Thursday

Tao sniffled quietly by himself. He had been doing that for a while now and couldn't help but still feel tears trickling down his face. How could they? How could they do something so horrible to him? He hadn't done anything wrong to them, did he? Tao knew he didn't. He knew he was a man of his words and would never do such thing as to hurt his friend. His only friend! 

And yet, he'd been fooled all along. He'd felt betrayed and could still feel the betrayal gnawing his chest. If only he could turn back time and start all over and not listen to his best friend! But, it was too late now. He couldn't do anything about that anymore and just had to go on with his pitiful life. Time wasn't going to stop for him or sit quietly there waiting for him to stop wallowing in his own misery and pain. Everything would just go its merry ways and nothing could stop that. Not even Tao himself.

"Tao! Tao! I know you are in there! Open up!,"

Tao ignored the voice and glared at the door. He knew who was standing behind his door and he wasn't planning on opening it for the person or any other person who wanted him to open his door. Nope, he wasn't going to do that. He'd very much like to be by himself at the moment and didn't need more excuses from anyone.

"Tao! Open up! I am sorry, ok! I didn't mean to... just open this door, will you?,"

And again, Tao ignored the pounding door and raised voice as he continued to sit on his bed. He pulled up his cushion and tried to block away the voice screaming for him to open up. When that didn't help, he took his dog stuffed animal and tried to squeeze some comfort out of the poor animal. Ignoring the voices outside, Tao lied down and started admiring his ceiling. Was it a curse or a blessing? He didn't know. He was so confused now and didn't even want to think about anything at all.

Ever since the bomb was dropped on him, Tao had felt his body go numb. His mind stopped working all at once. He'd never thought his life was such a joke. The next thing he'd know, his best friend was going to tell him that he was a hired Russian spy or an intellectual of America's highest security. Tao felt like throwing up now. 

A loud bang made him jump, but he tried to ignore everything. It was what he was going to do from now on. And he was going to make sure that each and every one person who had lied to him would be buried alive in his backyard. Maybe he'd feel satisfied at some point, but he was sure that that wasn't going to make him feel even a little bit happy.

Suddenly he felt his bed dip on one side and he knew someone had intruded his sanctuary, his kingdom. And he didn't like it. Although he was trying to ignore the sudden presence as best as he could, on the other side he was just as curious as to what was going to be said to him. But he knew not to give in. Because if he did, he was weak. And everyone knows his weak point, he huffed angrily.

"Tao... I know you are still angry and not ready to forgive me yet... but please do understand what I, myself, am going through too,"

"Go away!," Tao snarled, yanking away from the touch.

"I'll go after you understand,"

"I don't want to understand,"

Sehun glared at Tao's back. He was slowly having enough of the other's attitude. Even though he'd been patient to his childhood for ages, that didn't mean he couldn't have a limit. Sehun understood why the other would be angry at him, especially for keeping such a big secret. But, what was he to do about it? He didn't have a choice! Why wouldn't the other understand him at all? He was as much as a victim as the other too! He'd suffered too!

"Yah! You imbecile! You are going to listen to me whether or not you are going to like it!," Sehun shouted this time and slapped his hand hard on Tao's back, making the other yelp in surprise and finally turn to face him.

Tao glared at him. He glared back. A short glaring contest erupted for a few seconds before Tao decided to break eye contact. He felt drained and a wave of dizziness hit him out of nowhere. He'd been stressed enough already.

"Say whatever you want to say. See if I'll believe you," Tao finally said, not looking at Sehun at all.

He never saw the hurt look adorn the other's face when he made that comment. Sehun couldn't blame the other for that, though, but he had at least expected for the other to at least listen sincerily to his words. He guessed the whole thing had been even worse than he'd imagined.

"Tao," Sehun started, but hesitated a moment before continuing:"... I know that you are hurt and all... and I understand that. I would've felt the same if I were in your shoes. I know I should've told you from the very beginning, but I just couldn't...,"

"Did he pay you a huge amount of cash to keep your mouth shut?," Tao shot out, sending the other a glare.

Sehun flinched. "He did... but I declined...,"

"And you think I'd believe that? I know him very well and he is one hell of a smooth talker, so it wouldn't take long before he'd persuaded his prey into doing one thing he'd want," Tao said.

"I know... I know... and no, I didn't fall for any of his smooth talking, I swear," Sehun sighed.

A pause.

"Really?,"

"Really,"

"You swear it?,"

"I swear it, Tao,"

"Swear it on my pinky?,"

"Yes, swear it on your pinky,"

"Swear-,"

"Oh geesh! Stop it, Tao! I told you already, didn't I?," Sehun was slowly growing frustrated. Tao was making things very hard for him.

