Chapter 47
A man on his forty's approached the Astin siblings, white and black strands of hair frame his straight sharp face. There is a pressure on him that people who lead can only have.
"Mikhail is that you're friends? You should have asked them to stay for a while."
"Dad I already asked them but their chauffer are waiting for them so I guess their family value them a lot." Liliane answered in turn of Mikhail
The man Liliane called Dad is the current head of the Astin family, he is Edward Astin. The brunette haired woman beside him is his second wife but when looked closely she doesn't resemble neither Liliane nor Mikhail.
She is Jane Astin but she is not the mother of Mikhail and Liliane, the children is from Edward's first marriage after the first wife passed away he married Jane and they have another son who is now four years old named Harold.
"I'm sorry that we are not at your party earlier dear, it is because your brother Harold made a fuss and cried earlier." Jane said.
That is right earlier the couple are nowhere to be found and they only arrived after the guests all left. They must have tucked Harold to bed first and then take a rest completely forgetting about this party they so painstakingly forced to be held only to remember at the end.
What's new? Mikhail have long been accustom to this. His eyes grew colder at the sight of the cold couple in front of him.
"No need, just take care of Harold. "
He was supposed to stay here but he doesn't want to anymore. Mikhail could stay at his apartment near the dorms or he could take ask one of the car to take him back to the dorm.
"Don't be like this dear, we should have dinner together as a family." Jane said with a small awkward smile on her face.
Mikhail just looked at her, to him Jane's face is completely blurry but he liked it better this way. He doesn't want to further associate himself with them any longer. They should just be happy with themselves and he would not bother their perfect family.
Sometimes he wonder how Liliane can handle being here all the time. It is utterly exhausting and his lungs usually feel like there is not enough oxygen.
"Next time when Harold is awake, well then miss Jane I would need to go as there are a bunch of things I still need to do. Tell your son I said hi" He bowed at Jane and his father turning his back at them.
"Mikhail, would it hurt you to stay and call Jane your mom?" Edward have long felt that this son of his is cold and turning rebellious. Even now he refused to acknowledge his second wife and son while he stay on some apartment instead of the main residence.
Mikhail felt clenched his fist tightly that his knuckles are already turning white.
"Miss Jane is not my mom but I respect her and also why should I stay at someone else's home?"
Where is my family? They are nowhere to be found. Only my sister Liliane is left but she wants to hold onto the idea of a family despite not fitting with the three of you, that just result to more heart ache really.
He doesn't want to think more as he felt that his head would ache , instead he just want to go somewhere without looking back and then feel at ease.
Jane is not a bad a person , even his half brother is lovable but they are not his family. He can't give what he doesn't have so he can't give them familial affection.
"Thank you for hosting a party for me but I think it would be best to stop doing this in the future. I would like to spend the day with someone else."
Someone who would care about the occasion because they genuinely want to instead who felt that they need to do it because of their responsibility.
Agitated he finally left the compound and Edward just let out a tired sigh.
"It is okay I understand him, we are at fault this time." Jane said thinking that the boy felt annoyed that they did not manage to attend his party.
The school tyrant is not that shallow, the reason he is like this is because everything piled up until everything overflowed. He is starved for something he couldn't received and seeing it being flaunt right in front of his face is just like mocking him.
He is only sixteen and he is still impulsive and his feelings are still out of place. Mikhail is still a child within if someone would look at it.
Liliane wanted to lift the mood for the couple so she ushered them to have dinner to go while she played the piano to accompany them since she have already eaten her fill earlier.
"This is a new compose of mine and doesn't have a title yet hehe you can be the first one to hear it." Liliane sat on the chair and her hands glided elegantly through the keys of the grand piano.
She understand Mikhail but instead of alienating them shouldn't he do everything to further fit in? That brother of his is too sensitive she can't even say anything.
The sound of the piano envelope the whole house while the light outside flicker.
A lone figure was walking on the road, the place is almost deserted and a few vehicles pass through the place since it is quite late into the night.
His feet is talking him to a small park on the east. He sat down on the swing and closed his eyes while sitting on the unmoving swing still deep in thought when he heard a small meowing on the side of the bushes and he saw a small cat all curled up inside the box.
"Are you all alone too?" He picked up the cat wanting to take him back to his apartment since the dorm doesn't allow any pets with them.
The cat is white and it looked like it have been abandoned.
Mikhail decided he would adopt it and take care of it.