The Real Reason

Jake's POV

I spend the day in bed, as usual, staring up at the ceiling and contemplating the recent changes in my life. What a week this has been! The window is wide open at my head, a cool breeze blows and a ray of golden sun illuminates half of my face. A perfect day for a date! Only, I don't have one. 

I turn over to the side as tears threaten to leak through my eyes once again. What is this that I have become? I wonder. The phone on the bedside table rings twice before I switch it off. Must be another call from Linda, I heave a sigh before turning the phone over. I hope she gets over me soon and finds someone better. Although, I smile ironically, I can't say the same for myself. 

I curse myself for ever meeting up with my father. My life was almost perfect before the fateful Easter day, when he decided to conveniently poke his nose into my business. I reminisce it, going through it in my mind a thousand times but it never gets tiring. 

"Sit down son." He said, pulling the high backed chair and sitting himself. The chairs were golden in colour, in contrast to the bright red cushions that overlay the seat. Red, my moms favourite colour, I realise with a jolt. This farmhouse, like all of the rest of my father's properties, was designed by mama herself. She never allowed us to take the help of any interior designer as, being an artist herself, she had a superior aesthetic taste that encompassed the skills of any interior designer. As a result, all of father's properties are tastefully decorated and even after her death, father never made a single change. 

I sit with slight discomfort, as I always feel in front of my father. His eyes are blank, devoid of any expression and his face is as unreadable as ever. As I look at him, I realise how quickly my father has aged in the recent years after my mother's death. His face muscles twitch a little before he speaks,

"How are things going with you, Jacob?" He says in his monotonous baritone. 

I look at him closely, searching for anything that may betray his true intention. I find none. His demeanor might  well be compared to that of a sculpture, and I wonder if mom liked him better for it. 

"Please, father…. let's get to the point. You don't have to beat around the bush and try to make small talk." I do little to hide the irritation in my voice. 

Father suddenly looks very tired. He opened his glasses and then rubbing his temples, he said, "Can't I expect to have a normal conversation with my only son? Why do you have to be so hostile towards me? You are the only person I have left."

I was a little flabbergasted at his response. I didn't really have a good feeling about this meeting in the first place, and now he's being too emotional and I like it even less. 

He coughed a little before continuing, "Listen Jacob, you are my only son, and the heir to this entire business empire. Now, I must not hide it from you, but things...well...they are not going well. I am in debt and I admit that I have made few wrong investments. There's, there's money stuck...and I can't get it out...and well, I need money."

I scrutinize him closely, what does he even want from me? How am I supposed to help with my Father's debt?

"I don't understand. How can I help you? You know that I don't have much knowledge about business in the first place." I said, confused. 

"You would have, if you had listened to my advice and went to Harvard instead of some obscure Art school!" Father grunts, disapproval ringing in his voice. 

An old fury rises within me, we have had this conversation a lot of times before. 

"I thought that I had made my intentions very clear to you." I said, anger welling up in my voice, "I want to study art and become an artist. I am not fooling around and I will have absolutely no interest in your posh Universities. I don't want your business or your money, father….you can keep it!"

"What do you know of money when you never had to earn a single penny? You have a luxurious life, thanks to MY business and MY money. And, you have never been grateful! Now listen quietly to what I say. You are dating that girl, Linda Roberts, right?"

I am shocked. How did father know about her when I had tried my best to hide all aspects of my personal life from him.

"What does this have to do with her?" I enquired. 

"Are you a fool? She is the only daughter of Mr Edward Roberts, the Founder of Roberts group of Industries! She is the heiress to his entire property and...and she is your girlfriend. Utilize her. She's a resource that, if nurtured in a correct way, can lead to a partnership between the Brooks and the Roberts. Don't you see? I will be able to pay all my debts and expand my business even further. Can't you estimate the profits it will garner for our business if we collaborated with the Roberts?" Father's eyes light up with an unnatural gleam that I recognised only too well. Greed. 

"No." I replied flatly, "I can't use Linda as a pawn to further your ambitions. She's my girlfriend, not an instrument of your wishes."

"Have you lost your mind entirely! Can't you see the possible benefits this alliance can bring me? Hell, I pay for all your bills and you don't even realize the value of hard-earned money, do you? This isn't a child's game, Jacob…. it's called strategizing!"

"No!" I replied with clenched jaws, managing to suppress my shout, " I love Linda and I cannot use her for your gains. Don't you understand love? You don't bargain with the people you love. Tell me, would you ever have done this with mama?

Father looks at me with glaring eyes. His nostrils flare as he hisses in his menacingly low tone, "Mind your tongue with me boy! I won't tolerate this insolence for long."

"Even I don't want to tolerate these!" I shout now, my head buzzing, as I feel a desperate desire to punch my own father. I storm out of the room before I do anything regrettable. As I leave, I hear my father shouting at his butler and muttering angrily to himself. 

I couldn't let Linda be a part of my life's mess. She deserves better and I couldn't just sit around and see my father trying to manipulate her. 

The phone buzzes again, and as I pick it up, it shows a dozen messages. A few from Linda about several hours ago, and a few recent ones for Cassie. I open Cassie's ones.

"Jacob...where are you? Why aren't you replying?? Come quickly. Linda is missing. She has gone somewhere. We need you. Reply asap."

Linda missing. Two words and my entire world goes haywire. I feel numbness through my bones and a sudden chill gnaws my innards. Where has she gone?

At this very moment, Mike storms into the room with his usually untidy hair is completely disheveled now.