CHAPTER ELEVEN CROSSING PATHS 1

Ken's POV

I took the gift from my dad and tore off the wrapping paper, revealing a portable gaming console

I noticed a letter inside, addressed to me from my mom. my curiosity quickly piqued so I opened it and began to read.

"Happy Birthday to my amazing son!

I'm so happy to see you grow up and become an even more awesome person every year! You're kind, caring, and make me proud in so many ways. I love you more than ice cream and pizza combined!

Remember, always be yourself and keep that big smile shining bright! It makes me happy and gives me a big hug in my heart. I hope you have an incredible day and enjoy your special gift - the new game we got for you! Have fun playing it and never forget, I love you more than words can say!

Love, Mom"

As I finished reading, I felt a lump in my throat.

My mother's words were like a warm embrace, filling me with love and gratitude.

I felt grateful for her unwavering support and unconditional love even though she was no longer with us.

"Despite the challenges that lay ahead, I felt a sense of assurance, knowing that my mother would continue to watch over me and offer her silent encouragement from beyond, her presence a constant source of strength and inspiration."

"That's how my room became my safe space. But this morning, I ventured out to play some games. I started with Dota 2 on my new HP Pavilion 16, playing for two hours straight. Then, I switched to my PS5 to play GTA 5.

I was fully immersed in the game, nearly 40 minutes in, when suddenly, the grumpy lady who's been working with my dad , I think he called her Linda - barged into my room.

She claimed that my gaming was disturbing my father's work downstairs, even though my door was closed and the volume was barely above mid-level.

I was furious. She had interrupted me right in the middle of a critical mission, and I hadn't even saved my progress. Who does she think she is, bursting in like that? "My mum" indeed! All I could see was red."

I immediately stood up from my bed and walked up to her, looking her straight in the eye.

"Who the Hell do you think you are?" I demanded. "How dare you barge into my room and switch off my game? Even my father has never done such a thing to me while I was gaming, and much less for a meaningless accusation. What on earth gave you the gall to do such a thing? Just look at you, acting like you own the place when you can't even afford to buy even the shoes I wear! How dare you!" I yelled.

I was really mad, and I couldn't make any sense of what she had just done. It might seem like a small matter, but to me, it was a really big one.

My dad has gotten angry with me several times, and quite a number of them were when I was gaming, but he never outrightly unplugged my PlayStation or laptop.

Instead, he would tell me to pause it or save my progress, then he'd lose his temper and sometimes ground me and take my games, but it rarely happened.

Then, an ugly, stuck-up imbecile of a woman came and literally unplugged my game for no sensible reason.

I quickly pushed her aside and stormed downstairs, heading straight to my dad's study.

I barged into my dad's study with Linda following close behind, obviously angry but too stunned by my reaction to speak.

As we walked in, my dad looked up, surprised to see us enter. He saw the enraged look on my face and that of Linda and was about to question us when I cut him off.

"Dad, please, what happened to Ms. Sarah?" I asked. "And why is this foolish woman working here instead of her? The last time I checked, Ms. Sarah was good at her job and also knew never to mess with my PS5 without your permission."

My dad asked, "What do you mean, Ken?"

"It's simple," I explained. "This woman barged into my room, unplugged my PS5, and said it was disturbing you while I was in an important game."

My dad immediately relaxed his back on the chair and shot Linda a disappointed look. "Explain yourself," he said.

Linda immediately spoke up, "Sir, the game he was playing was too loud, and it has been distracting me for the past two days, sir. Plus, we need all the focus we can get ready for the upcoming gubernatorial election."

I was taken aback. "Gubernatorial election? Dad, are you running for governor of Chicago? You aren't serious, right? This is a joke, right, Dad?" I asked, my voice shaking with anger and disbelief.

My dad looked at me apologetically. "Ken, I'm so sorry for not telling you about this. I wasn't sure about it yet, and we're just making preparations. That's all."

I felt a surge of anger and betrayal. "What about your promise? Have you already forgotten what happened to me because of the paparazzi?" I asked, my voice cracking with emotion.

My dad quickly stood up and approached me, trying to talk things out, but I was having none of it. He reached out and touched my shoulder, but I shrugged him off and stormed out of the room. I packed some clothes, my laptop, and gamepads, then headed for the door.

Turning back to my dad, I said firmly, "Don't follow me or look for me." With that, I walked out, leaving him standing there, concern etched on his face.

I made my way to the parking lot and called out for Lugard, who came rushing to meet me.

"Prepare the car, we're heading to Emerson's Manor," I instructed.

"Okay, sir," he replied. I nodded, then got into the car.

After a few minutes, we hit the road, leaving the tension and conflict behind.

"Meanwhile, back at Clayton's Manor, Ken's father, Mr. Richard, was pacing in his study, his mind racing with concern.

Linda, still looking confused, wondered how her mistake could have led to such an explosive reaction from Ken.

In her opinion, Ken should have been happy for his father, not furious. What kind of kid is he? she thought to herself.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice Ken's father calling her name until he thundered, "Linda!" Startled, she finally responded, "Yes, sir?"

"Why did you barge into his room and pull the plug on his PS5?" he asked angrily.

"Sir, like I said before, it was interfering with my work," Linda replied.

"Interfering how? Your workspace is in the next room. If it didn't disturb me, how could it disturb you? Whose work is more important, anyway?"

Linda looked taken aback by the question, but Mr. Richard's stern expression showed he wasn't backing down.

"I...I didn't mean to cause a problem, sir," she stammered. "Well, you did," he said curtly. "And that's not the only issue.

You were supposed to keep my plans for the gubernatorial election confidential. Why did you speak about it when Ken barged in?"

Linda's eyes widened, and she took a step back, "I...I wasn't thinking, sir. I was caught off guard."

Mr. Richard raised an eyebrow, "Not thinking? That's not an excuse, Linda You know how vulnerable Ken is to the paparazzi

Here's a revised version of the text with some minor edits for clarity and flow:

"I'm sure I told you what happened to Ken last time, Linda.

He may have seemingly overcome the loss of his mother, but the traumatic experience still haunts him.

The paparazzi could easily trigger memories, causing him to have a panic attack and end up in the hospital.

And now, my son thinks I'm an inconsiderate father because of your carelessness. Leave my office, now."