"Okay, okay. You swear," Tao relented.

For a moment, both lads stopped talking and it was as if things had gone back to the way it was and they felt the tension seep away slowly. Sehun hoped very much that there wouldn't be any awkwardness between them after that, but he doubted it. He knew Tao well enough to not get his hopes up too high. The other boy was never one to forgive so easily, even though he was a kind and nice friend to him and to any other person. Sehun knew that there would be much more to do before he was finally forgiven by the other.

"Then what happened?," Tao asked.

"I told you yesterday already. Everything had been a setup.. by your father. He was the one behind all this... this... thing!," Sehun said. "And the worst thing is... I was suddenly dragged in all this whole from out of nowhere!,"

"Why would he want to do such a thing?," Tao asked.

"Beats me. Ask him for yourself," Sehun shrugged his shoulders.

"What about you... and yeah... you know... is he really your fiance?," Tao asked uncertainly.

"No, he's not my fiance. No one is my fiance," Sehun said.

Tao peeked over at his best friend. It was then, that he saw how tired the other looked. His eyes looked swollen and dark circles underlined the pair of beautiful crescent eyes. Maybe his best friend had suffered as much as he did. He did feel a little guilty for being an to his best friend, but what was he supposed to feel? He'd felt hurt! Betrayed!

"Are you still mad at me?," Sehun asked.

"Yes, I am still mad at you. But, I can lower my level of anger for now. First I need to go talk to someone," Tao said as he got up from his bed, leaving the other pouting like a child.

When Tao had finally left his room, Sehun got up and followed quickly. He really wanted the other to forgive him. Even if he wasn't going to be forgiven that easily, at least, he'd like to know if there was a possibility that he'd be forgiven. 

The moment Tao reached his destination, he didn't hesitate a second and marched into the familiar surrounding he'd been avoiding at all costs during the past few months. But, that thursday, it was different. Tao had no choice. He couldn't avoid it anymore. He couldn't avoid the company which had been built by his parents for years. He guessed he really couldn't run away from his fate.

Ignoring the odd stares coming from employees and a certain call from who he assumed was the frontdesk lady, Tao quickened his footsteps until they reached a closed mahogany door. It was then that he finally started hesitating. Was he ready to face whatever was on the other side of door? Was he bold enough to do this? He quickly shook away the unsure feeling and balled his hands into fists. He had to do this! He had to. Taking a deep breath, he then turned open the knob.

"I told you, no interruptions when I am busy,"

A deep familiar and yet unfamiliar sound came from a rather middle aged looking man sitting behind his desk and writing furiously on scattered papers piled in front of him. He hadn't looked up yet and wasn't about to, if it wasn't for Tao demanding his attention.

"Well, this is important, so interruption should be granted,"

A pause. And finally the man looked up and his eyes locked onto those same dark slanted ones. For a moment both of them looked at each other without blinking their eyes. Finally the man looked away, breaking the eye contact. The man put down his pen and leaned back on his swivel chair as if waiting for Tao to confess something illegal.

"Have a seat," the man gestured for Tao to take the chair in front of him.

"No need. Just here to say whatever I have on my mind and that's it. It won't even take long," Tao bit out still glaring at the said man in front of him.

"Ok... do as you please. You never listen to me anyway," the man muttered.

"Right. I never listen, because you never listen to me,"

The man's eyes widened in surprise and finally he heaved a sigh as he got up from his leather chair to only turn his back to Tao and stand there, looking out the glassed windows. Tao continued to look at the tall figure he hadn't seen for a couple of months already. Nothing had changed much in his opinion. Maybe only the hair, but other than that, nothing besides the ordinary. For a moment, Tao forgot what he was doing there.

It was the first time in months since Tao had seen his father and it surprised him that the other hadn't changed at all. He secretly wondered if his father was using some kind of anti-aging medicine to look young in front of everyone. His eyes travelled to the tall lean body of his father to only settle on the back of the other's head. He waited for whatever the man had to say before he could choose his own words.

"Close the door,"

A command laced in the voice, leaving no room for him to talk back and he wasn't going to for once. He needn't more ears to overhear whatever he was going to say to his father. Closing the door finally, Tao took a few steps forward and halted just in front of the desk. He waited a few minutes, waiting for his father to say something first.

"You are upset, I know," his father started. "So that's why you are here, right?,"

"You bet I am. How can you even do that? You promised not to meddle into my affairs whatsoever!," Tao almost screeched.

"Hm. I didn't promise that. I promised to give you space. That's not the same, Zitao,"

Zitao.

