Furious, Richard sprang up and shouted into the phone, “Uncle, this is my only chance of avenging Dad. Why are you stopping me?”
“That’s because you’re the only son your mom has, and you are my only nephew. I can’t let you be in danger,” the man answered him calmly.
“What if I don’t agree to it?”
“If you disobey my order, I’ll transfer you back here and swap your position into a sinecure.”
Richard’s eyes were filled with struggle and reluctance upon hearing that threat. He growled into the phone and said, “Just because you’re the vice president doesn’t mean that you can threaten me like this.”
“I’m doing this because I’m your uncle. Even though I’m only four years older, I am still your elder. There won’t be any further discussion on this matter. I have a meeting to attend,” Richard’s uncle said assertively and hung up the phone.
Richard huffed and pounded his fist against the table, creating a crack in the sturdy marbletop. He gripped his hair and furrowed his eyebrows in pain. He looked at his phone once again and picked it up. After he found the number, he took a deep breath and made the call.
“Hello! Is that you, Richard?” A female’s gentle voice came through.
“Mom, it’s me. Am I disturbing you?” Richard asked softly. The way they spoke did not feel like how a mother and son would normally interact-it was distant.
“No, I’ve been hoping you’d call! I’ve missed your voice,” she replied with her lovely, soothing voice.
“Please ask uncle to stop interfering with my job.” Richard’s sole purpose of calling was only because of work.
“It’s not his fault; I asked him to do that. My only request is to stop you from joining missions related to your dad.
“Why?”
“I lost your dad. Do I have to lose you too?” Her voice was filled with pain and remorse.
“I want to go. Please let me kill that monster and avenge Dad.”
“Richard, that’s exactly why I don’t want you to go. You’d lose your mind, good judgment, and even your life too,” answered the lady sobbingly on the other end of the line. “I just want you to be alive.”
Tears brimmed Richard’s eyes as the sounds of his mother sobbing softened his vengeful heart. He comforted her and said, “I promise you that nothing will happen to me.”
“Don’t make it hard for your uncle, alright? He’s just complying with my request.”
“How is Granddad?” Richard asked with concern.
“He’s not feeling quite well after the surgery, so he’s currently on bed rest. Come and visit him if you have time. He’s been talking about wanting to see you.”
“Okay, I’ll visit when I have time,” he answered.
“Richard, I heard from your grandpa that there are talks about an arranged marriage. Let me know when you are meeting her parents; I want to meet your fiancee as well.”
At that, Angela came to his mind instead of Annie, but he had not thought about marriage yet. “We’ll talk about this later, Mom. I’m not in a rush to get married.”
“Your grandpa is, though. You’re not that young anymore-you’re already twenty nine.”
“Mom, I’m still on a mission. I’ll go home when I have time. Take care, alright?” Richard said hastily and hung up the phone before he could receive a response.
He was only two when his father passed away. His mother decided to remarry into a noble family to save his granddad’s business and became a well-known madam in the country. However, she did not give birth to another child and threw herself into charity work.
