yet.


    “How do you know that it was him who built the hotel?” It could have been someone else, “I said.


    Hiry shook her head in response. “Your brother is a great man, and he did a great job of building the best hotels in the country and around the world. He is amazing! ” She squealed.


    Her actions got me pissed off and I burst outughing. Rotimi rushed to my side and inquired about why I wasughing. “Are you okay?” He asked.


    Instead of replying to him, I continuedughing. “You must love my brother so much that you are also proud of him,” Hiry pointed out andughed alongside me.


    “I think we need to stop talking about Caleb Whitemore Hills,” Rotimi told her, but she refused to adhere to his warning.


    “Why?” She asked.


    Why? I wanted to scream out that I hated my brother and hated the fact that he took credit for everything that I had spent my life nning. Because of my body, he took credit for everything I had worked for, and even Hiry believed in him. If someone else had said that, I wouldn’t be so pissed, but since it’s from her, it made my blood boil. I picked up my ss from the tray, still full of juice, and threw it against the wall. It shattered across the room and the pieces flew around, shing me in the cheek.


    I touched my face as I felt it bleeding and smiled. “Oh goodness, Lou! What did you just do? ” Rotimi checked my face. “You’ve hurt yourself!”


    “Are you okay?” Hiry also rushed to my side to check my bleeding face, but I pushed her away. She stared at me in awe. “What did I do so wrong?”


    “What did you do so wrong?” I chuckled. “You are so daft that you have no idea how ufortable your patient was when you were talking about my brother. Have you ever wondered why I never showed my face to the world? Have you also wondered why no one talks about me? ” I yelled at her.


    “I…” Hiry stuttered, unable to form any words. “I didn’t know.”


    It was toote. She had seeded in opening the wounds that I tried so hard to close. “Get out!”


    “But… you could…” I didn’t let her finish as I grabbed the second ss from the tray and stretched my hand to throw it again. “Out!” I screamed at her.


    “Calm down, Lou,” Rotimi said to me, but I ignored him and gripped the ss cup in my hand pretty tight. “I think you should leave now, Hiry,” he advised.


    “I…” Hiry nodded in response and picked up her box from the table. She headed out of the room without turning back to look at me.


    Good riddance to bad rubbish.


    “Control your temper, Loukas,” said Rotimi, grabbing the ss cup from my hand and cing it back on the table. “Today was supposed to be a great day, but you decided to ruin it!”


    “I didn’t ruin it alone! You heard her when she talked about my brother as if he was the best person in the world! ” I reminded him again in case he had gone deaf when it all happened.


    “She doesn’t know Loukas!” He shouted at me. “You were the one who kept asking questions. What were you expecting? ”


    “I expected her to…” I paused and bit my lip. What the hell was I even expecting her to say? Did I expect her to have my back just like Rotimi did?


    Rotimi heaved a sigh. “You made a mistake by reacting in such a manner. She doesn’t know Lou! You need to remember that! ”


    I rubbed my forehead and sighed briefly. “Watch her Rotimi. She could be the perfect vessel for my family to use against me,” I told him.


    He just stared at me as if I had grown two heads, but I just shrugged my shoulder. ” It’s better to be prepared before the attackes,” I told him and he just continue staring at me.