Whenever his father was angry or serious, he'd use that damn name. Don't get him wrong. He respected his father very much, but sometimes his father just goes too far and he'd feel too suffocated and he couldn't help but feel all angry and blow up in front of his father.

"Giving space to me means that you can't draw my life the way you want it. I am sick of you leading my life. I am sick of you taking all the decisions without my consent. Why don't you try to understand me once? Huh? I am not some kind of puppet or robot you can give orders to and have me follow it to the extend. I want to live my life like any other normal teenager. I want to feel and do whatever I want. I want to make my own life goals...,"

"Huangs don't have that. They don't do that. Generation on generation, we Huangs, have nothing of that so called 'freedom' of doing whatever we want. We are always told what to do. Even me... Don't you understand that?," his father finally turned around to look at him with those tired eyes.

"I understand that, but what does that have to do with me becoming bonded with that man?! And why did you have to use my best friend to do your dirty work?,"

"It's... quite complicated," his father sighed.

"Well, try me," Tao dared his father, balling his fists.

The man paused and then finally gestured for his son to sit down. When Tao was about to protest, he just sent a menacing glare making the other swallow back his retort. It did take a few minutes' time from the other to start whatever he was going to say. He had to think before starting on his story.

"This company has been built by your mother and I. We worked really hard for this and you know that. You grandparents were never satisfied with what I had with your mom, because we were poor. But, I showed them what I am made of. When the company finally became successful, your grandpa decided to merge his granddaughter's possessions, your mom, with whatever we've built...,"

"Why didn't grandpa give whatever belonged to mom to her in the first place, then you two wouldn't have to suffer,"

"Your grandpa was cunning and greedy," a pause. "Your mother finally reconciled with your grandparents and everything went fine in the first year. But after a few years, I've noticed something going wrong with the company and I had my secretary check on something for me. Seemed like your grandpa had secretly transferred everything this company made over to his account. When I finally confronted him with everything, it was already too late. I had to find some help somewhere, just to get us out of our financial deficit. Suddenly, our company would go bankrupt and I couldn't let that happen. Something that I have built! That bastard! Ahem, anyways... a friend of a friend introduced me to Mr. Wu. He helped us a lot and I am still grateful to that man,"

"Where is he now?,"

"He passed away just a few years back, but his grandson took over of the company,"

"I don't see why I am forced to be with this Wu person,"

"You see, Mr. Wu... his wife really wanted a second child, but she wasn't able to make one and he who loved her so much, as much like I love your mom, she made me promise to betroth my first child with her son. And that is...,"

"Me?,"

His father nodded. Tao blanched. It was as if everything just fell into pieces. Everything that his mother had taught him or told him when he was younger. He finally understood why his parents were like that. Why they expected a lot from him. And now he felt sick to the bones. He had been such a horrible child. Tao wished he could turn back time and comfort his parents and do whatever he could to make his parents' life easier, but alas, everything had already happened in the past and he couldn't do anything about that. But that left him with two questions: did Kris know that he was betrothed since he was a baby? And was he really doing it for business benefits or because he really liked Tao himself?

"But, isn't there another alternative?," Tao asked. "Can't we talk with them and cancel everything?"

"I've tried, but... after seeing... Mrs. Wu's face... oh, you should've seen her expression... even I can't bring it to my heart to do such a thing to your mom if I were in his place,"

"Let me talk to her then,"

"Are you sure?,"

Tao hesitated. Was he really up to it? Was he courageous enough to do such a thing. But he really needed to defend himself or more like defend his own heart. He didn't want to risk getting hurt and all. He couldn't live with a broken heart.

"I am sure,"

For a moment, both father and son kept a long and hard stare at each other before his father finally relented and decided to call his partner and let the other know what his son had decided. After the call, he made sure to tell Tao to not do anything bashful or impudent, at which Tao promised and assured that that wasn't going to happen at all. His father needn't worry about that, because his mother had taught him well for a reason.

Leaving the company with a much lighter heart, Tao suddenly felt as if a invisible burden had been lifted off his shoulders. Burdens he had been carrying for the past few months. It should not be too long before everything would be solved and he wouldn't have to suffer and go through this silly thing they called 'betrothal'.

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A/N:

Hello~~ my dear beloved readers. Once again, HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Finally an update. I am so sorry it took me this long to update >_< Couldn't really come up with something to write. In my opinion... this chapter and I wished I could rewrite the whole story, but I don't feel like doing that, because that way the whole story is going to change and the spark in the whole story would be gone. 

Please excuse my typos and grammar errors. 

I do hope I can update soon... one of my goals right now. Hahaha

Thank you for reading and commenting. Please subscribe and upvote for me. Thank you very much!! Enjoy the chapter, honeys~~